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The Professional Edition currently supports the following raster image formats
There are two categories of fileformats. The first category is directly integrated into THBImage. For these file import and export filters we can guarantee high quality, fast processing speed, fast response times for the case that you encounter any problems with old or uncommon image files.
The second category is plugged into THBImage through the THBMagick filter dll . You have to separately download the thbmag.zip file to use it.
For these file formats it may take longer to solve any problems.
Nevertheless if your application can benefit of all these additional file formats then you will appreciate the possibility to simply plug them into THBImage.
Customers who’s main concern is small distribution size or
loading all common files, can simply ignore the second category.
Formats marked with an asterisk have additional notes at the bottom. All formats can be processed from file or directly from memory to allow fast processing from memory sources like databases.
Each format is marked as read only (R) or read-write (RW).
| Format | Mode | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Bitmap (BMP) | RW | reads 1, 4, 8, 24, 32bpp Bitmap files and 4, 8bpp RLE encoded Bitmap files. writes 1, 8, 24bpp Bitmap files and 8bpp RLE encoded Bitmap files BMP is the native bitmap file format of the Microsoft Windows environment. It efficiently stores mapped or unmapped RGB graphics data with pixels 1-, 4-, 8-, or 24-bits in size. Data may be stored raw or compressed using a 4-bit or 8-bit RLE data compression algorithm. BMP is an excellent choice for a simple bitmap format which supports a wide range of RGB image data. |
| Device Independent Bitmap (DIB) | RW | reads Device Independent Bitmaps |
| Windows Icon files (ICO) | R | |
| Windows Cursor files (CUR) | R | |
| Joint Photographic Experts Group (JPG) | RW | reads 8, 24bpp JPEG files and Lossless JPEG files writes 8bpp Grayscale and 24bpp JPEG files JPEG/JFIF is the most common format used for storing and transmitting photographs on the World Wide Web. It is not as well suited for line drawings and other textual or iconic graphics because its compression method performs badly on these types of images (the PNG and GIF formats are in common use for that purpose; GIF, having only 8 bits per pixel is not well suited for color photographs, but PNG may have as much or more detail than JPEG). |
| ZSoft PCX | RW | reads 1, 2, 4, 8, 24bpp PCX files writes 8, 24bpp PCX files Zsoft Corporation originally developed the PCX file format for their commercial paint program, PC Paintbrush. PCX has evolved into one of the more popular image file formats because so many products can read and write PCX files to at least some extent. Further, PCX files provide decent image compression coupled with fast decompression. |
| Multipage PCX (DCX) | RW | stores multiple PCX files in one document |
| Portable Network Graphics Format (PNG) | RW | reads 1, 8, 24, 32bpp PNG files (With Alpha Channel Support) writes 8, 24bpp PNG files (With Alpha Channel Support) PNG's compression is fully lossless and since it supports up to 48-bit truecolor or 16-bit grayscale saving, restoring and re-saving an image will not degrade its quality, unlike standard JPEG (even at its highest quality settings). And unlike TIFF, the PNG specification leaves no room for implementers to pick and choose what features they'll support. Sending finished truecolor images over the www, especially photographic ones, JPEG is almost always a better choice. Although JPEG's lossy compression can introduce visible artifacts, these can be minimized, and the savings in file size even at high quality levels is much better than is generally possible with a lossless format like PNG. And for black-and-white images, particularly of text or drawings, TIFF's Group 4 fax compression or the JBIG format are often far better than 1-bit grayscale PNG. |
| Truevision TARGA Format (TGA) | RW | reads 1, 8, 15, 16, 24, 32bpp TGA files writes 8, 24bpp TGA files In addition to developing the Truevision Targa boards, Truevision Inc. also have come up with a specification for a high-end file format that will support images suitable for display on Targa hardware. The Targa format, or TGA, supports images of any dimensions with between 1 and 32 bits of color. While the Targa format originated with Truevision's hardware, it has migrated to many other applications. It's probably the most universally supported 24-bit file format for PC applications. Unlike TIFF, for example, it's subject to relatively few variations. |
| Tagged Image File Format (TIFF) | RW | reads 1, 4, 8, 24, 32bpp TIFF files
Supported compression export modes:
