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Gimp||Image Magic||Electric Eye||GQview||XPaint
XMorph||Xfig||XLoadImage||zgv
giftrans||cjpeg||djpeg||jpegtran||wrjpgcom||rdjpgcom||Miscellaneous
Gimp
Gimp. The word itself brings about a reverence to guys who developed it. This is the ultimate graphic package in Linux. It has all the features of a high-end program. You can start Gimp by:
#gimp
Some features are listed below:
- supports various graphic formats
- edit multiple files
- magic wand selection tool
- numerous filters
- supports layers
- supports layer masks
- multiple undo levels
- in-built scripting language - Script-fu
The menu of the program can be accessed by right clicking on the image. You can install GUM or Gimp User Manual to learn some tips & tricks. This is available at Gimp.org.
Tips:
- The native format of Gimp uses the extension XCF. Save your pictures in this format if you want to keep the layer information, transparency etc. intact.
- Double click on any tool in the tool bar to access its advanced options.
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ImageMagick
ImageMagick is a graphic suite consisting of the following apps:
Each program has its own exhaustive man page. Further documentation can be found under:
usr/doc/ImageMagic-4.2.9
You can also access the ImageMagick man pages thus:
#man ImageMagick
Eg.
#animate *.jpg
Display all the jpg's in the directory one by one as a movie. You can use this program to view Xmorph's output.
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Combine images to produce another image.
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Eg.
#convert *.tga s.jpg
Convert all tga files in the directory to jpeg files. The output will be saved as s.jpg.1, s.jpg.2 & so on.
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Type the following in the terminal:
#display
Click on the interface to invoke the menu. You can also use the wildcard function '*' to load multiple images:
#display *.jpg
Another interesting feature of this program is the concept of 'visual directory'. Start the visual directory thus:
#display 'vid:*.jpg'
You can quit this program quickly by pressing Ctrl+q.
View the power of display...
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Eg.
If you want to capture a window:
#import window.jpg
The cursor becomes a 'cross'. Next click on the window you want to capture. Your file -window.jpg- is created!
Tip:<--Screen Capture Large Windows-->Most window managers support virtual desktops. For eg. in Gnome (the default window manager in RedHat Linux 6.1) you can jump between virtual desktops using the following key combinations: Alt+F1, Alt+F2, Alt+F3 & Alt+F4. In the AfterStep window manager just dragging your mouse to the edge of the desktop takes you to the next virtual desktop. We will make use of this virtualism here! Launch the window you may want to capture. Move to a corresponding virtual desktop. Give the import command. Come back to the first desktop. Click on the window. Job is done!
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Use this program to transform (read it as overwrite!) an image or sequence of images. This program is useful in video-editing, where you may have to apply some filter to a sequence of images. It's usage is as follows:
mogrify [options] file [[options]file]
Some of the options are:
- -blur
- -charcoal
- -colors
- -comment
- -contrast
- -flop
- -format
Eg. To convert TARGA files to JPEG format:
#mogrify -format jpg *.tga
- -geometry
- -implode
- -gravity
- -negate
- -shade
- -solarize
- -spread
- -swirl
- -transparency
Example.
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Eg.
#montage *.jpg s.jpg
Create BIG jpg file(s) featuring thumbnails of all the jpg's in the directory.
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Using this command you can get the following information about a graphic file:
- format of the image
- whether damaged
- number of colors in the image
- whether color mapped or not
- width & height of the image
- number of bytes in the image
This app can to be used only through the command-line:
#identify <file-name>
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This is similar to a ftp program. You can retrive, print, list files from a remote network.
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You can use this program to view graphic files. Right click on the interface to bring the menu. Click File>Open. Go to the directory where you keep your graphic files. Select a file. Check the option 'Load all files in the directory'. Press space-bar to view the next file in the directory & backspace to view the previous one. Press 'q' to quit. You can start Electric Eye with the command:
#ee
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This is another good program for viewing & managing your massive picture collection. You can start this by:
#gqview
I personally use this program to manage my huge JPEG collection. It's thumbnail view makes the job of managing pictures easier. You can quit this program immediately by pressing Ctrl+q. Press Ctrl+f to view pictures in full screen mode. While in this mode, press 'q' to quit. Press spacebar to view next & backspace to view the previous file. Press '=' to zoom in the graphic or '-' to zoom out(this is only for viewing, such zoomed graphic will not be overwritten on to the original). Press 'z' to view in original size while 'x' to view in best-fit mode.
