SiDxf - vector/bitmap convertion utility (v 2002-12-13)

(c) Barkhatov A.E. abarkhatov@yahoo.com

Fast,small program, operated as GUI or console, to convert vector graphic files such as Autocad DXF, Windows Enhanced/Placeable EMF/WMF, Gerber PCB into bitmap formats such as GIF, BMP(uncompressed and RLE), JPEG, TIFF and G3-Fax. Vector-to-vector transformation is provided for DXF and Microsoft VML output. Bitmap-to-bitmap processing can be used for image resizing. A bitmap width and height, compression quality, external color palette are the options.

Input DXF is ASCII mode, 2D standard, an output is v13+ complaint. BMP and GIF are palettized (8 bits/pix) compressed formats, most suitable to a rasterized drawing. Uncompressed TIFF (or BMP) can be used for portable image storing. True color JPEG with hight quality Intel codec and black-white compressed G3-Fax (to send thru modem connection directly on fax or computer) are also useful. Vector HTML (VML) output can makes vector graphics Web aware.

The program proceeding:

• Read command line args
• Parse options:
  • -w -h are pixel dimensions for output bitmap
  • -c color map to be used in place of standard DXF palette file format is 3 x 256 rgb (768 byte all), as in Photoshop ACT
  • -q JPEG output quality (a number from 0 to 100)
  • -r RLE compression for BMP output.
  • Last two arguments are input and output file names. File name extensions are used to determine types desired(An input can be DXF,EMF,WMF,GBR,BMP,GIF,JPG,G3,TIF an output - BMP,GIF,JPG,G3,TIF,DXF,VML,HTM.

• Read input file from current directory. If it is DXF - scale coords from an extent found in DXF header to the dimensions provided or to default values (1728,2287 pixels). If it is WMF check and leave placeable header, and convert it to EMF. If it is EMF, just read it with the Windows help or by hand-made parser, if output is a drawing. If a bitmap is specified for input, it is resized and converted for the output bitmap format.
• Convert (rasterize) input drawing and save it into output bitmap.
• If the program was just hited and no command line args presents, GUI version is launched. Resulting bitmap can be viewed with scrolling/padding options befor saving it or interactively tuning its dimensions.

External products were used to process:

• JPEG - Intel(c) IJL library.
• G3(CCITT-1D) Fax - Ed Casas open source EFAX.
• Gif  - Eddie Kohler Gifsicle.

Registration at ShareIt!: http://shareit1.element5.com/programs.html?productid=133799 . Registered users will be provided with C source code of the program and the binaries without some restrictions for freeware version.

Home page : http://titan.spaceports.com/~spi