IFF

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(Specifications)
(FORM type cross-reference: Added Fantavision.)
 
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|-
 
|-
 
| <code>ANIM</code> || [[ANIM]] ||
 
| <code>ANIM</code> || [[ANIM]] ||
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|-
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| <code>CMUS</code> || [[DeLuxe Music Score]] ||
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|-
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| <code>CTLG</code> || || Amiga Catalog translaton format
 
|-
 
|-
 
| <code>D3TV</code> || [[D3TV]] ||
 
| <code>D3TV</code> || [[D3TV]] ||
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| <code>DEEP</code> || [[IFF-DEEP]] ||
 
| <code>DEEP</code> || [[IFF-DEEP]] ||
 
|-
 
|-
| <code>DMCS</code> || [[DeLuxe Music Score]] ||
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| <code>DR2D</code> || [[DR2D]] ||
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|-
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| <code>FANT</code> || [[Fantavision]] ||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| <code>FAXX</code> || [[FAXX]] ||
 
| <code>FAXX</code> || [[FAXX]] ||
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| <code>FNTV</code> || || Vector font; listed in the original IFF spec.
 
| <code>FNTV</code> || || Vector font; listed in the original IFF spec.
 
|-
 
|-
| <code>FTXT</code> || || Formatted text; listed in the original IFF spec.
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| <code>FTXT</code> || [[FTXT]] || Formatted text; listed in the original IFF spec.
 
|-
 
|-
 
| <code>GSCR</code> || || General-use musical score; listed in the original IFF spec.
 
| <code>GSCR</code> || || General-use musical score; listed in the original IFF spec.
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|-
 
|-
 
| <code>PLBM</code> || || (obsolete); listed in the original IFF spec.
 
| <code>PLBM</code> || || (obsolete); listed in the original IFF spec.
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|-
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| <code>RGFX</code> || [[RGFX]] ||
 
|-
 
|-
 
| <code>SCDH</code> || || Sim City 2000 saved city (*.sc2)
 
| <code>SCDH</code> || || Sim City 2000 saved city (*.sc2)
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** [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/ea.iff Another copy at textfiles.com]
 
** [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/ea.iff Another copy at textfiles.com]
 
* [http://www.fileformat.info/format/iff/spec/7866a9f0e53c42309af667c5da3bd426/view.htm IFF.TXT] - A concatenation of about a dozen IFF-related documents, from FileFormat.Info
 
* [http://www.fileformat.info/format/iff/spec/7866a9f0e53c42309af667c5da3bd426/view.htm IFF.TXT] - A concatenation of about a dozen IFF-related documents, from FileFormat.Info
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== Sample files ==
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* CTLG: {{DexvertSamples|other/iffCTLG}}
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==

Latest revision as of 01:00, 27 May 2024

File Format
Name IFF
Ontology
Extension(s) .iff, many others
LoCFDD fdd000115
PRONOM x-fmt/157
Released 1985
This article is about the generic IFF metaformat. For the IFF image format, see ILBM. For Sun IFF, see Sun TAAC image.

IFF (Interchange File Format) is a general-purpose binary file format introduced by Electronic Arts on the Commodore Amiga computer in 1985. It is sometimes known as IFF 85.

Contents

[edit] Format details

An IFF file is composed of elements called "chunks". Each chunk consists of a 4-byte type identifier (represented by four ASCII characters), a 4-byte length, and the chunk's payload data. Some types of chunks contain a sequence of nested chunks. Multi-byte numeric values are big-endian.

IFF defines a number of standard chunks types. Additional types are invented as needed by IFF-based formats.

Of particular significance is chunk type FORM. Most IFF-based files are formatted as a single FORM chunk. A FORM chunk's data contains a four-byte "FORM type" code, indicating the data type, followed by a sequence of nested chunks.

An IFF-based format whose FORM type is xxxx might be referred to as "FORM xxxx". FORM types may also be used as filename extensions.

[edit] Identification

Most IFF files begin with the ASCII characters "FORM". The file type is then indicated by the 4-byte ASCII code beginning at offset 8.

There are also aggregate formats that begin with "LIST" or "CAT ".

[edit] FORM type cross-reference

Selected FORM types, and related articles, are listed below. See also Category:IFF based file formats.

FORM type Refer to Remarks
8SVX 8-Bit Sampled Voice 8-bit sampled sound voice; listed in the original IFF spec.
ACBM ILBM#ACBM
AIFC AIFC
AIFF AIFF
AMFF Amiga Metafile
ANBM Animated bitmap; listed in the original IFF spec.
ANIM ANIM
CMUS DeLuxe Music Score
CTLG Amiga Catalog translaton format
D3TV D3TV
DEEP IFF-DEEP
DR2D DR2D
FANT Fantavision
FAXX FAXX
FNTR Raster font; listed in the original IFF spec.
FNTV Vector font; listed in the original IFF spec.
FTXT FTXT Formatted text; listed in the original IFF spec.
GSCR General-use musical score; listed in the original IFF spec.
ICON GlowIcons
IFRS Blorb
ILBM ILBM Interleaved raster bitmap image; listed in the original IFF spec.
IMAG CD-I IFF IMAG
LWLO, LWOB, LWO2 LightWave Object
MAUD IFF-MAUD Amiga sound format
MAUD MLDF Unknown graphics format
PBM ILBM#PBM
PDEF Deluxe Print page definition; listed in the original IFF spec.
PICS Macintosh picture; listed in the original IFF spec.
PLBM (obsolete); listed in the original IFF spec.
RGFX RGFX
SCDH Sim City 2000 saved city (*.sc2)
SMUS SMUS Simple musical score; listed in the original IFF spec. [1]
SSA IFF-SSA ClariSSA Super smooth Animation
TDDD TDDD, Imagine Object File
USCR Uhuru Sound Software musical score; listed in the original IFF spec.
UVOX Uhuru Sound Software Macintosh voice; listed in the original IFF spec.
VAXL VAXL Unknown animation format
VDEO VDEO Deluxe Video Construction Set video; listed in the original IFF spec.

[edit] Variant formats

Some other formats are largely or heavily influenced by the IFF standard, but are not compatible. These include, for example:

  • Erlang BEAM compiled modules: Uses 4 byte alignment instead of 2 byte, and the root chunk has a different ID (FOR1 instead of FORM)
  • Microsoft's RIFF and RIFX formats are based on IFF (RIFF uses little-endian byte order instead, and the root chunk is called RIFF instead of FORM)
  • Apple's AIFF and AIFC formats are similar to IFF/RIFF as well
  • Maya IFF
  • IFF (The Sims)

[edit] Specifications

[edit] Sample files

[edit] Links

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