PIC2GRAPH
Section: User Commands (1)
Updated: 17 July 2002
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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/1.18.1.4/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.