KiSS CEL

Revision as of 16:33, 26 May 2020

KiSS CEL is a raster image file format associated with Kisekae Set System, a game(?) that involves making computerized "paper" dolls. Much of the information about it is in Japanese.

Its name has many variations. "KiSS" may instead be "KIS" or "KiSS/GS" (GS is the name of the specification), "CEL" may instead be "cell", and the words may be capitalized in any conceivable way.

The original KiSS graphics format uses two files for each image: a .CEL file containing the bitmap, and a (possibly shared) .KCF file containing the color palette. KCF files are also known as KiSS color files.

A KiSS doll is composed of multiple CEL files and (if necessary) KCF files, along with at least one CNF "configuration" script, and possibly other files, usually archived in an LZH or ZIP file.

Format

The original KiSS CEL format supports 4- and 8-bit paletted images, with binary transparency. A newer version of it called Cherry KiSS (CKiSS) supports 32-bit RGBA images, and does not use a KCF file.

CEL and KCF files all begin with a 32-byte fixed header.

Identification

CEL and KCF files begin with a 4-byte ASCII signature: "KiSS".

Following that:

• 4-bit CEL files have bytes 0x20 0x04.
• 8-bit CEL files have 0x20 0x08.
• CKiSS files have 0x21 0x20 or 0x20 0x20.
• KCF files have 0x10.

Specifications

• English translation of KiSS/GS

Software

• Konvertor
• List of KiSS viewers
• GIMP [Ed. note: We could not confirm that GIMP correctly writes CEL files.]
• XnView (Apparently requires the KCF file to have the same base filename as the CEL file.)
• abydos

Sample files

• http://otakuworld.com/kiss/free.htm
• http://www.followtheowl.com/dir/dl5.htm
• https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/test.cel

Links

• Wikipedia: Kisekae Set System
• The Big KiSS Page
• What is KiSS
• KiSS: Paper dolls for your computer