IMG2PNG, PDS/FITS to PNG conversion Options

[Bjorn Jonsson]

I decided to create a special thread for this topic. Previously information on IMG2PNG was scattered across various threads here.

I new version of IMG2PNG is now available. For those that don't know, this is a command line uitility that can convert various PDS formatted files to PNGs (8 or 16 bits per pixel depending on the input files).

This utility should work for lots of different PDS files, e.g. MER, Pathfinder, Voyager, Galileo, Cassini, Stardust, various Mars orbiters, Mariner 9/10 (!), Viking Orbiter, Viking Lander, Magellan, Clementine, Messenger, New Horizons etc.

The major new feature in the new version is the ability to convert FITS files.

IMG2PNG can be downloaded by visiting http://www.mmedia.is/bjj/utils/img2png

Any information on possible bugs welcome.

[machi]

At first, I thank you for this excellent simple, but powerful program. It's standart part of all my private data DVDs (together with older NASAview and specific programs from Piotr Masek).
What new feature I want to see in IMG2PNG?
I think, that very useful can be more adaptive calibration procedure. Not only for Cassini or MERs, but for other missions.
Because I want to have some control about this procedure, I think that can be good idea using txt file with references to calibration files.
Something like that:

flat.txt

f=masterflat12345.png
d=masterdark12345.png
b=bias12345.png

Important thing is possibility of using only partial calibration (only flat, flat+dark....), because sometimes
full calibration procedure destroys subtle details (main reason - imperfect calibration files).
This is for example case of Stardust's Wild 2 images, when raw images are better than calibrated ones.
Another feature can be automatic stretch and saving as 8bit png, which is better format as full size browse file for classic viewers as Irfanview, ACDS and so on.

[Bjorn Jonsson]

The new version of IMG2PNG now does almost everything the old version does (the main exception is Cassini calibration) and I have now started adding new features. I have already implemented some of the suggestions above. For example, black horizontal lines can now be fixed by interpolation and it will probably be possible to remove reseau marks as well.

Another feature can be automatic stretch and saving as 8bit png, which is better format as full size browse file for classic viewers as Irfanview, ACDS and so on.

When you mention 8 bit files, are you referring to the image thumbnails that IMG2PNG can automatically generate or do you want to have the option to convert 16 bit PDS files to 8 bit PNGs?