NAME
pic2graph - convert a PIC diagram into a cropped image
SYNOPSIS
pic2graph [ -unsafe ] [
-format fmt ] [ -eqn delim ]
DESCRIPTION
Reads a PIC program as input; produces an image
file (by default in Portable Network Graphics format) suitable for
the Web as output. Also translates eqn(1)
constructs, so it can be used for generating images of mathematical
formulae. PIC is a rather expressive graphics minilanguage suitable
for producing box-and-arrow diagrams of the kind frequently used in
technical papers and textbooks. The language is sufficiently
flexible to be quite useful for state charts, Petri-net diagrams,
flow charts, simple circuit schematics, jumper layouts, and other
kinds of illustration involving repetitive uses of simple geometric
forms and splines. Because PIC descriptions are procedural and
object-based, they are both compact and easy to modify. The PIC
language is fully documented in "Making Pictures With GNU
PIC", a document which is part of the groff(1)
distribution. Your input PIC code should not be wrapped with
the .PS and .PE macros that normally guard it within groff(1)
macros. The output image will be a black-on-white graphic clipped
to the smallest possible bounding box that contains all the black
pixels. By specifying command-line options to be passed to
convert(1)
you can give it a border, set the background transparent, set the
image's pixel density, or perform other useful transformations.
This program uses pic(1),
eqn(1),
groff(1),
gs(1), and the
ImageMagick convert(1)
program. These programs must be installed on your system and
accessible on your $PATH for pic2graph to work.
OPTIONS
- -unsafe
- Run pic(1) and
groff(1) in
the `unsafe' mode enabling the PIC macro sh to execute
arbitrary commands. The default is to forbid this.
- -format fmt
- Specify an output format; the default is PNG (Portable Network
Graphics). Any format that convert(1)
can emit is supported.
- -eqn delim
- Change the fencepost characters that delimit eqn(1)
directives ($ and $, by default). This option
requires an argument, but an empty string is accepted as a
directive to disable eqn(1)
processing.
Command-line switches and arguments not listed above are passed
to convert(1).
FILES
- /usr/share/groff/1.18.1.1/tmac/eqnrc
- The eqn(1)
initialization file.
SEE ALSO
eqn2graph(1),
pic(1),
eqn(1),
groff(1),
gs(1),
convert(1).
AUTHOR
Eric S. Raymond <esr@thyrsus.com>, based on a recipe
by W. Richard Stevens.