245 lines
9.9 KiB
Plaintext
245 lines
9.9 KiB
Plaintext
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Flic Files (.FLI) Format description:
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The details of a FLI file are moderately complex, but the
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idea behind it is simple: don't bother storing the parts of a
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frame that are the same as the last frame. Not only does this
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save space, but it's very quick. It's faster to leave a pixel
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alone than to set it.
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A FLI file has a 128-byte header followed by a sequence of
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frames. The first frame is compressed using a bytewise run-length
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compression scheme. Subsequent frames are stored as the
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difference from the previous frame. (Occasionally the first
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frame and/or subsequent frames are uncompressed.) There is one
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extra frame at the end of a FLI which contains the difference
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between the last frame and the first frame.
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The FLI header:
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byte size name meaning
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offset
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0 4 size Length of file, for programs that want
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to read the FLI all at once if possible.
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4 2 magic Set to hex AF11. Please use another
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value here if you change format (even to
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a different resolution) so Autodesk
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Animator won't crash trying to read it.
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6 2 frames Number of frames in FLI. FLI files have
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a maxium length of 4000 frames.
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8 2 width Screen width (320).
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10 2 height Screen height (200).
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12 2 depth Depth of a pixel (8).
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14 4 flags Must be 0.
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18 2 speed Number of video ticks between frames.
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20 4 next Set to 0.
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24 4 frit Set to 0.
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28 100 expand All zeroes -- for future enhancement.
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Next are the frames, each of which has a header:
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byte size name meaning
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offset
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0 4 size Bytes in this frame. Autodesk Animator
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demands that this be less than 64K.
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4 2 magic Always hexadecimal F1FA
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6 2 chunks Number of 'chunks' in frame.
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8 8 expand Space for future enhancements. All
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zeros.
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After the frame header come the chunks that make up the
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frame. First comes a color chunk if the color map has changed
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from the last frame. Then comes a pixel chunk if the pixels have
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changed. If the frame is absolutely identical to the last frame
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there will be no chunks at all.
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A chunk itself has a header, followed by the data. The
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chunk header is:
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byte size name meaning
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offset
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0 4 size Bytes in this chunk.
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4 2 type Type of chunk (see below).
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There are currently five types of chunks you'll see in a FLI
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file.
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number name meaning
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11 FLI_COLOR Compressed color map
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12 FLI_LC Line compressed -- the most common type
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of compression for any but the first
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frame. Describes the pixel difference
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from the previous frame.
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13 FLI_BLACK Set whole screen to color 0 (only occurs
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on the first frame).
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15 FLI_BRUN Bytewise run-length compression -- first
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frame only
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16 FLI_COPY Indicates uncompressed 64000 bytes soon
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to follow. For those times when
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compression just doesn't work!
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The compression schemes are all byte-oriented. If the
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compressed data ends up being an odd length a single pad byte is
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inserted so that the FLI_COPY's always start at an even address
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for faster DMA.
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FLI_COLOR Chunks
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The first word is the number of packets in this chunk. This
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is followed directly by the packets. The first byte of a packet
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says how many colors to skip. The next byte says how many colors
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to change. If this byte is zero it is interpreted to mean 256.
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Next follows 3 bytes for each color to change (one each for red,
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green and blue).
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FLI_LC Chunks
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This is the most common, and alas, most complex chunk. The
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first word (16 bits) is the number of lines starting from the top
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of the screen that are the same as the previous frame. (For
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example, if there is motion only on the bottom line of screen
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you'd have a 199 here.) The next word is the number of lines
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that do change. Next there is the data for the changing lines
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themselves. Each line is compressed individually; among other
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things this makes it much easier to play back the FLI at a
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reduced size.
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The first byte of a compressed line is the number of packets
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in this line. If the line is unchanged from the last frame this
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is zero. The format of an individual packet is:
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skip_count
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size_count
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data
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The skip count is a single byte. If more than 255 pixels
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are to be skipped it must be broken into 2 packets. The size
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count is also a byte. If it is positive, that many bytes of data
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follow and are to be copied to the screen. If it's negative a
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single byte follows, and is repeated -size_count times.
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In the worst case a FLI_LC frame can be about 70K. If it
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comes out to be 60000 bytes or more Autodesk Animator decides
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compression isn't worthwhile and saves the frame as FLI_COPY.
