Programs > Command-Line Utilities

Multiple-page TIFF Converter

FFMPT [-v] filename [> outfile]

The FFMPT program converts CopiaFacts TIFF/F files between single-page and multiple-page file format. It handles TIFF file formats supported by the hardware used by CopiaFacts, and will process files of up to 128 pages. This limit can be extended on request for special applications. Pages beyond the limit will be ignored.

Since the ".1" extension can be used for single- and multiple-page files you are recommended to keep the two file types in different directories. The output from FFMPT is always written in the current working directory. If you merge or split files from the same directory, it is possible that you may destroy something, although FFMPT takes some precautions to avoid overwriting an input file.

Note that the FFMPT program only handles a subset of TIFF/F features required for fax files to be used with CopiaFacts. Non-essential TIFF tags are not copied to the output file. The output from a split will be numbered to match the physical sequence of pages in the file, even if the TIFF page-number tags are numbered differently.

You can also include JT-Fax format files when building a multiple-page file, subject to the limitation noted below.

The direction of conversion is determined automatically. If there are multiple input files they are always merged, and if there is only one input file it is always split. The only way to get multiple input files is to name a ".1" file when there are matching ".2", ".3" files in the same directory. Remember that if there is only a single page involved, the output is the same for merge and for split.

The output file of a merge operation always has file type ".TIF", and the output files of a split operation always have file types ".1", ".2", etc as necessary. If the input to a split operation has type ".1" then it is renamed before the output is written, to avoid confusion. The ".1" file is renamed to ".MPT" if it is type TIFF/F or renamed to ".JTF" if it is type JT-Fax.

To see what files are being read and written, use the "-v" (verbose) command line flag before the filename in the examples below.

To convert from a multiple-page TIFF/F file to single page files:

•	Move to the directory in which you want the files to be written.

•	Run FFMPT filename where filename is the full pathname of the multiple page TIFF/F file input to the program.

•	The output files will be written in the current directory with the same base filename as the original file and with extensions ".1", ".2", etc., silently overwriting existing files. Existing higher-numbered files with numeric extensions will NOT be deleted.

•	If the multiple-page input file has extension ".1" it is renamed in its original directory to ".MPT" to avoid confusion. Any existing ".MPT" file is silently overwritten.

•	Warning: if ".2", ".3" etc files are also present in the same directory from which you intended to split a multiple-page ".1" file, then they will all be merged instead to a multiple-page ".TIF" file as described below.

To convert from single-page TIFF/F or JT-Fax files to a multiple page file:

•	Move to the directory in which you want the file to be written.

•	The input files must be named with extensions ".1", ".2", etc. You may mix in JT-Fax format files when converting to multiple page TIFF/F.

•	Run FFMPT filename.1 referencing the first filename of the sequence. The named extension must be ".1". Scanning stops at the first gap in the numeric sequence. If there is no .2 file, only a single-page output ".TIF" file will be written.

•	The output file will be written in the current directory with the same base filename as the original file and with extension ".TIF". Any existing file with the same name will be silently overwritten.

•	If there are multiple input files then any of them may be multiple-page TIFF/F files and all pages will be added to the output file.

To write a single output file with a different name, use redirection on the command: FFMPT filename.1 >mytiff.abc. The named output file will be overwritten if it already exists. This technique can not be used for operations which will result in the program writing multiple output files. Using the > append syntax will probably create an invalid file.

Note: conversion of JT-Fax files to TIFF/F: The FFMPT program moves the block of FAX G3-encoded data without unpacking it, so does not generate correct tag values for the number of scan lines in the file. The resulting file cannot be sent using drivers which require a correct scan line count. If this is a problem, use FFVIEWER or CVTIF instead to convert to TIFF/F format.

Topic url: http://www.copia.com/support/refmanual/index.html?ffmpt.htm