pbmtojbg - portable bitmap to JBIG1 file converter
pbmtojbg [ options ] [ input-file | - [
output-file ]]
Reads in a portable bitmap (PBM) from a file or standard input,
compresses it, and outputs the image as a JBIG1 bi-level image entity
(BIE) file.
JBIG1 is a highly effective lossless compression algorithm
for bi-level images (one bit per pixel), which is particularly suitable for
scanned document pages.
A JBIG1 encoded image can be stored in several resolutions
(progressive mode). These resolution layers can be stored all in one single
BIE or they can be stored in several separate BIE files. All resolution
layers except the lowest one are stored merely as differences to the next
lower resolution layer, because this requires less space than encoding the
full image completely every time. Each resolution layer has twice the number
of horizontal and vertical pixels than the next lower layer. JBIG1
files can also store several bits per pixel as separate bitmap planes, and
pbmtojbg can read a PGM file and transform it into a multi-bitplane
BIE.
- -
- A single hyphen instead of an input file name will cause pbmtojbg
to read the data from standard input instead from a file.
- -q
- Encode the image in one single resolution layer (sequential mode). This is
usually the most efficient compression method. By default, the number of
resolution layers is chosen automatically such that the lowest layer image
is not larger than 640 × 480 pixels. This is a shortcut for -d
0.
- -x number
- Specify the maximal horizontal size of the lowest resolution layer. The
default is 640 pixels.
- -y number
- Specify the maximal vertical size of the lowest resolution layer. The
default is 480 pixels.
- -l number
- Select the lowest resolution layer that will be written to the BIE. It is
possible to store the various resolution layers of a JBIG1 image in
progressive mode into different BIEs. Options -l and -h
allow to select the resolution-layer interval that will appear in the
created BIE. The lowest resolution layer has number 0 and this is also the
default value. By default all layers will be written.
- -h number
- Select the highest resolution layer that will be written to the BIE. By
default all layers will be written. See also option -l.
- -b
- Use binary values instead of Gray code words in order to encode pixel
values in multiple bitplanes. This option has only an effect if the input
is a PGM file and if more than one bitplane is produced. Note that the
decoder has to make the same selection but cannot determine from the BIE,
whether Gray or binary code words were used by the encoder.
- -d number
- Specify the total number of differential resolution layers into which the
input image will be split in addition to the lowest layer. Each additional
layer reduces the size of layer 0 by 50 %. This option overrides options
-x and -y which are usually a more comfortable way of
selecting the number of resolution layers.
- -s number
- The JBIG1 algorithm splits each image into a number of horizontal
stripes. This option specifies that each stripe shall have number
lines in layer 0. The default value is selected so that approximately 35
stripes will be used for the whole image.
- -m number
- Select the maximum horizontal offset of the adaptive template pixel. The
JBIG1 encoder uses ten neighbour pixels to estimate the probability
of the next pixel being black or white. It can move one out of these ten
pixels. This is especially useful for dithered images, as long as the
distance of this adaptive pixel can be adjusted to the period of the
dither pattern. By default, the adaptive template pixel is allowed to move
up to 8 pixels away horizontally. This encoder supports distances up to
127 pixels. Annex A of the standard suggests that decoders should support
at least a horizontal distance of 16 pixels, so using values not higher
than 16 for number might increase the chances of interoperability
with other JBIG1 implementations. On the other hand, the T.85 fax
application profile requires decoders to support horizontal offsets up to
127 pixels, which the maximum value permitted by the standard. (The
maximal vertical offset of the adaptive template pixel is always zero for
this encoder.)
- -t number
- Encode only the specified number of most significant bit planes. This
option allows one to reduce the depth of an input PGM file if not all bits
per pixel are needed in the output.
- -o number
- JBIG1 separates an image into several horizontal stripes,
resolution layers and planes, were each plane contains one bit per pixel.
