postmd(1)
postmd --
matrix display program for PostScript printers
Synopsis
/usr/lib/lp/postscript/postmd [options] [files]
Description
The postmd filter
reads a series of floating point numbers from
files,
translates them into a PostScript gray scale image,
and writes the results on the standard output.
In a typical application the numbers might be
the elements of a large matrix,
written in row major order,
while the printed image could help locate
patterns in the matrix.
If no
files
are specified, or if ``-'' is one of the input
files,
the standard input is read.
The following
options
are understood:
-b num-
Pack the bitmap in the output file using
num
byte patterns.
A value of 0 turns off all packing of the output file.
By default,
num
is 6.
-c num-
Print
num
copies of each page.
By default, only one copy is printed.
-d dimen-
Sets the default matrix dimensions for all input
files
to
dimen.
The
dimen
string can be given as rows or rowsxcolumns.
If columns is omitted it will be set to rows.
By default, postmd
assumes each matrix is square and sets the number of rows
and columns to the square root of the number of elements in
each input file.
-g list-
List
is a comma or space separated string of integers, each lying between
0 and 255 inclusive,
that assigns PostScript gray scales to the regions of the real line
selected by the -i option.
255 corresponds to white, and 0, to black.
The postmd filter
assigns a default gray scale that omits white (that is, 255)
and gets darker as the regions move
from left to right along the real line.
-i list-
List
is a comma, space or slash(/) separated string of
N floating point numbers that
partition the real line into 2N+1 regions.
The
list
must be given in increasing numerical order.
The partitions are used
to map floating point numbers read from the input
files
into gray scale integers that are either assigned automatically by
postmd
or arbitrarily selected using the
-g option.
The default interval
list
is -1,0,1, which partions the real line into seven regions.
-m num-
Magnify each logical page by the factor
num.
Pages are scaled uniformly about the origin
which, by default, is located at the center of
each page.
The default magnification is 1.0.
-n num-
Print
num
logical pages on each piece of paper,
where
num
can be any positive integer.
By default,
num
is set to 1.
-o list-
Print pages whose numbers are given in the comma separated
list.
The list contains single numbers
N
and ranges
N1 - N2.
A missing
N1
means the lowest numbered page, a missing
N2
means the highest.
-p mode-
Print
files
in either portrait or landscape
mode.
Only the first character of
mode
is significant.
The default
mode
is portrait.
-w window-
Window
is a comma or space separated list of four positive integers that
select the upper left and lower right corners of a submatrix from
each of the input
files.
Row and column indices start at 1 in the upper left corner and the
numbers in the input
files
are assumed to be written in row major order.
By default, the entire matrix is displayed.
-x num-
Translate the origin
num
inches along the positive x axis.
The default
coordinate system has the origin fixed at the
center of the page, with positive
x to the right and positive y up the page.
Positive
num
moves everything right.
The default offset is 0 inches.
-y num-
Translate the origin
num
inches along the positive y axis.
Positive
num
moves everything up the page.
The default offset is 0.
Only one matrix is displayed on each logical page,
and each of the input
files
must contain complete descriptions of exactly one matrix.
Matrix elements are floating point numbers
arranged in row major order in each input file.
White space, including newlines,
is not used to determine matrix dimensions.
By default, postmd
assumes each matrix is square and sets the number of rows and columns
to the square root of the number of elements in the input file.
Supplying default dimensions on the command line
with the -d option
overrides this default behavior,
and in that case the dimensions apply to all input
files.
An optional header can be supplied with each input file and is used
to set the matrix dimensions,
the partition of the real line,
the gray scale map, and a window into the matrix.
The header consists of keyword/value pairs, each on a separate line.
It begins on the first line of each input file and ends with the
first unrecognized string, which should be the first matrix element.
Values set in the header take precedence,
but apply only to the current input file.
Recognized header keywords are dimension, interval,
grayscale, and window.
The syntax of the value string that follows each keyword
parallels what's accepted by
the -d, -i, -g, and -w options.
Files
/usr/lib/lp/postscript/postmd.ps-
/usr/lib/lp/postscript/forms.ps-
/usr/lib/lp/postscript/ps.requests-
Diagnostics
An exit status of 0 is returned if
files
were successfully processed.
References
dpost(1),
postdaisy(1),
postdmd(1),
postio(1),
postprint(1),
postreverse(1),
posttek(1)
Notices
The largest matrix that can be adequately displayed is a function
of the interval and gray scale lists, the printer resolution,
and the paper size.
A 600x600 matrix is an optimistic upper bound for a two element interval
list
(that is, five regions) using 8.5x11 inch paper on a 300 dpi printer.
Using white (that is, 255) in a gray scale list
is not recommended and won't show up in
the legend and bar graph that postmd displays below each image.
Examples
For example, suppose file initially contains the 1000 numbers
in a 20x50 matrix.
Then you can produce exactly the same output
by completing three steps.
First, issue the following command line:
postmd -d20x50 -i"-100 100" -g0,128,254,128,0 file
Second, prepend the following header to file:
dimension 20x50
interval -100.0 .100e+3
grayscale 0 128 254 128 0
Third, issue the following command line:
postmd file
The interval list partitions the real line into five regions and
the gray scale list maps numbers less than -100 or greater than 100
into 0 (that is, black),
numbers equal to -100 or 100 into 128 (that is, 50 percent black),
and numbers between -100 and 100 into 254 (that is, almost white).
© 2004 The SCO Group, Inc. All rights reserved.
UnixWare 7 Release 7.1.4 - 25 April 2004