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Manual Pages

A manual page provides a description of a single radiance program documenting all options available with the program. They are a good reference once you are familiar with Radiance, but don't offer much in the way of instruction for a new user. You can access the manual pages on linux or Mac OSX systems from thee command line by typing 'man' followed by the radiance program name (ie 'man rpict'). If this does not work on your system then you probably need to set the $MANPATH variable.

You can download a PDF of all manual pages (in alphabetical order) or you can download a pdf for individual programs below.

Individual manual pages (categorized):

Scene preparation / processing

  • bsdf2klems - generate XML Klems matrix description of a BSDF
  • bsdf2rad - create a RADIANCE visualization of a BSDF representation
  • bsdf2ttree - generate XML tensor tree description of a BSDF
  • genBSDF - generate BSDF description from Radiance or MGF input
  • ies2rad - convert IES luminaire data to RADIANCE description
  • mgf2meta - convert Materials and Geometry Format file to Metafile graphics
  • mgf2rad - convert Materials and Geometry Format file to RADIANCE description
  • obj2rad - convert Wavefront .obj file to RADIANCE description
  • obj2mesh - create a compiled RADIANCE mesh file from Wavefront .OBJ input
  • pabopto2bsdf - convert BSDF measurements to a scattering interpolant representation
  • pabopto2xyz - convert a collection of single-channel BSDF measurements to CIE-XYZ colorimetry
  • pkgBSDF - package BSDFs provided as XML for Radiance
  • robjutil - operate on Wavefront .OBJ file
  • tmesh2rad - convert a triangular mesh to a RADIANCE scene description

Radiance geometry generators

  • genblinds - generate a RADIANCE description of venetian blinds
  • genbox - generate a RADIANCE description of a box
  • genclock - generate a RADIANCE description of a clock
  • genglaze - calculate multi-layer glazing optical properties
  • genprism - generate a RADIANCE description of a prism
  • genrev - generate a RADIANCE description of surface of revolution
  • gensky - generate a RADIANCE description of the sky
  • genssky - generates a RADIANCE description of the spectral daylight sources
  • gendaylit - generate a RADIANCE description of the daylit sources using Perez models for diffuse and direct components
  • gensurf - generate a RADIANCE description of a curved surface
  • genworm - generate a RADIANCE description of a functional worm

Scene preparation / processing

  • xform - transform a RADIANCE scene description
  • rcalc - record calculator
  • icalc - interactive calculator
  • cnt - index counter
  • macbethcal - compute color compensation based on measured Macbeth chart
  • lampcolor - compute spectral radiance for diffuse emitter
  • ev - evaluate expressions
  • neaten - neaten up output columns
  • tabfunc - convert table to functions for rcalc, etc.
  • total - sum up columns
  • vwright - normalize a RADIANCE view, shift it to the right
  • rcollate - resize or transpose a matrix of data values
  • replmarks - replace triangular markers in a RADIANCE scene description
  • rlam - laminate records from multiple files
  • rsplit - splits standard input into multiple output files or streams
  • pmblur - generate views for camera motion blurring
  • pmdblur - generate views for combined camera motion and depth blurring
  • pdfblur - generate views for depth-of-field blurring
  • vwrays - compute rays for a given picture or view
  • oconv - create an octree from a RADIANCE scene description
  • getbbox - compute bounding box for RADIANCE scene
  • mkillum - compute illum sources for a RADIANCE scene
  • mksource - compute distant sources for RADIANCE image-based lighting
  • compamb - compute good ambient value for a rad input file
  • raddepend - find RADIANCE scene dependencies
  • objview - view RADIANCE object(s)
  • lookamb - examine ambient file values
  • rhcopy - copy ray information into a holodeck
  • rhoptimize - optimize beam locations in holodeck file

Rendering

  • rpict - generate a RADIANCE picture
  • rtpict - generate a RADIANCE picture, hyperspectral image, or layers using rtrace
  • rvu - generate RADIANCE images interactively
  • rcontrib - compute contribution coefficients in a RADIANCE scene
  • rtrace - trace rays in RADIANCE scene
  • rpiece - render pieces of a RADIANCE picture
  • rxpiece - render tiles in a RADIANCE picture/depth buffer
  • ranimate - compute a RADIANCE animation
  • ranimove - render a RADIANCE animation with motion
  • rholo - generate/view a RADIANCE holodeck
  • rhpict - render a RADIANCE picture from a holodeck file

