Configuration mechanism
Bmeps has too many settings to type them as command line options
each time bmeps is started.
On the command line you have to use the ``-l'' option to specify the name
of one configuration
(a collection of configuration entries). Some configurations
are built-in, you can define additional configurations in a configuration
file.
A command line option ``-o'' is available to overwrite a configuration
entry on the command line.
If no configuration name is specified bmeps searches for a default
configuration name previously configured and inspects the
EPSOUTPUT environment variable. The EPSOUTPUT environment variable has
higher priority than the default configuration name.
Configuration file location and structure
The configuration file is named ${sysconfdir}/bmeps/bmeps.conf on
Linux and UNIX systems, ${sysconfdir} is the directory for system
configuration data (i.e. /etc or /usr/local/etc). On Windows systems
the configuration file is %WINDIR%\bmeps\bmeps.conf.
The file consists of a list of configuration sections,
each section describes one configuration.
Each section is started by the configuration name in square brackets.
The remainder of the section is a list of key/value pairs one per line.
To create a configuration for a grayscaled PS2-printer we could
write the section as follows:
[myprinter:ps2]
color = no
Abbreviations can be used for the configuration entry names. I recommend
to write the full names in configuration files for readability.
The abbrevitations should be used only when typing commands.
Configuration entries
In this list both the full name and the abbreviation is shown for each
command.
- output type = string
o.t
defines the output type, either ``ps'', ``pdf'' or ``bb'' (for
LaTeX bounding boxes).
- level = string
l
the output level, either ``1'', ``2'' or ``3'' for PS or
``1.2'', ``1.3'' or ``1.4'' for PDF output.
- color = boolean
c
flag, whether to create colored or grayscaled output.
Note: PS level 1 only allows grayscaled output.
- dsc comments = boolean
dsc.c
flag, whether or not to write DSC comments to PS/EPS output.
- encoding = string
e
the list of allowed encoding, the encodings are separated by colon.
Abbrevations can be used, i.e. ``a:r:d''
instead of ``ascii85:run-length:dct''.
The following encodings can be used:
- ascii85
a
ASCII85 encoding. If ASCII85 is not allowed, bmeps uses ASCII-Hex encoding.
- run-length
r
run-length encoding.
- flate
f
flate compression.
- dct
d
DCT compression. Bmeps does not DCT-encode data, but it can use
DCT-encoded data from JPEG files.
- multiple data sources = boolean
m.d.s
flag, causes separated data in PS/EPS output. This allows to
run-length compress areas and horizontal lines in the same color.
Note: The compression/encoding mechnisms available depend on the
output type and output level. Not all combinations are possible.
- mix = boolean
m
flag, activates mixing. If an input image contains an alpha channel,
opacity can be used to mix against a background color. If the image
contains a background color chunk bmeps uses the background
color from the file. Otherwise the default background color is used.
- background = RGB-triple
b
the default background, specified as RGB-triple.
The RGB-triple consists for real numbers in the range [0;1], i.e.
``1.0:1.0:0.5'' for magenta.
- always use default background = boolean
a.u.d.b
a flag, telling to skip the background color chunk from the input file.
If this flag is set, the default background is always used.
- create image mask = boolean
c.i.m
a flag to specify whether or not to create an image mask. In addition
to mixing against a background color the alpha channel data can also
be used to create an image mask.
- image mask trigger level = real
i.m.t.l
the trigger level to create an image mask, specified in the range
[0;1]. All pixels having opacity>=level are drawn,
all other pixels are masked.
- transfer alpha channel = boolean
t.a.c
flag, passes alpha channel data from input through to ouput.
This is only possible when creating PDF-1.4 output.
Transferring the alpha channel automatically deactivates mixing and
image mask creation.
- interpolate = boolean
i
flag, whether or not to enable image interpolation in the output file.
- jpeg interpolate = boolean
j.i
flag, whether or not to enable image interpolation for DCT-encoded
images too.
- use resolution chunk = boolean
u.r.c
flag, indictates whether or not to use image resolution data from input
file to scale output.
- media size = string
m.s
paper size to fit. The paper size can be specified:
- by paper format name: ``A3'', ``A4'', ``A5'', ``B4'', ``B5'', ``Letter'',
``Legal'', ``Tabloid'', ``Ledger'', ``Statement'', ``Executive'',
``Folio'', ``Quarto'' or ``10x14''.
- using 4 values: x0, y0, x1, and y1 (the lower left and upper right
point).
- using 8 values: bbx0, bby0, bbx1, bby1, ix0, iy0, ix1, iy1.
The bb...-values specify the bounding box, the i...-values the area
used for the image. The i...-rectangle must reside inside the
bb...-rectangle.
- pdf fit = string
p.f.
zoom factor when opening the PDF output image, either ``width'', ``height'' or
``page''.
- draft = boolean
d
flag, activates/deactivates draft mode. In draft mode bmeps only read
the input image dimensions and write a placeholder rectangle to the output.
- showpage = boolean
sh
flag, controls the use of the showpage operator in PS output.
PS/EPS images for standalone viewing and printing should have a
showpage operator.
Images for inclusion in LaTeX or other DCT applications...
should not contain a showpage operator.
- operator dictionary = boolean
o.d
flag, controls whether or not to use the dictionary-argument version
of the PS image/colorimage operator.
- separated dictionary = boolean
s.d.
flag, controls the use of a separated dictionary in output.
This prevents the output image from overwriting entries in the PS
dictionary of the including document, so it is recommended when creating
output images for inclusion in documents.
- vmreclaim = boolean
v
flag, controls the use of ``1 vmreclaim'' at the end of PS output.
This requires the separated dictionary.
- jfif sof set = string
j.s.s
the list of allowed SOF markers in DCT encoded output.
Entries are separeted by colon.
Example configuration entry
An example configuration entry might look like this:
[copy_of_ps2]
output type = ps
level = 2
interpolate = yes
color = yes
multiple data sources = yes
dsc comments = yes
encoding = ascii85:run-length:dct
mix = yes
background = 1.0:1.0:1.0
always use default background = yes
create image mask = no
image mask trigger level = 0.000001
transfer alpha channel = no
showpage = no
operator dictionary = yes
separated dictionary = yes
vmreclaim = no
draft = no
jfif sof set = 0:1
jpeg interpolate = no
use resolution chunk = no
# No media size specified -> 1 pixel = 1 PS point
# media size
# No PDF zoom factor, we create PS output
# pdf fit
Command line syntax
The following commands can be used to run bmeps:
- bmeps [<options>] [<inputfile> [<outputfile>]]
processes the input file and write the output file.
If no output file is specified bmeps writes to standard output. If no
input file is specified bmeps reads input from standard input, the
``-t'' option must be used to choose a file type.
- bmeps [<options>] [<directory>]
runs bmeps on a directory. Bmeps searches for the directory for files it
can handle and processes these files.
- bmeps -h
shows a help text.
- bmeps -v
shows version number and license conditions.
- bmeps -c -l...
save the configuration (argument to the ``-l'' option) as default.
- bmeps -C
shows the current configuration.
- bmeps -u
removes the default configuration.
The following command line options can occure:
