Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats

Front Cover
O'Reilly & Associates, 1996 - Computers - 1116 pages
O''Reilly''s new edition of the Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats is a wonderfully diverse kind of product--it''s a book, a CD-ROM, and a World Wide Web product, all in one. You''ll find printed information in convenient book form. You''ll be able to access text files, images, and code locally on the CD-ROM provided with the book. What''s in this product--and why does its book/CD-ROM/online format work so well as a means of presenting information? It''s all about graphics file formats. As any graphics programmer or illustrator knows, there are many different file formats used for storing graphics data -- data such as vector graphics, ray tracing, black-and-white photographs, truecolor images, animation data, motion video, and multimedia data. The Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats is the definitive reference to all of these formats--from major, standardized formats, like GIF, TIFF, TGA, and BMP, to newer or specialized formats, like PNG, SPIFF, SGI YAODL, and Facesaver. The first edition of the book has already become a classic for programmers on all platforms--Windows, MS-DOS, OS/2, the Macintosh, UNIX, and others. What type of information is available in the book and through its online links? Whether you are a graphics programmer who needs to know the precise contents of every bit in a file, a graphics illustrator who needs to know how to convert a file from one format to another, or anyone else who needs to deal with the low-level technical details of graphics files, this product is for you. For each of more than 100 formats, the product provides quick summary information--How many colors are supported by the format? What type of compression does it use? What''s the maximum image size? What''s the platform, the numerical format, and the supporting applications? It also provides extensive text detailing how graphics files are constructed in a particular format. In addition to describing the details of the file formats, the Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats contains a good deal of general graphics information, including: A detailed discussion of graphics concepts and programming, covering such topics as palettes, color (its perception, conversion, and quantization), and the various types of graphics file formats (e.g., vector, bitmap, metafile, scene description, animation, multimedia, 3D, font, audio, virtual reality modeling language [VRML], and page description language [PDL]). Detailed descriptions of different methods of compressing graphics data (e.g., run-length encoding, LZW, CCITT, JPEG, JBIG, ART, fractal). Discussions of ways of converting from one type of file format to another. Information on emerging graphics initiatives, including JPEG (an image data compression standard of particular interest in multimedia technology) and MPEG (a set of digital and audio compression standards for sound and motion picture data). The second edition of the book contains hundreds of pages of new content. For example, you''ll find: Articles on additional graphics file formats not covered in the first edition, like PNG (Portable Network Graphics), SPIFF (Still Picture Interchange File Format), DPX (SMTPE Digital Picture Exchange), SAF (Standard Archive Format), and 3DS (3D Studio). Descriptions of new data compression methods -- extensions to JPEG compression, and the new JBIG, ART, and fractal compression methods. New sections on encrypting graphics files, detecting viruses in graphics files, dealing with corrupt graphics files, and writing your own file formats and file format specs. A discussion of the Unisys patent claim on the LZW compression method -- and its impact on your use of GIF files and software. A new appendix on dealing with graphics files on the Internet and the World Wide Web--how to download and convert files, how to post information, how to handle the mechanics of FTP, Web servers, news groups, and more. What will you find on the multiplatform CD-ROM included with the book? First, you''ll find file format specifications, a wonderful collection of resources that are often hard to locate and obtain -- in many cases, they have never before been available outside the organizations that developed them. We''ve assembled original file format specification documents from such vendors as Adobe, Aldus, Apple, IBM, Microsoft, and Silicon Graphics. Second, we''ve chosen the best of the free software and shareware--for Windows, MS-DOS, OS/2, Macintosh, and UNIX platforms--that will let you convert, view, compress, and manipulate graphics files and images. Third, we''ve included a variety of test graphics images to help you test software, convert formats, compare color depth and file size, and figure out what format is right for your application. Fourth, on the CD-ROM we''ve retrofitted the entire contents of the book for display on the Internet''s World Wide Web. Finally, we''ve provided tools and links that allow you to access the material efficiently and to keep up to date. Using the Enhanced Mosaic browser (also included), you can browse the book''s contents online, look up the details of a file format, access graphics manipulation, and display software quickly. Of course, you''ll still get the printed book -- after all, a book is still the most portable resource around -- to take on the train, carry to class, or keep in your library at home or at work. Who needs this book? The first edition of the book was aimed mainly at graphics programmers. With this second edition, we''ve provided content and tools that will make this product an invaluable resource for graphics illustrators and designers as well. Unlike graphics programmers, these users don''t need to know the details of how GIF, TIFF, and PNG files are constructed. However, they do need to make the right choices about which formats can be converted to the formats they or their customers need, which support the color depth they want, and which compress fastest. Whatever your graphics needs, you''ll find the new Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats an invaluable aid -- packed with information, constantly up-to-date, and fun to use. We''re excited about the information and the tools we''ve been able to collect, and we look forward to sharing the fruits of our labors with you. Technical requirements for the product: a CD-ROM drive; a PC running Microsoft Windows 3.1, 95, or NT; and a Macintosh workstation, or a UNIX workstation supported by Spyglass Enhanced Mosaic. A 256-color monitor is highly recommended.

