ColoRIX - Revision history

Jsummers: /* Software */

2025-08-18T13:22:22Z

‎Software

Dexvertbot: /* Sample files */

2023-12-28T04:21:56Z

‎Sample files

Jsummers: /* Software */

2023-08-04T16:19:14Z

‎Software

Jsummers at 19:07, 16 April 2023

2023-04-16T19:07:46Z

Jsummers at 14:57, 16 April 2023

2023-04-16T14:57:38Z

Jsummers at 21:22, 14 April 2023

2023-04-14T21:22:54Z

Jsummers at 17:09, 14 April 2023

2023-04-14T17:09:55Z

Jsummers at 16:51, 14 April 2023

2023-04-14T16:51:00Z

Jsummers at 20:59, 13 April 2023

2023-04-13T20:59:38Z

Jsummers: Reformatting, etc.

2023-04-13T20:54:25Z

Reformatting, etc.

@@ Line 88: / Line 88: @@
 * [http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=6763 ColoRIX VGA Paint] - Various versions at old-dos.ru
 * RIXLATE.EXE - Format conversion utility for DOS, included with, e.g., ColoRIX VGA Paint 1.36
 * [[Konvertor]]
 * [[XnView]]

@@ Line 95: / Line 95: @@
 == Sample files ==
 * {{CdTextfiles|carousel344/015/VGARIX.ZIP|VGARIX.ZIP}} → *.SCI
-* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/rix/
+* {{DexvertSamples|image/rix}}
 * [https://archive.org/details/disc-passage-countriesofthe-world-1991 SCF Samples]
 * [https://archive.org/details/SDN1__793 SDN¹ Plus] → demos/colorix.zip → *.SCF

@@ Line 91: / Line 91: @@
 * [[XnView]]
 * [http://pulkomandy.tk/projects/GrafX2 GrafX2]
 == Sample files ==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |released=≤1986
 }}
-'''ColoRIX''', or '''RIX''', is a raster image file format associated with the ''ColoRIX VGA Paint'' and ''EGA Paint'' applications for MS-DOS, developed by RIX SoftWorks. There are at least two versions of it.
+'''ColoRIX''', or '''RIX''', is a raster image file format associated with the ''EGA Paint'' and ''ColoRIX VGA Paint'' applications for MS-DOS, developed by RIX SoftWorks. There are at least two versions of it.
 == Format details ==
-The "new" format (with "RIX3" signature) consists of a 10-byte header, then a color palette, then the image data. If the image is compressed, the high bit of the byte at offset 9 is set.
+The "new" format (with "RIX3" signature) has a 10-byte header, then an optional and rare "extension block", then a color palette, then the image data. If the image is compressed, the high bit of the byte at offset 9 is set.
 The "old" format lacks the header. If the image is compressed, the high bit of the first byte of the file is set. The low 6 bits of the first 16 bytes are an EGA-style color palette. The image data starts at offset 16.
-Both old and new ColoRIX files may optionally be compressed, using a fairly complex compression scheme. The compression scheme starts by splitting the image data into one or more segments. For 256-color images only, an XOR filter is applied. Then comes [[run-length encoding]], followed by [[Huffman coding]]. It is vaguely similar to [[Squeeze]], though the details are different.
+Both old and new ColoRIX files may optionally be compressed, using a fairly complex compression scheme. The compression scheme starts by splitting the image data into one or more segments. For 256-color images only, an [[Exclusive Or|XOR]] filter is applied. Then comes [[run-length encoding]], followed by [[Huffman coding]]. It is vaguely similar to [[Squeeze]], though the details are different.
 == Identifiers ==
@@ Line 86: / Line 86: @@
 == Software ==
 * [https://archive.org/details/colorix-vga-paint-1.36 ColoRIX VGA Paint 1.36] (at Internet Archive)
 * RIXLATE.EXE - Format conversion utility for DOS, included with, e.g., ColoRIX VGA Paint 1.36
 * [[Konvertor]]

