Image Formats - Revision history

Mr.Verd: A link has been added to game files that are examples of SCR and DAT formats use.

2025-10-22T10:58:21Z

A link has been added to game files that are examples of SCR and DAT formats use.

← Older revision		Revision as of 10:58, 22 October 2025
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	==SCR & DAT==		==SCR & DAT==

	These ones are easy, every byte is an uncompressed index into the game's palette. Typically SCR files are used for 320x200 background images ~~(and~~ often stored in greyscale so they can be re-colored on the fly). DAT files that contain images use the same format, though the line width tends to vary depending on the specific use to which they are to be put.		These ones are easy, every byte is an uncompressed index into the game's palette. Typically SCR files are used for 320x200 background images, often stored in greyscale so they can be re-colored on the fly. DAT files that contain images use the same format, though the line width tends to vary depending on the specific use to which they are to be put.

			[[GEOGRAPH]] folder contains background images [[BACK01.SCR-BACK17.SCR]] in SCR format and [[TEXTURE.DAT]] file with [[Geoscape (EU)\|Geoscape]] map textures.

	==SPK==		==SPK==

Hobbes: /* See Also */

2013-07-23T04:43:48Z

Bomb Bloke at 09:21, 28 July 2012

2012-07-28T09:21:46Z

← Older revision		Revision as of 09:21, 28 July 2012
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	PCK files pair with TAB files like bread and butter. It's possible to have one without the other, but the only case where this is done is with the one-image-per-file BIGOBS entries in the [[UFOGRAPH]] folder (all other PCK files without an accompanying TAB file ''aren't actually using the PCK format at all'').<br><br>		PCK files pair with TAB files like bread and butter. It's possible to have one without the other, but the only case where this is done is with the one-image-per-file BIGOBS entries in the [[UFOGRAPH]] folder (all other PCK files without an accompanying TAB file ''aren't actually using the PCK format at all'').<br><br>

	The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive. Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4. It depends on how many images are in the PCK archive. For TFTD, terrain tab files are 2-byte offsets while all the units are 4-byte; For UFO, every tab file uses 2-byte offsets. <i>(Apocalypse uses TFTD's 4-byte TAB's but a version of PCK images ~~currently not~~ documented here).</i><br><br>		The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive. Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4. It depends on how many images are in the PCK archive. For TFTD, terrain tab files are 2-byte offsets while all the units are 4-byte; For UFO, every tab file uses 2-byte offsets. <i>(Apocalypse uses TFTD's 4-byte TAB's, but a [[Image_Formats_(Apocalypse)#PCK\|different version]] of the PCK images documented here).</i><br><br>

	When rendering the BattleScape the engine gets the [[MCD]] index from the [[MAP.DAT]] data, in the [[MCD]] data it looks up the TAB index + current animation cycle(0-8), in the TAB data it looks up the offset where to start reading PCK data, it reads PCK data sequentially drawing the pixels on a buffer until it reads the 255/xFF.<br><br>		When rendering the BattleScape the engine gets the [[MCD]] index from the [[MAP.DAT]] data, in the [[MCD]] data it looks up the TAB index + current animation cycle(0-8), in the TAB data it looks up the offset where to start reading PCK data, it reads PCK data sequentially drawing the pixels on a buffer until it reads the 255/xFF.<br><br>
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	==See Also==		==See Also==
	*[[PALETTES.DAT]]		*[[PALETTES.DAT]]
			*[[Image Formats (Apocalypse)]]

	[[Category:Game Files]]		[[Category:Game Files]]

Daiky: /* PCK */

2010-08-31T13:37:34Z

PCK

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:37, 31 August 2010
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	The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive. Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4. It depends on how many images are in the PCK archive. For TFTD, terrain tab files are 2-byte offsets while all the units are 4-byte; For UFO, every tab file uses 2-byte offsets. <i>(Apocalypse uses TFTD's 4-byte TAB's but a version of PCK images currently not documented here).</i><br><br>		The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive. Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4. It depends on how many images are in the PCK archive. For TFTD, terrain tab files are 2-byte offsets while all the units are 4-byte; For UFO, every tab file uses 2-byte offsets. <i>(Apocalypse uses TFTD's 4-byte TAB's but a version of PCK images currently not documented here).</i><br><br>

