KiSS Terminology

This document is a short glossary of Kisekae UltraKiss terminology.

Action
An action is an FKiSS command that can be used to change an object state or control FKiSS event processing logic. For further information see the FKiSS programming documentation.

BMP
A bitmap format image file. BMP image files can be stored in uncompressed form as truecolor images, or in compressed form as palette type images. Compressed form uses 4 bit or 8 bit run length encoding. BMP files do not maintain transparency information. The transparent color for a BMP format image cel is maintained in the UltraKiss configuration file. See Image Cel.

Border
The border is the area of the screen outside of the playfield that can be seen if the program window is larger than the current playfield. The border is filled with the color specified in the KiSS configuration file. See Playfield.

CEL
A KiSS cel format image file. The standard KiSS cel format is a palette type image that requires an associated KiSS KCF palette file. CEL files can be stored as Cherry Kiss truecolor images or as palette type images. Standard CEL files do not maintain transparency information. The KCF palette color index 0 is assumed to be the transparent color for all standard KiSS Cel files. Cherry Kiss files do include an alpha channel for individual pixel transparency. See Image Cel, Cherry Kiss, and KCF.

Cherry Kiss (CKiss)
A cel format that supports 32 bit color. Cherry KiSS images do not require a palette. Each pixel in the image includes an alpha channel for transparency and a red, green and blue color channel. Cherry Kiss image cels are truecolor images. Truecolor images can consume more internal memory than standard palette images. See Truecolor and Pixel.

CNF
A KiSS configuration file. Every KiSS data set must contain at least one CNF file. See Configuration File.

Color Set
The set of palette groups that exist within the first palette file specified in the configuration file. KiSS data sets were traditionally constructed with 10 different color sets. Each palette group was used to specify a different set of colors for the Kiss cels. UltraKiss supports an unlimited number of color sets or palette groups. See Palette Group.

Configuration File
The standard KiSS control file that defines the image cels, object groups, palette files, and FKiSS programming logic for a KiSS data set. Configuration files are named with a CNF extension. A data set can contain multiple configuration files. The configuration file has a specific format and structure as defined by the KiSS/GS reference. An example configuration file follows.

; Kisekae UltraKiss Configuration File
; leading comments

;[Screen Section]
(640,480)                              ; Environment size
[0                                     ; border color

;[Palette Section]
%KCEL.kcf                              ; The background colors
%FUKU.kcf                              ; The seifuku colors

;[Cel Section]
#1.999    africa1.gif    *0 : 1 2 3    ;%t128 Algeria
#1.999    africa2.gif    *0 : 1 3 8    ;Angola
#3.999    stevens.jpg    *0 : 6        ;Set 6 Hockey Stanley Cup
#51.999   B56X56.CEL     *1 : 7        ;Grid cel

;[Page Set Section]
$0 120,50 220,150 65,65
$1 120,50 220,150 65,65

;[FKiss Section]
;@EventHandler()
;@initalize()
;@ unmap("africa.gif")
;more FKiss code and comments

The organization of a CNF file is as follows.

(640,480)
This specifies the window panel size. If this line is omitted, it will default to 448 by 320.

[0
This is the screen border color. It is either an index into the first palette file specified or an RGB value that defines a specific color. The border color paints the area outside the window panel. It will default to 0 if omitted.

%KCEL.kcf
This is a palette file entry. This line maybe omitted for configuration files that do not use palette type CEL images, such as Cherry Kiss files. If standard KiSS cels are included then this line is required.

#1.999 africa1.gif *0 :0 1     ;%t128 ;comment
This line defines an object group and an image cel specification. The line syntax is as follows:

#1.999
This is the object number (1) that the image cel is associated with. The number following the "." is used to set the initial lock value of the related object. This value is optional and will default to 0. The lock value for the object group is set to the maximum lock value for all image cels in the group.

africa1.gif
This is the name of the image cel. This name must be a valid file name for the host system. Lowercase letters can conform to case-sensitive systems such as UNIX.

*0
This indicates the palette file used for drawing the image cel. This is an index into the palette file entries listed above. Index 0 is KCEL.kcf. Index 1 is FUKU.kcf. This specification only applies to cel type images that use KiSS palette files.

