How to use the command pnmtofiasco (with examples)

PNMTOFIASCO is a command-line tool that allows users to convert a Portable Anymap (PNM) image to a compressed FIASCO file format. It provides various options to customize the conversion process, including specifying input files through a pattern, setting compression quality, and loading options from a configuration file.

Use case 1: Convert a PNM image to a compressed FIASCO file

Code:

pnmtofiasco path/to/file.pnm > path/to/file.fiasco

Motivation:

This use case demonstrates how to convert a single PNM image file to a compressed FIASCO file. This can be useful when dealing with images in the PNM format that need to be stored or transmitted more efficiently using the FIASCO compression algorithm.

Explanation:

• pnmtofiasco: This is the command to invoke the pnmtofiasco tool.
• path/to/file.pnm: This argument specifies the path to the input PNM image file that will be converted.
• >: This redirects the output of the command to a file instead of printing it to the console.
• path/to/file.fiasco: This argument specifies the path where the resulting compressed FIASCO file will be saved.

Example output: The PNM image located at path/to/file.pnm will be converted to the FIASCO file format and saved at path/to/file.fiasco.

Use case 2: Specify the input files through a pattern

Code:

pnmtofiasco --image-name "img[01-09+1].pnm" > path/to/file.fiasco

Motivation:

In cases where there are multiple input PNM image files with a sequential naming pattern, this use case allows for easy batch conversion to the FIASCO file format without specifying each file individually.

Explanation:

• --image-name "img[01-09+1].pnm": This option allows you to specify a pattern for the input file names using a numerical range. In this example, it will match files with names like “img01.pnm” to “img09.pnm” with a step of 1.
• >: This redirects the output of the command to a file instead of printing it to the console.
• path/to/file.fiasco: This argument specifies the path where the resulting compressed FIASCO file will be saved.

Example output: All PNM image files matching the pattern “img[01-09+1].pnm” will be converted to the FIASCO file format and saved at path/to/file.fiasco.

Use case 3: Specify the compression quality

Code:

pnmtofiasco --quality quality_level path/to/file.pnm > path/to/file.fiasco

Motivation:

The compression quality option allows you to control the tradeoff between file size and image quality. By specifying the desired quality level, you can adjust the compression algorithm to achieve the desired balance.

Explanation:

• --quality quality_level: This option specifies the compression quality level, where quality_level can be a value between 0 and 100. Higher values indicate better image quality but larger file sizes.
• path/to/file.pnm: This argument specifies the path to the input PNM image file that will be converted.
• >: This redirects the output of the command to a file instead of printing it to the console.
• path/to/file.fiasco: This argument specifies the path where the resulting compressed FIASCO file will be saved.

Example output: The PNM image located at path/to/file.pnm will be converted to the FIASCO file format with the specified quality_level, and the resulting file will be saved at path/to/file.fiasco.

Use case 4: Load options from a configuration file

Code:

pnmtofiasco --config path/to/fiascorc path/to/file.pnm > path/to/file.fiasco

Motivation:

When there is a common set of options that needs to be applied to multiple conversions, loading the options from a configuration file can save time and effort.

Explanation:

• --config path/to/fiascorc: This option specifies the path to the configuration file (fiascorc) containing the desired options for the conversion.
• path/to/file.pnm: This argument specifies the path to the input PNM image file that will be converted.
• >: This redirects the output of the command to a file instead of printing it to the console.
• path/to/file.fiasco: This argument specifies the path where the resulting compressed FIASCO file will be saved.

Example output: The PNM image located at path/to/file.pnm will be converted to the FIASCO file format using the options loaded from the fiascorc configuration file, and the resulting file will be saved at path/to/file.fiasco.

Conclusion:

The pnmtofiasco command is a versatile tool for converting PNM images to the compressed FIASCO file format. By using options such as specifying input files through a pattern, setting compression quality, or loading options from a configuration file, users have flexibility in customizing the conversion process to their specific needs.