dcmencap(1) OFFIS DCMTK dcmencap(1) # [NAME](#NAME) dcmencap - Encapsulate document into DICOM format # [SYNOPSIS](#SYNOPSIS) ``` dcmencap [options] docfile-in dcmfile-out ``` # [DESCRIPTION](#DESCRIPTION) The **dcmencap** utility reads a document file in one of the supported file formats, converts it to a SOP instance of the corresponding DICOM Encapsulated Storage SOP Class and stores the converted data in an output file (*dcmfile-out*). # [PARAMETERS](#PARAMETERS) ``` docfile-in input filename to be converted dcmfile-out DICOM output filename ("-" for stdout) ``` # [OPTIONS](#OPTIONS) ## [general options](#general_options) ``` -h --help print this help text and exit --version print version information and exit --arguments print expanded command line arguments -q --quiet quiet mode, print no warnings and errors -v --verbose verbose mode, print processing details -d --debug debug mode, print debug information -ll --log-level [l]evel: string constant (fatal, error, warn, info, debug, trace) use level l for the logger -lc --log-config [f]ilename: string use config file f for the logger ``` ## [input options](#input_options) ``` input file format: +fa --filetype-auto automatically determine file type (default) +fp --filetype-pdf expect PDF file +fc --filetype-cda expect CDA file +fs --filetype-stl expect STL file +fm --filetype-mtl expect MTL file +fo --filetype-obj expect OBJ file ``` ## [DICOM document options](#DICOM_document_options) ``` document title: +t --title [t]itle: string (default: empty) document title +cn --concept-name [CSD] [CV] [CM]: string (default: empty) coded representation of document title defined by coding scheme designator CSD, code value CV and code meaning CM patient data: +pn --patient-name [n]ame: string patient's name in DICOM PN syntax +pi --patient-id [i]d: string patient identifier +pb --patient-birthdate [d]ate: string (YYYYMMDD) patient's birth date +ps --patient-sex [s]ex: string (M, F or O) patient's sex device data: +mn --manufacturer [n]ame: string manufacturer's name +mm --manufacturer-model [n]ame: string manufacturer's model name +ds --device-serial [n]umber: string device serial number +sv --software-versions [v]ersions: string software versions manufacturing 3d model data (STL/MTL/OBJ only): +mu --measurement-units [CSD] [CV] [CM]: string measurement units with coding scheme designator CSD, code value CV and code meaning CM (default: UCUM, um, um) study and series: +sg --generate generate new study and series UIDs (default) +st --study-from [f]ilename: string read patient/study data from DICOM file +se --series-from [f]ilename: string read patient/study/series data from DICOM file instance number: +i1 --instance-one use instance number 1 (default, not with +se) +ii --instance-inc increment instance number (only with +se) +is --instance-set [i]nstance number: integer use instance number i burned-in annotation: +an --annotation-yes document contains patient identifying data (default) -an --annotation-no document does not contain patient identifying data ``` ## [processing options](#processing_options) ``` CDA processing options: -ov --no-override CDA patient and document data must match study, series or manually entered information (default) +ov --override CDA's data will be overwritten by study, series or manually entered information other processing options: -k --key [k]ey: gggg,eeee="str", path or dictionary name="str" add further attribute ``` ## [output options](#output_options) ``` output transfer syntax: +te --write-xfer-little write with explicit VR little endian (default) +tb --write-xfer-big write with explicit VR big endian TS +ti --write-xfer-implicit write with implicit VR little endian TS group length encoding: -g --group-length-remove write without group length elements (default) +g --group-length-create write with group length elements length encoding in sequences and items: +e --length-explicit write with explicit lengths (default) -e --length-undefined write with undefined lengths data set trailing padding (not with --write-dataset): -p --padding-off no padding (implicit if --write-dataset) +p --padding-create [f]ile-pad [i]tem-pad: integer align file on multiple of f bytes and items on multiple of i bytes ``` # [NOTES](#NOTES) ## [Attribute Sources](#Attribute_Sources) The application may be fed with some additional input for filling mandatory (and optional) attributes in the new DICOM file like patient, study and series