dcm2pnm(1)

NAME

dcm2pnm - Convert DICOM images to PPM/PGM, PNG, TIFF or BMP

SYNOPSIS

dcm2pnm [options] dcmfile-in [pnmfile-out]

DESCRIPTION

The dcm2pnm utility reads a DICOM image, converts the pixel data according to the selected image processing options and writes back an image in the well-known PPM/PGM file format (portable pix map / portable gray map), PNG, TIFF or BMP format. This utility only supports uncompressed and RLE compressed DICOM images. The command line tool dcmj2pnm also supports a number of JPEG compression schemes.

PARAMETERS

dcmfile-in DICOM input filename to be converted

pnmfile-out output filename to be written (default: stdout)

OPTIONS

general options: -h --help
print this help text and exit; --version
print version information and exit
-v --verbose: verbose mode, print processing details
-q --quiet: quiet mode, print no warnings and errors
-d --debug: debug mode, print debug information
-im --image-info: info mode, print image details
input options: input file format:

+f --read-file
read file format or data set (default)
+fo --read-file-only: read file format only
-f --read-dataset: read data set without file meta information
input transfer syntax:: -t= --read-xfer-auto
use TS recognition (default)
-td --read-xfer-detect: ignore TS specified in the file meta header
-te --read-xfer-little: read with explicit VR little endian TS
-tb --read-xfer-big: read with explicit VR big endian TS
-ti --read-xfer-implicit: read with implicit VR little endian TS
processing options: frame selection:

+F --frame [n]umber : integer
select specified frame (default: 1)
+Fr --frame-range [n]umber [c]ount : integer: select c frames beginning with frame n
+Fa --all-frames: select all frames
rotation:: +Rl --rotate-left
rotate image left (-90 degrees)
+Rr --rotate-right: rotate image right (+90 degrees)
+Rtd --rotate-top-down: rotate image top-down (180 degrees)
flipping:: +Lh --flip-horizontally
flip image horizontally
+Lv --flip-vertically: flip image vertically
+Lhv --flip-both-axes: flip image horizontally and vertically
scaling:: +a --recognize-aspect
recognize pixel aspect ratio (default)
-a --ignore-aspect: ignore pixel aspect ratio when scaling
+i --interpolate [n]umber of algorithm : integer: use interpolation when scaling (1..2, default: 1)
-i --no-interpolation: no interpolation when scaling
-S --no-scaling: no scaling, ignore pixel aspect ratio (default)
+Sxf --scale-x-factor [f]actor : float: scale x axis by factor, auto-compute y axis
+Syf --scale-y-factor [f]actor : float: scale y axis by factor, auto-compute x axis
+Sxv --scale-x-size [n]umber : integer: scale x axis to n pixels, auto-compute y axis
+Syv --scale-y-size [n]umber : integer: scale y axis to n pixels, auto-compute x axis
modality LUT transformation:: -M --no-modality
ignore stored modality LUT transformation
+M --use-modality: use modality LUT transformation (default)
VOI LUT transformation:: -W --no-windowing
no VOI windowing (default)
+Wi --use-window [n]umber : integer: use the n-th VOI window from image file
+Wl --use-voi-lut [n]umber : integer: use the n-th VOI look up table from image file
+Wm --min-max-window: compute VOI window using min-max algorithm
+Wn --min-max-window-n: compute VOI window using min-max algorithm,
ignoring extreme values
+Wr --roi-min-max-window [l]eft [t]op [w]idth [h]eight : integer: compute ROI window using min-max algorithm,
region of interest is specified by l,t,w,h
+Wh --histogram-window [n]umber : integer: compute VOI window using Histogram algorithm,
ignoring n percent
+Ww --set-window [c]enter [w]idth : float: compute VOI window using center c and width w
presentation LUT transformation:: +Pid --identity-shape
presentation LUT shape IDENTITY
+Piv --inverse-shape: presentation LUT shape INVERSE
+Pod --lin-od-shape: presentation LUT shape LIN OD
overlay:: -O --no-overlays
do not display overlays
+O --display-overlay [n]umber : integer: display overlay n (0..16, 0=all, default: +O 0)
+Omr --ovl-replace: use overlay mode "Replace"
(default for Graphic overlays)
+Omt --ovl-threshold: use overlay mode "Threshold Replace"
+Omc --ovl-complement: use overlay mode "Complement"
+Omv --ovl-invert: use overlay mode "Invert Bitmap"
+Omi --ovl-roi: use overlay mode "Region of Interest"
(default for ROI overlays)
+Osf --set-foreground [d]ensity : float: set overlay foreground density (0..1, default: 1)
+Ost --set-threshold [d]ensity : float: set overlay threshold density (0..1, default: 0.5)
display LUT transformation:: +Dm --monitor-file [f]ilename : string
calibrate output according to monitor characteristics
defined in f
+Dp --printer-file [f]ilename : string: calibrate output according to printer characteristics
defined in f
+Da --ambient-light [a]mbient light : float: ambient light value (cd/m^2, default: file f)
+Di --illumination [i]llumination : float: illumination value (cd/m^2, default: file f)
+Dn --min-density [m]inimum optical density : float: Dmin value (default: off, only with +Dp)
+Dx --max-density [m]aximum optical density : float: Dmax value (default: off, only with +Dp)
+Dg --gsd-function: use GSDF for calibration (default for +Dm/+Dp)
+Dc --cielab-function: use CIELAB function for calibration
compatibility options:: +Ma --accept-acr-nema
accept ACR-NEMA images without photometric
interpretation
+Mp --accept-palettes: accept incorrect palette attribute tags
(0028,111x) and (0028,121x)
+Mm --ignore-mlut-depth: ignore 3rd value of the modality LUT descriptor,
determine bits per table entry automatically
+Mv --ignore-vlut-depth: ignore 3rd value of the VOI LUT descriptor,
determine bits per table entry automatically
TIFF options:: +Tl --compr-lzw
LZW compression (default)
+Tr --compr-rle: RLE compression
+Tn --compr-none: uncompressed
+Pd --predictor-default: no LZW predictor (default)
+Pn --predictor-none: LZW predictor 1 (no prediction)
+Ph --predictor-horz: LZW predictor 2 (horizontal differencing)
+Rs --rows-per-strip [r]ows : integer (default: 0): rows per strip, default 8K per strip
PNG options:: +il --interlace
create interlaced file (default)
-il --nointerlace: create non-interlaced file
+mf --meta-file: create PNG file meta information (default)
-mf --meta-none: no PNG file meta information
other transformations:: +G --grayscale
convert to grayscale if necessary
+P --change-polarity: change polarity (invert pixel output)
+C --clip-region [l]eft [t]op [w]idth [h]eight : integer: clip image region (l, t, w, h)
output options: -o --no-output
do not create any output (useful with -im)
+op --write-raw-pnm: write 8-bit binary PGM/PPM (default for files)
+opb --write-8-bit-pnm: write 8-bit ASCII PGM/PPM (default for stdout)
+opw --write-16-bit-pnm: write 16-bit ASCII PGM/PPM
+opn --write-n-bit-pnm [n]umber : integer: write n-bit ASCII PGM/PPM (1..32)
+ob --write-bmp: write 8-bit (monochrome) or 24-bit (color) BMP
+obp --write-8-bit-bmp: write 8-bit palette BMP (monochrome only)
+obt --write-24-bit-bmp: write 24-bit truecolor BMP
+ot --write-tiff: write 8-bit (monochrome) or 24-bit (color) TIFF
+on --write-png: write 8-bit (monochrome) or 24-bit (color) PNG

