Dr. Halo CUT - Revision history

Sembiance: /* Sample files */

2023-12-28T15:41:44Z

‎Sample files

Jsummers at 14:24, 30 October 2022

2022-10-30T14:24:53Z

Jsummers at 13:05, 29 October 2022

2022-10-29T13:05:09Z

Jsummers at 12:47, 29 October 2022

2022-10-29T12:47:07Z

Jsummers: Jsummers moved page Dr. Halo to Dr. Halo CUT: Going to make this article specific to CUT format

2022-10-29T12:44:48Z

Jsummers moved page Dr. Halo to Dr. Halo CUT: Going to make this article specific to CUT format

Jsummers at 15:23, 22 October 2022

2022-10-22T15:23:59Z

Jsummers at 14:19, 22 October 2022

2022-10-22T14:19:33Z

Jsummers at 14:16, 22 October 2022

2022-10-22T14:16:21Z

JTN: move some stuff from CUT (Amstrad), and link to it for disambiguation

2020-12-20T13:57:15Z

move some stuff from CUT (Amstrad), and link to it for disambiguation

Sembiance: /* Sample files */

2020-08-05T21:19:47Z

‎Sample files

@@ Line 46: / Line 46: @@
 * [https://archive.org/details/GamesEmp Game Empire Shareware Demo Disc] → SOFT/NEW/PRO7/*.CUT
 * {{CdTextfilesURL|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/}} ...
-* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/drHalo/
+* {{DexvertSamples|image/drHalo}}
 == Links ==

@@ Line 20: / Line 20: @@
 * The dialog box will close. Move the mouse to choose where to paste the image. Left-click when ready.
-Unlike [[Dr. Halo PIC|PIC]], CUT can be said to be "device independent", in that there's a universal way to decode the pixel values. Unfortunately, CUT does not contain information about what ''colors'' those values map to. Only bi-level or grayscale CUT files are reasonably portable. A CUT file ''could'' have a companion PAL file to supply color information, though this "CUT+PAL" format is not handled automatically by the Dr. Halo software.
+Unlike [[Dr. Halo PIC|PIC]], CUT can be said to be "device independent", in that there's a universal way to decode the pixel values. Unfortunately, CUT does not contain information about what ''colors'' those values map to. Only bi-level or grayscale CUT files are reasonably portable. A CUT file ''could'' have a companion [[Dr. Halo PAL|PAL file]] to supply color information, though this "CUT+PAL" format is not handled automatically by the Dr. Halo software.
 Assuming a PAL file is not present or not supported, it seems that the usual practice is to interpret the image as grayscale, with black=0. But different viewers use different logic for guessing the code that should be interpreted as white.

@@ Line 4: / Line 4: @@
 |extensions={{ext|cut}}
 |pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}
 |released=1984
 }}
@@ Line 11: / Line 12: @@
 == Discussion ==
-CUT is a raster image format with 8 bits per pixel, ompressed with [[run-length encoding]].
+CUT is a raster image format with 8 bits per pixel, compressed with [[run-length encoding]].
 To load a CUT file in Dr. Halo III (and presumably other versions):

@@ Line 2: / Line 2: @@
 |formattype=electronic
 |subcat=Graphics
-|extensions={{ext|cut}}, {{ext|pal}}, {{ext|pic}}
+|extensions={{ext|cut}}
-|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/1186}}
+|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}
 |released=1984
 }}
-'''Dr. Halo''' (including '''Dr. Halo Plus''' and '''Dr. Genius''') is a line of raster image editing software for DOS, developed by Media Cybernetics. It has several graphics formats associated with it.
+:''For other "CUT" formats, see [[CUT]].''
-Its main native file format is '''.PIC'''. However, PIC is not as well known as its '''.CUT''' clipping format. CUT is somewhat more portable and device-independent, and more flexible as to the pixel dimensions.
+'''Dr. Halo CUT''' is a clipping format associated with the Dr. Halo line of raster image editing software for DOS. For more information about the software and its other formats, refer to [[Dr. Halo PIC]].
-Both PIC and CUT may have a companion '''.PAL''' file, containing a color palette. According to the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]]: "There are actually two types of .PAL files: generic and video hardware-specific."
+== Discussion ==
 To load a CUT file in Dr. Halo III (and presumably other versions):
 * Right-click the scissors icon. A dialog box will open.
@@ Line 22: / Line 19: @@
 * The dialog box will close. Move the mouse to choose where to paste the image. Left-click when ready.
-== Format details ==
+Unlike [[Dr. Halo PIC|PIC]], CUT can be said to be "device independent", in that there's a universal way to decode the pixel values. Unfortunately, CUT does not contain information about what ''colors'' those values map to. Only bi-level or grayscale CUT files are reasonably portable. A CUT file ''could'' have a companion PAL file to supply color information, though this "CUT+PAL" format is not handled automatically by the Dr. Halo software.
-All CUT images have exactly 8 bits per pixel, but all 8 bits might not be used. It is common for the only color codes used by an image to be 0 and 1.
-−
-It is not clear what to do if no palette file is present. Interpreting the image as grayscale, with black=0, seems to be standard practice. But different viewers use different logic for guessing the code that should be interpreted as white.
-−
-CUT uses [[Run-length encoding|RLE compression]].
-We have not located any details about PIC format.
+Assuming a PAL file is not present or not supported, it seems that the usual practice is to interpret the image as grayscale, with black=0. But different viewers use different logic for guessing the code that should be interpreted as white.
 == Identification ==
 There's no easy way to identify a CUT file, from its contents. The bytes at offset 4 and 5 should be <code>0x00</code>, but that's not very helpful.
-PIC and PAL files start with ASCII "{{magic|AH}}". More research is needed, but the byte at offset 6 should be <code>0x0a</code> for PAL, and appears to be <code>0x02</code> for PIC.
+Checking that the width and height fields are sane could help screen out some files, but note that legitimate CUT files can be quite large. For one thing, up to 2400×3150 pixels is possible using the virtual page feature in Dr. Halo II (CGA modes).
 == Specifications ==
-* {{EGFF|drhalo|Dr. Halo File Format Summary}}, from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]] (CUT and PAL)
+* {{EGFF|drhalo|Dr. Halo File Format Summary}}, from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]]
-* [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/pix_fmt.txt Picture format docs (of a number of formats including this one)] (CUT and PAL)
+* [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/pix_fmt.txt Picture format docs (of a number of formats including this one)]
 == Software ==
@@ Line 47: / Line 39: @@
 * [[Tom's Editor]]
 * [[Tom's Viewer]]
-* Dr. Halo
+* Dr. Halo: Refer to [[Dr. Halo PIC#Software]].
-** [https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-halo/ii Dr Halo II] (at WinWorld) - Includes v2.03, and a manual
-** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloIII3.0KyeOEM Dr. Halo III (v3.00/1988-02-02)]
-** [https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-halo/iii Dr. Halo III] (at WinWorld) - Includes Dr. Halo III (v3.00/1989-02-06) & Dr. Genius (v3.00)
-** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloPlus3.00QTronixOEMGerman Dr. Halo Plus (v3.00-German)]
-** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.Genius3.00KyeOEM Dr. Genius (v3.00)]
-** [http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=6195 Various versions at old-dos.ru] - Includes Dr. Halo III (v3.01) and Dr. Halo Plus (v3.00).
-** Possibly relevant: {{CdTextfiles|rbbsv3n1/dull/drhalo.unp|drhalo.unp}}
 == Sample files ==
@@ Line 60: / Line 45: @@
 * [https://archive.org/details/GamesEmp Game Empire Shareware Demo Disc] → SOFT/NEW/PRO7/*.CUT
 * {{CdTextfilesURL|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/}} ...
 * https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/drHalo/
 == Links ==
 * https://web.archive.org/web/20191231015527/http://whatis.rest7.com/how-to-open-cut-file
 [[Category:Multi-file formats]]

