Magick::Image Class

Quick Contents

Image is the primary object in Magick++ and represents a single image frame (see design ). The STL interface must be used to operate on image sequences or images (e.g. of format GIF, TIFF, MIFF, Postscript, & MNG) which are comprized of multiple image frames. Individual frames of a multi-frame image may be requested by adding array-style notation to the end of the file name (e.g. "animation.gif[3]" retrieves the fourth frame of a GIF animation.  Various image manipulation operations may be applied to the image. Attributes may be set on the image to influence the operation of the manipulation operations. The Pixels class provides low-level access to image pixels. As a convenience, including <Magick++.h> is sufficient in order to use the complete Magick++ API. The Magick++ API is enclosed within the Magick namespace so you must either add the prefix " Magick:: " to each class/enumeration name or add the statement " using namespace Magick;" after including the Magick++.h header.

The preferred way to allocate Image objects is via automatic allocation (on the stack). There is no concern that allocating Image objects on the stack will excessively enlarge the stack since Magick++ allocates all large data objects (such as the actual image data) from the heap. Use of automatic allocation is preferred over explicit allocation (via new) since it is much less error prone and allows use of C++ scoping rules to avoid memory leaks. Use of automatic allocation allows Magick++ objects to be assigned and copied just like the C++ intrinsic data types (e.g. 'int '), leading to clear and easy to read code. Use of automatic allocation leads to naturally exception-safe code since if an exception is thrown, the object is automagically deallocated once the stack unwinds past the scope of the allocation (not the case for objects allocated via new ).

Image is very easy to use. For example, here is a the source to a program which reads an image, crops it, and writes it to a new file (the exception handling is optional but strongly recommended):

#include <Magick++.h> 
#include <iostream> 
using namespace std; 
using namespace Magick; 
int main(int argc,char **argv) 
{ 
  InitializeMagick(*argv);

  // Construct the image object. Seperating image construction from the 
  // the read operation ensures that a failure to read the image file 
  // doesn't render the image object useless. 
  Image image;
  try { 
    // Read a file into image object 
    image.read( "girl.gif" );

    // Crop the image to specified size (width, height, xOffset, yOffset)
    image.crop( Geometry(100,100, 100, 100) );

    // Write the image to a file 
    image.write( "x.gif" ); 
  } 
  catch( Exception &error_ ) 
    { 
      cout << "Caught exception: " << error_.what() << endl; 
      return 1; 
    } 
  return 0; 
}
The following is the source to a program which illustrates the use of Magick++'s efficient reference-counted assignment and copy-constructor operations which minimize use of memory and eliminate unncessary copy operations (allowing Image objects to be efficiently assigned, and copied into containers).  The program accomplishes the following:
  1. Read master image.
  2. Assign master image to second image.
  3. Resize second image to the size 640x480.
  4. Assign master image to a third image.
  5. Resize third image to the size 800x600.
  6. Write the second image to a file.
  7. Write the third image to a file.
#include <Magick++.h> 
#include <iostream> 
using namespace std; 
using namespace Magick; 
int main(int argc,char **argv) 
{ 
  InitializeMagick(*argv);

  Image master("horse.jpg"); 
  Image second = master; 
  second.resize("640x480"); 
  Image third = master; 
  third.resize("800x600"); 
  second.write("horse640x480.jpg"); 
  third.write("horse800x600.jpg"); 
  return 0; 
}
During the entire operation, a maximum of three images exist in memory and the image data is never copied.

The following is the source for another simple program which creates a 100 by 100 pixel white image with a red pixel in the center and writes it to a file:

#include <Magick++.h> 
using namespace std; 
using namespace Magick; 
int main(int argc,char **argv) 
{ 
  InitializeMagick(*argv);
  Image image( "100x100", "white" ); 
  image.pixelColor( 49, 49, "red" ); 
  image.write( "red_pixel.png" ); 
  return 0; 
}
If you wanted to change the color image to grayscale, you could add the lines:
image.quantizeColorSpace( GRAYColorspace ); 
image.quantizeColors( 256 ); 
image.quantize( );

or, more simply:

 image.type( GrayscaleType );

prior to writing the image.

BLOBs

While encoded images (e.g. JPEG) are most often written-to and read-from a disk file, encoded images may also reside in memory. Encoded images in memory are known as BLOBs (Binary Large OBjects) and may be represented using the Blob class. The encoded image may be initially placed in memory by reading it directly from a file, reading the image from a database, memory-mapped from a disk file, or could be written to memory by Magick++. Once the encoded image has been placed within a Blob, it may be read into a Magick++ Image via a constructor or read() . Likewise, a Magick++ image may be written to a Blob via write() .

An example of using Image to write to a Blob follows:
 

#include >Magick++.h> 
using namespace std; 
using namespace Magick; 
int main(int argc,char **argv) 
{ 
  InitializeMagick(*argv);

  // Read GIF file from disk 
  Image image( "giraffe.gif" );
  // Write to BLOB in JPEG format 
  Blob blob; 
  image.magick( "JPEG" ) // Set JPEG output format 
  image.write( &blob );

  [ Use BLOB data (in JPEG format) here ]

  return 0; 
}


likewise, to read an image from a Blob, you could use one of the following examples:

[ Entry condition for the following examples is that data is pointer to encoded image data and length represents the size of the data ]

Blob blob( data, length ); 
Image image( blob );
or
Blob blob( data, length ); 
Image image; 
image.read( blob);
some images do not contain their size or format so the size and format must be specified in advance:
Blob blob( data, length ); 
Image image; 
image.size( "640x480") 
image.magick( "RGBA" ); 
image.read( blob);

Constructors

Image may be constructed in a number of ways. It may be constructed from a file, a URL, or an encoded image (e.g. JPEG) contained in an in-memory BLOB . The available Image constructors are shown in the following table:
 
 
Image Constructors
Signature
Description
const std::string &imageSpec_ Construct Image by reading from file or URL specified by imageSpec_. Use array notation (e.g. filename[9]) to select a specific scene from a multi-frame image.
const Geometry &size_, const Color &color_ Construct a blank image canvas of specified size and color
const Blob &blob_ Construct Image by reading from encoded image data contained in an in-memory BLOB . Depending on the constructor arguments, the Blob size , depth , magick (format) may also be specified. Some image formats require that size be specified. The default ImageMagick uses for depth depends on the compiled-in Quantum size (8 or 16).  If ImageMagick's Quantum size does not match that of the image, the depth may need to be specified. ImageMagick can usually automagically detect the image's format. When a format can't be automagically detected, the format (magick ) must be specified.
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size_
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size, size_t depth
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size, size_t depth_, const string &magick_
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size, const string &magick_
const size_t width_, 
const size_t height_,
std::string map_,
const StorageType type_,
const void *pixels_
Construct a new Image based on an array of image pixels. The pixel data must be in scanline order top-to-bottom. The data can be character, short int, integer, float, or double. Float and double require the pixels to be normalized [0..1]. The other types are [0..MaxRGB].  For example, to create a 640x480 image from unsigned red-green-blue character data, use

