Converting Images

You can choose from the standalones that let you convert image file formats:

Convert image files to other formats including the format for creating memory-map textures with the imf_copy standalone.
Convert files between a variety of image file formats with the imgconv standalone.

Converting Image Files to Memory–Mapped Textures

The imf_copy standalone is used to convert image files to other formats including the format required to memory-map texture images into Softimage and the mental ray command line renderer.

For more information on memory mapping, see Using Memory-Mapped Textures [Texturing].

Usage

imf_copy [-v] [-p] inimage outimage [outformat [outtype]]

imf_copy supports the following file formats:

File format	Symbol	Supported data types
Wavefront image	rla	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha)
SOFTIMAGE picture image (compressed)	pic	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha)
Alias Research image	alias	rgb (8-bit RGB color)
SGI color (compressed)	rgb	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha)
JFIF image	jpg	rgb (8-bit RGB color)
Portable pixmap	ppm	rgb (8-bit RGB color)
Targa image	targa	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha)
MS Windows bitmap	bmp	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha)
mi color texture	ct	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha), rgba_16 (16-bit RGBA color and alpha), rgba_fp (floating-point RGBA color and alpha)
mi scalar texture	st	s, s_16 (16 bit mi scalar texture)
mi vector texture (from alpha)	vta	vta
mi vector texture (from intensity)	vts	vts
mi z channel (from intersect depth)	zt	z (depth information)
mi normal vectors	nt	n
mi tag channel (from material tags)	tt	tag
mi bit mask	bit	bit
4-component TIFF (compressed)	tif	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha), rgba_16 (16-bit RGBA color and alpha), rgb (8-bit RGB color), rgb_16 (16-bit RGB color)
uncompressed TIFF image	tifu	rgba (8-bit RGBA color and alpha), rgba_16 (16-bit RGBA color and alpha), rgb (8-bit RGB color), rgb_16 (16-bit RGB color)
Dassault Systemes Catia format	picture	rgb (8-bit RGB color)
memory mapped raw texture file	map	any
Quantel/Abekas YUV image, 576x720	qntpal	rgb (8-bit RGB color)
Quantel/Abekas YUV image, 486x720	qntntsc	rgb (8-bit RGB color)

Options

-v	Activates verbose output.
-p	Creates a memory-mappable, filtered image pyramid.

Converting between Many File Formats

The imgconv standalone converts files between a wide variety of image file formats. It also provides a set of image processing tools such as blur, contrast, and zoom.

imgconv automatically detects supported image file formats, so input files do not require an extension (such as .pic) to identify their format. To specify the format of the output file, you can use either an extension (such as .tif) or the -format option.

The imgconv standalone can convert to any file format for which there is a dynamic link library (DLL on Windows systems). The setup program installs these DLLs to <install directory>/Application/bin/sil. When you type imgconv, the usage message lists the supported file formats.

To run imgconv, you must set the environment variable SI_IMAGE_PATH to point to the <install directory>/Application/bin/sil directory.

If SI_IMAGE_PATH is not set or empty, imgconv checks the environment variable SI_HOME.
If it is set, imgconv looks in SI_HOME/Application/bin/sil.

Usage

imgconv <input file> <output file> [-height <height>]
[-width <width>][-reduction <colormap size>]
[-format <name>][-compression <none|rle|lzw|packbits>]
[-description <string>]
[-processor <name> ["<arguments>"]][-verbose]

<input file> is the name of the file you want to convert or process.

Use a dash (-) to read from the standard input. imgconv automatically detects supported image file formats, so input files do not require an extension (such as .pic) to identify their format.

<output file> is the name of the output file.

Use a dash (-) to write to the standard output. To specify the format of the output file, you can either use an extension (such as .tif) or the -format option.

Options

-width	Specifies the width in pixels of output images. Used only for raw image formats with no image header.
-height	Specifies the height in pixels of output images. Used only for raw image formats with no image header.
-reduction	Specifies that output images must be color-reduced using the given color map size.
-format	Specifies the format to use for output images or for input images having no signature. The usage message for imgconv lists the supported formats.
-compression	Specifies the compression technique used for output images.
-description	Specifies the description string to use for output images.
-processor	Specifies a processor name to apply to output images. Processor arguments must be enclosed in quotes. The usage message for imgconv lists the supported processors.
-verbose	Activates verbose output.

NoteThere is no -script option available for imgconv despite what the usage message lists.