information: - The *--key* option can be used to add further attributes to the DICOM output file. - It is also possible to specify sequences, items and nested attributes using the *--key* option. In these cases, a special 'path' notation has to be used. Details on this path notation can be found in the documentation of **dcmodify**. - The *--key* option can be present more than once. - The value part (after the '=') may be absent causing the attribute to be set with zero length. - Please be advised that the *--key* option is applied at the very end, just before saving the DICOM file, so there is no value checking whatsoever. # [LOGGING](#LOGGING) The level of logging output of the various command line tools and underlying libraries can be specified by the user. By default, only errors and warnings are written to the standard error stream. Using option *--verbose* also informational messages like processing details are reported. Option *--debug* can be used to get more details on the internal activity, e.g. for debugging purposes. Other logging levels can be selected using option *--log-level*. In *--quiet* mode only fatal errors are reported. In such very severe error events, the application will usually terminate. For more details on the different logging levels, see documentation of module 'oflog'. In case the logging output should be written to file (optionally with logfile rotation), to syslog (Unix) or the event log (Windows) option *--log-config* can be used. This configuration file also allows for directing only certain messages to a particular output stream and for filtering certain messages based on the module or application where they are generated. An example configuration file is provided in *<etcdir>/logger.cfg*. # [COMMAND LINE](#COMMAND_LINE) All command line tools use the following notation for parameters: square brackets enclose optional values (0-1), three trailing dots indicate that multiple values are allowed (1-n), a combination of both means 0 to n values. Command line options are distinguished from parameters by a leading '+' or '-' sign, respectively. Usually, order and position of command line options are arbitrary (i.e. they can appear anywhere). However, if options are mutually exclusive the rightmost appearance is used. This behavior conforms to the standard evaluation rules of common Unix shells. In addition, one or more command files can be specified using an '@' sign as a prefix to the filename (e.g. *@command.txt*). Such a command argument is replaced by the content of the corresponding text file (multiple whitespaces are treated as a single separator unless they appear between two quotation marks) prior to any further evaluation. Please note that a command file cannot contain another command file. This simple but effective approach allows one to summarize common combinations of options/parameters and avoids longish and confusing command lines (an example is provided in file *<datadir>/dumppat.txt*). # [EXIT CODES](#EXIT_CODES) The **dcmencap** utility uses the following exit codes when terminating. This enables the user to check for the reason why the application terminated. ## [general](#general) ``` EXITCODE_NO_ERROR 0 ``` ## [input file errors](#input_file_errors) ``` EXITCODE_INVALID_INPUT_FILE 22 ``` ## [output file errors](#output_file_errors) ``` EXITCODE_CANNOT_WRITE_OUTPUT_FILE 40 ``` # [ENVIRONMENT](#ENVIRONMENT) The **dcmencap** utility will attempt to load DICOM data dictionaries specified in the *DCMDICTPATH* environment variable. By default, i.e. if the *DCMDICTPATH* environment variable is not set, the file *<datadir>/dicom.dic* will be loaded unless the dictionary is built into the application (default for Windows). The default behavior should be preferred and the *DCMDICTPATH* environment variable only used when alternative data dictionaries are required. The *DCMDICTPATH* environment variable has the same format as the Unix shell *PATH* variable in that a colon (':') separates entries. On Windows systems, a semicolon (';') is used as a separator. The data dictionary code will attempt to load each file specified in the *DCMDICTPATH* environment variable. It is an error if no data dictionary can be loaded. # [COPYRIGHT](#COPYRIGHT) Copyright (C) 2018-2025 by OFFIS e.V., Escherweg 2, 26121 Oldenburg, Germany. Mon Dec 15 2025 Version 3.7.0 --- Document: dcmencap(1) from dcmtk 3.7.0-r8 (Chainguard OS) Source: https://github.com/DCMTK/dcmtk