TIFF (tagged image file format) This graphics file format was designed to be the universal translator of the graphics world back in the 1980s when sharing graphics across computing platforms was a great headache. TIFF can handle color depths ranging from one-bit (black and white) to 24-bit photographic images with equal ease. Like any standards, however, the TIFF developed a few inconsistencies along the way. There are more than 50 variations on the TIFF format out there. And in addition you can use the tags to add your own data to a tiff file which make tiff on the one side very flexible but on the other side difficult to interpret. |
| Photoshop Format (PSD) | RW | reads 1, 8, 24bpp RLE encoded or uncompressed PSD files, layered PSD files writes 1, 8, 24bpp RLE encoded or uncompressed PSD files PSD is the native bitmap file format of the Adobe Photoshop graphics editor. This format is standard de facto for designers all over the world. This format is rather complex and stores a lot of data (image layers, text, effects, etc). THBImage can load each layer of the file or the summary image where all the layers are merged in correct way. |
| EXIF | R | Exif information and Exif thumbnail |
| Portable Binary Map(PBM) | RW | reads 1bpp PBM files writes 1bpp PBM files PBM is a simple uncompressed image format that stores each pixel either as an ASCII character code 0 or 1 or in binary format. The format can be used for lossless datatransfer because many applications support this format and you can simply edit or create such files within a texteditor like notepad. |
| Portable Gray Map(PGM) | RW | reads 8bpp PGM files writes 8bpp PGM files Same as PBM but stores grayscale values in the range from 0 to 255 |
| Portable Pixel Map(PPM) | RW | reads 24bpp PPM files writes 24bpp PPM files Same as PBM but stores RGB triples where each color channel value must be in the range from 0 to 255 |
| Adobe Portable Document Format (PDF) | W | writes 1, 8, 24bpp RLE or CCITT encoded PDF files Portable Document Format (PDF) is the de facto standard for the secure and reliable distribution and exchange of electronic documents and forms around the world, with a ten-year track record. PDF is a universal file format that preserves the fonts, images, graphics, and layout of any source document, regardless of the application and platform used to create it. Adobe® PDF files are compact and complete, and can be shared, viewed, and printed by anyone with free Adobe Reader® software. To date, more than 500 million copies of the software have been distributed. |
| Wireless bitmap (WBMP) | RW | reads and writes 1bpp files |
| CompuServe Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) | RW | reads and writes 8bpp palette pictures files. GIF uses the LZW lossless compression algorithm that produces great compression rates. The UNISYS LZW patent expired on July 7 2004 all over the world and the gif fileformat can now be used without any license restrictions. |
| EXR | R |
EXR is a high dynamic-range (HDR) image file format developed by Industrial Light & Magic for use in computer imaging applications. EXR is used by ILM on all motion pictures currently in production. The first movies to employ EXR were Harry Potter and the Sorcerers Stone, Men in Black II, Gangs of New York, and Signs. Since then, EXR has become ILM's main image file format. EXR's features include: Higher dynamic range and color precision than existing 8- and 10-bit image file formats. Support for 16-bit floating-point, 32-bit floating-point, and 32-bit integer pixels. The 16-bit floating-point format, called "half", is compatible with the half data type in NVIDIA's Cg graphics language and is supported natively on their new GeForce FX and Quadro FX 3D graphics solutions. Multiple lossless image compression algorithms. Some of the included codecs can achieve 2:1 lossless compression ratios on images with film grain. Extensibility. Use EXRExposure, EXRGamma, EXRPremultiply to adjust lightning conditions. |
| Apple Macintosh PICT (PCT, PICT) | R | reads 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 24, 32bpp RLE or uncompressed PICT files Apple Macintosh QuickDraw/PICT file |
| JBIG | RW | Joint Bi-level Image experts Group file interchange format. Also known as "BIE" and "JBG". |
This is the second category that is plugged into THBImage through the THBMagick filter dll
| Format | Mode | Description | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| ART | R | PFS: 1st Publisher | Format originally used on the Macintosh and later used for PFS: 1st Publisher clip art. |
| AVI | R | Microsoft Audio/Visual Interleaved | |
| AVS | RW | AVS X image | |
| CIN | RW | Kodak Cineon Image Format |
Cineon Image Format is a subset of SMTPE DPX. |
| CMYK | RW | Raw cyan, magenta, yellow, and black samples | Set MagWidth, MagHeight and MagColorDepth to specify the image width, height, and depth. |
| CUT | R | DR Halo | |
| DCM | R | Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) image | Used by the medical community for images like X-rays. |
| DPX | RW | Digital Moving Picture Exchange | |
| EMF | R | Microsoft Enhanced Metafile (32-bit) | |
| EPDF | RW | Encapsulated Portable Document Format | Requires Ghostscript |
| EPI | RW | Adobe Encapsulated PostScript Interchange format | Requires Ghostscript |
