.TH AUTOTRACE 1 "10 October 2002"
.SH NAME
autotrace \- converts bitmap image data into vector graphics
.SH SYNOPSIS
.B autotrace
.RB [ \-background-color
.IR " hexvalue" ]
.RB [ \-centerline ]
.RB [ \-color-count
.IR " int" ]
.RB [ \-corner-always-threshold
.IR " angle" ]
.RB [ \-corner-surround
.IR " int" ]
.RB [ \-corner-threshold
.IR " angle" ]
.RB [ \-despeckle-level
.IR " int" ]
.RB [ \-despeckle-tightness
.IR " real" ]
.RB [ \-dpi
.IR " int" ]
.RB [ \-error-threshold
.IR " real" ]
.RB [ \-filter-iterations
.IR " int" ]
.RB [ \-help ]
.RB [ \-input-format
.IR " format" ]
.RB [ \-line-reversion-threshold
.IR " real" ]
.RB [ \-line-threshold
.IR " real" ]
.RB [ \-list-input-formats ]
.RB [ \-list-output-formats ]
.RB [ \-log ]
.RB [ \-output-file
.IR " file" ]
.RB [ \-output-format
.IR " format" ]
.RB [ \-preserve-width ]
.RB [ \-remove-adjacent-corners ]
.RB [ \-report-progress ]
.RB [ \-debug-arch ]
.RB [ \-debug-bitmap ]
.RB [ \-tangent-surround
.IR " int" ]
.RB [ \-version ]
.RB [ \-width-factor
.IR " real" ]
.I inputfile
.SH DESCRIPTION
The
.I autotrace
program accepts bitmap graphics from the file
.I 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
.B \-output-file
option is active.
.SH OPTIONS
Options can begin with either
.B \-\-
or
.BR \- .
Any unambiguous abbreviation can be used for the option name.
Option names and values can be separated with either a space or equal sign (=).
.TP
.BI \-background-color " hexvalue"
Employ the color specified by the hexadecimal code
.I hexcode
as the background that should be ignored, for example FFFFFF
(default: no background color).
.TP
.B \-centerline
Trace an object's centerline
(default: employ its outline).
.TP
.BI \-color-count " int"
Reduce the bitmap to using the number of colors specified by
the unsigned integer
.I int
(range: 1-256).
The default value of 0 indicates that no color reduction is to be done.
Does not work with grayscale images.
.TP
.BI \-corner-always-threshold " angle"
Consider any angle at a pixel which falls below the specified
.I angle
(in degrees) as a corner,
even if it is bordered by other corner pixels (default: 60).
.TP
.BI \-corner-surround " int"
Consider the specified number of pixels on either side of a
point when determining if that point is a corner (default: 4).
.TP
.BI \-corner-threshold " angle"
Consider any pixel which forms an angle with its predecessor(s) and successor(s)
that is smaller than the specified
.I angle 
(in degrees) as a corner (default: 100).
.TP
.BI \-despeckle-level " int"
Employ the specified integer (range: 1-20) as the value for despeckling
(default: no despeckling).
.TP
.BI \-despeckle-tightness " real"
Employ the specified real number (range: 0.0-8.0) as the value for despeckle
tightness (default: 2.0).
.TP
.BI \-dpi " int"
The dots per inch value in the input image, affects scaling
of mif output image.
.TP 
.BI \-error-threshold " real"
Subdivide fitted curves that are offset by a number of pixels exceeding the
specified real number (default: 2.0).
.TP
.BI \-filter-iterations " int"
Smooth the curve the specified number of times prior to fitting (default: 4).
.TP
.B \-help
Print a help message and exit.
.TP
.BI \-input-format " format"
Employ the specified input format,
where
.I format
is one of:
.RS
.TP
.BR BMP " (Windows bitmap format)"
.TP
.BR PBM " (Portable BitMap format)"
.TP
.BR PGM " (Portable Graymap format)"
.TP
.BR PNM " (Portable Anymap format)"
.TP
.BR PPM " (Portable Pixmap format)"
.TP
.BR TGA " (Targa format)"
.RE
.IP
The supported input formats are determined when the application is built
and depend upon the availability of other software (the
.B \-list-input-formats
command can be used to determine which are supported locally).
.TP
.BI \-line-reversion-threshold " real"
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.
.TP
.BI \-line-threshold " real"
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).
.TP
.B \-list-input-formats
Send a list of the supported input formats to stderr.
.TP
.B \-list-output-formats
Send a list of the supported output formats to stderr.
.TP
.B \-log
Send a detailed progress report to the file
.IR inputfile .log.
.TP
.BI \-output-file " file"
Send the output to the specified file.
.TP
.BI \-output-format " format"
Employ the specified output format,
where
.I format
is one of:
.RS
.TP
.BR ai "(Adobe Illustrator)"
.TP
.BR cgm "(Computer Graphics Metafile)"
.TP
.BR dr2d "(IFF DR2D format, used almost exclusively on Amiga platforms)"
.TP
.BR dxf "(AutoCAD Drawing Exchange format)"
.TP
.BR emf "(Windows Enhanced Metafile format)"
.TP
.BR epd "(Encapsulated Vectorial Graphics format)"
.TP
.BR eps "(Encapsulated PostScript)"
.TP
.BR er "(Elastic Reality Shape format)"
.TP
.BR fig "(\fIxfig\fP (1) 3.2)"
.TP
.BR mif "(FrameMaker MIF format)"
.TP
.BR pdf "(Portable Data Format)"
.TP
.BR p2e "(\fIpstoedit\fP (1) frontend)"
.TP
.BR sk "(Sketch)"
.TP
.BR svg "(Scalable Vector Graphics)"
.TP
.BR swf "(Shockwave Flash 3)"
.RE
.IP
The supported output formats are determined when the application is built
and depend upon the availability of other software (the
.B \-list-output-formats
command can be used to determine which are supported locally).
.TP
.B \-preserve-width
Whether to preserve line width prior to thinning.
.TP
.B \-remove-adjacent-corners
Remove adjacent corners.
.TP
.B \-report-progress
Report tracing status in real time.
.TP
.B \-debug-arch
Print the type of cpu.
.TP
.B \-debug-bitmap
Dump loaded bitmap to <input_name>.bitmap.
.TP
.BI \-tangent-surround " int"
Consider the specified number of points to either side of a point 
when computing the tangent at that point (default: 3).
.TP
.B \-version
Print the version number of the program and exit.
.TP
.BI \-width-factor " real"
Weight factor for fitting the linewidth.
.SH FILES
.TP 2.2i
/usr/bin/autotrace
binary
.SH "SEE ALSO"
gimp(1),
ImageMagick(1),
pbm(1),
pgm(1),
pnm(1),
ps2pdf(1),
pstoedit(1),
pstoepd(1),
sketch(1),
xfig(1),
xv(1)
.SH AUTHORS
Martin Weber (martweb@gmx.net)
.LP
Manual page by R. P. C. Rodgers,
Lister Hill National Center for Biomedical Communications,
U.S. National Library of Medicine
(rodgers@nlm.nih.gov).
.\" end of man page