Remote imaging protocol
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Remote Imaging Protocol (RIP), also referred to as RIPscrip (and frequently, yet incorrectly as RIPscript), was an early vector graphics protocol, created by Jeff Reeder, a founder of TeleGrafix Communications. RIP was designed as a method of transferring graphic imagery between two modem users, primarily to enhance the aesthetic experience of a BBS (Bulletin Board System). The protocol was eventually supported by several BBS software packages, and a variety of BBS door games.
RIPscrip was introduced in 1993 and consisted of ASCII-text descriptions of vector-drawn graphics and images, along with facilities to create menus and clickable buttons. These were sent from the BBS instead of the more common ANSI color-coded text-mode screens, and were interpreted on the user's end by a RIP-enabled terminal program such as TeleGrafix's own RIPTerm which could draw them at a 640x350 EGA resolution. Several utilities, including RIPaint and Tombstone Artist could be used to create RIP screens. RIP, however, failed to catch on, and was soon forgotten as the online community made the wholesale migration from BBS systems to the Internet and World Wide Web with its improved (and more cross-platform) graphic capabilities.
TeleGrafix later introduced newer versions of the RIPscrip standard in an effort to enhance Web browsing and telnet communications, but failed famously at these attempts. Vector image standards which are present on the web today that draw some similarities include Macromedia Flash and SVG. The version of RIPscrip which was actually in use amongst BBSes during the early to mid 1990s was version 1.54.
[edit] RIPscrip viewers
- PabloView for Windows A powerful artscene viewer; requires .NET Framework.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- BBS Documentary Library's page on RIP including sample artwork, specifications and whitepapers.
- RIP graphics article with sample RIP and ANSI graphics, plus a RIP viewer which can run in a command window on Win2K and WinXP: Wayne Thomas' 1994 FreeView 1.1 (freeware).
