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 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
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
# 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