:0 1 2 3
This section identifies the page sets that the image cel is visible on. A cel will default to all page sets if this section is omitted.

;%t128
This indicates the cel's transparent value. Any number from 0 to 255 may be used, with 0 as opaque and 255 completely transparent.

$0 120,50 220,150 65,65
$1 120,50 220,150 65,65
These lines specify the locations of the various objects on in the page sets and the default palette group to be used when the page is first displayed. The first line associates palette group 0 with page set 0. Object 0 is placed at 120 x 50, object 1 at 220 x 150, and object 2 at 65 x 65. The second line associates palette group 1 with page set 1.

FKiSS event specifications are as follows:
;@EventHandler
;@initalize()
;@ unmap("africa.gif")

This is a section of FKiSS code. The ";@" symbols always prefix every FKiSS command. EventHandler is a case-sensitive flag that identifies the begining of the FKiSS section of code. All commands and events except for the EventHandler statement must be in lowercase to be properly recognized by the UltraKiss parser.

Data Set
See Kiss Set

Enhanced Palette
An enhanced palette is a name given to any Kiss data set that contains KCF palettes with more than 256 colors. With early KiSS it was common to use 16 color KCF palettes for the image cels. Up to 16 different palette groups could be defined in a KCF file, for a total of 256 colors. With later KiSS each palette could contain 256 colors. If more than one palette group was used then the palette file could contain thousands of colors. These files were called enhanced palettes. See KCF and Palette.

Event
A set of FKiSS programmed actions that will occur on recognition of an external event. Event actions can be defined for the times when objects are pressed, released, moved, or otherwise manipulated. For further information see the FKiSS programming documentation.

Fix Value
See Lock Value

FKiSS
An enhancement to the original KiSS format that allows for programming user interactivity. The FKiSS specification comprises events, commands, and additional programming tags.

FKiSS 2
The second release of the FKiSS specification that included Extra FKiSS commands and features developed by Chad Randall and John Stiles. Included are object collision detection and relative movement.

FKiSS 2.1
An update to the second release of the FKiSS specification that included additional commands to support "if" conditional timers and random object movement.

FKiSS 3
The third release of the FKiSS specification.

FKiSS 4
The fourth release of the FKiSS specification.

FKiSS 5
The UltraKiss extensions to the FKiSS specification.

Flex Area
The radius, in pixels, beyond which a sticky object cannot be moved. The flex area describes a boundary for limited movement of sticky objects. See Sticky.

French Kiss
A simple scripting language to allow more user interactivity than just dragging cels with the mouse. See FKiSS.

GIF
An image file format typically used for images on the Internet. GIF files contain transparency information and internal color palettes. UltraKiss supports GIF87 and GIF89 formats. The GIF89 format supports multiple images in the file for animation.

Image Cel
An image cel is a graphical image that is a component in a object group that can be manipulated as a single unit. KiSS cels use color 0 as a transparent color. Image cels are the basic building blocks for a KiSS data set. Cels are uniquely identified by name within the KiSS configuration file. The same image cel, if used in different object groups, will be a copy of the original image file.

JAR
A compressed file format that extends the ZIP file format to include additional information in a manifest element. JAR files are used for secure packaging and distribution of files. UltraKiss data sets may also be packaged and released as JAR files.

JPG
An image file format generally used for photographic types of images. The JPG compression method is 'lossy' and does not retain exact pixel color characteristics if it is repeatedly stored and refreshed. The JPG file format does not support transparency.

KCF
A KiSS palette file format, or KiSS Color File. KCF files contain many RGB colors that define the red, green, and blue components of a individual color. KCF files are used by palette type cel images. A palette type cel must have an associated KCF. Every pixel in a palette cel image is an index into the KCF palette. When the image is painted each pixel color is defined by the KCF palette. KCF palettes contain either 16 colors or 256 colors. The KCF format can contain multiple palettes, known as palette groups. See Cel, Palette Group, and Pixel.

Kiss Set
A term that is used to describe the complete set of image cels, audio files, and configuration files that are typically packaged and released in a compressed LZH file. KiSS sets, if uncompressed, are the set of all files within a file directory.

