Convert VIFF to PBM

The Khoros Visualization Image File Format (VIFF), developed by AccuSoft Corporation, is a bitmap image format used primarily within the Khoros software environment for scientific and engineering applications. It supports various image types, including grayscale, color, and multi-spectral images, making it useful for visualizing complex datasets. Despite its powerful capabilities, VIFF is now considered somewhat obsolete due to the emergence of newer, more versatile image formats. However, it remains an important part of the history of image processing and visualization technologies.

The PBM (Portable Bitmap) file extension, part of the Netpbm project, originated in the late 1980s to facilitate efficient and portable graphics file interchange. Primarily, PBM files are used to store monochrome bitmaps in a simple ASCII text format, ensuring easy compatibility across different systems and platforms. This format supports only black-and-white imagery, making it particularly useful in scenarios where simplicity and minimalism are prioritized, such as in Unix environments for bitmap manipulation and transfer. Its historical significance lies in promoting a standardized approach to bitmap graphics in early computer technology.