Convert WMF to SGI

A 16-bit vector/raster graphics format introduced with Windows 3.0 in 1990. WMF stores GDI (Graphics Device Interface) drawing commands including lines, shapes, text, and embedded bitmaps. It was widely used for clip art in Microsoft Office and corporate document templates throughout the 1990s and 2000s. As a legacy format, it has significant security concerns and no modern browser support.

SGI image format (also called SGI RGB or IRIS RGB) was created by Silicon Graphics Inc. for their IRIX workstation operating system. It was the standard image format for the workstations that powered early CGI in films like Jurassic Park and Toy Story.

• Vector Graphics: Stores GDI drawing commands, not pixels
• Raster Support: Can embed bitmap images within vector container
• Text Rendering: Windows font rendering via GDI text commands
• Color Model: Windows GDI RGB color space
• Scalability: Resolution-independent vector content
• Metadata: Minimal header with bounding box and DPI info

• Transparency: RGBA mode with full alpha channel
• Color Modes: Grayscale (.bw), RGB (.rgb), RGBA (.rgba)
• Bit Depth: 8-bit or 16-bit per channel
• Compression: Optional RLE for lossless compression
• Channel Order: Separate channel planes (not interleaved)
• Metadata: Image name string in header

WMF rendering requires Windows GDI or compatible libraries:

# Convert WMF using ImageMagick
magick input.wmf output.png

# Convert WMF using LibreOffice
libreoffice --headless \
  --convert-to png input.wmf

# Python with Pillow
from PIL import Image
img = Image.open("input.wmf")

SGI creation and processing tools:

# Convert to SGI using ImageMagick
magick input.wmf output.sgi

# Python with Pillow
from PIL import Image
img = Image.open("input.wmf")
img.save("output.sgi")

# Batch convert directory
magick mogrify -format sgi \
  *.wmf

• Resolution-independent vector graphics scale to any size
• Compact file size for complex drawings (stores commands, not pixels)
• Native support in all Microsoft Office applications
• Supports text, shapes, lines, and embedded bitmaps
• Widely used in legacy corporate document templates
• Can be rendered at any DPI without quality loss

• Native format for IRIX/SGI workstation pipelines
• Simple, well-documented format specification
• RLE compression for efficient flat-color graphics
• 16-bit per channel support for high precision
• Full RGBA transparency support
• Nostalgia and historical significance in CG industry

• 16-bit format with limited GDI command set
• No support in web browsers or modern viewers
• Security vulnerabilities in WMF parsing (historical exploits)
• No transparency or alpha channel support
• Windows-only format, poor cross-platform support

• Limited modern software support
• Not suitable for web display
• RLE compression weaker than PNG's DEFLATE
• SGI/IRIX platform largely extinct
• No metadata beyond a simple name string

• Legacy Microsoft Office clip art libraries
• Embedded graphics in Word and PowerPoint documents
• Corporate document templates and letterheads
• Windows application resource graphics
• Early desktop publishing clip art collections

• Legacy SGI IRIX workstation image storage
• Vintage 3D animation and CG pipelines
• OpenGL texture development and testing
• Historical CG production archival
• Retro CG workstation computing preservation

• Legacy Microsoft Office document graphics
• Scalable clip art in Windows environments
• Corporate templates from the Windows 3.x/95/XP era
• Vector graphics within the Microsoft GDI ecosystem

• Legacy SGI/IRIX system compatibility
• Vintage CG pipeline preservation
• OpenGL texture format compatibility
• Historical computing archive collections