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IFF FORM and Chunk Registry
IFF FORM and Chunk Registry
Last Updated: June 8, 2012
This section contains the official list of registered FORM and Chunk names that are reserved and in use. This list is often referred to as the 3rd party registry since these are FORM and Chunk types created by application developers and not part of the original IFF specification.
For all FORM and Chunk types that are public, the official specifications from the third party company are listed (in alphabetical order). At the end of this section are additional documents describing how the ILBM FORM type works on the Amiga.
New chunks and FORMS should be registered with the AmigaOS development team. Please make all submissions via the AmigaOS web site contact form.
Developing New IFF FORMs and Chunks
IFF has been one of the keys to the Amiga's superiority in multimedia applications, allowing interchange of media elements between packages. The wealth of standard IFF FORMs and chunks gives the Amiga user data-sharing capabilities that are virtually unequaled on other systems. The Amiga's ability to render an image, touch it up, convert it to a different display mode, and load it into in another package is something that is a chore on other platforms, simply because the format of the image file may be different from one application to the next. IFF files lessen the need for "conversion" software, because most Amiga applications can read and write them.
Since its introduction as an open standard in 1985, IFF has widened to encompass data of many sorts-and the need for new IFF types continues to grow. To satisfy these growing needs, developers will continue to define and support new IFF types.
When developing a new IFF type, there are several steps you should follow:
- Discuss needs and specifications within the developer community and with the AmigaOS development team.
- The most important thing about designing IFF FORMs and chunks is that they meet the data storage and transfer needs of multiple applications. When more than one product uses the same IFF type, the market widens for all products that use that IFF type. Users are not forced to use one product or another, but can buy as many as they need to get the job done, fully utilizing all the features that each product has to offer. This step helps to ensure that a proposed IFF form or chunk type is flexible and isn't redundant.
- Implement the new type and conduct feasibility tests.
- Before settling on a format, set up prototype code to test the proposed format. This will help to prove that the idea is sound and can be implemented in software before others try to use it.
- Submit specifications to the AmigaOS development team.
- Coming up with a new kind of IFF FORM or chunk is easy--almost too easy. Just about anyone can follow the IFF guidelines and define their own FORM or chunk. If every application used a different IFF FORM, one application would be unable to share data with another because it can't read the other application's IFF FORM. It's like making up a new word for something that everyone sees every day. You may understand what the word means, but when you try to use your new word to communicate with others, they won't understand you. Further, deciding to use a pre-existing FORM or chunk in a new and different way is a lot like making up your own meaning for a pre-existing word. Confusion results when programs try to read FORMs or chunks whose meaning was altered by a non-conforming program.
- To avoid the problem of incompatible IFF types, register your new IFF types with the AmigaOS development team. The AmigaOS development team acts as a "dictionary" of IFF types. By submitting your proposals for FORM or chunk types to Amigan Software, you help prevent duplication of an existing data type. Also, if you register your new IFF type, it is more likely that it will be adopted as an IFF standard that other applications will use. For example, the ANIM form came from third party developers who proposed and refined the format. Now ANIM is the de facto standard for animation files.
- For an excellent example of a third party FORM specification, see the WORD FORM. For an example of chunk descriptions, examine the 8SVX FORM's SEQN and FADE chunks.
- Note that even you don't plan to release the specifications of your FORM or chunk, you must still register the name with the AmigaOS development team. This is the only way to prevent name conflicts in IFF files. You should register your FORM and chunk names before finalizing your product and its documentation in case there is a name conflict with an existing IFF type.
- Distribute final specifications to the developer community.
- Once you have registered your FORM or chunk with the AmigaOS development team, you should release the specifications of the chunk to the developer community. Although the AmigaOS development team publishes FORMs and chunks online developers should not rely on this method to distribute their IFF type specification. One of the most efficient ways to distribute your specification is to include it in your application's documentation. Distributing the specification will increase the probability of your FORM or chunk becoming a standard.
Third party FORMs
- The following is an alphabetical list of registered FORMs, generic chunks (shown as (any).chunkname), and registered new chunks for existing FORMs (shown as formname.chunkname). The center column describes where additional information on the FORM or chunk may be found. Items marked “EA IFF” are described in the main chapters of the EA IFF specs. Those marked “IFF TP” are described in the third-party specifications section. Items marked “propos” are submitted proposals, some of which are private. And items marked with “—” are private or yet unreleased specifications.
