ppmtouil

View documentation for the current command

$ tldr pamtouil

ppmtouil [-options] [ppmfile]

-bitplaneorder {lsb|msb}
    Specifies the order of bitplanes in the output image. lsb stands for Least Significant Bit first (default), and msb for Most Significant Bit first.

-transparentcolor #RRGGBB
    Defines a specific RGB color (e.g., #FF00FF for magenta) in the input PPM to be treated as transparent in the output MicroUI image.

-nontransparentcolor #RRGGBB
    Defines a specific RGB color to be rendered as opaque. This option is typically used in conjunction with -transparentcolor for specific transparency modes or 1-bit images.

ppmfile
    The path to the input PPM image file. If omitted, ppmtouil reads the PPM data from standard input.

ppmtouil is a utility from the Netpbm project designed to convert Portable Pixmap (PPM) image files into the MicroUI image format. The MicroUI format is a proprietary image standard used by Microchip Technology's Graphics Library, primarily for embedded systems applications involving their PIC microcontrollers and associated LCD displays.

This command is crucial for developers working with Microchip's graphics solutions who need to display custom images on their embedded devices. It takes a PPM image as input, which can be generated from various other image formats using Netpbm's extensive suite of tools, and outputs a binary file in the MicroUI format ready for use in firmware. The tool handles aspects like color depth conversion and data arrangement specific to the MicroUI requirements, making it an essential bridge between standard image formats and specialized embedded display needs.

The output format is proprietary to Microchip's Graphics Library, limiting its direct usability outside this ecosystem.
Color depth and palette limitations of the target MicroUI format may lead to image degradation or loss of detail during conversion from a higher fidelity PPM image.

Users typically convert their source images (e.g., JPG, PNG, GIF) to PPM format using other Netpbm utilities (like jpegtopnm, pngtopnm, or giftoppm) before piping the standard output to ppmtouil to generate the final MicroUI binary.

Example: pngtopnm image.png | ppmtouil > image.ui

Part of the venerable Netpbm project, which originated from Pbmplus in the late 1980s. ppmtouil was developed to bridge the gap between standard image formats (PPM) and the specialized MicroUI image format required by Microchip Technology's Graphics Library for embedded systems, reflecting Netpbm's adaptability for niche hardware interfaces.

ppm(5), netpbm(1), anytopnm(1), pngtopnm(1), jpegtopnm(1)