Dr. Halo CUT

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(move some stuff from CUT (Amstrad), and link to it for disambiguation)
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|extensions={{ext|cut}}, {{ext|pal}}, {{ext|pic}}
 
|extensions={{ext|cut}}, {{ext|pal}}, {{ext|pic}}
 
|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/1186}}
 
|pronom={{PRONOM|x-fmt/316}}, {{PRONOM|fmt/1186}}
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|released=1984
 
}}
 
}}
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'''Dr. Halo''' was a line of raster image editing software for MS-DOS. It has a well-known device-independent '''.CUT''' image format, which uses [[Run-length encoding|RLE compression]] (in a way which is similar to, but not the same as, [[PackBits]]). CUT files are sometimes accompanied by '''.PAL''' palette files. (This format is unrelated to the [[CUT (Amstrad)|Amstrad .cut]] file format.)
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'''Dr. Halo''' (including '''Dr. Halo Plus''' and '''Dr. Genius''') is a line of raster image editing software for DOS, developed by Media Cybernetics. It has several graphics formats associated with it.
  
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There is also a device-dependent '''.PIC''' image format. We have not located any details about PIC format.
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Its main native file format is '''.PIC'''. However, PIC is not as well known as its '''.CUT''' clipping format. CUT is somewhat more portable and device-independent, and more flexible as to the pixel dimensions.
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Both PIC and CUT may have a companion '''.PAL''' file, containing a color palette. According to the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]]: "There are actually two types of .PAL files: generic and video hardware-specific."
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== Disambiguation ==
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This CUT format is unrelated to the [[CUT (Amstrad)|Amstrad .cut]] file format.
  
 
== Format details ==
 
== Format details ==
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It is not clear what to do if no palette file is present. Interpreting the image as grayscale, with black=0, seems to be standard practice. But different viewers use different logic for guessing the code that should be interpreted as white.
 
It is not clear what to do if no palette file is present. Interpreting the image as grayscale, with black=0, seems to be standard practice. But different viewers use different logic for guessing the code that should be interpreted as white.
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 +
CUT uses [[Run-length encoding|RLE compression]].
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 +
We have not located any details about PIC format.
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== Identification ==
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There's no easy way to identify a CUT file, from its contents. The bytes at offset 4 and 5 should be <code>0x00</code>, but that's not very helpful.
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PIC and PAL files start with ASCII "{{magic|AH}}". More research is needed, but the byte at offset 6 should be <code>0x0a</code> for PAL, and appears to be <code>0x02</code> for PIC.
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== Specifications ==
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* {{EGFF|drhalo|Dr. Halo File Format Summary}}, from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]] (CUT and PAL)
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* [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/pix_fmt.txt Picture format docs (of a number of formats including this one)] (CUT and PAL)
  
 
== Software ==
 
== Software ==
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* [[ImageMagick]] (format named "CUT"; read only)
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* [[ImageMagick]] (format named "CUT")
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* [[Konvertor]] (read only)
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* [[Konvertor]]
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* [[XnView]] (read only)
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* [[XnView]]
 
* [[Farbfeld Utilities]] (read/write)
 
* [[Farbfeld Utilities]] (read/write)
 
* [[Tom's Editor]]
 
* [[Tom's Editor]]
 
* [[Tom's Viewer]]
 
* [[Tom's Viewer]]
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* Dr. Halo (read/write)
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* Dr. Halo
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloIII3.0KyeOEM Dr. Halo III] - Floppy disk images from archive.org
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** [https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-halo/ii Dr Halo II] (at WinWorld) - Includes v2.03, and a manual
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloPlus3.00QTronixOEMGerman Dr. Halo Plus 3.00 (German)] - Floppy disk images from archive.org
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloIII3.0KyeOEM Dr. Halo III (v3.00/1988-02-02)]
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** Possibly relevant: [http://cd.textfiles.com/rbbsv3n1/dull/drhalo.unp drhalo.unp]
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** [https://winworldpc.com/product/dr-halo/iii Dr. Halo III] (at WinWorld) - Includes Dr. Halo III (v3.00/1989-02-06) & Dr. Genius (v3.00)
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.HaloPlus3.00QTronixOEMGerman Dr. Halo Plus (v3.00) German]
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** [https://archive.org/details/Dr.Genius3.00KyeOEM Dr. Genius (v3.00)]
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** [http://old-dos.ru/index.php?page=files&mode=files&do=show&id=6195 Various versions at old-dos.ru] - Includes Dr. HALO III (3.01) and Dr. Halo Plus (3.00).
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** Possibly relevant: {{CdTextfiles|rbbsv3n1/dull/drhalo.unp|drhalo.unp}}
  