   Image image( 640, 480, "RGB", 0, pixels );

The parameters are as follows:
 

width_ Width in pixels of the image.
height_ Height in pixels of the image.
map_ This character string can be any combination or order of R = red, G = green, B = blue, A = alpha, C = cyan, Y = yellow M = magenta, and K = black. The ordering reflects the order of the pixels in the supplied pixel array.
type_ Pixel storage type (CharPixel, ShortPixel, IntegerPixel, FloatPixel, or DoublePixel)
pixels_ This array of values contain the pixel components as defined by the map_ and type_ parameters. The length of the arrays must equal the area specified by the width_ and height_ values and type_ parameters.

Image Manipulation Methods

Image supports access to all the single-image (versus image-list) manipulation operations provided by the ImageMagick library. If you must process a multi-image file (such as an animation), the STL interface , which provides a multi-image abstraction on top of Image, must be used.

Image manipulation methods are very easy to use.  For example:

Image image; 
image.read("myImage.tiff"); 
image.addNoise(GaussianNoise); 
image.write("myImage.tiff");
adds gaussian noise to the image file "myImage.tiff".

The operations supported by Image are shown in the following table:
 

Image Image Manipulation Methods
Method Signature(s) Description
adaptiveThreshold
size_t width, size_t height, size_t offset = 0
Apply adaptive thresholding to the image. Adaptive thresholding is useful if the ideal threshold level is not known in advance, or if the illumination gradient is not constant across the image. Adaptive thresholding works by evaulating the mean (average) of a pixel region (size specified by width and height) and using the mean as the thresholding value. In order to remove residual noise from the background, the threshold may be adjusted by subtracting a constant offset (default zero) from the mean to compute the threshold.
addNoise
NoiseType noiseType_ Add noise to image with specified noise type.
addNoiseChannel
const ChannelType channel_, const NoiseType noiseType_
Add noise to an image channel with the specified noise type. The channel_ parameter specifies the channel to add noise to.  The noiseType_ parameter specifies the type of noise.
affineTransform
const DrawableAffine &affine
Transform image by specified affine (or free transform) matrix.
annotate
const std::string &text_, const Geometry &location_ Annotate using specified text, and placement location
string text_, const Geometry &boundingArea_, GravityType gravity_ Annotate using specified text, bounding area, and placement gravity. If boundingArea_ is invalid, then bounding area is entire image.
const std::string &text_, const Geometry &boundingArea_, GravityType gravity_, double degrees_,  Annotate with text using specified text, bounding area, placement gravity, and rotation. If boundingArea_ is invalid, then bounding area is entire image.
const std::string &text_, GravityType gravity_ Annotate with text (bounding area is entire image) and placement gravity.
blur
const double radius_ = 1, const double sigma_ = 0.5 Blur image. The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel.  The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Laplacian, in pixels.
blurChannel
const ChannelType channel_, const double radius_ = 0.0, const double sigma_ = 1.0
Blur an image channel. The channel_ parameter specifies the channel to blur. The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel.  The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Laplacian, in pixels.
border
const Geometry &geometry_ = "6x6+0+0" Border image (add border to image).  The color of the border is specified by the borderColor attribute.
cdl
const std::string &cdl_ color correct with a color decision list. See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ASC_CDL for details.
channel
ChannelType channel_ Extract channel from image. Use this option to extract a particular channel from  the image.  alphaChannel   for  example, is useful for extracting the alpha values from an image.
charcoal
const double radius_ = 1, const double sigma_ = 0.5 Charcoal effect image (looks like charcoal sketch). The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel.  The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Laplacian, in pixels.
chop
const Geometry &geometry_ Chop image (remove vertical or horizontal subregion of image)
colorize
const unsigned int opacityRed_, const unsigned int opacityGreen_, const unsigned int opacityBlue_, const Color &penColor_ Colorize image with pen color, using specified percent opacity for red, green, and blue quantums.
colorMatrix
const size_t order_, const double *color_matrix_ apply color correction to the image.
comment
const std::string &comment_ Comment image (add comment string to image).  By default, each image is commented with its file name. Use  this  method to  assign a specific comment to the image.  Optionally you can include the image filename, type, width, height, or other  image  attributes by embedding special format characters.
compare
const Image &reference_
Compare current image with another image. Sets meanErrorPerPixel , normalizedMaxError , and normalizedMeanError in the current image. False is returned if the images are identical. An ErrorOption exception is thrown if the reference image columns, rows, colorspace, or matte differ from the current image.
composite
const Image &compositeImage_, ssize_t xOffset_, ssize_t yOffset_, CompositeOperator compose_ = InCompositeOp Compose an image onto the current image at offset specified by xOffset_, yOffset_ using the composition algorithm specified by compose_
const Image &compositeImage_, const Geometry &offset_, CompositeOperator compose_ = InCompositeOp Compose an image onto the current image at offset specified by offset_ using the composition algorithm specified by compose_
const Image &compositeImage_, GravityType gravity_, CompositeOperator compose_ = InCompositeOp Compose an image onto the current image with placement specified by gravity_ using the composition algorithm specified by compose_
contrast
size_t sharpen_ Contrast image (enhance intensity differences in image)
convolve
size_t order_, const double *kernel_ Convolve image.  Applies a user-specfied convolution to the image. The order_ parameter represents the number of columns and rows in the filter kernel, and kernel_ is a two-dimensional array of doubles representing the convolution kernel to apply.
crop
const Geometry &geometry_ Crop image (subregion of original image)
cycleColormap
int amount_ Cycle image colormap
despeckle
void Despeckle image (reduce speckle noise)
display
void Display image on screen.
Caution: if an image format is not compatible with the display visual (e.g. JPEG on a colormapped display) then the original image will be altered. Use a copy of the original if this is a problem.
distort
const DistortImageMethod method, const size_t number_arguments, const double *arguments, const bool bestfit = false Distort image.  Applies a user-specfied distortion to the image.
draw
const Drawable &drawable_ Draw shape or text on image.
const std::list<Drawable > &drawable_ Draw shapes or text on image using a set of Drawable objects contained in an STL list. Use of this method improves drawing performance and allows batching draw objects together in a list for repeated use.
edge
size_t radius_ = 0.0 Edge image (hilight edges in image).  The radius is the radius of the pixel neighborhood.. Specify a radius of zero for automatic radius selection.
emboss
const double radius_ = 1, const double sigma_ = 0.5 Emboss image (hilight edges with 3D effect). The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel.  The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Laplacian, in pixels.
enhance
void Enhance image (minimize noise)
equalize
void Equalize image (histogram equalization)
erase
void Set all image pixels to the current background color.
extent
const Geometry &geometry_ extends the image as defined by the geometry, gravity, and image background color.
const Geometry &geometry_, const Color &backgroundColor_
const Geometry &geometry_, const GravityType &gravity_ extends the image as defined by the geometry, gravity, and image background color.
const Geometry &geometry_, const Color &backgroundColor_, const GravityType &gravity_
flip
void Flip image (reflect each scanline in the vertical direction)
floodFill-
Color
ssize_t x_, ssize_t y_, const Color &fillColor_ Flood-fill color across pixels that match the color of the target pixel and are neighbors of the target pixel. Uses current fuzz setting when determining color match.
const Geometry &point_, const Color &fillColor_
ssize_t x_, ssize_t y_, const Color &fillColor_, const Color &borderColor_ Flood-fill color across pixels starting at target-pixel and stopping at pixels matching specified border color. Uses current fuzz setting when determining color match.
const Geometry &point_, const Color &fillColor_, const Color &borderColor_
floodFillOpacity const long x_, const long y_, const unsigned int opacity_, const PaintMethod method_ Floodfill pixels matching color (within fuzz factor) of target pixel(x,y) with replacement opacity value using method.
floodFill-
Texture
ssize_t x_, ssize_t y_,  const Image &texture_ Flood-fill texture across pixels that match the color of the target pixel and are neighbors of the target pixel. Uses current fuzz setting when determining color match.
const Geometry &point_, const Image &texture_
