***** Invocation *****
Run with "snowpath". Please read the man page for descriptions of the options. Check out ./examples/ for stuff to use with the -file option.
This program can be run from Xscreensaver (see INSTALL). It's pretty processor demanding for a screensaver, however. Use of the -delay switch will help.
***** Requests *****
Since I'm not using autoconf/automake, snowpath may fail to compile on systems that are significantly different than mine, but it ought to compile and run correctly on at least Linux, NetBSD and FreeBSD on x86. (It seems to work somewhat on NetBSD; I can't get it to compile in Solaris.) Please tell me:
- If snowpath does not install or run properly on your system.
- If you have gotten it to work on an OS or processor not mentioned here.
- If it runs but does something that seems wrong (anything, really, including typos).
If you want to read the code and submit patches, comments, complaints or suggestions, please do. I would also love it if people created and maintained packages for snowpath. I'm especially keen on rpms, debs and bsd ports.
My address is quadong@users.sf.net, don't hesitate to write me. You are better than spam.
***** Map Files *****
Snowpath can read its native format ("snowmap") files and also the following formats, provided a converter is installed: gif, png, jpg, tiff, rast, ilbm, lispm, pcx, ybm, xbm, macp, g3, xwd, brush, gem, pict, fits fs, hips, mtv, qrt, tga, xim, xpm, pi1, pi3, spu, bmp; compress'd, gziped, and bzip2ed versions of any of the above.
The anytopnm2 program included with snowpath is an new version of a program called anytopnm which seems to be fairly standard, yet not updated for almost 10 years.
For information about the "snowmap" format, see "man snowmap".
*** Non-native Files ***
Any pixel containing more blue than other colors is assumed to be a destination. (Watch out, there are colors that may look like blue that that don't satisfy this condition!) Any pixel containing more red than other colors is assumed to be a forbidden place. (ditto.) All other pixels are converted to greyscale. The more white they are, the more snow they represent.
*** Snowmap Files (Native) ***
Before using image files, snowpath first converts them to pnm format, then converts the pnm to its native format.
To do this manually:
"anytosnowmap [input file] > [output file]"
OR
"anytopnm2 [input file] > [pnm file]", then "pnmtosnowmap [pnm file] > [output file]".
***** Manuals *****
For more information, see "man snowpath" and the pages it references.