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.
All parsing code for Java generated by Kaitai Struct depends on the Java runtime library. You have to install it before you can parse data.
The Java runtime library is published in the Maven Central Repository. Refer to the artifact page for instructions how to add it into your project with the build tool that you use.
Parse a local file and get structure in memory:
Pcx data = Pcx.fromFile("path/to/local/file.pcx");
Or parse structure from a byte array:
byte[] someArray = new byte[] { ... };
Pcx data = new Pcx(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(someArray));
After that, one can get various attributes from the structure by invoking getter methods like:
data.hdr() // => get hdr
// This is a generated file! Please edit source .ksy file and use kaitai-struct-compiler to rebuild
import io.kaitai.struct.ByteBufferKaitaiStream;
import io.kaitai.struct.KaitaiStruct;
import io.kaitai.struct.KaitaiStream;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.util.Map;
import java.util.HashMap;
import java.util.Arrays;
import java.util.ArrayList;
/**
* 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 <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100206055706/http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt">Source</a>
*/
public class Pcx extends KaitaiStruct {
public static Pcx fromFile(String fileName) throws IOException {
return new Pcx(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public enum Versions {
V2_5(0),
V2_8_WITH_PALETTE(2),
V2_8_WITHOUT_PALETTE(3),
PAINTBRUSH_FOR_WINDOWS(4),
V3_0(5);
private final long id;
Versions(long id) { this.id = id; }
public long id() { return id; }
private static final Map<Long, Versions> byId = new HashMap<Long, Versions>(5);
static {
for (Versions e : Versions.values())
byId.put(e.id(), e);
}
public static Versions byId(long id) { return byId.get(id); }
}
public enum Encodings {
RLE(1);
private final long id;
Encodings(long id) { this.id = id; }
public long id() { return id; }
private static final Map<Long, Encodings> byId = new HashMap<Long, Encodings>(1);
static {
for (Encodings e : Encodings.values())
byId.put(e.id(), e);
}
public static Encodings byId(long id) { return byId.get(id); }
}
public Pcx(KaitaiStream _io) {
this(_io, null, null);
}
public Pcx(KaitaiStream _io, KaitaiStruct _parent) {
this(_io, _parent, null);
}
public Pcx(KaitaiStream _io, KaitaiStruct _parent, Pcx _root) {
super(_io);
this._parent = _parent;
this._root = _root == null ? this : _root;
_read();
}
private void _read() {
this._raw_hdr = this._io.readBytes(128);
KaitaiStream _io__raw_hdr = new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(_raw_hdr);
this.hdr = new Header(_io__raw_hdr, this, _root);
}
/**
* @see <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100206055706/http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt">- "ZSoft .PCX FILE HEADER FORMAT"</a>
*/
public static class Header extends KaitaiStruct {
public static Header fromFile(String fileName) throws IOException {
return new Header(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Header(KaitaiStream _io) {
this(_io, null, null);
}
public Header(KaitaiStream _io, Pcx _parent) {
this(_io, _parent, null);
}
public Header(KaitaiStream _io, Pcx _parent, Pcx _root) {
super(_io);
this._parent = _parent;
this._root = _root;
_read();
}
private void _read() {
this.magic = this._io.readBytes(1);
if (!(Arrays.equals(magic(), new byte[] { 10 }))) {
throw new KaitaiStream.ValidationNotEqualError(new byte[] { 10 }, magic(), _io(), "/types/header/seq/0");
}
this.version = Pcx.Versions.byId(this._io.readU1());
this.encoding = Pcx.Encodings.byId(this._io.readU1());
this.bitsPerPixel = this._io.readU1();
this.imgXMin = this._io.readU2le();
this.imgYMin = this._io.readU2le();
this.imgXMax = this._io.readU2le();
this.imgYMax = this._io.readU2le();
this.hdpi = this._io.readU2le();
this.vdpi = this._io.readU2le();
this.palette16 = this._io.readBytes(48);
this.reserved = this._io.readBytes(1);
if (!(Arrays.equals(reserved(), new byte[] { 0 }))) {
throw new KaitaiStream.ValidationNotEqualError(new byte[] { 0 }, reserved(), _io(), "/types/header/seq/11");
}
this.numPlanes = this._io.readU1();
this.bytesPerLine = this._io.readU2le();
this.paletteInfo = this._io.readU2le();
this.hScreenSize = this._io.readU2le();
this.vScreenSize = this._io.readU2le();
}
private byte[] magic;
private Versions version;
private Encodings encoding;
private int bitsPerPixel;
private int imgXMin;
private int imgYMin;
private int imgXMax;
private int imgYMax;
private int hdpi;
private int vdpi;
private byte[] palette16;
private byte[] reserved;
private int numPlanes;
private int bytesPerLine;
private int paletteInfo;
private int hScreenSize;
private int vScreenSize;
private Pcx _root;
private Pcx _parent;
/**
* 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.