ssize_t x_, ssize_t y_, const Image &texture_, const Color &borderColor_ Flood-fill texture across pixels starting at target-pixel and stopping at pixels matching specified border color. Uses current fuzz setting when determining color match.
const Geometry &point_, const Image &texture_, const Color &borderColor_
flop
void  Flop image (reflect each scanline in the horizontal direction)
frame
const Geometry &geometry_ = "25x25+6+6" Add decorative frame around image
size_t width_, size_t height_, ssize_t x_, ssize_t y_, ssize_t innerBevel_ = 0, ssize_t outerBevel_ = 0
fx
const std::string expression, const Magick::ChannelType channel Fx image.  Applies a mathematical expression to the image.
gamma
double gamma_ Gamma correct image (uniform red, green, and blue correction).
double gammaRed_, double gammaGreen_, double gammaBlue_ Gamma correct red, green, and blue channels of image.
gaussianBlur
const double width_, const double sigma_ Gaussian blur image. The number of neighbor pixels to be included in the convolution mask is specified by 'width_'.  For example, a width of one gives a (standard) 3x3 convolution mask. The standard deviation of the gaussian bell curve is specified by 'sigma_'.
gaussianBlurChannel
const ChannelType channel_, const double radius_ = 0.0, const double sigma_ = 1.0
Gaussian blur an image channel. The channel_ parameter specifies the channel to blur. The number of neighbor pixels to be included in the convolution mask is specified by 'width_'.  For example, a width of one gives a (standard) 3x3 convolution mask. The standard deviation of the gaussian bell curve is specified by 'sigma_'.
haldClut
const Image &reference_
apply a Hald color lookup table to the image.
implode
const double factor_ Implode image (special effect)
inverseFourierTransform
const Image &phaseImage_, const bool magnitude_ implements the inverse discrete Fourier transform (DFT) of the image either as a magnitude / phase or real / imaginary image pair.
label
const string &label_ Assign a label to an image. Use this option to  assign  a  specific label to the image. Optionally you can include the image filename, type, width, height, or scene number in the label by embedding  special format characters. If the first character of string is @, the image label is read from a file titled by the remaining characters in the string. When converting to Postscript, use this  option to specify a header string to print above the image.
level
const double black_point, const double white_point, const double mid_point=1.0
Level image. Adjust the levels of the image by scaling the colors falling between specified white and black points to the full available quantum range. The parameters provided represent the black, mid (gamma), and white points.  The black point specifies the darkest color in the image. Colors darker than the black point are set to zero. Mid point (gamma) specifies a gamma correction to apply to the image. White point specifies the lightest color in the image.  Colors brighter than the white point are set to the maximum quantum value. The black and white point have the valid range 0 to MaxRGB while mid (gamma) has a useful range of 0 to ten.
levelChannel
const ChannelType channel, const double black_point, const double white_point, const double mid_point=1.0
Level image channel. Adjust the levels of the image channel by scaling the values falling between specified white and black points to the full available quantum range. The parameters provided represent the black, mid (gamma), and white points. The black point specifies the darkest color in the image. Colors darker than the black point are set to zero. Mid point (gamma) specifies a gamma correction to apply to the image. White point specifies the lightest color in the image. Colors brighter than the white point are set to the maximum quantum value. The black and white point have the valid range 0 to MaxRGB while mid (gamma) has a useful range of 0 to ten.
magnify
void Magnify image by integral size
map
const Image &mapImage_ , bool dither_ = false Remap image colors with closest color from reference image. Set dither_ to true in to apply Floyd/Steinberg error diffusion to the image. By default, color reduction chooses an optimal  set  of colors that best represent the original image. Alternatively, you can  choose  a  particular  set  of colors  from  an image file with this option.
floodFillAlpha
const ssize_t x_, const ssize_t, const unsigned int  alpha_, const Color &target_, const bool invert_ Floodfill designated area with a replacement alpha value.
medianFilter const double radius_ = 0.0 Filter image by replacing each pixel component with the median color in a circular neighborhood
mergeLayers
LayerMethod noiseType_ handle multiple images forming a set of image layers or animation frames.
minify
void Reduce image by integral size
modifyImage void Prepare to update image. Ensures that there is only one reference to the underlying image so that the underlying image may be safely modified without effecting previous generations of the image. Copies the underlying image to a new image if necessary.
modulate
double brightness_, double saturation_, double hue_ Modulate percent hue, saturation, and brightness of an image. Modulation of saturation and brightness is as a ratio of the current value (1.0 for no change). Modulation of hue is an absolute rotation of -180 degrees to +180 degrees from the current position corresponding to an argument range of 0 to 2.0 (1.0 for no change).
motionBlur
const double radius_, const double sigma_, const double angle_
Motion blur image with specified blur factor. The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel.  The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Laplacian, in pixels. The angle_ parameter specifies the angle the object appears to be comming from (zero degrees is from the right).
negate
bool grayscale_ = false Negate colors in image.  Replace every pixel with its complementary color (white becomes black, yellow becomes blue, etc.).  Set grayscale to only negate grayscale values in image.
normalize
void Normalize image (increase contrast by normalizing the pixel values to span the full range of color values).
oilPaint
size_t radius_ = 3 Oilpaint image (image looks like oil painting)
opacity
unsigned int opacity_ Set or attenuate the opacity channel in the image. If the image pixels are opaque then they are set to the specified opacity value, otherwise they are blended with the supplied opacity value.  The value of opacity_ ranges from 0 (completely opaque) to MaxRGB . The defines OpaqueOpacity and TransparentOpacity are available to specify completely opaque or completely transparent, respectively.
opaque
const Color &opaqueColor_, const Color &penColor_ Change color of pixels matching opaqueColor_ to specified penColor_.
ping
const std::string &imageSpec_ Ping is similar to read except only enough of the image is read to determine the image columns, rows, and filesize.  The columns , rows , and fileSize attributes are valid after invoking ping.  The image data is not valid after calling ping.
const Blob &blob_
process
std::string name_, const ssize_t argc_, char **argv_
Execute the named process module, passing any arguments via an argument vector, with argc_ specifying the number of arguments in the vector, and argv_ passing the address of an array of null-terminated C strings which constitute the argument vector. An exception is thrown if the requested process module does not exist, fails to load, or fails during execution.
quantize
bool measureError_ = false Quantize image (reduce number of colors). Set measureError_ to true in order to calculate error attributes.
raise
const Geometry &geometry_ = "6x6+0+0",  bool raisedFlag_ =  false Raise image (lighten or darken the edges of an image to give a 3-D raised or lowered effect)
read
const string &imageSpec_ Read image into current object
const Geometry &size_, const std::string &imageSpec_ Read image of specified size into current object. This form is useful for images that do not specifiy their size or to specify a size hint for decoding an image. For example, when reading a Photo CD, JBIG, or JPEG image, a size request causes the library to return an image which is the next resolution greater or equal to the specified size. This may result in memory and time savings.
const Blob &blob_ Read encoded image of specified size from an in-memory BLOB into current object. Depending on the method arguments, the Blob size, depth, and format may also be specified. Some image formats require that size be specified. The default ImageMagick uses for depth depends on its Quantum size (8 or 16).  If ImageMagick's Quantum size does not match that of the image, the depth may need to be specified. ImageMagick can usually automagically detect the image's format. When a format can't be automagically detected, the format must be specified.
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size_
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size_, size_t depth_
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size_, size_t depth_, const string &magick_ 
const Blob &blob_, const Geometry &size_, const string &magick_
const size_t width_, const size_t height_, std::string map_, const StorageType type_, const void *pixels_ Read image based on an array of image pixels. The pixel data must be in scanline order top-to-bottom. The data can be character, short int, integer, float, or double. Float and double require the pixels to be normalized [0..1]. The other types are [0..MaxRGB].  For example, to create a 640x480 image from unsigned red-green-blue character data, use

