PCPaint BSAVE - Revision history

Sembiance: /* Sample files */

2025-12-28T15:31:31Z

‎Sample files

Jsummers at 14:44, 5 July 2024

2024-07-05T14:44:07Z

Jsummers: /* Software */

2023-01-29T16:20:57Z

‎Software

Jsummers: Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Graphics |extensions={{ext|pic}} |released=1984 }} '''PCPaint BSAVE''' refers to a raster image format associated with the PCPaint ..."

2022-12-10T14:40:50Z

Created page with "{{FormatInfo |formattype=electronic |subcat=Graphics |extensions={{ext|pic}} |released=1984 }} '''PCPaint BSAVE''' refers to a raster image format associated with the PCPaint ..."

New page

{{FormatInfo
|formattype=electronic
|subcat=Graphics
|extensions={{ext|pic}}
|released=1984
}}
'''PCPaint BSAVE''' refers to a raster image format associated with the PCPaint family of software. For more information about PCPaint and its other formats, see [[PCPaint PIC]].

It is really a set of two formats, which we might call "standard" and "compressed".

== Format details ==
=== Standard ===
Standard PCPaint BSAVE is a subformat and extension of [[BSAVE Image]] format.

The signature "<code>PCPAINT V1.0</code>" or "<code>PCPAINT V1.5</code>" usually appears in the file, usually at offset 8007. Following it are two bytes: one giving the palette (0 to 5), and one giving the color of the first palette entry (0 through 15).

Note that the version number in the signature does not necessarily indicate the version of PCPaint that created the file.

The extension does not appear in all BSAVE files created by PCPaint. It depends on the image type and PCPaint version.

=== Compressed ===
Compressed PCPaint BSAVE was introduced in PCPaint 1.5. It looks superficially like a BSAVE format, but it may be better to think of it as a special compressed file format. It can be decompressed to standard PCPaint BSAVE format in a straightforward manner.

It is identified by the "data size" field (two bytes at offset 5) being 0.

Starting at offset 11 is a sequence of compressed blocks, each with a 5-byte header, with the same format as in [[PCPaint PIC]].

== Identification ==
Standard:

The only way to distinguish standard PCPaint BSAVE from other [[BSAVE Image#Identification|BSAVE]] files is by the presence of the "{{magic|PCPAINT V1.0}}" or "{{magic|PCPAINT V1.5}}" signature, usually at offset 8007.

Compressed:

Known files start with bytes {{magic|fd 00 b8 00 00 00 00 00 40 02 00 ?? ?? 00 20}}, though this might not account for all possible files. A less strict signature would be just the first 7 bytes.

The ASCII string "{{magic|PCPaint V1.5}}" very likely appears somewhere in the file, but it is theoretically possible for it to be messed up by the compression.

== Specifications ==
* {{EGFF|pictor|Pictor PC Paint File Format Summary}} from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]] - Section named "BSAVE format"

== Software ==
* PCPaint/Pictor: Refer to [[PCPaint PIC#Software]]. Most PCPaint software can read compressed format, but perhaps only the hard-to-find v1.5 can create it.

== Sample files ==
Standard:
* [https://winworldpc.com/product/pc-paint/100a PC Paint 1.00A, at WinWorld] → *.PIC

Compressed:
* [https://winworldpc.com/product/pc-paint/2x PC Paint 2.x, at WinWorld] - About half of the included .PIC files are compressed BSAVE.

← Older revision		Revision as of 15:31, 28 December 2025
Line 50:		Line 50:
	Compressed:		Compressed:
	* [https://winworldpc.com/product/pc-paint/2x PC Paint 2.x, at WinWorld] - About half of the included .PIC files are compressed BSAVE.		* [https://winworldpc.com/product/pc-paint/2x PC Paint 2.x, at WinWorld] - About half of the included .PIC files are compressed BSAVE.
		+	* {{DexvertSamples\|image/bsaveCompressed}}

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 Standard PCPaint BSAVE is a subformat and extension of [[BSAVE Image]] format.
-The signature "<code>PCPAINT V1.0</code>" or "<code>PCPAINT V1.5</code>" usually appears in the file, usually at offset 8007. Following it are two bytes: one giving the palette (0 to 5), and one giving the color of the first palette entry (0 through 15).
+The signature "<code>PCPaint V1.0</code>" or "<code>PCPaint V1.5</code>" usually appears in the file, usually at offset 8007. Following it are two bytes: one giving the palette (0 to 5), and one giving the color of the first palette entry (0 through 15).
 Note that the version number in the signature does not necessarily indicate the version of PCPaint that created the file.
@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 Standard:
-The only way to distinguish standard PCPaint BSAVE from other [[BSAVE Image#Identification|BSAVE]] files is by the presence of the "{{magic|PCPAINT V1.0}}" or "{{magic|PCPAINT V1.5}}" signature, usually at offset 8007.
+The only way to distinguish standard PCPaint BSAVE from other [[BSAVE Image#Identification|BSAVE]] files is by the presence of the "{{magic|PCPaint V1.0}}" or "{{magic|PCPaint V1.5}}" signature, usually at offset 8007.
 Compressed:

@@ Line 42: / Line 42: @@
 == Software ==
 * PCPaint/Pictor: Refer to [[PCPaint PIC#Software]]. Most PCPaint software can read compressed format, but perhaps only the hard-to-find v1.5 can create it.
 == Sample files ==