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Format Summary

Table 1-1 lists each of the graphics file formats that we describe in this book, along with an indication of what type of format it is (bitmap, vector, metafile, scene description, animation, multimedia, or other [for "other" formats, refer to the appropriate article]).

In some cases, a format may be known by a number of different names. Please check the index if your format is not listed below; chances are good that it is included, but simply under a different name.

Graphics files on most platforms use a fairly consistent file extension convention. Of the three platforms with the largest installed base (MS-DOS, Macintosh, and UNIX), all use a similar name.extension filenaming convention. The other platforms that are popular for computer graphics (Amiga, Atari, and VMS) use a roughly similar naming convention. VMS, for example, uses the convention name1.name2:version, where version is an integer indicating the number of the file revision.

Table 1-1: Graphics File Formats Described in This Book

Format

Type

Adobe Illustrator

Metafile

Adobe Photoshop

Bitmap

Atari ST Graphics Formats

Bitmap and Animation

AutoCAD DXF

Vector

Autodesk 3D Studio

Scene Description

BDF

Bitmap

BRL-CAD

Other

BUFR

Other

CALS Raster

Bitmap

CGM

Metafile

CMU Formats

Multimedia

DKB

Scene Description

Dore Raster File Format

Bitmap

DPX

Bitmap

Dr. Halo

Bitmap

DVM Movie

Animation

Encapsulated PostScript

Metafile (page description language)

FaceSaver

Bitmap

FAX Formats

Bitmap

FITS

Other

FLI

Animation

GEM Raster

Bitmap

GEM VDI

Metafile

GIF

Bitmap

GRASP

Animation

GRIB

Other

Harvard Graphics

Metafile

Hierarchical Data Format

Metafile

IFF

Bitmap

IGES

Other

Inset PIX

Bitmap

Intel DVI

Multimedia

JPEG File Interchange Format

Bitmap

Kodak Photo CD

Bitmap

Kodak YCC

Bitmap

Lotus DIF

Vector

Lotus PIC

Vector

Lumena Paint

Bitmap

Macintosh Paint

Bitmap

Macintosh PICT

Metafile

Microsoft Paint

Bitmap

Microsoft RIFF

Multimedia

Microsoft RTF

Metafile

Microsoft SYLK

Vector

Microsoft Windows Bitmap

Bitmap

Microsoft Windows Metafile

Metafile

MIFF

Bitmap

MPEG

Other

MTV

Scene Description

NAPLPS

Metafile

NFF

Scene Description

OFF

Scene Description

OS/2 Bitmap

Bitmap

P3D

Scene Description

PBM, PGM, PNM, and PPM

Bitmap

PCX

Bitmap

PDS

Other

Pictor PC Paint

Bitmap

Pixar RIB

Scene Description

Plot-10

Vector

PNG

Bitmap

POV

Vector

Presentation Manager Metafile

Metafile

PRT

Scene Description

QRT

Scene Description

QuickTime

Other

Radiance

Scene Description

Rayshade

Scene Description

RIX

Bitmap

RTrace

Scene Description

SAF

Bitmap and other

Sense8 NFF

Scene Description

SGI Image File Format

Bitmap

SGI Inventor

Scene Description

SGI YAODL

Scene Description

SGO

Vector

SPIFF

Bitmap

Sun Icon

Bitmap

Sun Raster

Bitmap

TDDD

Vector and Animation

TGA

Bitmap

TIFF

Bitmap

TTDDD

Vector and Animation

uRay

Scene Description

Utah RLE

Bitmap

VICAR2

Bitmap

VIFF

Bitmap

VIS-5D

Vector

Vivid and Bob

Scene Description

Wavefront OBJ

Vector

Wavefront RLA

Bitmap

WordPerfect Graphics Metafile

Metafile

XBM

Bitmap

XPM

Bitmap

XWD

Bitmap

ZBR

Metafile


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