One single stripe in one plane and layer is encoded as a data unit called
stripe data entity (SDE) inside the BIE. There are 12 different possible
orders in which the SDEs can be stored inside the BIE and number
selects which one shall be used. The order of the SDEs is only relevant
for applications that want to decode a JBIG1 file which has not yet
completely arrived from e.g. a slow network connection. For instance some
applications prefer that the outermost of the three loops (stripes,
layers, planes) is over all layers so that all data of the lowest
resolution layer is transmitted first.
The following values for number select these loop arrangements for
writing the SDEs (outermost loop first):
0 planes, layers, stripes
2 layers, planes, stripes
3 layers, stripes, planes
4 stripes, planes, layers
5 planes, stripes, layers
6 stripes, layers, planes
All loops count starting with zero, however by adding 8 to the
above order code, the layer loop can be reversed so that it counts down
to zero and then higher resolution layers will be stored before lower
layers. Default order is 3 which writes at first all planes of the first
stripe and then completes layer 0 before continuing with the next layer
and so on.
- -p number
- This option allows one to activate or deactivate various optional
algorithms defined in the JBIG1 standard. Just add the numbers of
the following options which you want to activate in order to get the
number value:
4 deterministic prediction (DPON)
8 layer 0 typical prediction (TPBON)
16 diff. layer typ. pred. (TPDON)
64 layer 0 two-line template (LRLTWO)
Except for special applications (like communication with
JBIG1 subset implementations) and for debugging purposes you will
normally not want to change anything here. The default is 28, which
provides the best compression result.
- -C string
- Add the string in a comment marker segment to the produced data
stream. (There is no support at present for adding comments that contain
the zero byte.)
- -c
- Determine the adaptive template pixel movement as suggested in annex C of
the standard. By default the template change takes place directly in the
next line, which is most effective. However, a few conformance test
examples in the standard require the adaptive template change to be
delayed until the first line of the next stripe. This option selects this
special behavior, which is normally not required except in order to pass
some conformance tests.
- -r
- Use the SDRST marker instead of the normal SDNORM marker. The probably
only useful application of this option is to generate test data for
checking whether a JBIG1 decoder has implemented SDRST correctly.
In a normal JBIG1 data stream, each stripe data entity (SDE) is
terminated by an SDNORM marker, which preserves the state of the
arithmetic encoder (and more) for the next stripe in the same layer. The
alternative SDRST marker resets this state at the end of the stripe.
- -Y number
- A long time ago, there were fax machines that couldn't even hold a single
page in memory. They had to start transmitting data before the page was
scanned in completely and the length of the image was known. The authors
of the standard added a rather ugly hack to the otherwise beautiful JBIG1
format to support this. The NEWLEN marker segment can override the image
height stated in the BIE header anywhere later in the data stream.
Normally pbmtojbg never generates NEWLEN marker segments, as it
knows the correct image height when it outputs the header. This option is
solely intended for the purpose of generating test files with NEWLEN
marker segments. It can be used to specify a higher initial image height
for use in the BIE header, and pbmtojbg will then add a NEWLEN
marker segment at the latest possible opportunity to the data stream to
signal the correct final height.
- -f
- This option makes the output file comply to the "facsimile
application profile" defined in ITU-T Recommendation T.85. It is a
shortcut for -q -o 0 -p 8 -s 128 -t 1 -m 127.
- -v
- After the BIE has been created, a few technical details of the created
file will be listed (verbose mode).
Using standard input and standard output for binary data works
only on systems where there is no difference between binary and text streams
(e.g., Unix). On other systems (e.g., MS-DOS), using standard input or
standard output may cause control characters like CR or LF to be inserted or
deleted and this will damage the binary data.
This program implements the JBIG1 image coding algorithm as
specified in ISO/IEC 11544:1993 and ITU-T T.82(1993).
The pbmtojbg program is part of the JBIG-KIT
package, which has been developed by Markus Kuhn. The most recent version of
this portable JBIG1 library and tools set is available from
<http://www.cl.cam.ac.uk/~mgk25/jbigkit/>.