User interface

  • rad - render a RADIANCE scene
  • trad - graphical user interface to Radiance rad program
  • lampcolor - compute spectral radiance for diffuse emitter
  • dayfact - compute illuminance and daylight factor on workplane
  • glare - perform glare and visual comfort calculations
  • getinfo - get header information from a RADIANCE file
  • xshowtrace - interactively show rays traced on RADIANCE image under X11

Viewing output

  • bsdfview - view a BSDF representation
  • rcode2bmp - convert identifier, depth, and normal maps to BMP images
  • ximage - RADIANCE picture display for X window system
  • x11meta - output metafile graphics to X11

Daylight coefficients, and flux matrix tools for annual simulation

  • genklemsamp - generate ray samples over surfaces using Klems BSDF basis
  • genskyvec - compute patch radiance averages for a specific sky
  • gendaymtx - generate annual perez sky matrix from a weather tape
  • gensdaymtx - generate an annual spectral sky matrix from a weather tape
  • dctimestep - compute annual simulation time-step via matrix multiplication
  • pvsum - sum component Radiance pictures based on vector or matrix
  • rcomb - combine and convert matrices a row at a time
  • rfluxmtx - compute flux transfer matrices for a radiance scene
  • rmtxop - concatenate, add, multiply, divide, transpose, scale, and convert matrices

Photon Map Tools

  • mkpmap - generate RADIANCE photon map
  • pmapdump - generate RADIANCE scene description or point list representing photon positions and (optionally) flux

Analyze and convolve

  • pfilt - filter a RADIANCE picture
  • falsecolor - make a false color RADIANCE picture
  • histo - compute 1-dimensional histogram of N data columns
  • phisto - compute a luminance histogram from one or more RADIANCE picture
  • pcond - condition a RADIANCE picture for output
  • findglare - locate glare sources in a RADIANCE scene
  • glarendx - calculate glare index
  • xglaresrc - dislpay glare sources under X11
  • evalglare - locate glare sources and calculate glare metrics in a RADIANCE image
  • pcomb - combine RADIANCE pictures.
  • pcompos - composite RADIANCE pictures.
  • pexpand - expand requested commands in metafile
  • pextrem - find minimum and maximum values in RADIANCE picture
  • pflip - flip a RADIANCE picture.
  • pinterp - interpolate/extrapolate view from pictures
  • protate - rotate a RADIANCE picture.
  • psign - produce a RADIANCE picture from text.
  • psort - sort primitives in metafile as requested
  • pvalue - convert RADIANCE picture to/from alternate formats
  • dayfact - compute illuminance and daylight factor on workplane
  • normpat - normalize RADIANCE pictures for use as patterns.
  • fieldcomb - combine to or more field frames for video animation.

Converters from RADIANCE

  • normtiff - tone-map and convert RADIANCE picture or SGILOG TIFF to RGB TIFF
  • rad2mgf - convert RADIANCE scene description to Materials and Geometry Format
  • ra_gif - convert RADIANCE picture to Compuserve GIF
  • ra_bmp - convert RADIANCE picture to/from Windows BMP image
  • ra_pict - convert Radiance pictures to Macintosh PICT files
  • ra_ppm - convert RADIANCE picture to/from a Poskanzer Portable Pixmap
  • ra_ps - convert RADIANCE picture to a PostScript file
  • ra_rgbe - change run-length encoding of a RADIANCE picture
  • ra_t16 - convert RADIANCE picture to/from Targa 16 or 24-bit image file
  • ra_t8 - convert RADIANCE picture to/from Targa 8-bit image file
  • ra_tiff - convert RADIANCE picture to/from a TIFF color or greyscale image
  • ra_xyze - convert between RADIANCE RGBE and XYZE formats
  • ran2tiff - expose and convert a RADIANCE animation to TIFF frames
  • rcode_depth - encode/decode 16-bit depth map
  • rcode_ident - store identifiers in an indexed map and retrieve from same
  • rcode_norm - encode/decode 32-bit surface normal map

Other Output

  • dgraph - do a set of graphs to a dumb terminal
  • gcomp - do computations on a graph file.
  • igraph - interactive graphing program

Metafile tools

  • libmeta.a - simplified interface to metafile
  • metafile - graphics command interface, similar to plot
  • objline - create metafile line drawings of RADIANCE object(s)
  • plotin - convert plot to metafile primitives
  • psmeta - convert metafile to PostScript
  • bgraph - do a set of batch graphs to a metafile
  • cv - convert between metafile formats
  • meta2bmp - convert metafile to Windows Bitmap (BMP) File
  • meta2tga - convert metafile to Targa image format
  • x11meta - output metafile graphics to X11
by AMcneil — last modified Aug 04, 2025 09:22 AM