	When rendering the BattleScape the engine gets the [[MCD]] index from the [[MAP.DAT]] data, in the [[MCD]] data it looks up the TAB index (~~for animated sprites it cycles through the different indexes~~), in the TAB data it looks up the offset where to start reading PCK data, it reads PCK data sequentially drawing the pixels on a buffer until it reads the 255/xFF.<br><br>		When rendering the BattleScape the engine gets the [[MCD]] index from the [[MAP.DAT]] data, in the [[MCD]] data it looks up the TAB index + current animation cycle(0-8), in the TAB data it looks up the offset where to start reading PCK data, it reads PCK data sequentially drawing the pixels on a buffer until it reads the 255/xFF.<br><br>

	==SCR & DAT==		==SCR & DAT==

Daiky: /* PCK */

2010-08-31T13:36:16Z

PCK

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:36, 31 August 2010
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	The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive. Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4. It depends on how many images are in the PCK archive. For TFTD, terrain tab files are 2-byte offsets while all the units are 4-byte; For UFO, every tab file uses 2-byte offsets. <i>(Apocalypse uses TFTD's 4-byte TAB's but a version of PCK images currently not documented here).</i><br><br>		The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive. Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4. It depends on how many images are in the PCK archive. For TFTD, terrain tab files are 2-byte offsets while all the units are 4-byte; For UFO, every tab file uses 2-byte offsets. <i>(Apocalypse uses TFTD's 4-byte TAB's but a version of PCK images currently not documented here).</i><br><br>

	When rendering the BattleScape the engine gets the MCD index from the MAP data, in the MCD data it looks up the TAB index (for animated sprites it cycles through the different indexes), in the TAB data it looks up the offset where to start reading PCK data, it reads PCK data sequentially drawing the pixels on a buffer until it reads the 255/xFF.<br><br>		When rendering the BattleScape the engine gets the [[MCD]] index from the [[MAP.DAT]] data, in the [[MCD]] data it looks up the TAB index (for animated sprites it cycles through the different indexes), in the TAB data it looks up the offset where to start reading PCK data, it reads PCK data sequentially drawing the pixels on a buffer until it reads the 255/xFF.<br><br>

	==SCR & DAT==		==SCR & DAT==

Daiky: /* PCK */

2010-08-31T13:35:16Z

PCK

← Older revision		Revision as of 13:35, 31 August 2010
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	==PCK==		==PCK==

	This format stores archives of 32x40 sprites for use in the BattleScape (32x48 in [[BIGOBS.PCK]]). PCK files ~~pair with TAB files like bread and butter~~. ~~It's possible to have one without~~ the ~~other~~, ~~but~~ the ~~only case where this~~ is ~~done~~ is with the ~~one-image-per-file BIGOBS entries in the [[UFOGRAPH]] folder (all other PCK files without an accompanying TAB file ''aren't actually using~~ the ~~PCK format at all'~~').<br><br>		This format stores archives of 32x40 sprites for use in the BattleScape or 32x48 sprites in [[BIGOBS.PCK]].
			PCK files use RLE encoding to store the images as most of each sprite is (usually) transparent. To decompress, read the first byte and skip down that many rows, then the following algorithm applies: If the byte is 254/xFE, the byte following is the number of transparent pixels. Any other byte is a color index (with the exception of 255/xFF which signals the end of that sprite's data).<br><br>

	~~The~~ TAB ~~file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive.~~		PCK files pair with TAB files like bread and butter. It's possible to have one without the other, but the only case where this is done is with the one-image-per-file BIGOBS entries in the [[UFOGRAPH]] folder (all other PCK files without an accompanying TAB file ''aren't actually using the PCK format at all'').<br><br>
	~~NOTE: Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4~~. It ~~depends on how many images are in~~ the ~~PCK archive. For TFTD~~, ~~terrain tab files are 2~~-~~byte offsets while all the units are 4~~-~~byte; For UFO, every tab~~ file ~~uses 2-byte offsets. <i>~~(~~Apocalypse uses TFTD~~'~~s 4-byte TAB~~'~~s but a version of~~ PCK ~~images currently not documented here~~).~~</i>~~<br><br>