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FLI_BLACK Chunks
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These are very simple. There is no data associated with
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them at all. In fact they are only generated for the first frame
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in Autodesk Animator after the user selects NEW under the FLIC
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menu.
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FLI_BRUN Chunks
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These are much like FLI_LC chunks without the skips. They
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start immediately with the data for the first line, and go line-
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by-line from there. The first byte contains the number of
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packets in that line. The format for a packet is:
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size_count
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data
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If size_count is positive the data consists of a single byte
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which is repeated size_count times. If size_count is negative
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there are -size_count bytes of data which are copied to the
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screen. In Autodesk Animator if the "compressed" data shows signs
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of exceeding 60000 bytes the frame is stored as FLI_COPY instead.
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FLI_COPY Chunks
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These are 64000 bytes of data for direct reading onto the
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screen.
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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And here's the PRO extensions:
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-----------------------------------------------------------------------
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This is supplemental info on the AutoDesk Animator FLI and FLC formats.
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The following is an attempt at describing the newer chunks and frames
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that are not described in the Turbo C FLI library documentation.
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Chunk type Chunk ID
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---------- -----------
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FLI_DELTA 7 (decimal)
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First WORD (16 bits) is the number of compressed lines to follow. Next
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is the data for the changing lines themselves, always starting with the
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first line. Each line is compressed individually.
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The first WORD (16 bits) of a compressed line is the number of packets in
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the line. If the number of packets is a negative skip -packets lines.
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If the number of packets is positive, decode the packets. The format of
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an individual packet is:
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skip_count
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size_count
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data
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The skip count is a single byte. If more than 255 pixels are to be
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skipped, it must be broken into 2 packets. The size_count is also a byte.
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If it is positive, that many WORDS of data follow and are to be copied to
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the screen. If it is negative, a single WORDS value follows, and is to be
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repeated -size_count times.
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Chunk type Chunk ID
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---------- -----------
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FLI_256_COLOR 4 (decimal)
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The first WORD is the number of packets in this chunk. This is followed
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directly by the packets. The first byte of a packet is how many colors
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to skip. The next byte is how many colors to change. If this number is
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0, (zero), it means 256. Next follow 3 bytes for each color to change.
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(One each for red, green and blue).
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The only difference between a FLI_256_COLOR chunk (type 4 decimal) and a
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FLI_COLOR chunk (type 11 decimal) is that the values in the type 4 chunk
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range from 0 to 255, and the values in a type 11 chunk range from 0 to 63.
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NOTE: WORD refer to a 16 bit int in INTEL (Little Endian) format.
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WORDS refer to two-bytes (16 bits) of consecutive data. (Big Endian)
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.FLC special frames and chunks
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FLC's may contain all the above chunks plus one other:
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Chunk type Chunk ID
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---------- -----------
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FLI_MINI 18 (decimal) 12 (Hex)
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From what I understand, this is a miniture 64 x 32 version of the first
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frame in FLI_BRUN format, used as an button for selecting flc's from
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within Animator Pro. Simply do nothing with this chunk.
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FLC New Frame
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FLC's also contains a frame with the magic bytes set to hex 00A1. This
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is the first frame in the .flc file. Actually it isn't a frame at all
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but to have several chunks within it that specify file location info
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specific to Animator Pro. IE: filepath, font to use, and .COL file info.
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This FRAME may be skipped while loading. That's right! Ignore it! The
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frame header is the same length as all other frames. So you may read the
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frame header, then skip past the rest of the frame.
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NOTE: When reading the FLI header on the newer FLI and FLC files, the
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FLI signature bytes are AF12 instead of AF11 used in the older FLI files.
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Also, you cannot ignore the screen width and height they may not be
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320 x 200.
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Allowable screen sizes include:
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320 x 200, 640 x 480, 800 x 600, 1280 x 1024
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NOTE: the delay value between frames appears to be in 1000th's of a
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second instead of 70th's.
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If you have any questions or more info on the FLI or FLC formats,
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please let me know.
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Mike Haaland
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(corrected by P. Oliver 30 May 1997 using information supplied by Reeves Hall)
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CompuServe : 72300,1433
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Delphi : MikeHaaland
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Internet : mike@htsmm1.las-vegas.nv.us
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Usenet : ...!htsmm1.las-vegas.nv.us!mike
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