Image & Video Import

The Image/Video import feature converts raster images and video files into ASCII art. A dedicated side panel provides real-time preview and extensive controls for the conversion process.

Supported Formats

Images

• JPEG / JPG
• PNG
• GIF (first frame)
• BMP
• WebP
• SVG

Videos

• MP4
• WebM
• OGG
• AVI
• MOV / QuickTime
• WMV

Opening the Import Panel

Uploading Files

Drag and Drop

Drag a file directly onto the upload zone in the panel.

File Browser

Click Choose File to open your system file browser.

After selecting a file, you'll see:

• File name and type (image or video icon)
• File size
• A button to remove the file and select a different one

Preview

The Preview section controls live preview on the canvas.

Auto-process & Preview

When enabled (default), the canvas shows a real-time preview of your import as you adjust settings. Disable this if you want to configure settings before seeing the result.

Frame Navigation (Videos Only)

For videos with multiple frames, navigation controls appear:

Preview different frames to check your conversion settings work well across the entire video.

Position & Size

Controls where and how large the imported content appears on your canvas.

Image Size (Characters)

Set the dimensions of the converted ASCII art in character units:

• Width - Number of characters wide
• Height - Number of characters tall

Use the +/- buttons or type values directly.

Aspect Ratio Lock

Click the button to lock aspect ratio. When locked:

• Changing width automatically calculates height
• Changing height automatically calculates width
• The original image proportions are maintained

Alignment

A 3×3 grid lets you choose where the image is positioned on the canvas:

Nudge

Fine-tune position with single-character adjustments:

The current nudge offset is displayed below the controls.

Pre-processing

Adjust the source image before conversion. All adjustments are applied before the ASCII mapping process.

Mapping Algorithm

Choose how pixel values are analyzed for character mapping:

Image Adjustments

Click the reset button to return all values to defaults.

Character Mapping

Controls how image brightness converts to ASCII characters.

Enable/Disable

Use the checkbox to toggle character mapping:

• Enabled - Pixels map to characters based on brightness
• Disabled - All cells use a single default character

Character Palette

Select which character palette to use for mapping. See Character Palettes for details on preset and custom palettes.

Character Palette Editor

Within the import panel, you can edit the active character palette:

• Add, remove, and reorder characters
• Reverse character order
• Create new custom palettes

Character Dithering

Apply dithering for smoother brightness transitions:

When dithering is enabled, adjust Dither Strength (0-100%) to control intensity.

Text Color Mapping

Controls how image colors are applied to the text (foreground) of each cell.

Enable/Disable

Use the checkbox to toggle text color mapping:

• Enabled - Each cell's text color is derived from the source image
• Disabled - All cells use the current drawing color

Color Palette

Select a color palette to constrain output colors. See Color Palettes for options.

Mapping Mode

Dither Strength

When using dithering modes, adjust strength (0-100%).

Background Color Mapping

Controls how image colors are applied to cell backgrounds.

Enable/Disable

Use the checkbox to toggle background color mapping:

• Enabled - Each cell has a colored background based on the source image
• Disabled - Cells have transparent backgrounds

Color Palette

Select a color palette for background colors (can be different from text color palette).

Mapping Mode

Same options as text color mapping: Closest, By Index, Noise Dither, Bayer 2×2, Bayer 4×4.

Dither Strength

Adjust dithering intensity for the background colors.

Transparency

Color keying removes specific colors from the output, making those cells transparent.

Enable/Disable

Use the checkbox to toggle transparency:

• Enabled - Cells matching the key color are removed
• Disabled - All cells are preserved

Alpha Key Color

Click the color button to choose the key color, or click to sample a color directly from the preview image.

When using the eyedropper:

1. Click
2. A preview image appears in the panel
3. Click on the color you want to key out
4. Press ESC to cancel

Tolerance

Adjust how closely colors must match the key:

• 0 - Exact match only
• Higher values - Match similar colors (0-255 range)

Common uses:

• Remove black or white backgrounds
• Key out green screen
• Isolate specific colored regions

Import to Canvas

After configuring your settings, choose how to import:

Import Mode

Import Button

Click Import to Canvas to apply the conversion. The preview is applied to your actual canvas and the import panel closes.

Workflow Tips

For Photos

1. Start with the Standard ASCII character palette for detail
2. Adjust contrast to enhance definition
3. Enable text color mapping with a large palette for color accuracy
4. Consider noise dithering for smoother gradients

For Videos

1. Preview multiple frames to check consistency
2. Use by-index mapping for stable animations (dithering can cause flicker)
3. Append mode is useful for adding video after existing content
4. Watch for frame count—large videos may create many frames

For Logos/Graphics

1. Use Block Characters palette for clean fills
2. Enable background color mapping for solid colors
3. Use transparency to remove backgrounds
4. Increase contrast to sharpen edges

For Line Art

1. Use Dots & Lines character palette
2. Try Edge Detection mapping algorithm
3. Reduce blur for sharp lines
4. Consider smaller dimensions for cleaner output

Settings Persistence

Import settings are saved between sessions. When you close and reopen the import panel, your previous settings are restored:

• Image size and position
• Mapping modes and palettes
• Pre-processing adjustments
• Transparency settings
• UI state (which sections are expanded)

This allows you to import multiple files with consistent settings.