IMPORT(1) IMPORT(1)
NAME
import - capture some or all of an X server screen and
save to file in the MIFF image format.
SYNOPSIS
import [ options ... ] file
DESCRIPTION
Import reads an image from any visible window on an X
server and outputs it as an image file. You can capture a
single window, the entire screen, or any rectangular por-
tion of the screen. You can use display (see display(1))
utility for redisplay, printing, editing, formatting,
archiving, image processing, etc. of the captured image.
The target window can be specified by id, name, or may be
selected by clicking the mouse in the desired window. If
you press a button and then drag, a rectangle will form
which expands and contracts as the mouse moves. To save
the portion of the screen defined by the rectangle, just
release the button. The keyboard bell is rung once at the
beginning of the screen capture and twice when it com-
pletes.
EXAMPLES
To select an X window with the mouse and save it in the
MIFF image format to a file on disk titled window.miff,
use:
import window.miff
To select an X window and save it in the Encapsulated
Postscript format to include in another document, use:
import figure.eps
To capture the entire X server screen in the JPEG image
format in a file on disk titled root.jpeg, use:
import -window root root.jpeg
OPTIONS
Import options can appear on the command line or in your X
resources file (see X(1)). Options on the command line
supersede values specified in your X resources file.
-border
include image borders in the output image.
-compress type
the type of image compression: QEncoded or Runlength-
Encoded. See MIFF(5) for details.
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Specify +compress to store the binary image in an
uncompressed format. The default is the compression
type of the specified image file.
-delay seconds
pause before selecting target window.
This option is useful when you need time to ready the
target window before it is captured to a file.
-density <width>x<height>
vertical and horizonal density of the image.
This option specifies an image density whose inter-
pretation changes with the type of image. The
default is 72 dots per inch in the horizonal and ver-
tical direction for Postscript. Text files default
to 80 characters in width and 60 lines in height.
Use this option to alter the default density.
-descend
obtain image by descending window hierarchy.
Normally the colormap of the chosen window is used to
obtain the red, green, and blue values. This option
reads each subwindow and its colormap of the chosen
window. The final image is guarenteed to have the
correct colors but obtaining the image is signifi-
cantly slower.
-display host:display[.screen]
specifies the X server to contact; see X(1).
-frame
include window manager frame.
-geometry <width>x<height>{+-}<x offset>{+-}<y offset>
the width and height of the image.
Use this option to specified the width and height of
raw images whose dimensions are unknown such as GRAY,
RGB, and CMYK. This option can also change the
default 8.5 by 11 width and height of the Postscript
canvas. When printing an image, <x offset> and <y
offset> is relative to a Postscript page.
-interlace type
the type of interlacing scheme: NONE, LINE, or PLANE.
This option is used to specify the type of interlac-
ing scheme for raw image formats such as RGB or YUV.
NONE means do not interlace (RGBRGBRGBRGBRGBRGB...),
LINE uses scanline interlacing
(RRR...GGG...BBB...RRR...GGG...BBB...), and PLANE
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IMPORT(1) IMPORT(1)
uses plane interlacing (RRRRRR...GGGGGG...BBBBBB...).
-monochrome
transform image to black and white.
-quality value
JPEG quality setting.
Quality is 0 (worst) to 100 (best). The default is
75.
-rotate degrees
apply Paeth image rotation to the image.
Empty triangles left over from rotating the image are
filled with the color defined by the pixel at loca-
tion (0,0).
-scene value
image scene number.
-screen
This option indicates that the GetImage request used
to obtain the image should be done on the root win-
dow, rather than directly on the specified window.
In this way, you can obtain pieces of other windows
that overlap the specified window, and more impor-
tantly, you can capture menus or other popups that
are independent windows but appear over the specified
window.
-verbose
print detailed information about the image.
This information is printed: image scene number;
image name; image size; the image class (DirectClass
or PseudoClass); the total number of unique colors;
and the number of seconds to read and write the
image.
-window id
select window with this id or name.
With this option you can specify the target window by
id or name rather than using the mouse. Specify
'root' to select X's root window as the target win-
dow.
Change - to + in any option above to reverse its effect.
For example +frame means do include window manager frame.
file specifies the image filename. By default, the image
is written in the MIFF image format (see MIFF(5)). To
specify a particular image format, precede the filename
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with an image format name and a colon (i.e. ps:image) or
specify the image type as the filename suffix (i.e.
image.ps). See CONVERT(1) for a list of valid image for-
mats. Specify file as - for standard input or output. If
file has the extension .Z, the file is encoded with com-
press.
ENVIRONMENT
DISPLAY
To get the default host, display number, and screen.
SEE ALSO
display(1), animate(1), mogrify(1), convert(1), Quan-
tize(9), X(1) MIFF(5)
COPYRIGHT
Copyright 1992 E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company
Permission to use, copy, modify, distribute, and sell this
software and its documentation for any purpose is hereby
granted without fee, provided that the above copyright
notice appear in all copies and that both that copyright
notice and this permission notice appear in supporting
documentation, and that the name of E. I. du Pont de
Nemours & Company not be used in advertising or publicity
pertaining to distribution of the software without spe-
cific, written prior permission. E. I. du Pont de Nemours
& Company makes no representations about the suitability
of this software for any purpose. It is provided "as is"
without express or implied warranty.
E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company disclaims all war-
ranties with regard to this software, including all
implied warranties of merchantability and fitness, in no
event shall E. I. du Pont de Nemours & Company be liable
for any special, indirect or consequential damages or any
damages whatsoever resulting from loss of use, data or
profits, whether in an action of contract, negligence or
other tortious action, arising out of or in connection
with the use or performance of this software.
AUTHORS
John Cristy, E.I. du Pont De Nemours & Company Incorpo-
rated
ImageMagick 10 October 1992 4