| Chunk ID | Reference | Description |
|---|---|---|
| (any).ANNO | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 generic annotation chunk |
| (any).AUTH | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 generic author chunk |
| (any).CHRS | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 generic character string chunk |
| (any).CSET | IFF_TP | chunk for specifying character set |
| (any).FRED | -- | Private ASDG global chunk |
| (any).FVER | IFF_TP | chunk for 2.0 VERSION string of an IFF file |
| (any).HLID | IFF_TP | HotLink IDentification (Soft-Logik) |
| (any).INFO | propos | This chunk contains data usually found in a file's .info file |
| (any).JUNK | IFF_TP | Always ignore this chunk |
| (any).UTF8 | IFF_TP | UTF-8 character text |
| (any).NAME | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 generic name of art, music, etc. chunk |
| (any).TEXT | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 generic unformatted ASCII text chunk |
| (any).(c) | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 generic copyright text chunk |
| 8SVX | EA_IFF | EA IFF 85 8-bit sound sample form |
| 8SVX.CHAN.PAN | IFF_TP | Stereo chunks for 8SVX form |
| 8SVX.SEQN.FADE | IFF_TP | Looping chunks for 8SVX form |
| ACBM | IFF_TP | Amiga Contiguous Bitmap form |
| AHAM | ---- | unregistered (???) |
| AHIM | private | AHI Modes |
| AHIM.AUDN | private | AUDio driver Name |
| AHIM.AUDD | private | AUDio driver Data |
| AHIM.AUDM | private | AUDio Mode |
| AIFF | IFF_TP | Audio 1-32 bit samples (Mac, Apple II, Synthia Pro) |
| ANBM | IFF_TP | Animated bitmap form (Framer, Deluxe Video) |
| ANIM | IFF_TP | Cel animation form |
| ANIM.brush | IFF_TP | ANIM brush format |
| ANIM.op6 | IFF_TP | Stereo (3D) animations |
| ANIM.op7 | ---- | unregistered (???) |
| ANIM.op8 | IFF_TP | - |
| ARC | propos | archive format proposal (old) |
| ARES | ---- | unregistered (???) |
| ATXT | ---- | temporarily reserved |
| AVCF | private | AmigaVision Flow format (currently private) |
| BANK | ---- | Soundquest Editor/Librarian MIDI Sysex dump |
| BBSD | ---- | BBS Database, F. Patnaude, Jr., Phalanx Software |
| C100 | ---- | Cloanto Italia private format |
| CAT | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 group identifier |
| CELP | propos | For storage of compressed ZyXEL voice data (reserved) |
| CHBM | ---- | Chunky bitmap (name reserved by Eric Lavitsky) |
| CLIP | ---- | CAT CLIP to hold various formats in clipboard |
| CMUS | propos | Common MUsical Score |
| CPFM | ---- | Cloanto Personal FontMaker (doc in their manual) |
| DCCL | ---- | DCTV paint clip |
| DCPA | ---- | DCTV paint palette |
| DCTV | ---- | DCTV raw picture file |
| DECK | ---- | private format for Inovatronics CanDo |
| DEEP | IFF_TP | Chunky pixel image files (used in TV Paint) |
| DOC | ---- | unregistered (PageStream) |
| DR2D | IFF_TP | 2D object standard format |
| DSDR | ---- | unregistered (DrawStudio) |
| DRAW | ---- | reserved by Jim Bayless, 12/90 |
| DTYP | IFF_TP | DataTypes identification |
| EXEC | propos | Proposed form for executable (loadseg-able) code |
| FANT | IFF_TP | Fantavision movie format |
| FAX3 | ---- | private GPSoftware FAX format, no longer used |
| FAXX.GPHD | IFF_TP | Additional header info for FAXX forms |
| FAXX | IFF_TP | Facsimile image form |
| FIGR | ---- | Deluxe Video - reserved |
| FILM | ---- | LIST FILM - For storing ILBMs with interleaved 8SVX audio |
| FNTR | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved for raster font |
| FNTV | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved for vector font |
| FORM | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 group identifier |
| FTXT | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 formatted text form |
| GRYP | propos | byteplane storage proposal (copyrighted) |
| GSCR | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved general music score |
| GMS | IFF_TP | Gesture and Motion Signal GMS Web Site |
| GUI | propos | user interface storage proposal (private) |
| HEAD | IFF_TP | Flow - New Horizons Software |
| ILBM | EA_IFF | EA IFF 85 raster bitmap form |
| ILBM.3DCM | ---- | reserved by Haitex |
| ILBM.3DPA | ---- | reserved by Haitex |
| ILBM.ASDG | ---- | private ASDG application chunk |
| ILBM.BHBA | ---- | private Photon Paint chunk (brushes) |
