How to convert a .dm3 file (with annotation and scale bar) to .jpg/jpeg image? - export

Question

I wonder how to convert a dm3 file into .jpg/jpeg images? there is test annotation and scale bar on the image. I setup a script but it always show that "the format cannot contain the data to be saved". This can be done via file/batch convert function. So how to realize the same function in script？ Thanks
image test:=IntegerImage("test",2,1,100,100)
test.ShowImage()
image frontimage:=GetFrontImage()
string filename=getname(frontimage)
imagedisplay disp = frontImage.ImageGetImageDisplay(0)
disp.applydatabar()
ImageDocument frontDoc = GetFrontImageDocument()
string directoryname, pathname
number length
if(!SaveAsDialog("","Do Not Change Me",directoryname)) exit(0)
length=len(directoryname)-16
directoryname=mid(directoryname,0,length)
pathname=directoryname+filename
frontDoc.ImageDocumentSaveToFile( "JPG Format", pathname )

Answer 1

To convert to jpg you have to use "JPEG/JFIF Format" as the handler (=format).
It has to be exactly this string in the ImageDocument.ImageDocumentSaveToFile() function. Other formats are mentioned in the help (F1 > Scripting > Objects > Document Object Model > ImageDocument Object > ImageDocumentSaveToFile() function). Those are (for example):
'Gatan Format'
'Gatan 3 Format'
'GIF Format'
'BMP Format'
'JPEG/JFIF Format'
'Enhanced Metafile Format'
In your code you are using the SaveAsDialog() to get a directory. This is not necessary. You can use GetDirectoryDialog() to get a directory. This saves you the name operation for the directoryname and avoids problems when users do change your filename.
Also for concatinating paths I prefer using PathConcatenate(). On the first hand this makes your code a lot more readable since its name tells what you are doing. On the other hand this also takes care of the directory ending with \ or not and other path related things.
The following code is what I think you need:
Image test := IntegerImage("test", 2, 1, 100, 100);
test.ShowImage();
Image frontimage := GetFrontImage();
ImageDisplay disp = frontImage.ImageGetImageDisplay(0);
disp.applydatabar();
ImageDocument frontDoc = GetFrontImageDocument();
string directoryname;
if(!GetDirectoryDialog("Select directory", "C:\\\\", directoryname)){
// ↑
// You can of course use something else as the start point for selection here
exit(0);
}
string filename = GetName(frontimage);
string pathname = directoryname.PathConcatenate(filename);
frontDoc.ImageDocumentSaveToFile("JPEG/JFIF Format", pathname);

Answer 2

This answer is correct and should be accepted. Your problem is the wrong file-type string. You want to use "JPEG/JFIF Format"
A bit more general information on image file saving in DigitalMicrograph.
One doesn't save images but always imageDocuments that can contain one, more, or even zero image objects in them. Script-commands that save an image like SaveAsGatan() really just call things like: ImageGetOrCreateImageDocument().ImageDocumentSaveToFile()
The difference doesn't really matter for simple one-image-in-document type images, but it can make a difference when there are multiple images in a document, or when a single image is displayed multiple times simultaneously (which can be done.) So it is always good to know what "really" goes on.
ImageDocuments contain some properties relating to saving:
A save format (“Gatan Format”, “TIFF Format”, …)
Default value: What it was opened with, or last used save-format in case of creation
Script commands: ImageDocumentGetCurrentFileSaveFormat() ImageDocumentSetCurrentFileSaveFormat()
A current file path:
Default value: What it was opened from, or empty
Script commands: ImageDocumentGetCurrentFile() ImageDocumentSetCurrentFile()
A dirty-state:
Default value: clean when opened, dirty when created
Script commands: ImageDocumentIsDirty() ImageDocumentClean()
A linked-to-file state:
Default value: true when opened, false when created
Script commands: ImageDocumentIsLinkedToFile()
There are two ways of saving an imageDocument:
Saving the current document itself to disc:
void ImageDocumentSave( ImageDocument imgDoc, Number save_style ) This utilizes the current properties of the imageDocument to save it to current path in current format, marking it clean in the process. The save_style parameter determines how the program deals with missing info:
0 = never ask for path
1 = ask if not linked (or empty path)
2 = always ask
Saving a copy of the current document to disc:
void ImageDocumentSaveToFile( ImageDocument imgDoc, String handler, String fileName ) This makes a copy and save the file under provided path in the provided format. The imageDocument in memory does not change its properties. Most noticeable: It does not become clean, and it is not linked to the provided file on disc. The filename parameter specifies the saving location including the filename. If a file extension is provided, it has to match the file-format, but it can be left out. The handler parameter specified the file-format and can be anything GMS currently supports, such as:
Gatan Format
Gatan 3 Format
GIF Format
BMP Format
JPEG/JFIF Format
Enhanced Metafile Format
In short:
To save the currently opened imageDocument with a different format, you would want to do:
imageDocument doc = GetFrontImageDocument()
doc.ImageDocumentSetCurrentFileSaveFormat("TIFF Format")
doc.ImageDocumentSave(0)
While to just save a copy of the current state you would use:
imageDocument doc = GetFrontImageDocument()
string path = doc.ImageDocumentGetCurrentFile() // full path including extension!
path = PathExtractDirectory(path,0) + PathExtractBaseName(path,0) // path without file extension
doc.ImageDocumentSaveToFile("TIFF Format", path )