Microsoft Agent character

From Just Solve the File Format Problem
(Difference between revisions)
Jump to: navigation, search
m (Sample Files)
 
(One intermediate revision by one user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
 
{{FormatInfo
 
{{FormatInfo
 
|formattype=electronic
 
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Graphics
+
|subcat=Animation
 
|extensions={{ext|acs}}, {{ext|acf}}, {{ext|aca}}
 
|extensions={{ext|acs}}, {{ext|acf}}, {{ext|aca}}
 
|released=1997
 
|released=1997
Line 17: Line 17:
 
== Specifications ==
 
== Specifications ==
 
* [http://fileformats.lebeausoftware.org/downloadfile.aspx?ID=25001fc7-18e9-49a4-90dc-21e8ff46aa1d Unofficial V2 specification]
 
* [http://fileformats.lebeausoftware.org/downloadfile.aspx?ID=25001fc7-18e9-49a4-90dc-21e8ff46aa1d Unofficial V2 specification]
 +
* [{{DexvertbinblobURL|vibeExtract/microsoftAgentCharacter/microsoftAgentCharacter.txt}} vibeExtract:microsoftAgentCharacter/microsoftAgentCharacter.txt]
  
 
== Sample Files ==
 
== Sample Files ==
Line 30: Line 31:
 
== Software ==
 
== Software ==
 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20021204113207/http://www.microsoft.com/products/msagent/devdownloads.htm#character Character and sound editor]
 
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20021204113207/http://www.microsoft.com/products/msagent/devdownloads.htm#character Character and sound editor]
 +
* [{{DexvertbintreeURL|vibeExtract/microsoftAgentCharacter}} vibeExtract:microsoftAgentCharacter]
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==

Latest revision as of 11:44, 22 July 2026

File Format
Name Microsoft Agent character
Ontology
Extension(s) .acs, .acf, .aca
Released 1997

Microsoft Agent was a Windows API, released in 1997 and abandoned by 2003[1], for creating animated characters (sometimes also called "agents") that would serve as part of a program's interface. It allowed for the creation of new characters, beyond the default provided by Microsoft.

Apparently there was both a "version 1" and "version 2" agent format.[2]

Contents

[edit] Extensions

Normal character files have the extension ".acs". For distribution online (from when a megabyte download would be too long a wait for most users), characters can be split into .acf files, containing the "core information" of the character; and .aca files, which contain individual animations.[3]

[edit] Identification

At least for version 2 files, ACS files begin with 0xAB 0xCD 0xAB 0xC3 and ACF files with 0xAB 0xCD 0xAB 0xC4; ACA files apparently begin with a minor version number[4].

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Sample Files

[edit] Software

[edit] Links

[edit] See Also

[edit] References

  1. Wikipedia:Microsoft Agent
  2. http://fileformats.lebeausoftware.org/downloadfile.aspx?ID=25001fc7-18e9-49a4-90dc-21e8ff46aa1d → Introduction
  3. http://fileformats.lebeausoftware.org/downloadfile.aspx?ID=25001fc7-18e9-49a4-90dc-21e8ff46aa1d → ACF Format
  4. http://fileformats.lebeausoftware.org/downloadfile.aspx?ID=25001fc7-18e9-49a4-90dc-21e8ff46aa1d
Personal tools
Namespaces

Variants
Actions
Navigation
Toolbox