How to use the command ilbmtoppm (with examples)

ILBM files are image files that were commonly used on Commodore Amiga computers. The ilbmtoppm command allows you to convert ILBM files to PPM image format. PPM files are simple image files that can be easily viewed or processed. This command provides various options to customize the conversion process and handle different aspects of the ILBM file.

Use case 1: Convert an ILBM file to a PPM image

Code:

ilbmtoppm path/to/file.ilbm > path/to/file.ppm

Motivation: Converting an ILBM file to a PPM image allows you to work with the image in a more widely supported format. This is useful when you want to view or process the image using applications that do not support ILBM files.

Explanation:

• path/to/file.ilbm: Replace this with the actual path to your ILBM file.
• path/to/file.ppm: Replace this with the desired path for your converted PPM image file.

Example output: The ILBM file at path/to/file.ilbm will be converted to a PPM image file and saved at path/to/file.ppm.

Use case 2: Use specified color for transparency

Code:

ilbmtoppm -transparent color path/to/file.ilbm > path/to/file.ppm

Motivation: Sometimes ILBM files may have transparent areas, and these areas can be filled with a specified color using the -transparent option. This allows you to customize how the transparency is handled.

Explanation:

• -transparent color: Replace color with the RGB color value (in hexadecimal or decimal format) to be used as the background color for transparent areas.
• path/to/file.ilbm: Replace this with the actual path to your ILBM file.
• path/to/file.ppm: Replace this with the desired path for your converted PPM image file.

Example output: The ILBM file at path/to/file.ilbm will be converted to a PPM image file at path/to/file.ppm, with transparent areas filled by the specified color.

Use case 3: Ignore chunk with specified ID

Code:

ilbmtoppm -ignore chunkID path/to/file.ilbm > path/to/file.ppm

Motivation: The ILBM file format may contain different chunks of data, each with a specific purpose. Sometimes, you may want to ignore a particular chunk when converting the file to a PPM image. This can be useful when you want to exclude certain information or avoid processing a specific part of the image.

Explanation:

• -ignore chunkID: Replace chunkID with the ID of the chunk you want to exclude.
• path/to/file.ilbm: Replace this with the actual path to your ILBM file.
• path/to/file.ppm: Replace this with the desired path for your converted PPM image file.

Example output: The ILBM file at path/to/file.ilbm will be converted to a PPM image file at path/to/file.ppm, excluding the chunk with the specified ID.

Use case 4: Store transparency information to a PBM file

Code:

ilbmtoppm -maskfile path/to/maskfile.pbm path/to/file.ilbm > path/to/file.ppm

Motivation: ILBM files can have transparency information, which specifies which parts of the image are transparent. By using the -maskfile option, you can store this transparency information as a PBM file. This can be useful when you want to manipulate or analyze the transparency of the image separately.

Explanation:

• -maskfile path/to/maskfile.pbm: Replace path/to/maskfile.pbm with the desired path for the transparency mask PBM file.
• path/to/file.ilbm: Replace this with the actual path to your ILBM file.
• path/to/file.ppm: Replace this with the desired path for your converted PPM image file.

Example output: The ILBM file at path/to/file.ilbm will be converted to a PPM image file at path/to/file.ppm, and the transparency information will be stored in the PBM file at path/to/maskfile.pbm.