Challange: FLC file to BufferedImage

I want to read a FLC file from the disk and decode it into a BufferedImage.
The FLC is explained here:
The FLIC file format
Before I start:
How hard is this task in a scale from one to ten(where 10=hardest)?
Do I need to know assembly programming or anything that isn't Java? I know some basic C++ stuff. Example structs can be replaced with a static class. Unsigned ints can be replaced with long, right? Or I could just use ints for all types.
What about bit manipulation? Do I need to master that?
Where do I even start?

I can't answer most of those questions and indeed the first one is unanswerable: difficlty levels are relative to interests, skill and experience and are not absolute. But as for this:

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Pojahn_M

Where do I even start?

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I would look at creating a concrete subclass of ImageReader along with a matching ImageReaderSpi. But before going ahead with that approach, I would take a look at JAI, which I've never used, to see whether it might have some class or classes that may be more easily customized.

db

Would ImageReader be necessary? I have seen classes that read animated gifs, pcx, psd etc, they dont use IR class.