Exporting Graphics files from SGI's

This document lists all the step needed to save a portion of the screen to a graphics file and import it to a mac Word document.

1. Display the image as you want it in, for example, MacroModel or Spartan.
Set the background to white or light grey to prevent using massive quantities of toner.

2. Capture the image with SNAPSHOT

In the command line of a shell window, type: snapshot
A small rectangular icon labeled snapshot will appear.

Click on that icon with the left mouse button while holding the shift key.
Continue holding the shift key and simultaneously click on the top left corner of your image.
Drag the box to the lower right of your image and release the mouse button.

Click on the snapshot icon again with the right mouse button. An action menu will pop up. Choose "save and exit". This will save a file "snap.rgb" in the working directory of the shell you used to type "snapshot".

Note: Other options on the save menu can produce screen artifacts. If you should get these, reset your screen display by deleting (throwing away) the .desktop(etc) folders in your home directory.

Another note: If the snapshot icon is sitting in the screen area you want to capture, move it with the mouse by holding down the ALT and F7 keys (talk about obscure!!)

To get complete information about the snapshot utility, use: man snapshot

2b. (Optional) You may want to manipulate the image, e.g. adding captions or tiling multiple images, using the showcase program on SGI. Use the file-insert-image menu sequence to open the snap.rgb file.

3. Convert the snap.rgb file to a general image file format:

Use the program xv: type: xv, and using the resulting windows, load the file snap.rgb, then save as gif or another format. Or use these simple translators:
pict (good for macs): topict snap.rgb file.pict
tiff (hi-res general format): totiff snap.rgb file.tiff
gif (lower res format, small file size): togif snap.rgb file.gif
Throw away the .rgb file as it takes up megabytes of space.

4. Transfer to Mac using Fetch.

Open the Fetch program on a Macintosh with an ethernet connection.
(Fetch is part of the UTILITIES OAC package and resides on most UCI computers in a folder of that name.)

In the "Open Connection" window, use host: model0.ps.uci.edu, and your modeling facility login and password, with the directory field blank. When your directory is displayed, find the files if they are in a subdirectory, select them, and "get" them IN BINARY FORMAT. (choose the "binary" button on the lower right.)

Put your image file somewhere other than in the fetch folder, which is the default location!!

4b. (optional) Manipulate the image before adding it to a Word document:
You may want to use GifConverter to convert from tiff to jpeg format (more compressed with slight resolution loss). You may also want to manipulate the image in Photoshop.

5. Add your image to a Word document.

In the insert menu, choose picture, then click on the picture you want to open. Word recognizes many formats.