ASY(1)

📦 version 2026.0, in alpine 3.24

✨ ASY(1) — asy, the Asymptote vector graphics language ✨

okay so buckle up bestie, this is the manual page for asy, aka Asymptote — a script-based vector graphics language. she's giving main character energy in the technical drawing department, fr fr. 💅

🌸 NAME 🌸

asy — Asymptote: a script-based vector graphics language 🦋

🎀 SYNOPSIS 🎀

asy [options] [file ...]

💖 DESCRIPTION 💖

okay so here's the tea: Asymptote is a powerful descriptive vector graphics language for technical drawings, and she was inspired by MetaPost but came through with an improved C++-like syntax. iconic behavior honestly. 👑

the way that Asymptote gives figures the same high-quality level of typesetting that LaTeX does for scientific text? that's the whole vibe. LaTeX for your words, Asymptote for your figures. matching set. periodt. ✨

👑 OPTIONS 👑

real talk first, some ground rules before we get into the list, bestie:

  • if you give no arguments at all, Asymptote runs in interactive mode. 🫶
  • if - is given as the file argument, Asymptote reads from standard input.
  • the effect of most options can be negated by prepending no to the option name (iykyk).
  • default values for most options may also be entered in the file .asy/config.asy in your home directory, using the long form:
import settings;
batchView=true;
  • for a complete description, see the Info files. 📚

