pbmtoatk

Convert a PBM image to an Andrew Toolkit raster object

$ pbmtoatk [path/to/image.pbm] > [path/to/output.atk]

pbmtoatk [pbmfile]

pbmfile
    The path to the Portable BitMap (PBM) file to be converted. If this argument is omitted, pbmtoatk will read the PBM image data from standard input instead.

The pbmtoatk command is a utility from the Netpbm image processing toolkit. It is designed to convert a Portable BitMap (PBM) image into an Andrew Toolkit (ATK) raster object. A PBM image is a simple bitmap format, while an ATK raster object is a text-based representation of a bitmap used within the Andrew Toolkit environment. This command reads the PBM image either from a specified file or from standard input, and then writes the converted ATK-formatted data to standard output. Its primary use case involves preparing PBM images for display or manipulation within systems that rely on the Andrew Toolkit.

pbmtoatk operates as a stream filter; it reads from standard input if no file is provided and always writes its output to standard output.
The Andrew Toolkit format is highly specialized and is primarily relevant within environments that actively use the Andrew Toolkit, limiting its general applicability.

pbmtoatk is designed for flexible data handling. If the pbmfile argument is omitted, the command will automatically read the Portable BitMap image data from standard input (stdin). The resulting Andrew Toolkit raster object is always written to standard output (stdout). This stream-oriented design allows for efficient piping of data between commands, such as `some_command | pbmtoatk > output.atk` or `pbmtoatk input.pbm | another_command`.

The Andrew Toolkit (ATK) raster object produced by pbmtoatk is a text-based representation of the bitmap. This means that the output file can be easily viewed and potentially edited using a standard text editor, offering transparency into the data structure.

pbmtoatk is a component of the comprehensive Netpbm image processing toolkit. The Netpbm project was initiated by Jef Poskanzer in the late 1980s, evolving from his Portable Pixmap (PPM) format and associated tools. Netpbm provides a vast collection of command-line utilities for converting and manipulating various image formats, all centered around the simple, text-based Portable Anymap formats (PBM for bitmaps, PGM for greymaps, and PPM for pixmaps). pbmtoatk specifically served the need to integrate bitmap images into the Andrew Toolkit environment, embodying Netpbm's design philosophy of modular, interoperable tools.

pbm(5), atktoppm(1), netpbm(1), anytopnm(1)