ASCII-Block

ASCII-Block

by

Transform text into stunning binary art with ease.

Pitch

ASCII-Block is a Python script that converts text into binary art using a customizable font. By rendering the text onto a Pillow canvas, this tool creates a character grid where each character represents the text or fills the background. Perfect for creating unique visual representations of text, with flexible options for output.

Description

ASCII-Block is a powerful Python script designed to transform text into stunning binary art using real fonts. Each character in the output represents a pixel drawn on a Pillow canvas, providing a unique aesthetic for textual representation.

Key Features

Customizable Output: Specify output dimensions, foreground and background characters, and even padding to shape the presentation.
Font Integration: Utilizes your system's TrueType or OpenType fonts, with support for auto-detection of common fonts like DejaVu Sans Bold and Helvetica.
ANSI Escape Codes: Enables colored terminal output through ANSI escape codes for both foreground and background characters.
Multiple Output Formats: Options to generate outputs as plain text or SVG, making it versatile for various applications.

Requirements

Python version 3.10 or higher
Pillow library installed via pip

Usage

To run the script, use the command:

python generate.py [options] [TEXT]

Where the default TEXT is set to CODE.

Options

Short	Long	Default	Description
`-w`	`--width`	terminal width	Specify the output width in characters.
`-h`	`--height`	width / 4	Specify the output height in characters
`-f`	`--foreground`	`0`	Characters used for the text pixels. Supports ANSI codes.
`-b`	`--background`	`1`	Characters for the background pixels. Supports ANSI codes.
`-p`	`--padding`	`0`	Padding in characters around the text.
`-x`	`--font`	auto-detect	Provide the path to a desired font file.
`-o`	`--output`	stdout	Specify where to write output (default is stdout).
`--format`		`text`	Choose between `text` or `svg` output formats.
`--fcolor`		`#000000`	Foreground character color in SVG (hex code).
`--bcolor`		`#cccccc`	Background character color in SVG (hex code).
`--svg-background`		`#ffffff`	SVG rectangle background color (hex code).
`--help`			Display a help message.

Example Scenarios

Basic Usage: Generate default output with:
```
python generate.py
```
Custom Characters: Change text and background with:
```
python generate.py -f '#' -b '.' HELLO
```

Coloured Output: Create red text on a grey background:

python generate.py -f '\033[31m0\033[0m' -b '\033[90m1\033[0m'

SVG Generation: Output your art as an SVG file:

python generate.py --format svg -o output.svg CODE

ASCII-Block brings a creative approach to turning text into art, leveraging Python's capabilities for users looking for unique visual expressions.

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