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- Media File Formats:
-
- Media files are used to provide external resources for your program and are stored in
- special file formats that represent the kind of media you wish to use:
-
- X : 3D Object File - use LOAD OBJECT
- XOF : 3D Object File - use LOAD OBJECT
- 3DS : 3D Object File - use LOAD OBJECT
- BMP : Bitmap File - use LOAD BITMAP
- AVI : Animation File - use LOAD ANIMATION
- WAV : Sound File - use LOAD SOUND
- MID : Music File - use LOAD MUSIC
- ARR : Array File - use LOAD ARRAY
- TXT : Array File - use LOAD ARRAY
-
- Notes on conversion from other formats:
-
- X File Format
- -------------
- Dark Basic loads 3D Objects using this file format. Many 3D tools do not save out 3D
- object data using this 'DirectX file format'. You can use the DBConv.EXE tool that
- comes with Dark Basic to convert the more common 3DS files to X files. Dark Basic
- additionally supports direct loading of 3DS files if you are not concerned with the
- additional loading time and file sizes required during 3DS importing.
-
- BMP File Format
- ---------------
- Dark Basic loads its bitmap graphics using this file format. One of the most common
- file formats for the PC, BMP files can be saved by all popular art packages and other
- graphic tools. The Paint program that came with Windows saves out images in the BMP
- format.
-
- AVI File Format
- ---------------
- Dark Basic loads animation using this file format. Microsoft Video One codec is the
- default AVI format used by Windows. All animation and production tools export AVI
- animation files as standard and offer a good level of compression over quality.
-
- WAV File Format
- ---------------
- Dark Basic loads its sound effects using this file format. There are very few commonly
- used sound formats, and WAV by far represents the most common variety. All sound
- effects libraries and tools work with this file format, and is a very common media type.
-
- MID File Format
- ---------------
- Dark Basic loads music using this file format. Though not the most popular format in
- recent years, it's compact and flexible. There are millions of MID music files available
- today from all over the internet and offers even kind of music imaginable.
-
- ARR File Format
- ---------------
- Dark Basic allows the import of text and numerical data in the form of ARR format files.
- These files are directly loaded into arrays that have been created in a suitable format
- to load the files. Ideally, these files are created using the save array command that
- ensures the ability to snapshot the contents of an array and export it to a file.
-
- Additionally, text files can be recognised as ARR format files for the import of text
- data. You can use a utility such as Notepad to create your text files, and the data
- can be loaded into a Dark Basic array. Text data ideally requires a single dimension
- string array for loading. The text data will be seperated by lines into the array.
-
- Another use for ARR files is to record program data and save game positions with a
- single command, and restore them with a second command.
-