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XPaint
XPaint is a simple paint program. But beware: If your display setting is at 256 colors, your picture will be saved in this resolution only. This program is dependent on your display setting. Don't under-estimate this program for being labled 'simple', it is far superior when compared with its Windows counterpart, MSPaint. Especially its feature of applying filter only to the selection makes it score over many of the shareware paint programs found for windows. You can start this program by:
#xpaint
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XMorph
This is a morphing software. Currently it supports *.tga files only. Input two files of same size & then morph! You should note that as output you don't get any video in any popular format. Instead you have a series of *.tga files. I don't know any tool under Linux which could join these pictures together. But under Windows you have many shareware & freeware tools to combine these pictures to make a *.mov or *.avi movie. You can start this program by:
#xmorph
You can convert popular graphic formats to *.tga format using the Image Magick software convert.
Tip:I had some problem opening the TGAs produced by XMorph using the tools available under Linux. Even the veritable Gimp failed in this respect! If you have similar problem, use the convert app bundled with the ImageMagick suite to convert the TGAs to some other popular format like JPEG.
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Xfig
This is a vector drawing tool for Linux. You can view the whole Xfig window only if you have set your display to 1024 by 786 pixels. Xfig also supports various raster image formats which include BMP, JPEG, PNG & GIF among others. This app is particularly useful for Engineers. Launch this app by:
#xfig
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This is another picture viewer for Linux. It is command line driven. Launch this:
#xloadimage <image-name>
You can use the wildcard function '*' to load multiple images. If you have loaded multiple images, press spacebar to view the next image. Press 'q' to quit. Another varient of this program can be launched thus:
#xview <image-name>
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This app is useful when you are not running X. Launch this app by:
#zgv
Press 'u' to view your directory in thumbnail-mode. Beware: this app crashed many a time when I tried to open some PCX files in it.
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Gif89a format supports transparency. Transparency of one color. Using giftrans you can specify which color you want to be transperant in your gif file. The usage is as follows:
#giftrans [options] [-o filename] filename
The '-t' option is used to specify the transperant color. Eg.:
#giftrans -t #ffffff file.gif > transparentfile.gif
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Use this software to compress JPEG files. The usage is as follows:
#cjpeg [options] [filename]
This supports the following graphic formats as input - ppm, pgm, bmp & tga. Some of the options are:
| -quality N | Specify the quality. N can be between '0'(worst) to '100'(best). The default value for N is 75. |
| -optimize | Make jpeg file a little smaller without affecting quality of it. |
| -progressive | Create progressively encoded jpeg file. |
| -grayscale | Convert to grayscale. |
Eg.
#cjpeg -optimize -progressive WARP0000.tga > 2_1.jpg
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Using this app you can decompress a jpeg file to an image file. The following formats are supported - pgm, ppm, bmp, tga & gif. Its usage is as follows:
#djpeg [options] [filename]
Access the man-page of this app to learn more about it. An example is:
#djpeg -colors 256 -targa 2_1.jpg > 2_1.tga
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For creating lossless transormation on jpeg files, use this app. The usage:
#jpegtran [options] infile > outfile
Some of the interesting options are given below:
- -flip horizontal
- -flip vertical
- -rotate 90
- -rotate 180
- -rotate 270
- -transpose
- -transverse
- -trim
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This means 'Write JPEG Comment'. Use this app to comment your jpeg files. Use it thus:
#wrjpgcom [-replace] [-comment TEXT] [comment-file-name] [filename]
Eg.:
- Add a comment to in.jpg producing out.jpg:
#wrjpegcom -c "I Love Lisa!" in.jpg > out.jpg
- Add a comment stored in 'comment.txt':
#wrjpgcom in.jpg < comment.txt > out.jpg
or
#wrjpgcom -cfile comment.txt < in.jpg > out.jpg
Tip:Always use the '-replace' option to overwrite a comment. Otherwise your comment will be appended to the previous one.
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'Read JPEG Comments'. Use the '-verbose' option to display image dimensions. The usage:
#rdjpgcom -verbose <filename.jpg>
'verbose' is optional.
