1ICTRANS(1NCARG) NCAR GRAPHICS ICTRANS(1NCARG)
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6 ictrans - interactive NCAR CGM translator ctrans
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9 ictrans [ -d device ] [ -font font ] [ -e script ]* [ -soft ] [ -bell ]
10 [ -lmin min ] [ -lmax max ] [ -lscale scale ] [ -pal pal_fname ] [
11 -Version ] [ -wid window_id ] [ device-specific options ] metafile...
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14 ictrans is the user interface to the Computer Graphics Metafile (CGM)
15 translator ctrans. ictrans will enter command interpreter mode upon
16 invocation and await instructions from the user. When waiting for com‐
17 mands from the user, ictrans displays the prompt `ictrans>'.
18 Upon invocation ictrans performs a configuration of its spooled device
20 table. The table is configured by processing several sources. ictrans
21 first searches for the file ncarv_spool in the $NCARG_ROOT/lib/ncarg
22 directory. If the file exists ictrans will load it into the spooled
23 device table. Next, ictrans searches for the file .ncarv_spool in the
24 user's home directory. If found, its contents are merged into the
25 spooler table. Finally, the NCARV_SPOOL environment variable may con‐
26 tain the definition for a single spooler. If this variable is set, its
27 contents also are merged into the table. Each entry in the above set of
28 sources is identified by a name. If a conflict in names exists then the
29 last entry encountered takes precedence. i.e. the previous entry of the
30 same name is overridden.
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33 -bell Ring the bell at the end of each frame. The default is to run in
34 silent mode. This option is not supported by all devices.
35 -d device
37 Device name. ictrans will use the Graphcap (if it exists) or
38 the appropriate graphics library indicated by device;
39 If device is preceded by a UNIX directory path then ictrans will
41 look in that directory for the specified graphcap. Otherwise
42 ictrans searches the directory $NCARG_ROOT/lib/ncarg/graphcaps
43 for the graphcap.
44 For all device specifications except X11 output is directed to
46 standard out. In the case of X11 translation results in appro‐
47 priate calls to the X11 libraries. See graphcap(5NCARG) for a
48 description of supported devices. See gcaps(1NCARG) for a list
49 of devices supported by your particular configuration of ctrans.
50 This option overrides the GRAPHCAP environment variable.
52 -e script
54 script is a single ictrans command. The valid ictrans commands
55 are discussed in the COMMANDS section below. Multiple -e
56 options may appear on a single command line. Be careful to use
57 quotes if your command contains spaces or metacharacters that
58 might be interpreted by the shell. When this option is used
59 ictrans does not enter interactive mode. It simply performs the
60 given commands and then exits.
61 -font fontcap
63 Fontcap file to be used for stroking text. When interpreting
64 CGM TEXT command elements use fontcap as the default font for
65 textual translation. Note: CGMs may contain textual descriptions
66 which are not embedded in CGM TEXT elements. Hence they are not
67 influenced by fontcap specifications. Note also that a CGM may
68 explicitly specify a named font which may override a font pro‐
69 vided on the command line. The environment variable FONTCAP may
70 also be used to specify a default fontcap.
71 If fontcap is preceded by a UNIX directory path then ictrans
73 will look in that directory for the specified fontcap. Otherwise
74 ictrans searches the directory $NCARG_ROOT/lib/ncarg/fontcaps
75 for the fontcap.
76 See fontcap(5NCARG) for a description of the available fontcaps.
78 See fcap(1NCARG) for a list of the fontcaps installed on your
79 system.
80 This option overrides the FONTCAP environment variable.
82 -lmin min
84 On devices which support line width scaling all lines are guar‐
85 anteed to be scaled at least min times the default line width
86 for that device. This option effectively insures that the mini‐
87 mum value for the CGM element "LINE WIDTH" is min.
88 -lmax max
90 On devices which support line width scaling all lines are guar‐
91 anteed to be scaled at most max times the default line width for
92 that device. This option effectively insures that the maximum
93 value for the CGM element "LINE WIDTH" is max. The results of
94 setting max less then min are undefined.
95 -lscale scale
97 On devices which support line width scaling all line width spec‐
98 ifications within the metafile will be scaled by scale. will be
99 scaled scale This option is subject to modification by the -lmin
100 and -lmax options.
101 -pal pal_fname
103 Use the color palette defined in the file pal_fname for subse‐
104 quent translation of the metafile. This palette will override
105 any color map defined by the CGM being translated. For a
106 description of the format of pal_fname see ras_palette(5NCARG).
107 -soft Unconditionally perform software filling of all filled polygons.
109 This option may be useful for devices which have limits on the
110 number of vertices describing a polygon. On some devices this
111 number is known and software filling is performed, as appropri‐
112 ate, without user specification.
113 -Version
115 Print the version number and then exit.
116
118 ictrans accepts an identical set of device-specific options to that of
119 ctrans. For a description of the device-specific options see
120 ctrans(1NCARG).
