Version 0 of FITS

Updated 2007-02-01 12:31:49 by KJN

* FITS is the "Flexible Image Transport System", and is the standard image format used by astronomers [L1 ] [L2 ]

  • A lot of professional astronomical software uses Tcl/Tk for its GUI, FITS as its graphics file format, and GPL as its license

Tcl/Tk software for FITS files:

  • SAOTk - an extension of Tk for visualization/analysis/imaging of FITS data
  • ds9 - application built around SAOTk and several other components
  • fitsTcl - an extension of Tcl for accessing FITS data
  • fv - FITS file editor built using fitsTcl and several other components
  • TclMagick [L3 ], a Tcl wrapper for ImageMagick [L4 ] or GraphicsMagick [L5 ], can be used to convert to and from FITS format (appears to create monochrome FITS files only).

DS9 and fv are supplied as standalone binaries; however if the correct components are built and installed, each can be run as a Tcl script. Because this is not the intended mode of operation, the non-standard bundled components are not always supplied as packages and may need to be loaded with load.

Non-Tcl software for FITS files:

  • Netpbm [L6 ] can be used to convert to or from FITS
  • funtools [L7 ] (FITS Users Need Tools)
  • Many tools in the ftools and HEASOFT suites to which fv belongs [L8 ]

Category Graphics - Category Visualization - Category Image Processing