@@ Line 18: / Line 18: @@
 To load a CUT file in Dr. Halo III (and presumably other versions):
 * Right-click the scissors icon. A dialog box will open.
-* Type the filename, or click the "?" icon to select it from a list.
+* Type the filename, or left-click the "?" icon to select it from a list.
 * Left-click the diskette icon with the arrow pointing up.
 * The dialog box will close. Move the mouse to choose where to paste the image. Left-click when ready.
@@ Line 51: / Line 51: @@
 ** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloIII3.0KyeOEM Dr. Halo III (v3.00/1988-02-02)]
 ** [https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-halo/iii Dr. Halo III] (at WinWorld) - Includes Dr. Halo III (v3.00/1989-02-06) & Dr. Genius (v3.00)
-** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloPlus3.00QTronixOEMGerman Dr. Halo Plus (v3.00) German]
+** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloPlus3.00QTronixOEMGerman Dr. Halo Plus (v3.00-German)]
 ** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.Genius3.00KyeOEM Dr. Genius (v3.00)]
-** [http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=6195 Various versions at old-dos.ru] - Includes Dr. HALO III (3.01) and Dr. Halo Plus (3.00).
+** [http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=6195 Various versions at old-dos.ru] - Includes Dr. Halo III (v3.01) and Dr. Halo Plus (v3.00).
 ** Possibly relevant: {{CdTextfiles|rbbsv3n1/dull/drhalo.unp|drhalo.unp}}
 == Sample files ==
 * {{CdTextfilesURL|fantaziasampler/CLIPART/CUT/}}
-<!-- * {{CdTextfilesURL|gameempire/SOFT/NEW/PRO7/}} -->
+* [https://archive.org/details/GamesEmp Game Empire Shareware Demo Disc] → SOFT/NEW/PRO7/*.CUT
 * {{CdTextfilesURL|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/}} ...
 ** {{CdTextfiles|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/1169.ZIP|1169.ZIP}} (PIC format)

@@ Line 14: / Line 14: @@
 == Disambiguation ==
 This CUT format is unrelated to the [[CUT (Amstrad)|Amstrad .cut]] file format.
 == Format details ==

@@ Line 5: / Line 5: @@
 |pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/1186}}
 }}
-'''Dr. Halo''' was a line of raster image editing software for MS-DOS. It has a well-known device-independent '''.CUT''' image format, which uses [[Run-length encoding|RLE compression]] (in a way which is similar to, but not the same as, [[PackBits]]). CUT files are sometimes accompanied by '''.PAL''' palette files.
+'''Dr. Halo''' was a line of raster image editing software for MS-DOS. It has a well-known device-independent '''.CUT''' image format, which uses [[Run-length encoding|RLE compression]] (in a way which is similar to, but not the same as, [[PackBits]]). CUT files are sometimes accompanied by '''.PAL''' palette files. (This format is unrelated to the [[CUT (Amstrad)|Amstrad .cut]] file format.)
 There is also a device-dependent '''.PIC''' image format. We have not located any details about PIC format.
@@ Line 32: / Line 32: @@
 ** [http://cd.textfiles.com/librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/1169.ZIP 1169.ZIP] - PIC format
 * https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/drHalo/
 == Links ==