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AUTOTRACE(1) General Commands Manual AUTOTRACE(1)

NAME

autotrace - converts bitmap image data into vector graphics

SYNOPSIS

autotrace [-background-color hexvalue] [-centerline] [-color-count int] [-corner-always-threshold angle] [-corner-surround int] [-corner-threshold angle] [-despeckle-level int] [-despeckle-tightness real] [-dpi int] [-error-threshold real] [-filter-iterations int] [-help] [-input-format format] [-line-reversion-threshold real] [-line-threshold real] [-list-input-formats] [-list-output-formats] [-log] [-output-file file] [-output-format format] [-preserve-width] [-remove-adjacent-corners] [-report-progress] [-debug-arch] [-debug-bitmap] [-tangent-surround int] [-version] [-width-factor real] inputfile

DESCRIPTION

The autotrace program accepts bitmap graphics from the file inputfile specified on the command line, and as output produces a collection of splines approximating the original image, the converting the image from bitmap to vector format. It behaves in a manner similar to the commercial software known as *tream*ine or *orel*race. The result is sent to standard output unless the -output-file option is active.

OPTIONS

Options can begin with either -- or -. Any unambiguous abbreviation can be used for the option name. Option names and values can be separated with either a space or equal sign (=).

Employ the color specified by the hexadecimal code hexcode as the background that should be ignored, for example FFFFFF (default: no background color).
Trace an object's centerline (default: employ its outline).
Reduce the bitmap to using the number of colors specified by the unsigned integer int (range: 1-256). The default value of 0 indicates that no color reduction is to be done. Does not work with grayscale images.
Consider any angle at a pixel which falls below the specified angle (in degrees) as a corner, even if it is bordered by other corner pixels (default: 60).
Consider the specified number of pixels on either side of a point when determining if that point is a corner (default: 4).
Consider any pixel which forms an angle with its predecessor(s) and successor(s) that is smaller than the specified angle (in degrees) as a corner (default: 100).
Employ the specified integer (range: 1-20) as the value for despeckling (default: no despeckling).
Employ the specified real number (range: 0.0-8.0) as the value for despeckle tightness (default: 2.0).
The dots per inch value in the input image, affects scaling of mif output image.
Subdivide fitted curves that are offset by a number of pixels exceeding the specified real number (default: 2.0).
Smooth the curve the specified number of times prior to fitting (default: 4).
Print a help message and exit.
Employ the specified input format, where format is one of:
The supported input formats are determined when the application is built and depend upon the availability of other software (the -list-input-formats command can be used to determine which are supported locally).
When a spline is closer to a straight line than the specified real number weighted by the square of the curve length (default: .01), maintain it as a straight line, even if it is a list with curves.
If a spline does not deviate from the straight line defined by its endpoints by more than the specified number of pixels, then treat it as a straight line (default: 1).
Send a list of the supported input formats to stderr.
Send a list of the supported output formats to stderr.
Send a detailed progress report to the file inputfile.log.
Send the output to the specified file.
Employ the specified output format, where format is one of:
The supported output formats are determined when the application is built and depend upon the availability of other software (the -list-output-formats command can be used to determine which are supported locally).
Whether to preserve line width prior to thinning.
Remove adjacent corners.
Report tracing status in real time.
Print the type of cpu.
Dump loaded bitmap to <input_name>.bitmap.
Consider the specified number of points to either side of a point when computing the tangent at that point (default: 3).
Print the version number of the program and exit.
Weight factor for fitting the linewidth.

FILES

/depot/bin/autotrace
binary

SEE ALSO

gimp(1), ImageMagick(1), pbm(1), pgm(1), pnm(1), ps2pdf(1), pstoedit(1), pstoepd(1), sketch(1), xfig(1), xv(1)

AUTHORS

Martin Weber (martweb@gmx.net)

Manual page by R. P. C. Rodgers, Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications, U.S. National Library of Medicine (rodgers@nlm.nih.gov).

10 October 2002