*/
public byte[] magic() { return magic; }
public Versions version() { return version; }
public Encodings encoding() { return encoding; }
public int bitsPerPixel() { return bitsPerPixel; }
public int imgXMin() { return imgXMin; }
public int imgYMin() { return imgYMin; }
public int imgXMax() { return imgXMax; }
public int imgYMax() { return imgYMax; }
public int hdpi() { return hdpi; }
public int vdpi() { return vdpi; }
public byte[] palette16() { return palette16; }
public byte[] reserved() { return reserved; }
public int numPlanes() { return numPlanes; }
public int bytesPerLine() { return bytesPerLine; }
public int paletteInfo() { return paletteInfo; }
public int hScreenSize() { return hScreenSize; }
public int vScreenSize() { return vScreenSize; }
public Pcx _root() { return _root; }
public Pcx _parent() { return _parent; }
}
public static class TPalette256 extends KaitaiStruct {
public static TPalette256 fromFile(String fileName) throws IOException {
return new TPalette256(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public TPalette256(KaitaiStream _io) {
this(_io, null, null);
}
public TPalette256(KaitaiStream _io, Pcx _parent) {
this(_io, _parent, null);
}
public TPalette256(KaitaiStream _io, Pcx _parent, Pcx _root) {
super(_io);
this._parent = _parent;
this._root = _root;
_read();
}
private void _read() {
this.magic = this._io.readBytes(1);
if (!(Arrays.equals(magic(), new byte[] { 12 }))) {
throw new KaitaiStream.ValidationNotEqualError(new byte[] { 12 }, magic(), _io(), "/types/t_palette_256/seq/0");
}
this.colors = new ArrayList<Rgb>();
for (int i = 0; i < 256; i++) {
this.colors.add(new Rgb(this._io, this, _root));
}
}
private byte[] magic;
private ArrayList<Rgb> colors;
private Pcx _root;
private Pcx _parent;
public byte[] magic() { return magic; }
public ArrayList<Rgb> colors() { return colors; }
public Pcx _root() { return _root; }
public Pcx _parent() { return _parent; }
}
public static class Rgb extends KaitaiStruct {
public static Rgb fromFile(String fileName) throws IOException {
return new Rgb(new ByteBufferKaitaiStream(fileName));
}
public Rgb(KaitaiStream _io) {
this(_io, null, null);
}
public Rgb(KaitaiStream _io, Pcx.TPalette256 _parent) {
this(_io, _parent, null);
}
public Rgb(KaitaiStream _io, Pcx.TPalette256 _parent, Pcx _root) {
super(_io);
this._parent = _parent;
this._root = _root;
_read();
}
private void _read() {
this.r = this._io.readU1();
this.g = this._io.readU1();
this.b = this._io.readU1();
}
private int r;
private int g;
private int b;
private Pcx _root;
private Pcx.TPalette256 _parent;
public int r() { return r; }
public int g() { return g; }
public int b() { return b; }
public Pcx _root() { return _root; }
public Pcx.TPalette256 _parent() { return _parent; }
}
private TPalette256 palette256;
/**
* @see <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20100206055706/http://www.qzx.com/pc-gpe/pcx.txt">- "VGA 256 Color Palette Information"</a>
*/
public TPalette256 palette256() {
if (this.palette256 != null)
return this.palette256;
if ( ((hdr().version() == Versions.V3_0) && (hdr().bitsPerPixel() == 8) && (hdr().numPlanes() == 1)) ) {
long _pos = this._io.pos();
this._io.seek((_io().size() - 769));
this.palette256 = new TPalette256(this._io, this, _root);
this._io.seek(_pos);
}
return this.palette256;
}
private Header hdr;
private Pcx _root;
private KaitaiStruct _parent;
private byte[] _raw_hdr;
public Header hdr() { return hdr; }
public Pcx _root() { return _root; }
public KaitaiStruct _parent() { return _parent; }
public byte[] _raw_hdr() { return _raw_hdr; }
}