.pcx file format: Ruby parsing library

PCX is a bitmap image format originally used by PC Paintbrush from ZSoft Corporation. Originally, it was a relatively simple 128-byte header + uncompressed bitmap format, but latest versions introduced more complicated palette support and RLE compression.

There's an option to encode 32-bit or 16-bit RGBA pixels, and thus it can potentially include transparency. Theoretically, it's possible to encode resolution or pixel density in the some of the header fields too, but in reality there's no uniform standard for these, so different implementations treat these differently.

PCX format was never made a formal standard. "ZSoft Corporation Technical Reference Manual" for "Image File (.PCX) Format", last updated in 1991, is likely the closest authoritative source.

This page hosts a formal specification of .pcx file format using Kaitai Struct. This specification can be automatically translated into a variety of programming languages to get a parsing library.

Usage

Runtime library

All parsing code for Ruby generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the Ruby runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.

The Ruby runtime library can be installed from RubyGems:

gem install kaitai-struct

Code

Parse a local file and get structure in memory:

data = Pcx.from_file("path/to/local/file.pcx")

Or parse structure from a string of bytes:

bytes = "\x00\x01\x02..."
data = Pcx.new(Kaitai::Struct::Stream.new(bytes))

After that, one can get various attributes from the structure by invoking getter methods like:

data.hdr # => get hdr

Ruby source code to parse .pcx file format

pcx.rb

# This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild

require 'kaitai/struct/struct'

unless Gem::Version.new(Kaitai::Struct::VERSION) >= Gem::Version.new('0.9')
  raise "Incompatible Kaitai Struct Ruby API: 0.9 or later is required, but you have #{Kaitai::Struct::VERSION}"
end


##
# PCX is a bitmap image format originally used by PC Paintbrush from
# ZSoft Corporation. Originally, it was a relatively simple 128-byte
# header + uncompressed bitmap format, but latest versions introduced
# more complicated palette support and RLE compression.
# 
# There's an option to encode 32-bit or 16-bit RGBA pixels, and thus
# it can potentially include transparency. Theoretically, it's
# possible to encode resolution or pixel density in the some of the
# header fields too, but in reality there's no uniform standard for
# these, so different implementations treat these differently.
# 
# PCX format was never made a formal standard. "ZSoft Corporation
# Technical Reference Manual" for "Image File (.PCX) Format", last
# updated in 1991, is likely the closest authoritative source.
# @see https://web.archive.org/web/20100206055706/http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt Source
class Pcx < Kaitai::Struct::Struct

  VERSIONS = {
    0 => :versions_v2_5,
    2 => :versions_v2_8_with_palette,
    3 => :versions_v2_8_without_palette,
    4 => :versions_paintbrush_for_windows,
    5 => :versions_v3_0,
  }
  I__VERSIONS = VERSIONS.invert

  ENCODINGS = {
    1 => :encodings_rle,
  }
  I__ENCODINGS = ENCODINGS.invert
  def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
    super(_io, _parent, _root)
    _read
  end

  def _read
    @_raw_hdr = @_io.read_bytes(128)
    _io__raw_hdr = Kaitai::Struct::Stream.new(@_raw_hdr)
    @hdr = Header.new(_io__raw_hdr, self, @_root)
    self
  end

  ##
  # @see https://web.archive.org/web/20100206055706/http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt - "ZSoft .PCX FILE HEADER FORMAT"
  class Header < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
    def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
      super(_io, _parent, _root)
      _read
    end

    def _read
      @magic = @_io.read_bytes(1)
      raise Kaitai::Struct::ValidationNotEqualError.new([10].pack('C*'), magic, _io, "/types/header/seq/0") if not magic == [10].pack('C*')
      @version = Kaitai::Struct::Stream::resolve_enum(Pcx::VERSIONS, @_io.read_u1)
      @encoding = Kaitai::Struct::Stream::resolve_enum(Pcx::ENCODINGS, @_io.read_u1)
      @bits_per_pixel = @_io.read_u1
      @img_x_min = @_io.read_u2le
      @img_y_min = @_io.read_u2le
      @img_x_max = @_io.read_u2le
      @img_y_max = @_io.read_u2le
      @hdpi = @_io.read_u2le
      @vdpi = @_io.read_u2le
      @palette_16 = @_io.read_bytes(48)
      @reserved = @_io.read_bytes(1)
      raise Kaitai::Struct::ValidationNotEqualError.new([0].pack('C*'), reserved, _io, "/types/header/seq/11") if not reserved == [0].pack('C*')
      @num_planes = @_io.read_u1
      @bytes_per_line = @_io.read_u2le
      @palette_info = @_io.read_u2le
      @h_screen_size = @_io.read_u2le
      @v_screen_size = @_io.read_u2le
      self
    end

    ##
    # Technically, this field was supposed to be "manufacturer"
    # mark to distinguish between various software vendors, and
    # 0x0a was supposed to mean "ZSoft", but everyone else ended
    # up writing a 0x0a into this field, so that's what majority
    # of modern software expects to have in this attribute.
    attr_reader :magic
    attr_reader :version
    attr_reader :encoding
    attr_reader :bits_per_pixel
    attr_reader :img_x_min
    attr_reader :img_y_min
    attr_reader :img_x_max
    attr_reader :img_y_max
    attr_reader :hdpi
    attr_reader :vdpi
    attr_reader :palette_16
    attr_reader :reserved
    attr_reader :num_planes
    attr_reader :bytes_per_line
    attr_reader :palette_info
    attr_reader :h_screen_size
    attr_reader :v_screen_size
  end
  class TPalette256 < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
    def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
      super(_io, _parent, _root)
      _read
    end

    def _read
      @magic = @_io.read_bytes(1)
      raise Kaitai::Struct::ValidationNotEqualError.new([12].pack('C*'), magic, _io, "/types/t_palette_256/seq/0") if not magic == [12].pack('C*')
      @colors = []
      (256).times { |i|
        @colors << Rgb.new(@_io, self, @_root)
      }
      self
    end
    attr_reader :magic
    attr_reader :colors
  end
  class Rgb < Kaitai::Struct::Struct
    def initialize(_io, _parent = nil, _root = self)
      super(_io, _parent, _root)
      _read
    end

    def _read
      @r = @_io.read_u1
      @g = @_io.read_u1
      @b = @_io.read_u1
      self
    end
    attr_reader :r
    attr_reader :g
    attr_reader :b
  end

  ##
  # @see https://web.archive.org/web/20100206055706/http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt - "VGA 256 Color Palette Information"
  def palette_256
    return @palette_256 unless @palette_256.nil?
    if  ((hdr.version == :versions_v3_0) && (hdr.bits_per_pixel == 8) && (hdr.num_planes == 1)) 
      _pos = @_io.pos
      @_io.seek((_io.size - 769))
      @palette_256 = TPalette256.new(@_io, self, @_root)
      @_io.seek(_pos)
    end
    @palette_256
  end
  attr_reader :hdr
  attr_reader :_raw_hdr
end