Convert PCX to PHM

The PCX file extension, standing for PiCture eXchange, is a raster image format developed by ZSoft Corporation in 1985 for its PC Paintbrush software. It became one of the first widely accepted DOS imaging standards, supporting palette-indexed images from 2 to 256 colors and later true-color (24-bit) images. PCX files use RLE (Run-Length Encoding) compression, making them smaller in size. Although largely replaced by formats like BMP, JPEG, and PNG, PCX was pivotal in early computer graphics and is still supported by various image processing software.

The PHM file extension stands for Portable Float-map Image (16-bit half), a format used for storing High Dynamic Range (HDR) images with 16-bit half-precision floating-point values. This format is particularly useful in applications requiring precise color representation and extensive dynamic range, such as computer graphics, image processing, and scientific visualization. Originating from the Portable FloatMap (PFM) format, PHM was developed to provide a more efficient storage solution by utilizing half-precision floats, thereby reducing file size while maintaining significant detail and accuracy.