The ANI file format is a
graphics file format
An Image file format is a file format for a digital image. There are many formats that can be used, such as JPEG, PNG, and GIF. Most formats up until 2022 were for storing 2D images, not 3D ones. The data stored in an image file format may be ...
used for
animated
Animation is a method by which still figures are manipulated to appear as moving images. In traditional animation, images are drawn or painted by hand on transparent celluloid sheets to be photographed and exhibited on film. Today, most ani ...
mouse cursors on the
Microsoft Windows operating system
An operating system (OS) is system software that manages computer hardware, software resources, and provides common services for computer programs.
Time-sharing operating systems schedule tasks for efficient use of the system and may also i ...
.
The format is based on the Microsoft
Resource Interchange File Format
The Resource Interchange File Format (RIFF) is a generic file container format for storing data in tagged chunks. It is primarily used to store multimedia such as sound and video, though it may also be used to store any arbitrary data.
The Mic ...
, which is used as a
container
A container is any receptacle or enclosure for holding a product used in storage, packaging, and transportation, including shipping.
Things kept inside of a container are protected on several sides by being inside of its structure. The term ...
for storing the individual frames (which are standard
Windows icons) of the animation.
File structure
Animated cursors contain the following information: (in order of position in the file)
* Name (optional)
* Artist information (optional)
* Default frame rate
* Sequence information
* Cursor hotspot
* Individual frame(s), in
ICO format
* Individual frame rates (optional)
Frame rates are measured in
jiffies, with one jiffy equal to 1/60 of a second, or 16.666 ms.
Sequencing
''Sequence information'' present in the file determines the sequence of frames, and allows frames to be played more than once, or in a different order than that in which they appear in the file. For example, if the animation contains three different images numbered 1, 2 and 3, and the sequence is 1-2-3-2-1, (five frames) then only three icons need to be stored in the file, thereby saving storage space.
See also
*
Pointer (user interface)
*
ICO (file format)
The ICO file format is an image file format for computer icons in Microsoft Windows. ICO files contain one or more small images at multiple sizes and color depths, such that they may be scaled appropriately. In Windows, all executables that di ...
External links
Description of the ani file format
* ttp://www.gdgsoft.com/anituner/ .Ani Editor
Graphics file formats
Windows architecture
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