aaaand now, the full list, no skips, no cuts, we're covering every single one 💀👇

  • -GPUblockSize n — compute shader block size [8].
  • -GPUcompress — compress GPU transparent fragment counts [false].
  • -GPUindexing — compute indexing partial sums on GPU [true].
  • -GPUinterlock — use fragment shader interlock [true].
  • -GPUlocalSize n — compute shader local size [256].
  • -V, -View — view output; command-line only.
  • -absolute — use absolute WebGL dimensions [false].
  • -a, -align C|B|T|Z — Center, Bottom, Top, or Zero page alignment [C].
  • -aligndir pair — directional page alignment (overrides align) [(0,0)].
  • -animating — the page just gives you the default on this one: [false]. 🫠
  • -antialias n — antialiasing width for rasterized output [2].
  • -auto3D — automatically activate 3D scene [true].
  • -autobillboard — 3D labels always face viewer by default [true].
  • -autoimport str — module to automatically import.
  • -autoplain — enable automatic importing of plain [true].
  • -autoplay — autoplay 3D WebGL animations [true].
  • -autorotate — enable automatic PDF page rotation [false].
  • -axes3 — show 3D axes in PDF output [true].
  • -batchMask — mask fpu exceptions in batch mode [false].
  • -batchView — view output in batch mode [false].
  • -bw — convert all colors to black and white, false.
  • -cd directory — set current directory; command-line only.
  • -cmyk — convert rgb colors to cmyk, false.
  • -c, -command str — command to autoexecute.
  • -compact — conserve memory at the expense of speed, false.
  • -compress — compress images in PDF output [true].
  • -convertOptions str — default is [].
  • -d, -debug — enable debugging messages and traceback, false.
  • -devicepixelratio n — ratio of physical to logical pixels [1].
  • -digits n — default output file precision [7].
  • -divisor n — garbage collect using purge(divisor=n) [2].
  • -dvipsOptions str — default [].
  • -dvisvgmMultipleFiles — dvisvgm supports multiple files [true].
  • -dvisvgmOptions str — default [--optimize].
  • -embed — embed rendered preview image [true].
  • -e, -environment — show summary of environment settings; command-line only.
  • -exitonEOF — exit interactive mode on EOF [true].
  • -fitscreen — fit rendered image to screen [true].
  • -framerate frames/s — animation speed [30].
  • -glOptions str — default [].
  • -globalread — allow read from other directory, true.
  • -globalwrite — allow write to other directory, false.
  • -gray — convert all colors to grayscale, false.
  • -gsOptions str — default [].
  • -h, -help — show summary of options; command-line only.
  • -historylines n — retain n lines of history [1000].
  • -htmlviewerOptions str — no default listed on this one.
  • -hyperrefOptions — [setpagesize=false,unicode,pdfborder=0 0 0].
  • -ibl — enable environment map image-based lighting [false].
  • -iconify — iconify rendering window [false].
  • -image str — environment image name [snowyField].
  • -imageDir str — environment image library directory [ibl].
  • -inlineimage — generate inline embedded image [false].
  • -inlinetex — generate inline TeX code [false].
  • -inpipe n — input pipe [-1].
  • -interactiveMask — mask fpu exceptions in interactive mode [true].
  • -interactiveView — view output in interactive mode [true].
  • -interactiveWrite — write expressions entered at the prompt to stdout [true].
  • -interrupt — default [false], that's all the page says 🫡
  • -k, -keep — keep intermediate files [false].
  • -keepaux — keep intermediate LaTeX .aux files [false].
  • -keys — generate WebGL keys, false.
  • -level n — Postscript level [3].
  • -l, -listvariables — list available global functions and variables [false].
  • -localhistory — use a local interactive history file [false].
  • -loop — loop 3D animations [false].
  • -lossy — use single precision for V3D reals [false].
  • -lsp — interactive mode for the Language Server Protocol [false].
  • -m, -mask — mask fpu exceptions; command-line only.
  • -maxtile pair — maximum rendering tile size [(1024,768)].
  • -maxviewport pair — maximum viewport size [(0,0)].
  • -multiline — input code over multiple lines at the prompt [false].
  • -multipleView — view output from multiple batch-mode files [false].
  • -multisample n — multisampling width for screen images [4].
  • -offline — produce offline html files [false].
  • -O, -offset pair — PostScript offset [(0,0)].
  • -f, -outformat format — convert each output file to specified format.
  • -o, -outname name — alternative output directory/file prefix.
  • -outpipe n — output pipe [-1].
  • -paperheight bp — default page height [0].
  • -paperwidth bp — default page width [0].
  • -p, -parseonly — parse file [false].
  • -pdfreload — automatically reload document in pdfviewer [false].
  • -pdfreloadOptions str — default [].
  • -pdfreloaddelay usec — delay before attempting initial pdf reload [750000].
  • -pdfviewerOptions str — default [].
  • -position pair — initial 3D rendering screen position [(0,0)].
  • -prc — embed 3D PRC graphics in PDF output [false].
  • -prerender resolution — prerender V3D objects (0 implies vector output) [0].
  • -prompt str — prompt [> ].
  • -prompt2 str — continuation prompt for multiline input [..].
  • -psviewerOptions str — default [].
  • -q, -quiet — suppress welcome text and noninteractive stdout [false].
  • -render n — render 3D graphics using n pixels per bp (-1=auto) [-1].
  • -resizestep step — resize step [1.2].
  • -reverse — reverse 3D animations [false].
  • -rgb — convert cmyk colors to rgb, false.
  • -safe — disable system call, true.
  • -scroll n — scroll standard output n lines at a time [0].
  • -shiftHoldDistance n — WebGL touch screen distance limit for shift mode [20].
  • -shiftWaitTime ms — WebGL touch screen shift mode delay [200].
  • -spinstep deg/s — spin speed [60].
  • -svgemulation — emulate unimplemented SVG shading [true].
  • -tabcompletion — interactive prompt auto-completion [true].
  • -tex engine — latex|pdflatex|xelatex|lualatex|tex|pdftex|luatex|context|none [latex].
  • -thick — render thick 3D lines [true].
  • -thin — render thin 3D lines [true].
  • -threads — use POSIX threads for 3D rendering [true].
  • -toolbar — show 3D toolbar in PDF output [true].
  • -s, -translate — show translated virtual machine code [false].
  • -twice — run LaTeX twice (to resolve references) [false].
  • -twosided — use two-sided 3D lighting model for rendering [true].
  • -u, -user str — general purpose user string.
  • -v3d — embed 3D V3D graphics in PDF output [false].
  • -v, -verbose — increase verbosity level (can specify multiple times), 0.
  • -version — show version; command-line only.
  • -vibrateTime ms — WebGL shift mode vibrate duration [25].
  • -viewportmargin pair — horizontal and vertical 3D viewport margin [(0.5,0.5)].
  • -wait — wait for child processes to finish before exiting [false].
  • -warn str — enable warning; command-line only.
  • -webgl2 — use webgl2 if available [false].
  • -where — show where listed variables are declared [false].
  • -wsl — run asy under the Windows Subsystem for Linux [false].
  • -xasy — interactive mode for xasy, false.
  • -zoomPinchCap limit — WebGL maximum zoom pinch [100].
  • -zoomPinchFactor n — WebGL zoom pinch sensitivity [10].
  • -zoomThreshold threshold — the page lists the option and then… stops. no default, no description. respectfully, she's mysterious. 🙈
  • -zoomfactor factor — zoom step factor [1.05].
  • -zoomstep step — mouse motion zoom step [0.1].

🦋 SEE ALSO 🦋

Asymptote is documented fully in the asymptote Info page. the manual can also be accessed in interactive mode with the help command. 💖

🌈 AUTHOR 🌈

Asymptote was written by Andy Hammerlindl, John Bowman, and Tom Prince. 🫶

this manual page was written by Hubert Chan for the Debian project (but may be used by others).

and that's the whole page, no cap! 🎀 source + version + date for this one: General Commands Manual, 1 Dec 2004, filed under ASY(1). go make something gorgeous, bestie — the vector graphics are literally waiting for you. 👑💅✨

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