121
123 Command Structure
124 ictrans commands have a simple and regular structure. Commands which
125 operate directly on the metafile being processed may be preceded by a
126 frame_list which designate the frames to which the command applies.
127 Some commands accept arguments. Anything following a command name is
128 regarded as an argument:
129 ( frame [ ,frame ])* command ( argument )*
131 A comma-separated pair of frames implies the inclusive list of frames.
133 If a frame list is omitted and a command requires a frame then the cur‐
134 rent frame is used as the default. If no argument list is specified and
135 one is required then a default argument is used whenever possible.
136 For example, the command 1,5 8 save /tmp/foo would write the first
138 through fifth and the eighth frame of the metafile to the file
139 /tmp/foo.
140 Commands will ignore any unexpected arguments. Command names may be
142 abbreviated up to the point that they are unique.
143 Frame Lists
145 Frames can be addressed in several ways:
146 nnn By frame number. Frames are assigned a relative number from
148 first to last in the metafile. The first frame is numbered 1.
149 $ The last frame in the file.
151 . The current frame. ictrans keeps track of the last frame upon
153 which an operation was performed. This frame is called the "cur‐
154 rent frame".
155 frame+-n
157 A frame number followed by a plus sign (+) or a minus sign (-),
158 followed by a decimal number, specifies the frame plus or minus
159 the indicated number of frames. frame may be omitted in which
160 case the current frame is assumed. For example, `10+2' addresses
161 frame 12 in the metafile.
162 Commands
164 ! command
165 Run command as a shell command on the local machine.
166 alias [ name [ def ] ]
168 Assign def to the alias name. If def is omitted, the alias name
169 is displayed along with its current definition. If both name
170 and def are omitted, all aliases are displayed. def is of the
171 form:
172 : [ ctrans_args ] : [ filter_chain ]
174 where ctrans_args is list of command line arguments for the
176 metafile translator ctrans and filter_chain is a set of simple
177 commands separated by |. filter_chain may be terminated by > or
178 >> filename. For example:
179 ictrans> alias name1 : -d xwd : | cat > outfile
181 or
183 ictrans> alias name2 : -d ps.mono : | filter1 | lpr
185 dup [number]
188 This command is used to set the number of times each frame is
189 displayed during subsequent plotting. The default is one. If dup
190 is invoked without any arguments the current value of dup is
191 returned.
192 count
194 Reports number of frames contained in the file.
195 current
197 Reports the current frame.
198 file [ metafile ]
200 The file metafile will be used for subsequent translation.
201 ictrans uses the shell defined by the environment variable SHELL
202 (/bin/sh by default) to perform filename substitution on
203 metafile. The rules governing filename substitution are as
204 defined by the working shell. If no argument is given the cur‐
205 rent metafile name is reported.
206 font [ font ]
208 Set the fontcap to font for future translation. This function is
209 identical to that of the -font option. If font is omitted the
210 current fontcap name is reported.
211 help [ command ]
213 Print a usage statement for command. If command is omitted a
214 brief description of all commands is given.
215 [ frames ] list
217 Provide brief information about each metafile frame in frames.
218 If frames is omitted then the current frame is used. If frames
219 is omitted and the current frame is not the last frame then the
220 current frame is incremented to the next frame in the metafile.
221 < frame1 > < frame2 > merge
223 Plot frame number frame1 and then plot frame number frame2 over
224 the first frame without clearing the device. The result is a
225 "merge" of the two plots. The current frame is not changed.
226 There are no defaults for frame1 or frame2. The resulting plot
227 might not be what was expected. Attributes from the first frame,
228 such as color, may override attributes in the second frame.
229 loop
231 Toggle loop mode on or off. When loop mode is on subsequent plot
232 commands will cause the requested frames to be plotted and then
233 ictrans will proceed to either the first frame in the defined
234 segment or the last and repeatedly display the first through
235 last (last through first) frames. Looping continues until an
236 interrupt signal is received. The determination of which order
237 to loop, forwards or backwards, is made as follows: If the last
238 group of frames plotted was in ascending order loop forward. If
239 the last group of frames plotted was in descending order loop
240 backwards. If the order cannot be determined don't loop. For
241 example; if loop mode is set "1 3,4 plot" will result in forward
242 looping, "1 4,3 plot" will result in backward looping, and "3,4
243 1 plot" will result in no looping because the last group of
244 frames plotted, "1", is a single frame.
245 movie [ time ]
247 Display each frame for time seconds before proceding to the next
248 frame during subsequent plots. If time is omitted then movie
249 mode is toggled off or on. In the case the movie mode is toggled
250 on the default time is zero seconds. If movie mode is toggled to
251 off a newline must be received before advancing to the next
252 frame during plotting.
253 next
255 Multiple files may be specified on the ictrans command line. To
256 edit the next file in the argument list use the next command.
