Band Interleaved .BIL, .BIP, .BSQ File Description

Surfer can import and export lattice data as .BIL, .BIP, and .BSQ raster data sets.

Band Interleaved by line .BIL format is a common format for distributing satellite image data and organizing image data for multiband images. Band Interleaved by Pixel .BIP, and Band Sequential .BSQ. The .BIL, .BIP, and .BSQ are formats produced by remote-sensing systems. The primary difference among them is the technique used to store brightness values captured simultaneously in each of several colors or spectral bands. The data values are stored in a simple binary raster.

The .BIL, .BIP, and .BSQ files are binary files, and they must have an associated ASCII header .HDR file. This header file must have the same file name as the .BIL, .BIP or .BSQ, and only its file extension differs. This header file contains data about the image such as the number of rows and columns in the image and latitude and longitude.

There are no header or trailer bytes imbedded in the image. The data are stored in row major (all the data for row 1, followed by all the data for row 2, etc.). A header file is an ASCII text file containing the size and coordinate information for the raster data.

The .BIL, .BIP, and .BSQ files are not in themselves image formats but are schemes for storing the actual pixel values of an image in a file. These files support the display of single and multiband images and handle black-and-white, grayscale, pseudo color, true color, and multispectral image data.

Import Options Dialog

No import options dialog is displayed.

Import Automation Options

No import options are available.

Export Options Dialog

See Spatial References

See Also

File Format Chart