  image.read( 640, 480, "RGB", CharPixel, pixels );

The parameters are as follows:
 

width_ Width in pixels of the image.
height_ Height in pixels of the image.
map_ This character string can be any combination or order of R = red, G = green, B = blue, A = alpha, C = cyan, Y = yellow M = magenta, and K = black. The ordering reflects the order of the pixels in the supplied pixel array.
type_ Pixel storage type (CharPixel, ShortPixel, IntegerPixel, FloatPixel, or DoublePixel)
pixels_ This array of values contain the pixel components as defined by the map_ and type_ parameters. The length of the arrays must equal the area specified by the width_ and height_ values and type_ parameters.
reduceNoise
const double order_ reduce noise in image using a noise peak elimination filter.
randomThreshold
const Geometry &thresholds_
Random threshold the image. Changes the value of individual pixels based on the intensity of each pixel compared to a random threshold. The result is a low-contrast, two color image. The thresholds_ argument is a geometry containing LOWxHIGH thresholds. If the string contains 2x2, 3x3, or 4x4, then an ordered dither of order 2, 3, or 4 will be performed instead. This is a very fast alternative to 'quantize' based dithering.
randomThresholdChannel
const Geometry &thresholds_, const ChannelType channel_
Random threshold an image channel. Similar to randomThreshold() but restricted to the specified channel.
roll
int columns_, ssize_t rows_ Roll image (rolls image vertically and horizontally) by specified number of columnms and rows)
rotate
double degrees_ Rotate image counter-clockwise by specified number of degrees.
sample
const Geometry &geometry_  Resize image by using pixel sampling algorithm
scale
const Geometry &geometry_ Resize image by using simple ratio algorithm
segment
double clusterThreshold_ = 1.0,
double smoothingThreshold_ = 1.5
Segment (coalesce similar image components) by analyzing the histograms of the color components and identifying units that are homogeneous with the fuzzy c-means technique. Also uses quantizeColorSpace and verbose image attributes. Specify clusterThreshold_ , as the number  of  pixels  each cluster  must exceed the cluster threshold to be considered valid. SmoothingThreshold_ eliminates noise in the  second derivative of the histogram. As the value is  increased, you can  expect  a  smoother second derivative.  The default is 1.5.
shade
double azimuth_ = 30, double elevation_ = 30,
bool colorShading_ = false
Shade image using distant light source. Specify azimuth_ and elevation_ as the  position  of  the light source. By default, the shading results as a grayscale image.. Set colorShading_ to true to shade the red, green, and blue components of the image.
shadow
const double percent_opacity = 80, const double sigma_ = 0.5, const ssize_t x_ = 0, const ssize_t y_ = 0 simulate an image shadow
sharpen
const double radius_ = 1, const double sigma_ = 0.5 Sharpen pixels in image.  The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel.  The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Laplacian, in pixels.
sharpenChannel
const ChannelType channel_, const double radius_ = 0.0, const double sigma_ = 1.0
Sharpen pixel quantums in an image channel  The channel_ parameter specifies the channel to sharpen..  The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel.  The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Laplacian, in pixels.
shave
const Geometry &geometry_ Shave pixels from image edges.
shear
double xShearAngle_, double yShearAngle_ Shear image (create parallelogram by sliding image by X or Y axis).  Shearing slides one edge of an image along the X  or  Y axis,  creating  a parallelogram.  An X direction shear slides an edge along the X axis, while  a  Y  direction shear  slides  an edge along the Y axis.  The amount of the shear is controlled by a shear angle.  For X direction  shears,  x  degrees is measured relative to the Y axis, and similarly, for Y direction shears  y  degrees is measured relative to the X axis. Empty triangles left over from shearing the  image  are filled  with  the  color  defined as borderColor
solarize
double factor_ = 50.0 Solarize image (similar to effect seen when exposing a photographic film to light during the development process)
splice
const Geometry &geometry_ splice the background color into the image
spread
size_t amount_ = 3 Spread pixels randomly within image by specified amount
stegano
const Image &watermark_ Add a digital watermark to the image (based on second image)
sparseColor
const ChannelType channel, const SparseColorMethod method, const size_t number_arguments, const double *arguments Sparse color image, given a set of coordinates, interpolates the colors found at those coordinates, across the whole image, using various methods.
statistics
ImageStatistics *statistics Obtain image statistics. Statistics are normalized to the range of 0.0 to 1.0 and are output to the specified ImageStatistics structure. The structure includes members maximum, minimum, mean, standard_deviation, and variance for each of these channels: red, green, blue, and opacity (e.g. statistics->red.maximum).
stereo
const Image &rightImage_ Create an image which appears in stereo when viewed with red-blue glasses (Red image on left, blue on right)
swirl
double degrees_ Swirl image (image pixels are rotated by degrees)
texture
const Image &texture_ Layer a texture on pixels matching image background color.
threshold
double threshold_ Threshold image
transform
const Geometry &imageGeometry_ Transform image based on image and crop geometries. Crop geometry is optional.
const Geometry &imageGeometry_, const Geometry &cropGeometry_ 
transparent
const Color &color_ Add alpha image to image, setting pixels matching color to transparent.
trim
void Trim edges that are the background color from the image.
unsharpmask
double radius_, double sigma_, double amount_, double threshold_ Sharpen the image using the unsharp mask algorithm. The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel. The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Gaussian, in pixels. The amount_ parameter specifies the percentage of the difference between the original and the blur image that is added back into the original. The threshold_ parameter specifies the threshold in pixels needed to apply the diffence amount.
unsharpmaskChannel
const ChannelType channel_, const double radius_, const double sigma_, const double amount_, const double threshold_
Sharpen an image channel using the unsharp mask algorithm. The channel_ parameter specifies the channel to sharpen. The radius_ parameter specifies the radius of the Gaussian, in pixels, not counting the center pixel. The sigma_ parameter specifies the standard deviation of the Gaussian, in pixels. The amount_ parameter specifies the percentage of the difference between the original and the blur image that is added back into the original. The threshold_ parameter specifies the threshold in pixels needed to apply the diffence amount.
wave
double amplitude_ = 25.0, double wavelength_ = 150.0 Alter an image along a sine wave.
write
const string &imageSpec_ Write image to a file using filename imageSpec_ .
Caution: if an image format is selected which is capable of supporting fewer colors than the original image or quantization has been requested, the original image will be quantized to fewer colors. Use a copy of the original if this is a problem.
Blob *blob_ Write image to a in-memory BLOB stored in blob_. The magick_ parameter specifies the image format to write (defaults to magick ). The depth_ parameter species the image depth (defaults to depth ).
Caution: if an image format is selected which is capable of supporting fewer colors than the original image or quantization has been requested, the original image will be quantized to fewer colors. Use a copy of the original if this is a problem.
Blob *blob_, std::string &magick_
Blob *blob_, std::string &magick_, size_t depth_
const ssize_t x_, const ssize_t y_, const size_t columns_, const size_t rows_, const std::string &map_, const StorageType type_, void *pixels_ Write pixel data into a buffer you supply. The data is saved either as char, short int, integer, float or double format in the order specified by the type_ parameter. For example, we want to extract scanline 1 of a 640x480 image as character data in red-green-blue order:

  image.write(0,0,640,1,"RGB",0,pixels);

The parameters are as follows:
 

x_ Horizontal ordinate of left-most coordinate of region to extract.
y_ Vertical ordinate of top-most coordinate of region to extract.
columns_ Width in pixels of the region to extract.
rows_ Height in pixels of the region to extract.
map_ This character string can be any combination or order of R = red, G = green, B = blue, A = alpha, C = cyan, Y = yellow, M = magenta, and K = black. The ordering reflects the order of the pixels in the supplied pixel array.
type_ Pixel storage type (CharPixel, ShortPixel, IntegerPixel, FloatPixel, or DoublePixel)
pixels_ This array of values contain the pixel components as defined by the map_ and type_ parameters. The length of the arrays must equal the area specified by the width_ and height_ values and type_ parameters.
resize
const Geometry &geometry_ Resize image to specified size.

Image Attributes

Image attributes are set and obtained via methods in Image. Except for methods which accept pointer arguments (e.g. chromaBluePrimary) all methods return attributes by value.

Image attributes are easily used. For example, to set the resolution of the TIFF file "file.tiff" to 150 dots-per-inch (DPI) in both the horizontal and vertical directions, you can use the following example code:

string filename("file.tiff"); 
Image image; 
image.read(filename); 
image.resolutionUnits(PixelsPerInchResolution); 
image.density(Geometry(150,150));   // could also use image.density("150x150") 
image.write(filename)
The supported image attributes and the method arguments required to obtain them are shown in the following table:
 
