{"id":"image-sgi","mimeType":"image/sgi","name":"Silicon Graphics Image","shortName":"SGI","category":"Legacy \u0026 3D Graphics","extensions":[".sgi",".rgb",".rgba",".bw",".int",".inta"],"description":"The image/sgi MIME type represents the Silicon Graphics Image format, the native raster graphics file format developed by Paul Haeberli for Silicon Graphics (SGI) workstations. Extensively used in 1990s 3D animation, CGI rendering, and high-end visual effects workflows, it supports up to 16-bit color per channel and Run-Length Encoding (RLE).","seo":{"title":"image/sgi MIME Type | Complete Developer Reference \u0026 Magic Bytes","description":"Complete reference for the image/sgi MIME type: magic bytes, software support, HTTP headers, developer snippets, and technical specifications for Silicon Graphics Image files.","faqs":[{"question":"What is an SGI file?","answer":"An SGI file is a raster graphics file originally used on Silicon Graphics (SGI) workstations running the IRIX operating system. It was the standard image format for high-end 3D graphics software like early versions of Alias and Maya."},{"question":"What is the difference between .sgi, .rgb, and .bw files?","answer":"They are technically the exact same file format. The extensions were used historically as hints to the file's color channels: .bw for black and white (1 channel), .rgb for color (3 channels), and .rgba for color with alpha (4 channels)."},{"question":"What is the magic byte for an SGI file?","answer":"All valid SGI image files begin with a 2-byte magic number: 01 DA (in hex)."}]},"index":{"compression":["Uncompressed","Lossless (Run-Length Encoding)"],"browserSupport":{"score":1,"label":"None"},"commonUses":["Legacy 3D Animation \u0026 VFX","Silicon Graphics IRIX Workflows","Historical CGI Archiving"]},"technical":{"magicBytes":{"hex":"01 DA","ascii":"\\x01\\xda"},"container":"SGI Image Format","compressionAlgorithm":["RLE","None"],"colorDepth":["8-bit","16-bit (Per Channel)"],"transparency":true,"animation":false,"metadata":{"exif":false,"xmp":false,"iccProfile":false},"alphaChannel":true,"progressiveLoading":false,"hdrSupport":false},"history":{"developer":"Paul Haeberli (Silicon Graphics)","released":"1990","specification":"SGI Image File Format Specification"},"browserSupport":{"chrome":false,"chromeVersion":"None","firefox":false,"firefoxVersion":"None","safari":false,"safariVersion":"None","edge":false,"edgeVersion":"None","internetExplorer":false},"softwareSupport":[{"name":"ImageMagick","logo":"image-magic.webp"},{"name":"GIMP","logo":"gimp.svg"},{"name":"FFmpeg","logo":""},{"name":"XnView","logo":""}],"conversion":{"convertTo":["png","tiff","tga","jpeg","openexr"],"convertFrom":["png","tiff","tga"]},"developer":{"httpHeaders":[{"header":"Content-Type","value":"image/sgi"}],"htmlAccept":"image/sgi, image/x-sgi, image/rgb, .sgi, .rgb, .rgba","fileDetection":["Check the first two bytes for the SGI magic number: 01 DA (hex)","Read the byte at offset 2 to determine the storage method (0 for uncompressed, 1 for RLE)"]},"prosCons":{"pros":["Pioneered multi-channel and 16-bit per channel imaging capabilities required for high-end 1990s visual effects","Extremely robust and simple header structure","Reliable Run-Length Encoding provided solid lossless compression for flat-shaded 3D renders"],"cons":["Completely obsolete for modern web and application development","Zero native web browser compatibility","Largely replaced by TIFF and OpenEXR in modern professional VFX and 3D pipelines"]},"specifications":{"url":"https://paulbourke.net/dataformats/sgirgb/","rfc":"","mimeAliases":["image/x-sgi","image/rgb","image/x-rgb"]},"developerSnippets":{"python":"import magic\nprint(magic.from_file('render.sgi', mime=True)) # May output 'image/x-sgi'","nodejs":"const FileType = require('file-type');\nconst type = await FileType.fromFile('render.sgi');\nconsole.log(type?.mime); // Modern parsers may lack support for SGI and return undefined","go":"import \"net/http\"\n// Custom detection required: bytes.HasPrefix(buf, []byte{0x01, 0xDA})","php":"$mime = mime_content_type('render.sgi');\necho $mime; // Standard setups will often output 'application/octet-stream'"},"relatedFormats":["tga","tiff","png"]}