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CLI

Installing chromatic-python also installs a chromatic command:

chromatic --help

The command is split into two groups:

  • chromatic image — convert images into ANSI art. Render the result to an image file, stream the escape-coded text to a terminal, or dump the intermediate array as a NumPy file (and read it back). Animated inputs are supported, with GIF/WEBP fallbacks and in-terminal playback.
  • chromatic font — manage the user-font registry: register a TrueType font under a name, edit its attributes, list what is registered, rename or delete an entry, or mark one as the default.

The font registry

Image conversion needs a font to compare glyphs against. Fonts are looked up by name from a registry backed by a directory on disk. The chromatic font subcommands maintain that registry; the --font-dir option (or the CHROMATIC_FONTS environment variable) selects which directory to use.

A font marked as the default is exposed to the library as chromatic.DEFAULT_FONT.