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |released=≤1986
 }}
-'''ColoRIX''', or '''RIX''', is a raster image file format associated with the ''ColoRIX VGA Paint'' and ''EGA Paint'' applications for MS-DOS, developed by RIX SoftWorks. There are at least two versions of it. Images may be compressed or uncompressed.
+'''ColoRIX''', or '''RIX''', is a raster image file format associated with the ''ColoRIX VGA Paint'' and ''EGA Paint'' applications for MS-DOS, developed by RIX SoftWorks. There are at least two versions of it.
 == Identifiers ==
@@ Line 63: / Line 70: @@
 == Identification ==
-The VGA Paint version of the format begins with ASCII characters "{{magic|RIX3}}".
+New (VGA Paint) format: Files begin with ASCII characters "{{magic|RIX3}}".
 Note that the VGA Paint distribution includes other files, in other formats, that also begin with "{{magic|RIX}}", but have a different fourth byte.
-''[TODO: Other versions]''
+Uncompressed old format: There's no robust way to identify the format, though you could check the file size (exactly 112016 bytes for SCR format), and validate the palette.
 == Specifications ==
@@ Line 86: / Line 95: @@
 * https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/rix/
 * [https://archive.org/details/disc-passage-countriesofthe-world-1991 SCF Samples]
 * [https://archive.org/details/shareware-grab-bag Shareware Grab Bag] → 008/egaslide.arc - EGA Slide, a component of EGA Paint (?). Includes some .SCR files in an old version of the format.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |subcat=Graphics
 |extensions={{ext|sc?}}, {{ext|scf}}, {{ext|sci}}, {{ext|scr}}, {{ext|scx}}, {{ext|rix}}, {{ext|vmg}}, others
 }}
 '''ColoRIX''', or '''RIX''', is a raster image file format associated with the ''ColoRIX VGA Paint'' and ''EGA Paint'' applications for MS-DOS, developed by RIX SoftWorks. There are at least two versions of it. Images may be compressed or uncompressed.
@@ Line 86: / Line 87: @@
 * [https://archive.org/details/disc-passage-countriesofthe-world-1991 SCF Samples]
 * [https://archive.org/details/shareware-grab-bag Shareware Grab Bag] → 008/egaslide.arc - EGA Slide, a component of EGA Paint (?). Includes some .SCR files in an old version of the format.
 [[Category:File formats with too many extensions]]

@@ Line 58: / Line 58: @@
 |.SCZ || Text mode?
 |-
-|.VMG || various || Default extension for non-fullscreen images saved by VGA Paint
+|.VMG || Various || Default extension for non-fullscreen images saved by VGA Paint
 |}
 == Identification ==
 The VGA Paint version of the format begins with ASCII characters "{{magic|RIX3}}".
 ''[TODO: Other versions]''

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |formattype=electronic
 |subcat=Graphics
-|extensions={{ext|rix}}, {{ext|scx}}, {{ext|sc?}}
+|extensions={{ext|sc?}}, {{ext|scf}}, {{ext|sci}}, {{ext|scr}}, {{ext|scx}}, {{ext|rix}}, {{ext|vmg}}, others
 }}
-'''ColoRIX''', or '''RIX''', is a raster image file format associated with the ''ColoRIX VGA Paint'' and ''EGA Paint'' applications for MS-DOS.
+'''ColoRIX''', or '''RIX''', is a raster image file format associated with the ''ColoRIX VGA Paint'' and ''EGA Paint'' applications for MS-DOS, developed by RIX SoftWorks. There are at least two versions of it. Images may be compressed or uncompressed.
-−
-Character graphics might also be possible. The .scz file extension is reportedly for "ColoRIX 16 color text mode".
 == Identifiers ==
-Known file extensions include .sca, .scb, .scc, .sce, .scf, .scg, .sci, .sck, .scl, .scn, .sco, .scp, .scq, .scr, .sct, .scu, .scv, .scw, .scx, .scy, .scz.
+Many filename extensions have been reported or observed. Most are listed below. Extensions beginning with "SC" are generally used for full-screen images, with the third letter a code for the screen mode.
 == Identification ==