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--- ref:xbin [2018/02/04 01:01] – [See Also] digital man
+++ ref:xbin [2020/05/28 19:33] (current) – [XBin] .bin files usually contain CP437 chars digital man
@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
 ====== XBin ======
-XBin (''.xb'') is an ANSI/block art file format created by Tasmaniac of [[http://www.acid.org|ACiD]]. The main "image data" portion of the file is identical in format to that of a BIN (''.bin'') file: an IBM CGA text mode memory dump consisting of pairs of 8-bit character (e.g. alphanumeric or symbolic/graphic) data accompanied by 8-bit attribute (e.g. color) data.
+XBin (''.xb'') is an ANSI/block art file format created by Tasmaniac of [[http://www.acid.org|ACiD]]. The main "image data" portion of the file is identical in format to that of a "Binary Text" (''.bin'') file: an IBM CGA text mode memory dump consisting of pairs of 8-bit character (e.g. CP437 alphanumeric or symbolic/graphic) data accompanied by 8-bit attribute (e.g. color) data.
 In addition to the "image data", the file may optionally contain:
@@ Line 7: / Line 7: @@
   - One or two font (character set) definitions
-{{:ref:xbin.png?400|}}
+===== Examples =====
+==== CT-XBIN.XB ====
+{{:ref:xbin.png?400|An ACiD XBin demonstration file (CT-XBIN.XB) displayed in SyncTERM v1.1b}}
+==== The same file displayed without embedded font or palette data ====
+{{:ref:xbin_without_font_or_palette.png?400|Does your terminal display XBin's like this?}}
+==== cx-unnamed.xb ====
+{{:ref:unnamed.png?400|A spectacular XBin demonstration displayed in SyncTERM v1.1b (in development)}}
+==== tcf - 22 - amidala.XB ====
+{{:ref:amidala.png?400|Another outrageous example of the art possible through the XBin format}}
 ===== Fonts =====
@@ Line 14: / Line 25: @@
 When one or more fonts are specified in the file, the file becomes tied to a specific //character height// (or what they call "FontSize" in the XBin specs). Meaning, the viewer must be using a display mode which matches the character height in the file or else the font(s) cannot be used during the display and the file likely will not appear as intended.
-For example, in the typical 80x25 video mode, an 8x16 character (font) is used. While in 80x43 video mode, an 8x8 character is used. So a character height of 16 pixels is most common with character heights of 8 pixels and 14 pixels being less common, but still included in the IBM CGA/EGA/VGA display standard text modes.
+For example, in the typical 80x25 VGA video mode, an 8x16 character (font) is used. While in the 80x43 EGA/VGA video mode, an 8x8 character is used. So a character height of 16 pixels is most common, while character heights of 8 pixels and 14 pixels are less common, but still included in the IBM CGA/EGA/VGA display standard text modes.
 There is no provision in the XBin file format for a single file to apply to multiple character heights (video modes).
@@ Line 41: / Line 52: @@
 SyncTERM supports up to **4 active fonts** simultaneously (selected by the 4 possible combinations of bits 3 and 7 of each displayed character's attribute byte). And depending on the size and complexity of the original image and the target character height, 1-4 custom fonts might be needed to replicate the original bitmap image (and in some cases, 4 fonts isn't even enough).
-In any case, initial experiments using an ad hoc file format were encouraging. I was using SAUCE fields for most of the additional data needed (character height, number of fonts, etc.) and the basic BIN file format with additional data defining the font characters/glyphs. At the same time I was discussing the possibility of custom palette definitions with [[person:Deuce]] (the BBS could dynamically control the SyncTERM display palette), so I was considering adding that as well.
+In any case, initial experiments using an ad hoc file format were encouraging. I was using SAUCE fields for most of the additional data needed (character height, number of fonts, etc.) and the basic BIN file format with additional data defining the font characters/glyphs. At the same time I was discussing the possibility of custom palette definitions with [[person:Deuce]] (the BBS could dynamically control the SyncTERM display palette), so I was considering adding an alternate/custom palette to the file format as well.
-I don't like reinventing the wheel, so I looked through the existing BIN file format variants (Artworx/ADF, IceDraw/IDF, etc.) and the only format which supported multiple custom font definitions was: XBin. XBin also supports a custom palette definition, so that was a plus as well.
+I don't like reinventing wheels, so I looked through the existing "Binary Text" file format variants (Artworx/ADF, IceDraw/IDF, etc.) and the only format which supported multiple custom font definitions was: XBin. XBin also supports a custom palette definition, so that was a plus as well.
 However, XBin only supports a maximum of 2 fonts (the so-called "512 char" mode detailed earlier). Some of my experimental XBin images required more than 2 custom font definitions (especially in 8-pixel character height video modes), even 4 custom fonts could be required at times.
-So rather than create another file format that many useful software tools may never fully support, I decided to move forward using the XBin format, but add the functionality that I needed for my XBin Image ("XBimage") [[ftp://vert.synchro.net/main/bbs/xbimgs01.zip|demonstration project]]:
+So rather than create yet another file format that many useful software tools may never fully support, I decided to move forward using the XBin format, but add the functionality that I needed for my XBin Image ("XBimage") [[ftp://vert.synchro.net/main/bbs/xbimgs01.zip|demonstration project]]:
-{{:xbin_sync_disks.png?400|}}
+{{:ref:xbin_sync_disks_bright.png?400|}}
 {{:xbin_einstein.png?400|}}
-{{:xbin_marilyn.png?400|}}
+{{:ref:xbin_marilyn_bright.png?400|}}
 {{:xbin_starman.png?400|}}

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