Dr. Halo CUT

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|formattype=electronic
 
|formattype=electronic
 
|subcat=Graphics
 
|subcat=Graphics
|extensions={{ext|cut}}, {{ext|pal}}, {{ext|pic}}
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|extensions={{ext|cut}}
|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/1186}}
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|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}
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|wikidata={{wikidata|Q28205948}}
 
|released=1984
 
|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.
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:''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.
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'''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."
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== Discussion ==
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CUT is a raster image format with 8 bits per pixel, compressed with [[run-length encoding]].
  
== Disambiguation ==
 
This CUT format is unrelated to the [[CUT (Amstrad)|Amstrad .cut]] file format.
 
 
== Discussion ==
 
 
To load a CUT file in Dr. Halo III (and presumably other versions):
 
To load a CUT file in Dr. Halo III (and presumably other versions):
 
* Right-click the scissors icon. A dialog box will open.
 
* Right-click the scissors icon. A dialog box will open.
* Type the filename, or click the "?" icon to select it from a list.
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* Type the filename, or left-click the "?" icon to select it from a list.
 
* Left-click the diskette icon with the arrow pointing up.
 
* 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.
 
* The dialog box will close. Move the mouse to choose where to paste the image. Left-click when ready.
  
== Format details ==
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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.
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.
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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.
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CUT uses [[Run-length encoding|RLE compression]].
+
  
We have not located any details about PIC format.
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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 ==
 
== 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.
 
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.
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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 ==
 
== Specifications ==
* {{EGFF|drhalo|Dr. Halo File Format Summary}}, from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]] (CUT and PAL)
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* {{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)
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* [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/pix_fmt.txt Picture format docs (of a number of formats including this one)]
  
 
== Software ==
 
== Software ==
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* [[Tom's Editor]]
 
* [[Tom's Editor]]
 
* [[Tom's Viewer]]
 
* [[Tom's Viewer]]
* Dr. Halo
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* 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
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloIII3.0KyeOEM Dr. Halo III (v3.00/1988-02-02)]
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** [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)
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloPlus3.00QTronixOEMGerman Dr. Halo Plus (v3.00) German]
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.Genius3.00KyeOEM Dr. Genius (v3.00)]
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** [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).
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** Possibly relevant: {{CdTextfiles|rbbsv3n1/dull/drhalo.unp|drhalo.unp}}
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== Sample files ==
 
== Sample files ==
 
* {{CdTextfilesURL|fantaziasampler/CLIPART/CUT/}}
 
* {{CdTextfilesURL|fantaziasampler/CLIPART/CUT/}}
<!-- * {{CdTextfilesURL|gameempire/SOFT/NEW/PRO7/}} -->
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* [https://archive.org/details/GamesEmp Game Empire Shareware Demo Disc] → SOFT/NEW/PRO7/*.CUT
 
* {{CdTextfilesURL|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/}} ...
 
* {{CdTextfilesURL|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/}} ...
** {{CdTextfiles|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/1169.ZIP|1169.ZIP}} (PIC format)
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* {{DexvertSamples|image/drHalo}}
* {{CdTextfilesURL|bthevhell/200/150/}} → screen*.pic (PIC format. Might be NSFW.)
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* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/drHalo/
+
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
* [[Wikipedia: Dr. Halo]]
 
* [https://archive.org/details/DrHALOUsersGuideVersion1231984 Dr. Halo User's Guide (v1.23)]
 
 
* https://web.archive.org/web/20191231015527/http://whatis.rest7.com/how-to-open-cut-file
 
* https://web.archive.org/web/20191231015527/http://whatis.rest7.com/how-to-open-cut-file
  
 
[[Category:Multi-file formats]]
 
[[Category:Multi-file formats]]

Latest revision as of 15:41, 28 December 2023

File Format
Name Dr. Halo CUT
Ontology
Extension(s) .cut
PRONOM x-fmt/316
Wikidata ID Q28205948
Released 1984
For other "CUT" formats, see CUT.

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.

Contents

[edit] Discussion

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):

  • Right-click the scissors icon. A dialog box will open.
  • 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.

Unlike 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.

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.

[edit] Identification

There's no easy way to identify a CUT file, from its contents. The bytes at offset 4 and 5 should be 0x00, but that's not very helpful.

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).

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Software

[edit] Sample files

[edit] Links

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