Contents

Introduction
3
Computer Graphics Basics
27
Bitmap Files
55
Vector Files
75
Metafiles
87
Format Conversion
101
Working With Graphics Files
107
Data Compression
153
POV
720
Presentation Manager Metafile
725
PRT
730
QRT
736
QuickTime
747
Radiance
760
Rayshade
764
RIX
772

Multimedia
219
PART
231
Adobe Photoshop
250
Atari ST Graphics Formats
261
AutoCAD DXF
276
Autodesk 3D Studio
282
Autodesk 3D Studio1 Autodesk 3D Studio Chunks
284
BDF
310
BUFR
318
CALS Raster1 Typical CALS Raster Pel Count Values
327
CGM
330
CMU Formats
336
DKB
342
DPX1 DPX format
352
DPX2 Packed bits
365
Dr Halo
368
FaceSaver
386
FLI
401
GEM Raster
417
GEM VDI1 GEM Metafile Items and Commands
425
GIF2 Arrangement of interlaced and noninterlaced scan lines
439
GRASP
451
IFF
465
IFF1 A chunk file structure
467
IGES
484
Intel DVI
497
JPEG File Interchange Format
510
Lotus PIC
529
Macintosh PICT
544
Microsoft RTF
564
Microsoft Windows Metafile
592
MTV
613
OFF
627
OS2 Bitmap1 Monochromecolor data format
641
P3D
651
PDS
678
Pictor PC Paint
683
Pixar RIB
695
Plot10
698
PNG
700
PNG1 PNG Chunks
704
RTrace
776
SAF
786
SAF1 Generic SAF Tags
788
Sense8 NFF
796
SGI Image File Format
801
SGI Inventor
806
SGI YAODL
812
SGO
818
SPIFF
822
SPIFF1 Format of a SPIFF directory entry
829
SPIFF1 Standard SPIFF Directory Entries
830
Sun Icon
838
Sun Raster
841
TDDD
846
TGA
860
TGA1 TGA Palette Entry Sizes
865
TGA1 Runlength encoding packet types
870
TIFF
880
TIFF1 Three possible physical arrangements of data in a TIFF file
884
TIFF1 TIFF Tag Types Listed Alphabetically by Name
890
TTDDD
909
uRay
914
Utah RLE
917
VICAR2
921
VIFF
925
VIS5D
935
Vivid and Bob
943
Wavefront OBJ
946
Wavefront RLA
953
WordPerfect Graphics Metafile
964
XBM
983
ХРМ
987
XWD
992
ZBR
998
Graphics Files and Resources on the Internet
1005
A1 Netscape MIME Types for X Windows
1026
Graphics Files and Resources on
1041
Installation and Setup
1047
Glossary
1061
Index
1099

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