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Linux comes with a bevy of conversion apps. I usually use the convert app bundled with ImageMagick suite. If you find this inadequate(you must be a pro to feel this!) choose from the following:
| App Name | Convert From | Convert To |
| pbmto10x | *.pbm | *.10x |
| ppm3d | *.ppm | *.3d |
| pbmtoascii | *.pbm | *.asc |
| atktopbm | *.atk | *.pbm |
| pbmtoatk | *.pbm | *.atk |
| pbmtobg | *.pbm | *.bg |
| bmptoppm | *.bmp | *.ppm |
| ppmtobmp | *.ppm | *.bmp |
| brushtopbm | *.brush | *.pbm |
| cmuwmtopbm | *.cmu | *.pbm |
| pbmtocmuwm | *.pbm | *.cmu |
| pnmtoddif | *.pnm | *.ddif |
| ppmtoacad | *.ppm | *.dxb |
| sldtoppm | *.dxb | *.ppm |
| dvips | *.dvi | *.ps |
| dvilj4 | *.dvi | *.lj4 |
| dvilj41 | *.dvi | *.lj41 |
| dvilj2p | *.dvi | *.lj2p |
| dvilj | *.dvi | *.lj |
| pbmtoepsi | *.pbm | *.epsi |
| pbmtoepson | *.pbm | *.epson |
| fitstopnm | *.fits | *.pnm |
| pnmtofits | *.pnm | *.fits |
| g3topbm | *.g3 | *.pbm |
| pbmtog3 | *.pbm | *.g3 |
| giftopnm | *.gif | *.pnm |
| gif2tiff | *.gif | *.tiff |
| ppmtogif | *.ppm | *.gif |
| pbmtogo | *.pbm | *.go |
| gouldtoppm | *.gould | *.ppm |
| icontopbm | *.icn | *.pbm |
| pbmtoicon | *.pbm | *.icn |
| ilbmtoppm | *.ilbm | *.ppm |
| ppmtoilbm | *.ppm | *.ilbm |
| gemtopbm | *.img | *.pbm |
| pbmtogem | *.pbm | *.img |
| imgtoppm | *.img | *.ppm |
| ppmtoicr | *.ppm | *.icr |
| pbmtolj | *.pbm | *.lj |
| pbmtoln03 | *.pbm | *.in03 |
| mgrtopbm | *.mgr | *.pbm |
| pbmtomgr | *.pbm | *.mgr |
| ppmtomitsu | *.ppm | *.mitsu |
| mtvtoppm | *.mtv | *.ppm |
| ppmtopjxl | *.ppm | *.pcl |
| pcxtoppm | *.pcx | *.ppm |
| ppmtopcx | *.ppm | *.pcx |
| pbmtopgm | *.pbm | *.pgm |
| pgmtoppm | *.pgm | *.ppm |
| ppmtopgm | *.ppm | *.pgm |
| piltoppm | *.pil | *.ppm |
| ppmtopil | *.ppm | *.pil |
| pbmtopi3 | *.pbm | *.pi3 |
| pi3topbm | *.pi3 | *.pbm |
| picttoppm | *.pict | *.ppm |
| ppmtopict | *.ppm | *.pict |
| pjtoppm | *.pj | *.ppm |
| ppmtopj | *.ppm | *.pj |
| pbmtopk | *.pbm | *.pk |
| pktopbm | *.pk | *.pbm |
| pbmtoplot | *.pbm | *.plot |
| pngtopnm | *.png | *.pnm |
| pnmtopng | *.pnm | *.png |
| macptopbm | *.pnt | *.pbm |
| pbmtomacp | *.pbm | *.pnt |
| pbmtolps | *.pbm | *.ps |
| pnmtops | *.pnm | *.ps |
| pbmtoptx | *.pbm | *.ptx |
| qrttoppm | *.qrt | *.ppm |
| pnmtorast | *.pnm | *.ras |
| rasttopnm | *.ras | *.pnm |
| pnmtosgi | *.pnm | *.sgi |
| sgitopnm | *.sgi | *.pnm |
| pnmtosir | *.pnm | *.sir |
| sirtopnm | *.sir | *.pnm |
| ppmtosixel | *.ppm | *.sixel |
| spctoppm | *.spc | *.ppm |
| sputoppm | *.spu | *.ppm |
| ppmtotga | *.ppm | *.tga |
| tgatoppm | *.tga | *.ppm |
| pnmtotiff | *.pnm | *.tiff |
| tifftopnm | *.tiff | *.pnm |
| ppmtotiff | *.ppm | *.tiff |
| tiff2ps | *.tiff | *.ps |
| pbmtext | *.pbm | *.txt |
| ppmtouil | *.ppm | *.uil |
| pbmupc | *.pbm | *.upc |
| pbmtox10bm | *.pbm | *.x10bm |
| pbmtoxbm | *.pbm | *.xbm |
| xbmtopbm | *.xbm | *.pbm |
| ximtoppm | *.xim | *.ppm |
| ppmtoxpm | *.ppm | *.xpm |
| xpmtoppm | *.xpm | *.ppm |
| xvminitoppm | *.xv | *.ppm |
| xvpictoppm | *.xvpic | *.ppm |
| pnmtoxwd | *.pnm | *.xwd |
| xwdtopnm | *.xwd | *.pnm |
| pbmtoybm | *.pbm | *.ybm |
| ybmtopbm | *.ybm | *.pbm |
| ppmtoyuv | *.ppm | *.yuv |
| yuvtoppm | *.yuv | *.ppm |
| zeisstoppm | *.zeiss | *.ppm |
| pbmtozinc | *.pbm | *.zinc |
Whew! This infact is HUGE. Never did I find so many great graphic programs under Windows!
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