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  • png to .ans

    From Malvinas@21:4/167 to All on Thu Nov 6 22:20:42 2025
    Do you guys know of any tool, either for Windows or DOSBox, that can take a .png image and convert it into a 80x25 .ans file? I wrote a little tool to crate simple e-zines from .txt files, and would like to mix in between pages some .ans files. I'm trying to convert some copyright-less pics into .ans
    Thanks in advance for any tips you can give me.

    Cheers!

    Pol Malvinas.

    Islas Malvinas, siempre Argentinas!

    ... Islas Malvinas, siempre Argentinas.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/64)
    * Origin: The Vault BBS (21:4/167)
  • From hollowone@21:2/150 to fusion on Sun Nov 9 13:49:21 2025
    the problem is any retro enthusiast wouldn't run anything that displays SIXEL, they'd be running Telix, QModem, BananaCom, just to name a few
    DOS specific ones. they'd be more inclined to have something like 86Box
    or DosBox installed specifically for this purpose, etc. there is no user terminal in the sense you're thinking on these machines. you can't "cat" the SIXEL file.


    That's why I suggested writing own .exe as a client/engine to display this mag with a proper conversion handled by themselves.
    I'm aware of the limit. I live in the buble I moved my telnet/bbs client to iTerm2 on MacOs which natively supports SIXEL :)

    I have SIXEL for free..

    but I think the core question was that you have .PNG file of certain resolution (most likely significantly higher than 80x25 limit of standard terminal and convert it smartly into ANSI art using characters available in the ASCII table + colors.

    I believe that's nonsense so that's why I suggested investigating SIXEL instead. This way or another.

    -h1

    ... -=Lordz of BooM are back=-

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbS>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)
  • From hollowone@21:2/150 to Malvinas on Sun Nov 9 13:49:55 2025

    My friend, have you tried AcidView on Windows for standard viewing of .zipp-ed up packs .ans files?

    Nope, I'm on Mac. is it solving the issue?

    -h1

    ... -=Lordz of BooM are back=-

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 2024/05/29 (Linux/64)
    * Origin: 2o fOr beeRS bbS>>20ForBeers.com:1337 (21:2/150)
  • From fusion@21:1/616 to hollowone on Sun Nov 9 21:31:41 2025
    On 09 Nov 2025, hollowone said the following...

    but I think the core question was that you have .PNG file of certain resolution (most likely significantly higher than 80x25 limit of
    standard terminal and convert it smartly into ANSI art using characters available in the ASCII table + colors.

    yeah.. images converted to ansi this way might put people off.. at least anyone who has spent time trying to spot "gif2ans" usage from people in ansi art groups.

    That's why I suggested writing own .exe as a client/engine to display
    this mag with a proper conversion handled by themselves.

    yeah. i haven't seen a zine with it's own reader for a while. much less one with it's own built in mod player.. the good old days..

    I'm aware of the limit. I live in the buble I moved my telnet/bbs client to iTerm2 on MacOs which natively supports SIXEL :)

    i duno, the concept is cool enough when it's used for a utility type reason (the weather door for example) but if i called a bbs and their answer screen was a sixel i might hang up lol. especially if it's text generated with one of those plugins GIMP used to be bundled with ;)

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/32)
    * Origin: cold fusion - cfbbs.net - grand rapids, mi (21:1/616)
  • From hollowone@21:1/215 to Malvinas on Sat Nov 22 18:18:02 2025
    in the meantime, I've found this :

    https://www.asciiart.eu/image-to-ascii

    still crappy but closest to the original request, I suppose.

    -h1

    ... Multitasking: Reading in the bathroom

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A48 (Windows/64)
    * Origin: Retro32 BBS (21:1/215)
  • From Malvinas@21:4/167 to hollowone on Mon Nov 24 18:28:18 2025
    On 22 Nov 2025, hollowone said the following...

    in the meantime, I've found this :

    https://www.asciiart.eu/image-to-ascii

    still crappy but closest to the original request, I suppose.

    -h1

    I have tried that one and I have to say: that is *exactly* what I need, but the results on that app aren't anywhere near "perfect". I found another (slightly better) option, in:
    convert2ascii.com

    Thanks for the help!!

    Pol Malvinas.

    Islas Malvinas, siempre Argentinas!

    ... Islas Malvinas, siempre Argentinas.

    --- Mystic BBS v1.12 A47 2021/12/25 (Windows/64)
    * Origin: The Vault BBS (21:4/167)