Image Attributes
Function
Type
Get Signature
Set Signature
Description
adjoin
bool void bool flag_ Join images into a single multi-image file.
antiAlias
bool void bool flag_ Control antialiasing of rendered Postscript and Postscript or TrueType fonts. Enabled by default.
animation-
Delay
size_t (0 to 65535) void size_t delay_ Time in 1/100ths of a second (0 to 65535) which must expire before displaying the next image in an animated sequence. This option is useful for regulating the animation of a sequence  of GIF images within Netscape.
animation-
Iterations
size_t void size_t iterations_ Number of iterations to loop an animation (e.g. Netscape loop extension) for.
attribute
string
const std::string name_
const std::string name_, const std::string value_ An arbitrary named image attribute. Any number of named attributes may be attached to the image. For example, the image comment is a named image attribute with the name "comment". EXIF tags are attached to the image as named attributes. Use the syntax "EXIF:<tag>" to request an EXIF tag similar to "EXIF:DateTime".
background-
Color
Color void const Color &color_ Image background color
background-
Texture
string void const string &texture_ Image file name to use as the background texture. Does not modify image pixels.
baseColumns
size_t void   Base image width (before transformations)
baseFilename
string void   Base image filename (before transformations)
baseRows
size_t void   Base image height (before transformations)
borderColor
Color void  const Color &color_ Image border color
boundingBox
Geometry void   Return smallest bounding box enclosing non-border pixels. The current fuzz value is used when discriminating between pixels. This is the crop bounding box used by crop(Geometry(0,0)).
boxColor
Color void const Color &boxColor_ Base color that annotation text is rendered on.
cacheThreshold size_t   const size_t Pixel cache threshold in bytes. Once this threshold is exceeded, all subsequent pixels cache operations are to/from disk. This is a static method and the attribute it sets is shared by all Image objects.
channelDepth
size_t
const ChannelType channel_
const ChannelType channel_, const size_t depth_
Channel modulus depth. The channel modulus depth represents the minimum number of bits required to support the channel without loss. Setting the channel's modulus depth modifies the channel (i.e. discards resolution) if the requested modulus depth is less than the current modulus depth, otherwise the channel is not altered. There is no attribute associated with the modulus depth so the current modulus depth is obtained by inspecting the pixels. As a result, the depth returned may be less than the most recently set channel depth. Subsequent image processing may result in increasing the channel depth.
channels
size_t   const size_t NUmber of pixel channels.
chroma-
BluePrimary
double x & y double *x_, double *y_ double x_, double y_ Chromaticity blue primary point (e.g. x=0.15, y=0.06)
chroma-
GreenPrimary
double x & y double *x_, double *y_ double x_, double y_ Chromaticity green primary point (e.g. x=0.3, y=0.6)
chroma-
RedPrimary
double x & y double *x_, double *y_ double x_, double y_ Chromaticity red primary point (e.g. x=0.64, y=0.33)
chroma-
WhitePoint
double x & y double*x_, double *y_ double x_, double y_ Chromaticity white point (e.g. x=0.3127, y=0.329)
classType
ClassType void  ClassType class_ Image storage class.  Note that conversion from a DirectClass image to a PseudoClass image may result in a loss of color due to the limited size of the palette (256 or 65535 colors).
clipMask
Image void const Image &clipMask_ Associate a clip mask image with the current image. The clip mask image must have the same dimensions as the current image or an exception is thrown. Clipping occurs wherever pixels are transparent in the clip mask image. Clipping Pass an invalid image to unset an existing clip mask.
colorFuzz
double void double fuzz_ Colors within this distance are considered equal. A number of algorithms search for a target  color. By default the color must be exact. Use this option to match colors that are close to the target color in RGB space.
colorMap
Color size_t index_ size_t index_, const Color &color_ Color at colormap index.
colorMapSize
size_t
void
size_t entries_
Number of entries in the colormap. Setting the colormap size may extend or truncate the colormap. The maximum number of supported entries is specified by the MaxColormapSizeconstant, and is dependent on the value of QuantumDepth when ImageMagick is compiled. An exception is thrown if more entries are requested than may be supported. Care should be taken when truncating the colormap to ensure that the image colormap indexes reference valid colormap entries.
colorSpace
ColorspaceType colorSpace_ void ColorspaceType colorSpace_ The colorspace (e.g. CMYK) used to represent the image pixel colors. Image pixels are always stored as RGB(A) except for the case of CMY(K).
columns
size_t void   Image width
comment
string void   Image comment
compose
CompositeOperator void CompositeOperator compose_ Composition operator to be used when composition is implicitly used (such as for image flattening).
compress-
Type
CompressionType void CompressionType compressType_ Image compresion type. The default is the compression type of the specified image file.
debug
bool void bool flag_ Enable printing of internal debug messages from ImageMagick as it executes.
defineValue
string
const std::string &magick_, const std::string &key_
const std::string &magick_, const std::string &key_,  const std::string &value_
Set or obtain a definition string to applied when encoding or decoding the specified format. The meanings of the definitions are format specific. The format is designated by the magick_ argument, the format-specific key is designated by key_, and the associated value is specified by value_. See the defineSet() method if the key must be removed entirely.
defineSet
bool
const std::string &magick_, const std::string &key_
const std::string &magick_, const std::string &key_, bool flag_
