[Re: PICT format]

[Petr Kuzmic]

> In article <3416671B.476B at ibsm.cnrs-mrs.fr>,
> Athel  <athel at ir2cbm.cnrs-mrs.fr> wrote:
> >Can anyone tell me where I can find out how (Macintosh) files in PICT
> >format are actually formatted, so that I can write programs that will
> >write PICT files that commercial drawing programs will be able to read?
> >I am interested in the simplest possible case, i.e. where the picture is
> >just a black and white bitmap.
> -- d.gilbert--biocomputing--indiana u--bloomington--gilbertd at bio.indiana.edu
> >Your choice of a bitmap is not the simplest PICT output -- it
> >is kind of tricky.  PICT is mostly a vector drawing format,
> >like Postscript, and adding bitmaps requires some complex
> >compression and bit counting.

Dr. P.L. Taylor wrote:
> Not at all - it could hardly be simpler in fact.
> Takes just 3 lines of code:
> 
> OpenPicture(aPicHandle);
> CopyBits(myBitMap, myBitMap, myBitMap.bounds, myBitMap.bounds,
>                         SrcCopy, Nil);
> ClosePicture;

I wonder if some confusion might not be arising from the fact that Athel
wants a bitmap file, where he might want to have the 'native' PICT
format instead.

As I understand it, the PICT file simply records a sequence of calls to
the QuickDraw library, sitting in the Macintosh ROM.  Sort of of like
Windows Meta Files recording a sequence of function calls.  Then why
might one want a bitmap?  For portability to DOS/Windows?  Really good
Windows drawing programs can read the PICT format with no problems (my
favored is Canvas from Daneba Software).   Certainly _all_ Macintosh
drawing programs can read files in the (native) PICT format.  

Athel, is there any particular reason for the _bitmap_ format?

_____________________________________________________________
Petr Kuzmic Ph.D. * BioKin Ltd. * Madison, WI 53708-8336, USA
pkuzmic at biokin.com * http://www.biokin.com * 608.256.1269 fax