Path: utzoo!utgpu!jarvis.csri.toronto.edu!cs.utexas.edu!tut.cis.ohio-state.edu!ucbvax!hplabs!hpda!hpcupt1!dclaar
From: dclaar@hpcupt1.HP.COM (Doug Claar)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: Sun Rasterfile to HPGL conversion
Message-ID: <6350009@hpcupt1.HP.COM>
Date: 7 Mar 90 18:01:32 GMT
References: <8352@nfs4.rl.ac.uk>
Organization: Hewlett Packard, Cupertino
Lines: 18


      I have a requirement to convert Sun colour rasterfiles to HPGL
      format (don't ask why). Does anyone know of a utility to do this?

-- 
Well, sun is raster, and HPGL is vector. Converting to a true vector
image is a "hard problem." Autocad's CADcamera is often mentioned as
a program that does a good job, using copyrighted/patented techniques.
(This is from memory, it might be in the weekly posting...)

If you are NOT going to a REAL vector device, it would be fairly easy
to use rasttopbm (from the pbm toolset) and an awk script to create
a massive file of pen-up pen-downs. PBM is a very simple ascii format.
If you were to send your resulting HPGL file to a plotter, it would
KILL the pen! You probably also need to consider pen width, and 
possibly some unit conversion...

Doug "Funny, I was asked this question just yesterday" Claar