 
== Sample files ==
 
== Sample files ==
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* http://cd.textfiles.com/fantaziasampler/CLIPART/CUT/
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* {{CdTextfilesURL|fantaziasampler/CLIPART/CUT/}}
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* http://cd.textfiles.com/gameempire/SOFT/NEW/PRO7/
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<!-- * {{CdTextfilesURL|gameempire/SOFT/NEW/PRO7/}} -->
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* http://cd.textfiles.com/librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/ ...
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* {{CdTextfilesURL|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/}} ...
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** [http://cd.textfiles.com/librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/1169.ZIP 1169.ZIP] - PIC format
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** {{CdTextfiles|librisbritannia/GRAPHICS/CLIPDRHA/1169.ZIP|1169.ZIP}} (PIC format)
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* {{CdTextfilesURL|bthevhell/200/150/}} → screen*.pic (PIC format. Might be NSFW.)
 
* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/drHalo/
 
* https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/drHalo/
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* https://web.archive.org/web/20191231015527/http://whatis.rest7.com/how-to-open-cut-file
 
  
 
== Links ==
 
== Links ==
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* {{EGFF|drhalo|Dr. Halo File Format Summary}}, from the [[Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats]]
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* [[Wikipedia: Dr. Halo]]
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* [http://www.textfiles.com/programming/FORMATS/pix_fmt.txt Picture format docs (of a number of formats including this one)]
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* [https://archive.org/details/DrHALOUsersGuideVersion1231984 Dr. Halo User's Guide (v1.23)]
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* https://web.archive.org/web/20191231015527/http://whatis.rest7.com/how-to-open-cut-file
  
 
[[Category:Multi-file formats]]
 
[[Category:Multi-file formats]]

Revision as of 14:16, 22 October 2022

File Format
Name Dr. Halo CUT
Ontology
Extension(s) .cut, .pal, .pic
PRONOM x-fmt/316, fmt/1186
Released 1984

Dr. Halo (including Dr. Halo Plus and Dr. Genius) is a line of raster image editing software for DOS, developed by Media Cybernetics. It has several graphics formats associated with it.

Its main native file format is .PIC. However, PIC is not as well known as its .CUT clipping format. CUT is somewhat more portable and device-independent, and more flexible as to the pixel dimensions.

Both PIC and CUT may have a companion .PAL file, containing a color palette. According to the Encyclopedia of Graphics File Formats: "There are actually two types of .PAL files: generic and video hardware-specific."

Contents

Disambiguation

This CUT format is unrelated to the Amstrad .cut file format.

Format details

All CUT images have exactly 8 bits per pixel, but all 8 bits might not be used. It is common for the only color codes used by an image to be 0 and 1.

It is not clear what to do if no palette file is present. Interpreting the image as grayscale, with black=0, seems to be standard practice. But different viewers use different logic for guessing the code that should be interpreted as white.

CUT uses RLE compression.

We have not located any details about PIC format.

Identification

There's no easy way to identify a CUT file, from its contents. The bytes at offset 4 and 5 should be 0x00, but that's not very helpful.

PIC and PAL files start with ASCII "AH". More research is needed, but the byte at offset 6 should be 0x0a for PAL, and appears to be 0x02 for PIC.

Specifications

Software

Sample files

Links

Retrieved from "http://fileformats.archiveteam.org/index.php?title=Dr._Halo_CUT&oldid=43424"
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