5 Developer Notes
5.1 mtPixyUtils
mtPixyUtils is a collection of command line programs to manipulate image files. Here is a list of the programs provided:
| Program | Description |
| pixycmp | Compare two images. |
| pixydelta | Get pixel delta's between two images. |
| pixyfade | Create a fade between two images. |
| pixyls | List image file information. |
| pixynew | Create a new image. |
| pixypica | Analyse an indexed palette image. |
| pixyresize | Resize an image. |
| pixyriba | Analyse an RGB image. |
| pixyrida | Analyse an RGB image. |
| pixyrisa | Analyse an RGB image. |
| pixyscale | Scale an image. |
| pixytwit | Prepare an image for Twitter. |
| pixyutils | Main program which can be run directly or by using a symlink. |
For more detailed information use:
man pixyutils
5.2 mtPixyCLI
mtPixyCLI is a program that provides image editing functionality via a Command Line Interface (CLI). It offers exactly the same functions as the GUI based mtPixy, but instead uses text commands.
Both GUI's and CLI's have value, and allow particular jobs to be done more efficiently. For example I use mtPixyCLI as part of the testing phase before I release the whole mtCellEdit suite. I have created a number of tests in the form of scripts which test each part of the core libraries. This exposes any problems that may have crept into the code, and is a good form of regression testing.
5.2.1 Commands
mtPixyCLI reads instructions from the user via GNU Readline. This offers useful interactive facilities like using the up and down arrows to access previous commands.
It is also possible to run a script from the command line like these examples:
cat script.txt | mtpixycli mtpixycli < script.txt mtpixycli < script.txt > log.txt 2>&1
Here is the complete list of commands that mtPixyCLI accepts:
| Command | Arguments | Notes |
| canvas flip_h | Flip canvas horizontally | |
| canvas flip_v | Flip canvas vertically | |
| canvas indexed | <DITHER none | basic | floyd> | Convert canvas from RGB to Indexed |
| canvas rgb | Convert canvas from Indexed to RGB | |
| canvas rotate_a | Rotate canvas anticlockwise | |
| canvas rotate_c | Rotate canvas clockwise | |
| clip flip_h | Flip clipboard horizontally | |
| clip flip_v | Flip clipboard vertically | |
| clip load | <1..12> | Load clipboard from disk |
| clip rotate_a | Rotate clipboard anticlockwise | |
| clip rotate_c | Rotate clipboard clockwise | |
| clip save | <1..12> | Save clipboard to disk |
| copy | Copy the selection to the clipboard | |
| crop | Crop the image canvas to the selection | |
| cut | Cut the selection to the clipboard | |
| delete alpha | Remove the alpha channel | |
| effect bacteria | <STRENGTH 1..100> | Indexed canvas only |
| effect edge_detect | RGB canvas only | |
| effect emboss | RGB canvas only | |
| effect invert | ||
| effect sharpen | <STRENGTH 1..100> | RGB canvas only |
| effect soften | <STRENGTH 1..100> | RGB canvas only |
| effect trans_color | <GAMMA -100..100> <BRIGHTNESS -100..100> <CONTRAST -100..100> <SATURATION -100..100> <HUE -1529..1529> <POSTERIZE 1..8> | Transform the canvas colour |
| fill | Fill the current selection | |
| floodfill | <X 0..> <Y 0..> | |
| help | [ARG]... | Get help on these commands |
| info | Print information about this image | |
| lasso | Lasso the current selection | |
| load | <OS FILENAME> | Load a file from disk |
| new | <WIDTH 1..32767> <HEIGHT 1..32767> <rgb | indexed> | Create a new image |
| outline | Draw an outline around the current selection | |
| paint | < <X 0..> <Y 0..> >... | Paint a straight line between these points |
| palette color | <INDEX 0..255> <RED 0..255> <GREEN 0..255> <BLUE 0..255> | Set a palette colour |
| palette del_unused | Remove unused palette items. Indexed canvas only. | |
| palette from_canvas | Create palette from the colours on the canvas. RGB canvas which has up to 256 colours only. | |
| palette gradient | Create a palette gradient from colour A to B | |
| palette load | <OS FILENAME> | Load a palette from a GPL file |
| palette mask all | Mask all palette items | |
| palette mask index | <0..255> | Mask this palette item |
| palette merge_dups | Merge duplicate palette items. Indexed canvas only. | |
| palette move | <FROM INDEX 0..255> <TO INDEX 0..255> | Move a palette item |
| palette quantize | Quantize the image to the palette. RGB canvas only. | |
| palette save | <OS FILENAME> | Save palette to a GPL file |
| palette set | <uniform | balanced> <2..6> | Create a new palette |
| palette size | <2..255> | Set the palette size |
| palette sort | <START 0..255> <FINISH 0..255> <hue | saturation | value | min | brightness | red | green | blue | frequency > [reverse] | Sort the palette as per the criteria given |
| palette unmask all | Unmask all palette items | |
| palette unmask index | <0..255> | Unmask this palette item |
| paste | <X -32766..> <Y -32766..> | Paste the clipboard here on the canvas |
| q | Quit the program | |
| quit | Quit the program | |
| redo | ||
| resize | <X -32766..32767> <Y -32766..32767> <WIDTH 1..32767> <HEIGHT 1..32767> | Resize the canvas |
| save | Save the file | |
| save as | <OS FILENAME> [ <FILE TYPE bmp | png | jpeg | gif> [ COMPRESSION 0..9 | 0..100 ] ] | Save the file as per the criteria |
| save undo | <OS FILENAME> | Save undo images |
| scale | <WIDTH 1..32767> <HEIGHT 1..32767> [smooth] | Scale the canvas |
| select all | Select the whole canvas | |
| select polygon | < <X 0..> <Y 0..> >... | Select a polygon on the canvas |
| select rectangle | <X 0..> <Y 0..> <WIDTH 1..> <HEIGHT 1..> | Select a rectangle on the canvas |
| set brush flow | <1..1000> | |
| set brush pattern | <0..> | |
| set brush shape | <0..> | |
| set brush spacing | <0..100> | |
| set color a | <0..255> | Set colour A from the palette index |
| set color b | <0..255> | Set colour B from the palette index |
| set color swap | Swap colour A and B | |
| set file | <0..4> | Set the current file in memory |
| text | <STRING> <FONT NAME> <FONT SIZE 1..100> [bold] [italic] [underline] [strikethrough] | Put this text into the clipboard |
| undo |