Set or obtain a definition flag to applied when encoding or decoding the specified format. . Similar to the defineValue() method except that passing the flag_ value 'true' creates a value-less define with that format and key. Passing the flag_ value 'false' removes any existing matching definition. The method returns 'true' if a matching key exists, and 'false' if no matching key exists.
density
Geometry   (default 72x72) void const Geometry &density_ Vertical and horizontal resolution in pixels of the image. This option specifies an image density when decoding a Postscript or Portable Document page. Often used with psPageSize.
depth
 size_t (8-32) void size_t depth_ Image depth. Used to specify the bit depth when reading or writing  raw images or when the output format supports multiple depths. Defaults to the quantum depth that ImageMagick is compiled with.
endian
EndianType void EndianType endian_ Specify (or obtain) endian option for formats which support it.
directory
string void   Tile names from within an image montage
file
FILE * FILE * FILE *file_ Image file descriptor.
fileName
string void const string &fileName_ Image file name.
fileSize
off_t void   Number of bytes of the image on disk
fillColor
Color void const Color &fillColor_ Color to use when filling drawn objects
fillPattern
Image void const Image &fillPattern_ Pattern image to use when filling drawn objects.
fillRule
FillRule void const Magick::FillRule &fillRule_ Rule to use when filling drawn objects.
filterType
FilterTypes void FilterTypes filterType_ Filter to use when resizing image. The reduction filter employed has a sigificant effect on the time required to resize an image and the resulting quality. The default filter is Lanczos which has been shown to produce high quality results when reducing most images.
font
string void const string &font_ Text rendering font. If the font is a fully qualified X server font name, the font is obtained from an X  server. To use a TrueType font, precede the TrueType filename with an @. Otherwise, specify  a  Postscript font name (e.g. "helvetica").
fontPointsize
size_t void size_t pointSize_ Text rendering font point size
fontTypeMetrics
TypeMetric const std::string &text_, TypeMetric *metrics   Update metrics with font type metrics using specified text, and current font and fontPointSize settings.
format
string void   Long form image format description.
gamma
double (typical range 0.8 to 2.3) void   Gamma level of the image. The same color image displayed on two different  workstations  may  look  different due to differences in the display monitor.  Use gamma correction  to  adjust  for this  color  difference.
geometry
Geometry void   Preferred size of the image when encoding.
gifDispose-
Method
size_t
{ 0 = Disposal not specified,
1 = Do not dispose of graphic,
3 = Overwrite graphic with background color,
4 = Overwrite graphic with previous graphic. }
void size_t disposeMethod_ GIF disposal method. This option is used to control how successive frames are rendered (how the preceding frame is disposed of) when creating a GIF animation.
iccColorProfile
Blob void const Blob &colorProfile_ ICC color profile. Supplied via a Blob since Magick++/ and ImageMagick do not currently support formating this data structure directly.  Specifications are available from the International Color Consortium for the format of ICC color profiles.
interlace-
Type
InterlaceType void InterlaceType interlace_ The type of interlacing scheme (default NoInterlace ). This option is used to specify the type of  interlacing scheme  for  raw  image formats such as RGB or YUV. NoInterlace means do not  interlace, LineInterlace uses scanline interlacing, and PlaneInterlace uses plane interlacing. PartitionInterlace is like PlaneInterlace except the  different planes  are saved  to individual files (e.g.  image.R, image.G, and image.B). Use LineInterlace or PlaneInterlace to create an interlaced GIF or progressive JPEG image.
iptcProfile
Blob void const Blob & iptcProfile_ IPTC profile. Supplied via a Blob since Magick++ and ImageMagick do not currently  support formating this data structure directly. Specifications are available from the International Press Telecommunications Council for IPTC profiles.
label
string void const string &label_ Image label
magick
string void  const string &magick_ Get image format (e.g. "GIF")
alpha
const bool void const bool alphaFlag_ Image supports transparency (alpha channel)
matteColor
Color void const Color &matteColor_ Image matte (frame) color
meanError-
PerPixel
double void   The mean error per pixel computed when an image is color reduced. This parameter is only valid if verbose is set to true and the image has just been quantized.
modulusDepth
size_t
void
size_t depth_
Image modulus depth (minimum number of bits required to support red/green/blue components without loss of accuracy). The pixel modulus depth may be decreased by supplying a value which is less than the current value, updating the pixels (reducing accuracy) to the new depth. The pixel modulus depth can not be increased over the current value using this method.
monochrome
bool void bool flag_ Transform the image to black and white
montage-
Geometry
Geometry void   Tile size and offset within an image montage. Only valid for montage images.
normalized-
MaxError
double void   The normalized max error per pixel computed when an image is color reduced. This parameter is only valid if verbose is set to true and the image has just been quantized.
normalized-
MeanError
double void   The normalized mean error per pixel computed when an image is color reduced. This parameter is only valid if verbose is set to true and the image has just been quantized.
orientation
OrientationType void
OrientationType orientation_ Image orientation.  Supported by some file formats such as DPX and TIFF. Useful for turning the right way up.
packets
size_t void   The number of runlength-encoded packets in
the image
packetSize
size_t void   The number of bytes in each pixel packet
page
Geometry void const Geometry &pageSize_ Preferred size and location of an image canvas.

