pstoedit
pstoedit - translates PostScript graphics into other vector formats.
Emphasis is on vector formats. There are many other tools based on pure raster image formats but conversion to vector formats retaining high level vector information is more complex and not many tools are available for this type of conversion.
The architecture of pstoedit consists of a PostScript frontend which
needs to call a PostScript interpreter like Ghostscript and the
individual backends which are plugged into a kind of framework.
This framework can be used independently from the PostScript frontend
from any other program. The framework provides a uniform interface to
all different backends. Get in contact with the author if you need
more information on how to use this framework.
pstoedit works reasonable with PostScript files containing
- line drawings
- text with standard fonts
Try to run it on golfer.ps or tiger.ps that comes with Ghostscript, e.g.,
pstoedit -f /examples/tiger.ps tiger.
Since version 4.0, there is also a GUI for pstoedit - PstoeditQtGui
Some features that are not supported by every backend of pstoedit:
- bitmap images (just for some backends and only a subset of the PostScript image operators)
- general fill patterns
- clipping (only partially via the -sclip option)
Dependendies
Build time Dependendies
The configure script checks for the availability of several third party components and configures the build process accordingly. The following components are being checked:
- pdflatex for the generation of the manual - Mandatory
- libplot and libplotter for using the additional backends provided by those libs (apt name libplot-dev) - Optional. When avaailable adds a bunch of more backend options via the libplotter.
- QT for GUI - Optional
- libzip for ppt backend (apt name libzip-dev) - Optional. When available the PPTX (PowerPoint) backend is enabled.
- libemf for enhanced windows metafiles (apt name libemf-dev) - Optional. Needed for the EMF backend.
- libmagic for Magic drivers - Optional. Provides access to drivers provided by the libmagic.
see also the recommended apt packages
Run time Dependendies
The most important one is GhostScript. You need a working installation of this PostScript interpreter.
Installation
Installation in Linux
To build pstoedit from source code run
sh autogen.sh
./configure
make; make install