Multiplatform Images

for C4D Users

How to make archives with TIFFs in them that will play on either Mac or PC platforms

[ Use any of these ideas entirely at your own risk. I.e. don't sue me. ]

 

Zip

Zip is a popular archive format for Windows. Using one of the utilities below, you can make a zip file on a Mac that can be successfully read under Windows. The file may contain both .c4d and TIFF files. It appears that C4D will handle either Mac or IBM byte ordering in its TIFF files. LZW compression has not been tested yet. Zip files may be created with either:

  • ZipIt (1.3.8 tested)
  • MacZip (1.0 tested. UI is awful but it works. Since it saves the resource fork in a separate file in the archive, you do not have to delete the resource fork first.)

According to observations, the TIFF files will not work properly in the zip archives unless their resource fork has been deleted. A good utility for doing this is GSU-FORK-OFF, which can be found in the info-mac archives, in the disk and file tools section. The above link points to the archives at AMUG. You should select the one nearest you for best performance.

 

Stuffit

Stuffit is the popular Mac archive format. Windows users can download Stuffit Expander for Windows to unpack Stuffit files. This appears to work well, but the TIFF files will not work right if they were stuffed with a resource fork. Run then through GSU-FORK-OFF before stuffing. It's not clear how a Windows user would fix a TIFF file that was stuffed with a resource fork.

 

Uploading

When uploading archives with Fetch, be careful to use Raw Data mode. Note that dragging and dropping a zip file from a Finder window may upload it in Text mode, in which case it will not work. This is especially likely if the zip file has been copied to the Mac via PC Exchange.

 

Creating files under Windows that will work on a Mac:

This appears to be much easier. Just zip the files up. The Mac user should be able to unzip them using ZipIt or Stuffit Expander. In most cases Netscape will handle this automagically.

Test Data

The above advice is based on the following tests. Many, many thanks to Craig Townsend for his help and patience in working through this. In each case (except the one in Yellow) the TIFF is made on a Mac, then transferred to the PC. No LZW compression was used on any of the TIFFs.

Image type
 Compression
Transfer method
Works on Mac ?
Works on PC ?
TIFF with Mac byte ordering None floppy (PC Exchange)
YES
YES
TIFF with PC byte ordering None floppy (PC Exchange)
YES
YES
TIFF with PC byte ordering ZipIt 1.3.8 (Mac) floppy (PC Exchange)
YES
NO
TIFF with PC byte ordering MacZip 1.0 (data fork only) floppy (PC Exchange)
YES
YES
TIFF with PC byte ordering, resource fork deleted ZipIt 1.3.8 (Mac) floppy (PC Exchange)
YES
YES
TIFF with PC byte ordering PKZIP for Windows 2.60 floppy (PC Exchange)
YES
YES
TIFF with PC byte ordering PKZIP for Windows 2.60 Floppy + Fetch 3.0.3 (Mac) in Binary mode
YES
YES
TIFF with PC byte ordering PKZIP for Windows 2.60 Floppy + Fetch 3.0.3 (Mac) in Text mode
NO
 Probably not
TIFF with PC byte ordering PKZIP for Windows 2.60 FTP from Windows Probably
YES
TIFF with PC byte ordering Stuffit (.sit or .sit.hqx) on Mac floppy (PC Exchange)
YES
NO
TIFF with PC byte ordering, resource fork deleted Stuffit (.sit or .sit.hqx) on Mac Any Probably Probably

 

Lessons:

  • Mac or PC byte order is OK with C4D
  • PC doesn't like archived TIFFs with resource forks
  • Fetch's default drag/drop upload mode for the zip file (copied via PC Exchange from floppy) could be Text, which causes problems. Setting explicit Binary (raw data) upload mode works OK.

 

Regards,

Patrick Johnson

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