QPix Command Reference

Graphics Importers

QPix accomplishes most of its functionality with the help of QuickTime's graphics import components, aka "graphics importers".

When dealing with image files and plug-in areas QPix uses graphics importers internally and masks out all potentially confusing details. However, in order to provide the most of QuickTime's capabilities and flexibility, QPix also includes a set of commands for directly working with graphics importers.

Graphics importers are code modules. Each importer "knows" all the details of a specific graphic file format and provides specific services to the client software. Graphics importers have the following properties:

Type (String4) (In pure IM terms, this is the component subtype field)

Flags (Longint)

Name (String255)

The files supported by a graphics importer are specified by the importer's type in conjunction with bit #12 of the flags property. If bit #12 is off, the importer's type is the Mac file type of the supported files. If bit #12 is on, it is a filename extension.

Examples

This is the Photoshop importer. It supports files of type '8BPS' (0x40000000 bit #12 is false).

This importer knows how to handle GIF files. It supports files with the .GIF filename extension (0x40001200 bit #12 is true).

Note

• Some terms and concepts are paraphrased in this chapter in an attempt to better match 4D's terminology and way of doing things. For reference material, check QuickTime Developer's Documentation.
• When working with graphics importers, you will need to create an importer instance, work with it, and destroy it when no longer needed.