<html><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><title>4.9. AAlib – text mode displaying</title><link rel="stylesheet" type="text/css" href="default.css"><meta name="generator" content="DocBook XSL Stylesheets V1.76.1"><link rel="home" href="index.html" title="MPlayer - The Movie Player"><link rel="up" href="video.html" title="Chapter 4. Video output devices"><link rel="prev" href="opengl.html" title="4.8. OpenGL output"><link rel="next" href="caca.html" title="4.10. libcaca – Color ASCII Art library"><link rel="preface" href="howtoread.html" title="How to read this documentation"><link rel="chapter" href="intro.html" title="Chapter 1. Introduction"><link rel="chapter" href="install.html" title="Chapter 2. Installation"><link rel="chapter" href="usage.html" title="Chapter 3. Usage"><link rel="chapter" href="video.html" title="Chapter 4. Video output devices"><link rel="chapter" href="ports.html" title="Chapter 5. Ports"><link rel="chapter" href="mencoder.html" title="Chapter 6. Basic usage of MEncoder"><link rel="chapter" href="encoding-guide.html" title="Chapter 7. Encoding with MEncoder"><link rel="chapter" href="faq.html" title="Chapter 8. Frequently Asked Questions"><link rel="appendix" href="bugreports.html" title="Appendix A. How to report bugs"><link rel="appendix" href="skin.html" title="Appendix B. MPlayer skin format"></head><body bgcolor="white" text="black" link="#0000FF" vlink="#840084" alink="#0000FF"><div class="navheader"><table width="100%" summary="Navigation header"><tr><th colspan="3" align="center">4.9. AAlib – text mode displaying</th></tr><tr><td width="20%" align="left"><a accesskey="p" href="opengl.html">Prev</a> </td><th width="60%" align="center">Chapter 4. Video output devices</th><td width="20%" align="right"> <a accesskey="n" href="caca.html">Next</a></td></tr></table><hr></div><div class="sect1" title="4.9. AAlib – text mode displaying"><div class="titlepage"><div><div><h2 class="title" style="clear: both"><a name="aalib"></a>4.9. AAlib – text mode displaying</h2></div></div></div><p>
AAlib is a library for displaying graphics in text mode, using powerful
ASCII renderer. There are <span class="emphasis"><em>lots</em></span> of programs already
supporting it, like Doom, Quake, etc. <span class="application">MPlayer</span>
contains a very usable driver for it. If <tt class="filename">./configure</tt>
detects aalib installed, the aalib libvo driver will be built.
</p><p>
You can use some keys in the AA Window to change rendering options:
</p><div class="informaltable"><table border="1"><colgroup><col><col></colgroup><thead><tr><th>Key</th><th>Action</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>1</b></span></td><td>
decrease contrast
</td></tr><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>2</b></span></td><td>
increase contrast
</td></tr><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>3</b></span></td><td>
decrease brightness
</td></tr><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>4</b></span></td><td>
increase brightness
</td></tr><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>5</b></span></td><td>
switch fast rendering on/off
</td></tr><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>6</b></span></td><td>
set dithering mode (none, error distribution, Floyd Steinberg)
</td></tr><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>7</b></span></td><td>
invert image
</td></tr><tr><td><span class="keycap"><b>8</b></span></td><td>
toggles between aa and <span class="application">MPlayer</span> control
</td></tr></tbody></table></div><div class="variablelist" title="The following command line options can be used:"><p class="title"><b>The following command line options can be used:</b></p><dl><dt><span class="term"><tt class="option">-aaosdcolor=<em class="replaceable"><code>V</code></em></tt></span></dt><dd><p>
change OSD color
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><tt class="option">-aasubcolor=<em class="replaceable"><code>V</code></em></tt></span></dt><dd><p>
Change subtitle color
</p><p>
where <em class="replaceable"><code>V</code></em> can be:
<code class="literal">0</code> (normal),
<code class="literal">1</code> (dark),
<code class="literal">2</code> (bold),
<code class="literal">3</code> (bold font),
<code class="literal">4</code> (reverse),
<code class="literal">5</code> (special).
</p></dd></dl></div><div class="variablelist" title="AAlib itself provides a large sum of options. Here are some important:"><p class="title"><b>AAlib itself provides a large sum of options. Here are some
important:</b></p><dl><dt><span class="term"><tt class="option">-aadriver</tt></span></dt><dd><p>
Set recommended aa driver (X11, curses, Linux).
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><tt class="option">-aaextended</tt></span></dt><dd><p>
Use all 256 characters.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><tt class="option">-aaeight</tt></span></dt><dd><p>
Use eight bit ASCII.
</p></dd><dt><span class="term"><tt class="option">-aahelp</tt></span></dt><dd><p>
Prints out all aalib options.
</p></dd></dl></div><div class="note" title="Note" style="margin-left: 0.5in; margin-right: 0.5in;"><h3 class="title">Note</h3><p>
The rendering is very CPU intensive, especially when using AA-on-X
(using aalib on X), and it's least CPU intensive on standard,
non-framebuffer console. Use SVGATextMode to set up a big textmode,
then enjoy! (secondary head Hercules cards rock :)) (but IMHO you
can use <tt class="option">-vf 1bpp</tt> option to get graphics on hgafb:)
</p></div><p>
Use the <tt class="option">-framedrop</tt> option if your computer isn't fast
enough to render all frames!
</p><p>
Playing on terminal you'll get better speed and quality using the Linux
driver, not curses (<tt class="option">-aadriver linux</tt>). But therefore you
need write access on
<tt class="filename">/dev/vcsa<em class="replaceable"><code><terminal></code></em></tt>!
That isn't autodetected by aalib, but vo_aa tries to find the best mode.
See <a class="ulink" href="http://aa-project.sf.net/tune" target="_top">http://aa-project.sf.net/tune</a> for further
tuning issues.
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