NOTES

The --write-tiff option is only available when DCMTK has been configured and compiled with support for the external libtiff TIFF library. The availability of the TIFF compression options depends on the libtiff configuration. In particular, the patented LZW algorithm may not be available.

The --write-png option is only available when DCMTK has been configured and compiled with support for the external libpng PNG library. Interlace enables progressive image view while loading the PNG file. Only a few applications take care of the metainfo (TEXT) in a png file.

Sample monitor and printer characteristics files are available in the data folder.

COMMAND LINE

All command line tools use the following notation for parameters: square brackets enclose optional values (0-1), three trailing dots indicate that multiple values are allowed (1-n), a combination of both means 0 to n values.

Command line options are distinguished from parameters by a leading '+' or '-' sign, respectively. Usually, order and position of command line options are arbitrary (i.e. they can appear anywhere). However, if options are mutually exclusive the rightmost appearance is used. This behaviour conforms to the standard evaluation rules of common Unix shells.

In addition, one or more command files can be specified using an '@' sign as a prefix to the filename (e.g. @command.txt). Such a command argument is replaced by the content of the corresponding text file (multiple whitespaces are treated as a single separator) prior to any further evaluation. Please note that a command file cannot contain another command file. This simple but effective approach allows to summarize common combinations of options/parameters and avoids longish and confusing command lines (an example is provided in file share/data/dumppat.txt).

ENVIRONMENT

The dcm2pnm utility will attempt to load DICOM data dictionaries specified in the DCMDICTPATH environment variable. By default, i.e. if the DCMDICTPATH environment variable is not set, the file <PREFIX>/lib/dicom.dic will be loaded unless the dictionary is built into the application (default for Windows).

The default behaviour should be preferred and the DCMDICTPATH environment variable only used when alternative data dictionaries are required. The DCMDICTPATH environment variable has the same format as the Unix shell PATH variable in that a colon (':') separates entries. The data dictionary code will attempt to load each file specified in the DCMDICTPATH environment variable. It is an error if no data dictionary can be loaded.

FILES

share/data/camera.lut - sample characteristics file of a camera share/data/monitor.lut - sample characteristics file of a monitor share/data/printer.lut - sample characteristics file of a printer share/data/scanner.lut - sample characteristics file of a scanner

docs.sk

comprehensive documentation repository

See also