software: Pixel Characterizer version : 0.50, 27 May 1994 function: Convert any (Chinese) bitmap picture to ASCII. Good for showing Chinese or picture to dumb terminal users. ftp site: ifcss.org[129.107.1.155]:/software/ms-win filename: pixch050.zip, 22944 bytes. also need vbrun200.dll (which can be found in ftp.cica.indiana.edu) author : Shi-Yew Chen comment : Please change my e-mail address to chens@iia.org Dear Window-lover: Enclosed is my Visual Basic program, Pixel Characterizer. The purpose of the program is to map each (two) pixel of a small bitmap picture to a character. Then you are able to put/edit graph in your non-graphic text/terminal. And pretty pictures/icons/signatures can be put in your regular text files. This version can do the reverse job - the 1st utility I have ever known to translate ASCII texts to Bimap pictures. Don't hesitate to give it a try. Dump it to your trash if you don't like it. e.g. A Bitmap picture as: ^v^ = Use Pixel Characterizer to convert it to: ** ** **** **** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** ** **** ** ****** ****** How to use: 1. you need to have visual basic runtime library vbrun200.dll in you path. Bitmap to ASCII 2. prepare the bitmap picture which you want it to be converted. It could be either on screen or the clipboard. 3. click Capture button to capture a bitmap on screen or click Clipboard button to paste bitmap to Pixel Window 4. change number of rows/columns if needed. The default size is 24x72. Because the regular terminal is 24x80. I use 72 instead of 80 due to the reason of using VI editor(set number is used). 5. change the color number if needed. The default color is black(0). 6. change output character if needed. The default character is *. 7. click 1-Char button, or Char-Scale button to convert bitmap to ASCII Window. The converting time depends on the configured number of rows/columns. 8a. using 1-Char in 1-Pixel row any pixels which match specified color are converted to the specified character; other pixels are converted to space. 8b. using Character-Scale in 1-Pixel row button pixels are converted to appropriate characters according to their gray-scale numbers(or luminosities) and depth selection. 8c. in 2-Pixels row using =>Single-Char , every two vertical pixels are converted to a character according to the combination. The mapping characters are configurable and shown in sky blue boxes. This scheme is similar to the PBMPLUS utility. 8d. in 2-Pixels row using => Char-Scale , every two vertical pixels are converted to a character according to the combination and their gray-scale numbers (or luminosities) in three depth. For the time being the mapping characters are not configurable. This scheme is not yet been implimented by others so far as the author knows. 9. use Send Text to Clipboard button to send text in ASCII Window to clipboard. 10. paste text in clipboard to your editor/dumb terminal/e-mail. 11. enjoy yourself. ASCII to Bitmap 2. Prepare the ASCII text which you want it to be converted in clipboard. 3. click Get Text from Clipboard button to paste text to ASCII Window. 4. change the color number in the destination picture if needed. The default color is black(0). 5. change the character which will be converted if needed. The default character is *. 6. click Color-Single button to convert text in ASCII Window to a bitmap picture. Any characters which match the specified character are converted to the specified color pixels; other characters are converted to white pixels. 7. use Copy to Clipboard button to send picture in Pixel Window to clipboard. 8. paste picture in clipboard to your graphic editors/converters/viewers for post-processing. 9. enjoy yourself. Contact: Users are welcome to send me any comments/bugs/encouragement. S.Y. Chen (Sy Chen) 120-4 Marshall Drive W. Lafayette, IN 47906 U.S.A. e-mail: chens@iia.org