	~~Typically~~ images are ~~stored sequentially~~ in ~~their archives~~, ~~so once you know~~ the ~~offset to an image and the image after that you can then read out "x" number of bytes starting at TAB[~~i] (~~where "x" is TAB[i+1]~~-TAB~~[i] and "i" is the index~~ of ~~the image you wish to view). UFO will read~~ PCK ~~files even if the TAB indexes are~~ not ~~sequential, though writing them in this manner is not advised as most viewers depend upon this basic rule~~.<br><br>		The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive. Some offsets are encoded in 2 bytes while others are encoded in 4. It depends on how many images are in the PCK archive. For TFTD, terrain tab files are 2-byte offsets while all the units are 4-byte; For UFO, every tab file uses 2-byte offsets. <i>(Apocalypse uses TFTD's 4-byte TAB's but a version of PCK images currently not documented here).</i><br><br>

	~~PCK files use RLE encoding to store~~ the ~~images as most of each sprite is~~ (~~usually~~) ~~transparent. To decompress~~, ~~read~~ the ~~first byte and skip down that many rows, then~~ the ~~following algorithm applies: If the byte is 254/xFE~~, the ~~byte following is the number of transparent~~ pixels~~. Any other byte is~~ a ~~color index (with~~ the ~~exception of~~ 255/~~FF which signals the end of that sprite's data)~~.		When rendering the BattleScape the engine gets the MCD index from the MAP data, in the MCD data it looks up the TAB index (for animated sprites it cycles through the different indexes), in the TAB data it looks up the offset where to start reading PCK data, it reads PCK data sequentially drawing the pixels on a buffer until it reads the 255/xFF.<br><br>

	==SCR & DAT==		==SCR & DAT==

Bomb Bloke: /* BDY */

2010-08-19T23:53:20Z

BDY

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:53, 19 August 2010
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	To decompress, read a byte and call it "a".<br><br>		To decompress, read a byte and call it "a".<br><br>

	If "a" is 129 or greater, then draw 257-a pixels of the next byte; otherwise, read "a" bytes from the file and draw those colors sequentially.<br><br>		If "a" is 129 or greater, then draw 257-a pixels of the next byte; otherwise, read a+1 bytes from the file and draw those colors sequentially.<br><br>

	Rinse and repeat until EOF.<br><br>		Rinse and repeat until EOF.<br><br>

Bomb Bloke: /* PCK */

2010-06-27T03:06:26Z

PCK

← Older revision		Revision as of 03:06, 27 June 2010
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	==PCK==		==PCK==

	This format ~~primarily does service storing multiple~~ 32x40 sprites for use in the BattleScape~~, however it's occasionally used to store single and/or larger images as well~~. PCK files pair with TAB files like bread and butter. It's possible to have one without the other, but only in ~~special cases~~.<br><br>		This format stores archives of 32x40 sprites for use in the BattleScape (32x48 in [[BIGOBS.PCK]]). PCK files pair with TAB files like bread and butter. It's possible to have one without the other, but the only case where this is done is with the one-image-per-file BIGOBS entries in the [[UFOGRAPH]] folder (all other PCK files without an accompanying TAB file ''aren't actually using the PCK format at all'').<br><br>

	The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive.		The TAB file is a list of file offsets saying where each image begins in the related PCK archive.

Hatfarm: /* SPK */

2009-09-18T04:26:20Z

SPK

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:26, 18 September 2009
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	==SPK==		==SPK==

	Another ~~320x200~~ image format but using compression, primarily used by UFO for background images (eg inventory screens).<br><br>		Another 320(pixels wide) x 200(pixels high) image format but using compression, primarily used by UFO for background images (eg inventory screens).<br><br>

	Read a 16-bit unsigned integer, call it "a".<br>		Read a 16-bit unsigned integer, call it "a".<br>

Spike: /* TGA */ unbalanced bracket

2008-11-24T12:03:51Z

TGA: unbalanced bracket

← Older revision		Revision as of 12:03, 24 November 2008
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	== TGA ==		== TGA ==

	Screenshots captured using the F12 key are stored in TGA format. Truevision TGA, better known as TARGA format, is a raster graphics file format developed in 1984, enhanced in 1989 (when it was "state of the art", but still in widespread use over 20 years later.		Screenshots captured using the F12 key are stored in TGA format. Truevision TGA, better known as TARGA format, is a raster graphics file format developed in 1984, enhanced in 1989 (when it was "state of the art"), but still in widespread use over 20 years later.

	http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truevision_TGA		http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Truevision_TGA

← Older revision		Revision as of 04:43, 23 July 2013
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	[[Category:Game Files]]		[[Category:Game Files]]
			[[Category:Enemy Unknown/UFO Defense]]
			[[Category:TFTD]]