---
name: "gout"
section: "1"
platform: "linux"
package: "scotch"
version: "7.0.17-1"
release: "Arch Linux 2026-11-01"
platforms: ["linux"]
url: "https://new.carta.tech/gout"
---

# gout(1)

output graphics from matrices and graphs

## NAME

**gout** - output graphics from matrices and graphs

## SYNOPSIS

```
gout [options] [gfile] [xfile] [mfile] [vfile]
```

## DESCRIPTION

**The gout program creates graphics files of various types,** **representing the Scotch graph and mapping data which is passed to it.**

**Source graph file** *gfile* **can only be a centralized graph file. File** *xfile* **stores its associated geometry, whenever necessary. File** *mfile* **represents label information attached to each of the graph** **vertices, for instance the index of the part to which each vertex** **belongs in the case of a mapping file. File** *vfile* **is the output** **graphics file, the type of which may differ according to the input** **parameters. When file names are not specified, data is read from** **standard input and written to standard output. Standard streams can** **also be explicitly represented by a dash '-'.**

**When the proper libraries have been included at compile time, gtst** **can directly handle compressed graphs, both as input and output. A** **stream is treated as compressed whenever its name is postfixed with** **a compressed file extension, such as in 'brol.grf.bz2' or '-.gz'. The** **compression formats which can be supported are the bzip2 format** **('.bz2'), the gzip format ('.gz'), and the lzma format ('.lzma').**

## OPTIONS

- **-h**

  **Display some help.**

- **-g*geop***

  **Geometry parameters, which can be an arbitrary** **combination of any of the following code letters:**

  - **n**

    **Do not read geometry data, when it is not** **available or not required, such as when using** **the -om option.**

  - **p**

    **Permute Y and Z geometry dimensions.**

  - **r**

    **Rotate geometry by 90 degrees in the (X,Y) plane.**

- **-h**

  **Display some help.**

- **-mn**

  **Do not read mapping data, when it is not available or** **not required.**

- **-o*outp***

  **Select the output file type and allows to provide** **additional parameters between braces and separated** **by commas:**

  - **i**

    **OpenInventor 3D mesh file, to be viewed by means of** **programs such as ivview. Additional parameters for** **this output file type are:**

    - **c**

      **Color output.**

    - **g**

      **Gray level output.**

    - **r**

      **Remove cut edges.**

    - **v**

      **View cut edges.**

  - **m**

    **PostScript matrix pattern file. Additional parameters** **for this output file type are:**

    - **e**

      **EPSF-type output.**

    - **f**

      **Full-page output.**

  - **p**

    **PostScript 2D mesh file. This output module was** **intended for 2D meshes; as a fallback, the Z** **coordinate is projected according to isometric** **perspective rules, but drawings of full 3D objects** **are most likely to be unreadable. Additional parameters** **for this output file type are:**

    - **c**

      **Color output.**

    - **g**

      **Gray level output.**

    - **e**

      **EPSF-type output.**

    - **f**

      **Full-page output.**

    - **s**

      **Short clipping (disks excluded).**

    - **l**

      **Large clipping (disks included).**

    - **a**

      **Avoid displaying disks.**

    - **d**

      **Display disks.**

    - **r**

      **Remove cut edges.**

    - **v**

      **View cut edges.**

    - **X=*rat***

      **Maximum x clipping ratio (in \[0.0;1.0\]).**

    - **x=*rat***

      **Minimum x clipping ratio.**

    - **Y=*rat***

      **Maximum y clipping ratio.**

    - **y=*rat***

      **Minimum y clipping ratio.**

  - **t**

    **Tulip 3D mesh file. Additional parameters** **for this output file type are:**

    - **b**

      **Black and white output.**

    - **c**

      **Color output.**

    - **a**

      **Avoid displaying disks.**

    - **d**

      **Display disks.**

    - **r**

      **Remove cut edges.**

    - **v**

      **View cut edges.**

- **-V**

  **Display program version and copyright.**

## EXAMPLES

**Build an OpenInventor file of the mapping of graph brol.grf** **contained in file brol.map. Vertices with no mapping information** **attached to them will be rendered in white, while distinct colors** **will be used to represent the different parts. Cut edges will be** **removed:**

```
    $ gout '-oi{r}' brol.grf brol.xyz brol.map brol.iv
    $ ivview brol.iv
```

**Build an OpenInventor file of graph brol.grf without any vertex** **information associated to it. Mapping data are not required and** **will not be read, but a file name has to be provided, hence the**

### '-':

**$ gout -oi -mn brol.grf brol.xyz - brol.iv**

**Output the pattern of matrix brol.grf on the form of a PostScript** **flat drawing. Geometry and mapping data are not required and will** **not be read, but file names have to be provided, hence the** **two '-'s:**

```
    $ gout -om -gn -mn brol.grf - - brol.ps
```

**Output a PostScript 2D drawing of a rectangular portion graph** **brol.grf, with disks representing mapping data:**

```
    $ gout '-op{c,e,d,x=0.3,X=0.6,y=0.2,Y=0.5}' brol.grf brol.xyz brol.map brol.ps
```

## SEE ALSO

**[gmap(1)](/gmap/1.md), [gout(1)](/gout/1.md), [gtst(1)](/gtst/1.md).**

**Scotch user's manual.**

## AUTHOR

**Francois Pellegrini \<francois.pellegrini@labri.fr\>**