257 [ frames ] plot
259 Plot the addressed frames. If frames is omitted then the current
260 frame is plotted and if possible, the current frame number is
261 incremented. If "movie" mode is set ictrans will wait time sec‐
262 onds after displaying each plot before continuing. time is set
263 with the movie command. If "movie" mode is not set ictrans will
264 wait for a newline character before advancing to the next frame.
265 plot will report the number of frames and the last frame in
266 frames. Plotting will be terminated and ictrans will reenter
267 command mode after the last frame is plotted or upon receiving a
268 interrupt signal, SIGINT.
269 [ frames ] Print
271 The addressed frames are translated and sent to the current
272 spooling device. Translation is performed by a spawned transla‐
273 tor. The spooler command may be used to select a spooling
274 device. See ncarv_spool(5NCARG).
275 quit
277 Terminate the session.
278 [ frames ] save [ metafile ]
280 Save the addressed frames to metafile. If metafile does not
281 exist then it is created. Filename substitution is performed on
282 metafile. If metafile is omitted than the last file saved to is
283 used. If frames is omitted than the current frame is used.
284 [ frames ] Save [ metafile ]
286 Same as the save command except Save does not confirm its
287 actions with the user in the case that the file exists. If the
288 file exists but is not a valid NCGM it is overwritten. If the
289 file exists and is a valid NCGM it is appended to.
290 skip [ number ]
292 Set number of frames to skip over during subsequent plotting.
293 For example, if "skip" is set to 1 and a request is made to plot
294 frames 1 through 10 frames 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9 will be displayed.
295 With no arguments skip reports its current value. The default is
296 zero.
297 spooler [ spooler_alias ]
299 With no arguments the current spooler alias name is reported. If
300 spooler_alias is a valid alias either defined by the alias com‐
301 mand, or in a ncarv_spool configuration file, or by the
302 NCARV_SPOOL environment variable, then spooler alias becomes the
303 current spooler. Subsequent Print commands will use the spooler
304 definition defined by the current spooler. See
305 ncarv_spool(5NCARG).
306 [ start frame ] start
308 This command defines the first frame in a segment of frames.
309 start, together with the stop command, define the boundaries of
310 a segment of metafile frames. When ictrans is in loop mode the
311 contents of this segment are repeatedly displayed. The default
312 start frame is the first frame in the metafile, 1. If no argu‐
313 ments are given start reports the first frame in the current
314 segment.
315 [ stop frame ] stop
317 This command defines the last frame in a segment of frames. The
318 default stop frame is the last frame in the metafile, $. If no
319 arguments are given stop reports the last frame in the current
320 segment.
321 zoom [ llx [ lly [ urx [ ury ]]]]
323 The zoom command allows for specification of a workstation win‐
324 dow (in the GKS sense). Four coordinates are specified which
325 define a rectangular window which is a subset of the normalized
326 VDC rectangle with corner points (0.0, 0.0) and (1.0, 1,0). The
327 specified window is then mapped onto the entire viewport. For
328 example
329 ictrans> zoom 0.0 0.0 0.5 0.5
331 would result in the lower left quarter of subsequent plots being
333 blown up to fill the entire display. Specification of such a
334 window may be used for zooming and panning.
335 The range with which one may zoom in on a plot may be limited by
337 the integer addressing precision of the device.
338
340 The following example shows how ictrans might be used in a batch mode
341 to translate a metafile called gmeta and send the translated results of
342 the entire file to a spooled device called "imagen" which might be
343 defined in the system ncarv_spool file:
344 % ictrans -e 'spooler imagen' -e '1,$Print' gmeta
347
350 FONTCAP
351 Default fontcap specifier.
352 GRAPHCAP
354 Default output device specifier.
355 NCARG_ROOT
357 Path to root of NCAR Graphics installation.
358 NCARG_LIB
360 If set this variable contains the path to the installed NCAR
361 Graphics libraries. NCARG_LIB overrides NCARG_ROOT.
362 NCARG_TMP
364 If set, this environment variable contains a directory path to
365 be used for temporary files. On most systems the default is
366 /tmp. On some systems the default is /usr/tmp.
367 TMPDIR If NCARG_TMP is not set this environment variable specifies the
369 directory path for scratch disk space. If neither NCARG_TMP
370 TMPDIR is set a site-dependent, hard-coded default is used.
371
373 $NCARG_ROOT/lib/ncarg/ncarv_spool
374 local ictrans spooler config file
375 ~/.ncarv_spool user's ictrans spooler config file
376
378 ctrans(1NCARG), fcaps(1NCARG), gcaps(1NCARG), idt(1NCARG), med(1NCARG),
379 ncarv_spool(5NCARG)
380 Hardcopy: NCAR Graphics Fundamentals, UNIX Version
382
384 Metafile frames written to an existing file via the save command will
385 be subject to the effects of any global "attribute elements" contained
386 within the file.
387
389 Copyright (C) 1987-2009
390 University Corporation for Atmospheric Research
391 The use of this Software is governed by a License Agreement.
393NCARG January 1993 ICTRANS(1NCARG)