Lock Value
A numerical value that is an attribute of an object. Lock values values are defined for image cels and are used to establish lock values for object groups. The lock value for an object group is the largest lock value of all cels that make up the group. An object group may not be moved by the user unless the group lock value is equal to zero. If a user clicks on an object, the object lock value is reduced by one until it reaches zero.

LZH
A compressed file format that is traditionally used to package and release KiSS data sets. LZH files are compressed using Lempel-Ziv-Huffman encoded compression techniques.

Maximum Fixed Object
A maximum fixed object refers to a KiSS object that cannot be picked up and moved on the screen. Normal KiSS objects are mobile and can be freely moved on the playfield. Sticky KiSS objects move slightly then snap back to their original position until they become fully mobile. Maximum fixed objects can never move. See Object and Sticky.

Multipalette
An ill-defined term that refers to a set of multiple palettes. KiSS palette KCF files can contain multiple internal palettes. Each palette group within the file is sometimes referred to as a multipalette. See Palette Group.

Object
An object is an abstract concept that represents a set of coordinates on a page. One or more cels can be associated with a common set of coordinates by giving them an object number, where the object number refers to the list of x,y positions following the "$n" in the page set section of the configuration file. For the implementation of an object, see Object Group

Object Group
A group of image cels. Object groups are a collection of image cels. Each image cel has a unique z-order for drawing. An object group can contain one cel for the foreground, one for the inside, one for the sleeve, etc. Object groups are uniquely numbered from 0. Object group numbers used within the KiSS configuration file are always proceeded by an " #".

Palette
A set of colors for an image. Palette type image pixels are not colors but are index values into the palette. Palettes can contain up to 256 colors. Each color in a palette is defined by its red, green and blue color components, specified in RGB format. See Palette Group and Pixel.

Palette Group
An offset into a KCF file or other image file that supports multiple internal palettes. KiSS cel images are designed to use multiple internal palettes. These images can be displayed in different colors if the palette group is changed. See Color Set.

Panel Area
See Playfield.

Page
See Page Set

Page Set
The group of objects displayed in one screen panel at any one time. KiSS data sets traditionally were released with up to 10 different possible page sets. UltraKiss supports an unlimited number of page sets. See Object.

Pixel
A pixel is one point of color in an image. A pixel is described by its red, green, and blue color components and its alpha transparency.

Playfield
The playfield is the area of the screen in which KiSS objects can be drawn or otherwise manipulated. The size of the playfield is set by the screen size parameter in the KiSS configuration file. The screen area outside of the playfield is know as the border and it is colored according to the border color parameter in the KiSS configuration file. See Border.

PPM or PGM or PBM
A portable pixel map image file. PPM files are used on Unix systems to encode image pixel index values as ASCII characters or raw numeric bytes. The format was originally designed to make it reasonable to mail images between different types of machines using text based mailers. PGM is a portable gray map and PBM is a portable bit map.

Sticky
A term attached to KiSS objects that have a non-zero lock value that is less than the fixed maximum lock value for unmovable objects. Sticky objects can be moved but will snap back to their their original location when the mouse is released or the object is dragged beyond a limited flex area. The object lock value is reduced by one on each movement. Sticky objects have to be tugged repeatedly before they become fully mobile. See Lock Value.

Tags
An FKiSS specification that allows the data set creator to set certain states without requiring a command entry. An example is the ;%t128 portion of a cel definition line.

Transparency
Transparency is an attribute of color, just like red, green, or blue. A transparent color, if it is painted on top, lets the underlying color show through. Colors can have different degrees of transparency ranging from fully transparent to completely opaque. An opaque color covers up the color below and a fully transparent color lets all the color below show through. Images such as KiSS cels or GIF images can specify that one color in their palette is a fully transparent color. This is usually the background color. KiSS palette cels always assume that palette color 0 is transparent. GIF images can use any color from their palette as the transparent color. See Palette and Image Cel.

Truecolor
A truecolor image file contains specific ARGB pixel values for every pixel in the image. Each pixel is encoded as either a 32-bit or 24-bit number. A 32 bit pixel contains 4 8-bit values that represent the alpha transparency, red, green, and blue color components. A 24 bit pixel only contains RGB values. See Pixel.

ZIP
A compressed file format used by the popular PKZIP utility that can be alternately used for packaging and release of KiSS data sets.

Next Document: KiSS/GS Reference