Use this option to specify the dimensions and position of the Postscript page in dots per inch or a TEXT page in pixels. This option is typically used in concert with density .

Page may also be used to position a GIF image (such as for a scene in an animation)

pixelColor
Color ssize_t x_, ssize_t y_ ssize_t x_, ssize_t y_, const Color &color_ Get/set pixel color at location x & y.
profile
Blob
const std::string name_
const std::string name_, const Blob &colorProfile_
Get/set/remove a named profile . Valid names include "*", "8BIM", "ICM", "IPTC", or a user/format-defined profile name.
quality
size_t (0 to 100) void size_t quality_ JPEG/MIFF/PNG compression level (default 75).
quantize-
Colors
size_t void size_t colors_ Preferred number of colors in the image. The actual number of colors in the image may be less than your request, but never more. Images with less unique colors than specified with this option will have any duplicate or unused colors removed.
quantize-
ColorSpace
ColorspaceType void ColorspaceType colorSpace_ Colorspace to quantize colors in (default RGB). Empirical evidence suggests that distances in color spaces such as YUV or YIQ correspond to perceptual color differences more closely than do distances in RGB space. These color spaces may give better results when color reducing an image.
quantize-
Dither
bool void bool flag_ Apply Floyd/Steinberg error diffusion to the image. The basic strategy of dithering is to  trade  intensity resolution  for  spatial  resolution  by  averaging the intensities  of  several  neighboring  pixels. Images which  suffer  from  severe  contouring  when  reducing colors can be improved with this option. The quantizeColors or monochrome option must be set for this option to take effect.
quantize-
TreeDepth
size_t  void size_t treeDepth_ Depth of the quantization color classification tree. Values of 0 or 1 allow selection of the optimal tree depth for the color reduction algorithm. Values between 2 and 8 may be used to manually adjust the tree depth.
rendering-
Intent
RenderingIntent void RenderingIntent render_ The type of rendering intent
resolution-
Units
ResolutionType void ResolutionType units_ Units of image resolution
rows
size_t void   The number of pixel rows in the image
scene
size_t void size_t scene_ Image scene number
signature
string bool force_ = false   Image MD5 signature. Set force_ to 'true' to force re-computation of signature.
size
Geometry void const Geometry &geometry_ Width and height of a raw image (an image which does not support width and height information).  Size may also be used to affect the image size read from a multi-resolution format (e.g. Photo CD, JBIG, or JPEG.
strip
void strips an image of all profiles and comments.
strokeAntiAlias
bool void bool flag_ Enable or disable anti-aliasing when drawing object outlines.
strokeColor
Color void const Color &strokeColor_ Color to use when drawing object outlines
strokeDashOffset
size_t void double strokeDashOffset_ While drawing using a dash pattern, specify distance into the dash pattern to start the dash (default 0).
strokeDashArray
const double* void const double* strokeDashArray_ Specify the pattern of dashes and gaps used to stroke paths. The strokeDashArray represents a zero-terminated array of numbers that specify the lengths (in pixels) of alternating dashes and gaps in user units. If an odd number of values is provided, then the list of values is repeated to yield an even number of values.  A typical strokeDashArray_ array might contain the members 5 3 2 0, where the zero value indicates the end of the pattern array.
strokeLineCap
LineCap void LineCap lineCap_ Specify the shape to be used at the corners of paths (or other vector shapes) when they are stroked. Values of LineJoin are UndefinedJoin, MiterJoin, RoundJoin, and BevelJoin.
strokeLineJoin
LineJoin void LineJoin lineJoin_ Specify the shape to be used at the corners of paths (or other vector shapes) when they are stroked. Values of LineJoin are UndefinedJoin, MiterJoin, RoundJoin, and BevelJoin.
strokeMiterLimit
size_t void size_t miterLimit_ Specify miter limit. When two line segments meet at a sharp angle and miter joins have been specified for 'lineJoin', it is possible for the miter to extend far beyond the thickness of the line stroking the path. The miterLimit' imposes a limit on the ratio of the miter length to the 'lineWidth'. The default value of this parameter is 4.
strokeWidth
double void double strokeWidth_ Stroke width for use when drawing vector objects (default one)
strokePattern
Image void const Image &strokePattern_ Pattern image to use while drawing object stroke (outlines).
subImage
size_t void size_t subImage_ Subimage of an image sequence
subRange
size_t void size_t subRange_ Number of images relative to the base image
textEncoding
string
void
const std::string &encoding_
Specify the code set to use for text annotations. The only character encoding which may be specified at this time is "UTF-8" for representing Unicode as a sequence of bytes. Specify an empty string to use the default ASCII encoding. Successful text annotation using Unicode may require fonts designed to support Unicode.
tileName
string void const string &tileName_ Tile name
totalColors
size_t void   Number of colors in the image
type
ImageType void ImageType Image type.
verbose
bool void bool verboseFlag_ Print detailed information about the image
view
string void const string &view_ FlashPix viewing parameters.
virtualPixelMethod
VirtualPixelMethod void VirtualPixelMethod virtualPixelMethod_ Image virtual pixel method.
x11Display
string (e.g. "hostname:0.0") void const string &display_ X11 display to display to, obtain fonts from, or to capture image from
xResolution
double void   x resolution of the image
yResolution
double void   y resolution of the image

