Road Map to QuickTime 3
Road Map to QuickTime 3
Graphic importer components are used to display and save still images in various compressed formats. Apple-provided components read and write 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). Graphics importer components were introduced as part of QuickTime 2.5.
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 use the Image Compression Manager (see the chapter "Image Compression Manager"). 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.
About Graphics Importer ComponentsQuickTime 3 Reference describes what graphic importer components do and shows how to use them from within an application. A code sample is included.
Supported Image File FormatQuickTime 3 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 Image File FormatQuickTime 3 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). The QuickTime image file format was added to QuickTime as part of release 2.5.
How Graphics Importer Components WorkQuickTime 3 Reference describes and illustrates how graphic importer components interact with applications, the generic graphics import component, the Image Compression Manager, and data handlers.
Registering Graphics Import ComponentsQuickTime 3 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.
Using Graphics Importer ComponentsQuickTime 3 Reference describes the functions you can use to obtain the services of graphics importer components and use them to draw and manipulate image files.
QuickTime 3 Reference defines the functions that are used to control graphics importer components. Functions are grouped by purpose.
QuickTime 3 Reference defines the component type used for graphics importer components, and the MIME type list.