Extended DEGAS image

File Format
Name	Extended DEGAS image
Ontology	Electronic File Formats Graphics Atari graphics formats Extended DEGAS image
Extension(s)	.pi4, .pi5, .pi6, .pi7, .pi8, .pi9

Extended DEGAS image is the name we're using for a collection of raster graphics formats associated with Atari TT and Atari Falcon computers, characterized by file extensions .PI4 through .PI9. This file extension pattern is no doubt inspired by the original DEGAS image formats, and some of the formats are clearly based on the DEGAS formats.

[Ed. note: This article maybe ought to be divided into two or more separate articles, but we don't have enough information about these formats to do that very well.]

Formats

Format name	Format details	Ext.	Signature	File size	Remarks
View ST/TT "TT-Low"	320×480(?), 256 colors, 16 bits/color	.PI4	00 07	154114
Fuckpaint PI4 (Falcon)	320×240, 256 colors, 32 bits/color	.PI4	(none)	77824
View ST/TT "TT-Medium"	640×480(?), 16 colors, 16 bits/color	.PI5	00 04	153634
?	?	.PI6	?	?
TT high resolution	?	.PI7	?	?	There might be just one PI7 format.
?	640×480, 256 colors, 32 bits/color	.PI7	(none)	308224
TT low resolution	?	.PI8	?	?
Fuckpaint PI9 (Falcon)	320×200, 256 colors, 32 bits/color	.PI9	(none)	77824 or 65024	Same as PI4, except that only the first 200 rows are used.

PI4 and PI5 formats come from a program named View ST/TT (a.k.a. ViewST/TT).

PI9 and a different PI4 format originated with a paint program unfortunately named Fuckpaint.

The origin of the other formats, and the total number of formats, is unknown.

Compression

No internal data compression is known to be used for any of the formats (the logical .PC4 through .PC9 file extensions have not been observed). But sometimes the entire file is compressed, for example with Pack-Ice.

Software

• Konvertor
• RECOIL
• Deark
• Tom's Editor

Sample files

• RECOIL's examples.zip → *.PI4, *.PI9
• http://cd.textfiles.com/atarilibrary/atari_cd07/DISKMAGS/ONLINE/ONLINE_2/
• http://cd.textfiles.com/atarilibrary/atari_cd07/DISKMAGS/DBAMAG/DBAMAG12/PICTURES/
• menu2.pi4
• escp05.zip → *.PI9
• https://telparia.com/fileFormatSamples/image/degasExtended/

Links

• ST Picture Formats
• View ST/TT
  • viewttst.txt - Defines PI4, PI5. (Also refers to "PI0" format, but that might be a clerical error that should be "PI1".)
• Fuckpaint
• The Atari A to Z format list - Confirms that PI5, PI7, PI8 exist.