Low-Level Image Pixel Access

Image pixels (of type Quantum ) may be accessed directly via the Image Pixel Cache .  The image pixel cache is a rectangular window into the actual image pixels (which may be in memory, memory-mapped from a disk file, or entirely on disk). Two interfaces exist to access the Image Pixel Cache. The interface described here (part of the Image class) supports only one view at a time. See the Pixels class for a more abstract interface which supports simultaneous pixel views (up to the number of rows). As an analogy, the interface described here relates to the Pixels class as stdio's gets() relates to fgets(). The Pixels class provides the more general form of the interface.

Obtain existing image pixels via getPixels(). Create a new pixel region using setPixels().

In order to ensure that only the current generation of the image is modified, the Image's modifyImage() method should be invoked to reduce the reference count on the underlying image to one. If this is not done, then it is possible for a previous generation of the image to be modified due to the use of reference counting when copying or constructing an Image.

Depending on the capabilities of the operating system, and the relationship of the window to the image, the pixel cache may be a copy of the pixels in the selected window, or it may be the actual image pixels. In any case calling syncPixels() insures that the base image is updated with the contents of the modified pixel cache. The method readPixels() supports copying foreign pixel data formats into the pixel cache according to the QuantumTypes. The method writePixels() supports copying the pixels in the cache to a foreign pixel representation according to the format specified by QuantumTypes.

The pixel region is effectively a small image in which the pixels may be accessed, addressed, and updated, as shown in the following example:

cache

Image image("cow.png"); 
// Ensure that there are no other references to this image.
image.modifyImage();
// Set the image type to TrueColor DirectClass representation.
image.type(TrueColorType);
// Request pixel region with size 60x40, and top origin at 20x30 
ssize_t columns = 60; 
Quantum *pixel_cache = image.getPixels(20,30,columns,40); 
// Set pixel at column 5, and row 10 in the pixel cache to red. 
ssize_t column = 5; 
ssize_t row = 10; 
Quantum *pixel = pixel_cache+row*columns+column; 
*pixel = Color("red"); 
// Save changes to underlying image .
image.syncPixels();
  // Save updated image to file.
image.write("horse.png");

The image cache supports the following methods:
 

Image Cache Methods
Method
Returns
Signature
Description
getConstPixels
const Quantum * const ssize_t x_, const ssize_t y_, const size_t columns_, const size_t rows_ Transfers pixels from the image to the pixel cache as defined by the specified rectangular region.  The returned pointer remains valid until the next getPixel, getConstPixels, or setPixels call and should never be deallocated by the user.
getConstMetacontent
const void* void Returns a pointer to the Image pixel meta-content corresponding to a previous getPixel(), getConstPixels(), or setPixels() call.   The returned pointer remains valid until the next getPixel, getConstPixels, or setPixels call and should never be deallocated by the user. The pixel meta-content represent an array of type void, with each entry corresponding to an x,y pixel position.
getMetacontent
void* void Returns a pointer to the Image pixel meta-content corresponding to the pixel region requested by the last getConstPixels , getPixels , or setPixels call. The returned pointer remains valid until the next getPixel, getConstPixels, or setPixels call and should never be deallocated by the user.
getPixels
Quantum * const ssize_t x_, const ssize_t y_, const size_t columns_, const size_t rows_ Transfers pixels from the image to the pixel cache as defined by the specified rectangular region. Modified pixels may be subsequently transferred back to the image via syncPixels. The returned pointer remains valid until the next getPixel, getConstPixels(), or setPixels() call and should never be deallocated by the user.
setPixels
Quantum * const ssize_t x_, const ssize_t y_, const size_t columns_, const size_t rows_ Allocates a pixel cache region to store image pixels as defined by the region rectangle.  This area is subsequently transferred from the pixel cache to the image via syncPixels.  The returned pointer remains valid until the next getPixel, getConstPixels, or setPixels call and should never be deallocated by the user.
syncPixels
void void Transfers the image cache pixels to the image.
readPixels
void QuantumTypes quantum_, unsigned char *source_, Transfers one or more pixel components from a buffer or file into the image pixel cache of an image. ReadPixels is typically used to support image decoders. The region transferred corresponds to the region set by a preceding setPixels call.
writePixels
void QuantumTypes quantum_, unsigned char *destination_ Transfers one or more pixel components from the image pixel cache to a buffer or file. WritePixels is typically used to support image encoders. The region transferred corresponds to the region set by a preceding getPixels or getConstPixels call.