TYPE: CHOP
TITLE: File CHOP

This CHOP reads files and converts them to channels. The currently supported
file formats are:

~c(
    .chan                   raw ASCII channel files, a row of numbers frame
    .bchan                  raw PRISMS/Houdini binary channel files
    .clip   and .bclip      Houdini CHOP format
    .chn    and .bchn       Houdini formatted channel segment files
    .aiff   and .aifc       audio files
    .au, .sf, .snd, .wav    audio files
~c)

The same files can be output from the menu on the CHOP tile by selecting "Save
Data Channels".

Users can extend the file formats that are read/written by the File CHOP
through the CHOPio and CLIPio files in $HFS/houdini. Use the clchan and
clchn programs as examples of the input/output needed.

There are no local variables.

Parameters
    Channel File        - The name of the file to load. The
                          button beside the string field brings
                          up a file browser.
    Name Options        - Allows you to change the way the channels
                          are named.
        Use Names In File  - Uses the channel names stored in the 
                             file. If the format does not support
                             names (ie. sound files), then chan0,
                             chan1, chan2, etc. is used.
        Use New Names      - The channel names are manually specified
                             by the name parameter below.
        Use Filename       - The filename, minus the extension and
                             path, is used. If more than 1 channel
                             is in the file, the channels will be 
                             numbered to keep the names unique.
    Name                - The new name(s) of the file's channels.
    Rate Options        - Allows you to change the sample rate
                          of the file.
        No Change - Use the file's sample rate.
        Override  - Change the file's sample rate to a new rate.
        Resample  - Change the file's sample rate to a new rate 
                    and keep the time range constant.

    Sample Rate         - The new sample rate to use if             /rate
                          Override or Resample is selected.
    Extend Left         - The extend condition before the 
                          channel's beginning.
    Extend Right        - The extend condition after the 
                          channel's ending.
    Default Value       - The value of the default value            /defval
                          extend condition.

See also: Audio In(audioin), MIDI In(midiin)
