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What is pics?

corkami/pics — explained in plain English

Analysis updated 2026-06-24

★ 11,452AssemblyAudience · developerComplexity · 1/5Setup · easy

In one sentence

A collection of illustrated diagrams and posters showing how common file formats and computer protocols work internally, created as a visual reference for developers and security researchers curious about binary structures.

Mindmap

mindmap
  root((corkami pics))
    Content Types
      Binary format posters
      Vulnerability posters
      Tracings
      Hardware outlines
    File Formats Covered
      MP4 and JPEG
      PDF documents
      WAD game files
    Topics
      File format internals
      Retro hardware
      Network protocols
    Audience
      Security researchers
      Curious developers
Click or tap to explore — scroll the page freely

Code map

Detail Auto

An interactive map of this repo's files and how they connect — its source is parsed live in your browser. Click Visualize to build it.

filefunction / class

What do people build with it?

USE CASE 1

Use the file format posters as a visual reference when parsing or reverse-engineering binary formats like MP4, JPEG, or PDF.

USE CASE 2

Share the diagrams in educational settings to help beginners understand how data is structured at the byte level.

USE CASE 3

Reference the network protocol and hardware tracings when studying how classic systems and protocols are designed.

How does it compare?

corkami/picsleachim6/hello-worldkanaka/mal
Stars11,45211,80610,631
LanguageAssemblyAssemblyAssembly
Setup difficultyeasyeasymoderate
Complexity1/51/53/5
Audiencedeveloperdeveloperdeveloper

Figures from each repo's GitHub metadata at analysis time.

How do you get it running?

Difficulty · easy Time to first run · 5min

So what is it?

This repository is a collection of visual artwork that breaks down how computers store and interpret data. The creator, known as corkami, produces hand-drawn or digitally illustrated diagrams that show the internal structure of common file formats and technical standards in a way that is visually engaging rather than purely textual. The content falls into four categories. Binary posters show the internal layout of file formats like MP4 video, JPEG images, PDF documents, and WAD game files, mapping out what bytes mean what. A set of 25 posters covers topics ranging from old software vulnerabilities to hardware like the NeoGeo game console. Tracings are detailed illustrations of technical documents or retro computer materials, with 59 pieces covering subjects like network protocol diagrams and classic game graphics. Outlines are a smaller set of 9 pieces depicting hardware shapes and similar subjects. The README is very short and primarily displays thumbnail images linking to subdirectories with more content. There is no code to run, the repository is a visual reference and educational art project for people interested in how file formats and computer systems work at a low level.

Copy-paste prompts

Prompt 1
I'm learning how PDF files are structured internally. Walk me through what the corkami PDF poster shows about the cross-reference table, object streams, and file header.
Prompt 2
I want to understand how JPEG images store data at the byte level. Explain what the corkami JPEG diagram shows about the file header, Huffman tables, and image data chunks.
Prompt 3
I'm reverse-engineering a WAD game file format. Show me how to use corkami's WAD format poster as a reference to understand the directory structure and lump data layout.

Frequently asked questions

What is pics?

A collection of illustrated diagrams and posters showing how common file formats and computer protocols work internally, created as a visual reference for developers and security researchers curious about binary structures.

What language is pics written in?

Mainly Assembly.

How hard is pics to set up?

Setup difficulty is rated easy, with roughly 5min to a first successful run.

Who is pics for?

Mainly developer.

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