Resource File Types

Below is a list of the common resource filetypes used on the Aquarius+ :

• BAQ, Aquarius⁺ plusBASIC file - This is the LOAD, RUN, and SAVE format for a plusBASIC program file. It is structurally identical to the legacy BAS and CAQ file formats, but it contains plusBASIC keyword tokens that will likely NOT run on legacy Aquarius systems or emulators.
• BIT, Aquarius⁺ 2-bit Bitmap file - This 8k file stores a 320 x 200 pixel black and white bitmap file. When used in conjuction with the 1k of COLRAM, the black pixels take on the foreground color (ink), and the white pixels take on the background color (paper) within that 8x8 block of pixels.
• BM4, Aquarius⁺ 4-bit color Bitmap file - This file defines a 160 x 200 bitmap file with 2:1 horizontal stretching (presents as 320 x 200) with 16 indexed colors
• CHR, Programmable Character Generator file - This 2k file stores 8 bytes, one byte per row top to bottom, for each bitmap character, proceeding through all 256 characters.
• MAP, Tilemap Data file - This 4k file defines a 64 x 32 grid of tiles, referencing one of 512 tile patterns (2 byte index).
• PAL, Aquarius⁺Color Palette file - This 32 byte file stores the RGB values of the sixteen colors of a custom palette.
• PT3, ProTracker 3-voice Sound file - This file format stores data played through AY-3-89xx sound chips in the form of sound effects and music.
• ROM, Aquarius ROM file - This stores a ROM image file (8k or 16k), usually serving as a cartridge loaded in at $C000.
• SCR, Screen RAM file - This 2k file stores 1k of CHARRAM followed by 1k of COLRAM, including the two slots of 24 "spare" bytes after each section.
• SPR, Sprite file - ???
• TIL, Tile Data file - This files stores 8x8 tiles in 2-pixel pairs, with the upper 4 bits referencing the palette entry of the left pixel, and the lower 4 bits referencing the palette entry of the right pixel, four bytes per row top to bottom, for each tile entry proceeding through all 512 tiles.

Future file types:

• AQX, Executable machine language program.
• AQP, Reserved for future use

All other file suffixes are treated as raw binary data.