SCI Cursor Specs


By Brian Provinciano <bri_da_man@hotmail.com>
Version 1.03 December 21st, 1998


The SCI cusrsor consists of the colours black, white and transparent.The cursors, which are 16 x 16 pixels (128 in all), are not drawn as ordinarypictures. Each byte represents 8 pixels (half of a row) and each byte representsa pattern. The cursor contains 70 bytes, the first six bytes the header,and the 64 bytes left represent the patterns.

*Useful note - In binary, a 0 represents transparent, and a 1 representscolor.


Byte Structure

There are 70 bytes in total. The first 6 bytes are the header, and theother 64 are the actual picture.

Byte 1: 0x88 - always seems to be this. Can't be changed.
Byte 2: 0x00 - always seems to be this. Can't be changed. If changed,the cursor will look very odd. See example:


The cursor normally

The cursor with byte two changed from 00

Bytes 3-6: 0x00 in SCI0 games, but not always in SCI1 games.If they are not 00 and are changed to 00, it makes no difference.
Bytes 7-38: This is where you enter in info on how the picture isdrawn. These bytes draw in the patterns with the colours black and transparent.A complete picture can be drawn leaving the rest of the bytes (39-70) blankif you are just using the colours black and transparent in your cursor.
Bytes 39-70: This is where you can draw more over top of what youhave already drawn. These bytes draw in the the patterns with the coloursblack and white. As an example, the regular mouse cursor in an SCI gamehas the black part of the cursor drawn in the bytes 7-38 and then the whiteinside it is drawn in bytes 39-70. Look at picture below.


The SCI mouse cursor with bytes 1-38 used

The SCI mouse cursor with all 70 bytes used (white part added)


Patterns

Variable Byte

Pattern

0x0

0x1

0x2

0x3

0x4

0x5

0x6

0x7

0x8

0x9

0xA

0xB

0xC

0xD

0xE

0xF

Note - This does not contain a picture of every pattern,because that in not necessary.

Other options

*Examples use variable F


Other SCI cursor Structure to Know

If you are using a hex editor such as Ultra Edit or Hex Workshop, know that the pixels begin to be drawn at the top right hand corner of the cursor and goes towards the left, then on the next row starts at the left and heads right etc. See the example:

e.g.
etc...


End of structure