---

Road Map to QuickTime 4

Graphics Importer Components

Graphic importer components are used to open and display graphic images stored using various file formats and compression algorithms. Apple-provided components read many common compressed image types. Support for cross-platform and web-derived images is provided, including the ability to query for capability by MIME type and by examination (a component can be asked to examine a file of unknown type, to see if it can decompress the file).

QuickTime 4 adds several new features to graphics importers. They can now work with some file types that contain multiple images or multiple layers. File sizes and offsets of 64 bits are supported. Default settings can be set and read programatically. ColorSync profiles can be read from image files. The destination rectangle used by an importer can be read. QuickTime 4 also introduces graphic image exporters , described in the chapter Graphic Image Exporter Components.

Applications make direct calls to graphic importer components, so this chapter will be of interest to most QuickTime developers who work with still images or the web. To obtain the services of a graphics importer component, applications normally use the GetGraphicsImproterForFile or GetGraphicsImporterForDataRef functions of the Image Compression Manager (see "Working With Graphics Importers" in the Image Compression Manager chapter).

Applications programmers should also be familiar with the Component Manager, prior to working with graphics importer components (see the chapter Component Manager).

If you would like to create a new graphics importer component, refer to this chapter to implement a component that supports the required interface functions.

QuickTime 4 Reference describes what graphic importer components do and shows how to use them from within an application. A code sample is included.

QuickTime 4 Reference lists the image file formats supported by QuickTime graphic importer components currently supplied by Apple, including file types added as part of QuickTime 3.

QuickTime 4 Reference introduces the QuickTime image file format (QTIF) and gives an overview of its features and benefits. This file format provides a universal container type for images stored by any method of compression. Image-compressor components can open and save compressed images using the QuickTime image file format (see the section " Functions ," below).

• Atom Types in QuickTime Image Files
• Recommended File Type and Suffix

QuickTime 4 Reference describes features added in QuickTime 4. This includes the ability to work with image files that contain multiple images or images that contain multiple layers (animated GIFs are not currently supported).

• Image Formats with Multiple Images in a Single File
• Supporting 64-bit File Sizes and Offsets
• Retrieving Default Settings
• Getting ColorSyncProfiles
• Getting/Setting the Destination Rectangle

QuickTime 4 Reference describes the functions you can use to obtain the services of graphics importer components and use them to draw and manipulate image files.

• Obtaining Graphics Import Components
• Determining the Properties of the Image File
• Drawing and Converting Image Files

QuickTime 4 Reference briefly describes how to write a graphics importer and illustrates how graphic importer components interact with applications, the base graphics import component, the Image Compression Manager, and data handlers.

QuickTime 4 Reference describes aspects of component registration that are special for graphics importer components, such as multiple registration to obtain file type and file name suffix matching.

QuickTime 4 Reference defines the functions that are used to control graphics importer components. Functions are grouped by purpose.

• Functions New in QuickTime 4
• GraphicsImportGetImageCount
• GraphicsImportSetImageIndex
• GraphicsImportGetImageIndex
• GraphicsImportGetDataOffsetAndSize64
• GraphicsImportReadData64
• GraphicsImportSetDataReferenceOffsetAndLimit64
• GraphicsImportGetDataReferenceOffsetAndLimit64
• GraphicsImportGetDefaultMatrix
• GraphicsImportGetDefaultClip
• GraphicsImportGetDefaultGraphicsMode
• GraphicsImportGetDefaultSourceRect
• GraphicsImportGetColorSyncProfile
• GraphicsImportSetDestRect
• GraphicsImportGetDestRect
• GraphicsImportSetFlags
• GraphicsImportGetFlags
• Obtaining a Graphics Importer Instance
• GetGraphicsImporterForFile
• GetGraphicsImporterForFileWithFlags
• GetGraphicsImporterForDataRef
• GetGraphicsImporterForDataRefWithFlags
• Getting Image Characteristics
• GraphicsImportGetNaturalBounds
• GraphicsImportGetImageDescription
• GraphicsImportGetDataOffsetAndSize
• GraphicsImportValidate
• GraphicsImportGetMetaData
• GraphicsImportDoesDrawAllPixels
• Setting Drawing Parameters
• GraphicsImportSetBoundsRect
• GraphicsImportGetBoundsRect
• GraphicsImportSetMatrix
• GraphicsImportGetMatrix
• GraphicsImportSetClip
• GraphicsImportGetClip
• GraphicsImportSetGraphicsMode
• GraphicsImportGetGraphicsMode
• GraphicsImportSetQuality
• GraphicsImportGetQuality
• GraphicsImportSetSourceRect
• GraphicsImportGetSourceRect
• GraphicsImportSetProgressProc
• GraphicsImportGetProgressProc
• Drawing Images
• GraphicsImportSetGWorld
• GraphicsImportGetGWorld
• GraphicsImportDraw
• Saving Image Files
• GraphicsImportSaveAsPicture
• GraphicsImportSaveAsQuickTimeImageFile
• GraphicsImportGetAsPicture
• GraphicsImportExportImageFile
• GraphicsImportGetExportImageTypeList
• GraphicsImportDoExportImageFileDialog
• GraphicsImportGetExportSettingsAsAtomContainer
• GraphicsImportSetExportSettingsFromAtomContainer
• Getting MIME Types
• GraphicsImportGetMIMETypeList
• Specifying the Data Source
• GraphicsImportSetDataFile
• GraphicsImportGetDataFile
• GraphicsImportSetDataHandle
• GraphicsImportGetDataHandle
• GraphicsImportSetDataReference
• GraphicsImportGetDataReference
• GraphicsImportSetDataReferenceOffsetAndLimit
• GraphicsImportGetDataReferenceOffsetAndLimit
• Retrieving Image Data
• GraphicsImportReadData

QuickTime 4 Reference defines the constants used with graphics importer component calls.

• Graphics Importer Flags for Gamma Correction
• Image Description Atoms in QuickTime Image Files
• ColorSync Atoms in QuickTime Image Files

QuickTime 4 Reference defines the MIME type list and the component type used for graphics importer components.

• Graphics Importer Component Type
• MIME Type List