| ILBM.BHCP | ---- | private Photon Paint chunk (screens) |
| ILBM.BHSM | ---- | private Photon Paint chunk |
| ILBM.CLUT | IFF_TP | Color Lookup Table chunk |
| ILBM.CMYK | IFF_TP | Cyan, Magenta, Yellow, & Black color map (Soft-Logik) |
| ILBM.CNAM | IFF_TP | Color naming chunk (Soft-Logik) |
| ILBM.CTBL.DYCP | IFF_TP | Newtek Dynamic HAM color chunks |
| ILBM.DCTV | ---- | reserved |
| ILBM.DGVW | ---- | private Newtek DigiView chunk |
| ILBM.DPI | IFF_TP | Dots per inch chunk |
| ILBM.DPPV | IFF_TP | DPaint perspective chunk (EA) |
| ILBM.DRNG | IFF_TP | DPaint IV enhanced color cycle chunk (EA) |
| ILBM.EPSF | IFF_TP | Encapsulated Postscript chunk |
| ILBM.PCHG | IFF_TP | Line by line palette control information (Sebastiano Vigna) |
| ILBM.PRVW | propos | A mini duplicate ILBM used for preview (Gary Bonham) |
| ILBM.TMAP | ---- | Transparency map (temporarily reserved) |
| VTAG | propos | Viewmode tags chunk suggestion |
| ILBM.XBMI | IFF_TP | eXtended BitMap Information (Soft-Logik) |
| ILBM.XSSL | IFF_TP | Identifier chunk for 3D X-Specs image (Haitex) |
| IOBJ | ---- | reserved by Seven Seas Software |
| IODK | ---- | reserved for Jean-Marc Porchet at Merging Technologies |
| ITRF | ---- | reserved |
| JMOV | ---- | reserved for Merging Technologies |
| LIST | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 group identifier |
| MFAX | ---- | reserved for TKR GmbH & Co. |
| MIDI | ---- | Circum Design |
| MOVI | ---- | LIST MOVI - private format |
| MSCX | ---- | private Music-X format |
| MSMP | ---- | temporarily reserved |
| MTRX | IFF_TP | Numerical data storage (MathVision - Seven Seas) |
| NSEQ | ---- | Numerical sequence (Stockhausen GmbH) |
| OB3D | propos | Proposal for a standard 3D object format |
| OCMP | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved computer prop |
| OCPU | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved processor prop |
| OPGM | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved program prop |
| OSN | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved serial num. prop |
| PGTB | IFF_TP | Program traceback (SAS Institute) |
| PICS | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved Macintosh picture |
| PLBM | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved obsolete name |
| PMBC | propos | reserved for Black Belt Systems 91.12.01 |
| PREF | ---- | Reserved by the AmigaOS Development Team for user preferences data, currently private |
| PREF.AHIG | private | AHI Global preferences |
| PREF.AHIU | private | AHI Unit preferences |
| PROP | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 group identifier |
| PRSP | IFF_TP | DPaint IV perspective move form (EA) |
| PTCH | ---- | Patch file format (SAS Institute) |
| PTXT | ---- | temporarily reserved |
| RGB4 | ---- | 4-bit RGB (format not available) |
| RGBN and RGB8 | IFF_TP | RGB image forms, Turbo Silver (Impulse) |
| RGBX | ---- | temporarily reserved |
| ROXN | ---- | private animation form |
| SAMP | IFF_TP | Sampled sound format |
| SC3D | ---- | private scene format (Sculpt-3D) |
| SHAK | ---- | private Shakespeare format |
| SHO1 | ---- | reserved by Gary Bonham (private) |
| SHOW | ---- | reserved by Gary Bonham (private) |
| SMUS | EA_IFF | EA IFF 85 simple music score form |
| SPLT | IFF_TP | ASDG's file SPLiTting system |
| SSRE | ---- | reserved for Merging Technologies 92.05.04 |
| SWRT | ---- | unregistered (???) |
| SYTH | ---- | SoundQuest Master Librarian MIDI System driver |
| TCDE | ---- | reserved by Merging Technologies |
| TDDD | IFF_TP | 3D rendering data, Turbo Silver (Impulse) |
| TERM | ---- | unregistered (???) |
| TMUI | IFF_TP | Toolmaker IFF project file format (ToolMaker V1.19) |
| TREE | IFF_TP | Storage of arbitrary data structures as trees (or nested lists) |
| TRKR | propos | TRacKeR style music module format proposal |
| UNAM | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved user name prop |
| USCR | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved Uhuru score |
| UVOX | IFF Standard | EA IFF 85 reserved Uhuru Mac voice |
| VDEO | ---- | private Deluxe Video format |
| WORD | IFF_TP | ProWrite document format (New Horizons) |
| WOWO | ---- | unregistered (Wordworth) |
| YAFA | ---- | unregistered animation format (Wildfire) |
| YUVN | IFF_TP | For storage of Y:U:V image data (MacroSystems) |