| EPS | RW | Adobe Encapsulated PostScript | Requires Ghostscript |
| EPS2 | W | Adobe Level II Encapsulated PostScript | Requires Ghostscript |
| EPS3 | W | Adobe Level III Encapsulated PostScript | Requires Ghostscript |
| EPSF | RW | Adobe Encapsulated PostScript | Requires Ghostscript |
| EPSI | RW | Adobe Encapsulated PostScript Interchange format | Requires Ghostscript |
| EPT | RW | Adobe Encapsulated PostScript Interchange format with TIFF preview | Requires Ghostscript |
| FIG | R | FIG graphics format | |
| FITS | RW | Flexible Image Transport System | |
| FPX | R | FlashPix Format | |
| GPLT | R | Gnuplot plot files | |
| GRAY | RW | Raw gray samples | Use MagWidth, MagHeight and MagColorDepth to specify the image width, height, and depth. |
| HPGL | R | HP-GL plotter language | |
| JNG | RW | Multiple-image Network Graphics | JPEG in a PNG-style wrapper with transparency. |
| MAT | R | MATLAB image format | |
| MONO | RW | Bi-level bitmap in least-significant-byte first order | |
| MNG | RW | Multiple-image Network Graphics | A PNG-like Image Format Supporting Multiple Images, Animation and Transparent JPEG. |
| MPEG | RW | Motion Picture Experts Group file interchange format (version 1) | |
| M2V | RW | Motion Picture Experts Group file interchange format (version 2) | |
| MTV | RW | MTV Raytracing image format | |
| OTB | RW | On-the-air Bitmap | |
| P7 | RW | Xv's Visual Schnauzer thumbnail format | |
| PALM | RW | Palm pixmap | |
| PCD | RW | Photo CD | The maximum resolution written is 768x512 pixels since larger images require huffman compression (which is not supported). |
| PCDS | RW | Photo CD | Decode with the sRGB color tables. |
| PCL | W | HP Page Control Language | For output to HP laser printers. |
| PDB | RW | Palm Database ImageViewer Format | |
| R | Portable Document Format | Requires Ghostscript | |
| PFA | R | Postscript Type 1 font (ASCII) | Opening as file returns a preview image. |
| PFB | R | Postscript Type 1 font (binary) | Opening as file returns a preview image. |
| PICON | RW | Personal Icon | |
| PICT | RW | Apple Macintosh QuickDraw/PICT file | |
| PIX | R | Alias/Wavefront RLE image format | |
| PS | RW | Adobe PostScript file | Requires Ghostscript |
| PS2 | RW | Adobe Level II PostScript file | Requires Ghostscript |
| PS3 | RW | Adobe Level III PostScript file | Requires Ghostscript |
| PTIF | RW | Pyramid encoded TIFF | Multi-resolution TIFF containing successively smaller versions of the image down to the size of an icon. The desired subimage size may be specified when reading via the MagWitdh and MagHeight option. |
| PWP | R | Seattle File Works multi-image file | |
| RAD | R | Radiance image file | Requires that ra_ppm from the Radiance software package be installed. |
| RGB | RW | Raw red, green, and blue samples | Use MagWidth, MagHeight and MagColorDepth to specify the image width, height, and depth. |
| RGBA | RW | Raw red, green, blue, and matte samples | Use MagWidth, MagHeight and MagColorDepth to specify the image width, height, and depth. |
| RLA | R | Alias/Wavefront image file | |
| RLE | R | Utah Run length encoded image file | |
| SCT | R | Scitex Continuous Tone Picture | |
| SFW | R | Seattle File Works image | |
| SGI | RW | Irix RGB image | |
| SUN | RW | SUN Rasterfile | |
| SVG | RW | Scalable Vector Graphics | Note that SVG is a very complex specification so support is still not complete. |
| TIM | R | PSX TIM file | |
| TTF | R | TrueType font file | Opening a file returns a preview image. |
| UIL | W | X-Motif UIL table | |
| UYVY | RW | Interleaved YUV raw image | Use MagWidth, MagHeight properties to specify width and height. |
| VICAR | RW | VICAR rasterfile format | |
| VIFF | RW | Khoros Visualization Image File Format | |
| WMF | Windows Metafile | By default, renders WMF files using the dimensions specified by the metafile header. Use the MagDPI property to adjust the output resolution, and thereby adjust the ouput size. The default output resolution is 72DPI so MagDPI=144 results in an image twice as large as the default. Use MagBgCol to specify the WMF background color (default white). | |
| WPG | R | Word Perfect Graphics File | |
| XBM | RW | X Windows system bitmap, black and white only | Used by the X Windows System to store monochrome icons. |
| XCF | R | GIMP image | |
| XPM | RW | X Windows system pixmap | Also known as "PM". Used by the X Windows System to store color icons. |
| XWD | RW | X Windows system window dump | Used by the X Windows System to save/display screen dumps. |
| YUV | RW | CCIR 601 4:1:1 | Use MagWidth, MagHeight properties to specify width and height. |
To read PDF files and other PostScript fileformats it is necessary to install Ghostscript. http://www.cs.wisc.edu/~ghost/ Ensure that the gswin32.exe is available from the command line. Therefore the ghostscript bin folder has to be in the PATH environment variable.
If you add thbmag10.dll as an import filter dll then you can read PDF files.
It is not possible to read multipage PDFs now.