Quick Start

This guide will get you up and running with OpenConvert in just a few minutes.

Prerequisites

Before starting, make sure you have:

  1. ✅ Installed OpenConvert (see Installation)

  2. ✅ Python 3.8+ available

  3. ✅ Access to an OpenAgents network (or set up your own)

Your First Conversion

Step 1: Set Up Network

First, you need access to an OpenConvert network. You can either:

Option A: Use an existing network (if available)

# Test connection to existing network
openconvert --host example.com --port 8765 --list-formats

Option B: Set up your own local network

# Clone OpenAgents repository
git clone https://github.com/openagents/openagents.git
cd openagents

# Start the network
openagents launch-network demos/openconvert/network_config.yaml

# In separate terminals, launch some agents
python demos/openconvert/run_agent.py doc &
python demos/openconvert/run_agent.py image &

Step 2: Simple File Conversion

Now let’s convert your first file:

# Create a test file
echo "Hello, OpenConvert!" > test.txt

# Convert text to PDF
openconvert -i test.txt -o test.pdf

# Success! Your PDF is ready
ls -la test.pdf

Step 3: Explore Available Formats

See what conversions are available:

# List all available format conversions
openconvert --list-formats

# Output example:
# Available conversions:
# text/plain -> application/pdf (via doc-agent)
# image/jpeg -> image/png (via image-agent)
# ...

Common Use Cases

Document Conversion

# Text to PDF
openconvert -i document.txt -o document.pdf

# Markdown to Word
openconvert -i README.md -o README.docx

# CSV to Excel with formatting
openconvert -i data.csv -o data.xlsx --prompt "Add charts and formatting"

Image Processing

# Convert image format
openconvert -i photo.jpg -o photo.png

# Batch convert directory
openconvert -i photos/ -o converted/ --from image/jpeg --to image/webp

# Resize images
openconvert -i large.jpg -o small.jpg --prompt "Resize to 800px width"

Batch Operations

# Convert all files in a directory
openconvert -i documents/ -o pdfs/ --to application/pdf

# Convert specific file types
openconvert -i *.txt -o converted/ --to application/pdf

Using Prompts

OpenConvert supports natural language prompts for enhanced conversions:

# Enhanced document conversion
openconvert -i report.txt -o report.pdf \\
  --prompt "Create professional layout with headers and table of contents"

# Image optimization
openconvert -i image.png -o optimized.webp \\
  --prompt "Compress for web, maintain quality"

# Data visualization
openconvert -i sales.csv -o report.pdf \\
  --prompt "Create charts showing monthly trends"

Python API Quick Start

You can also use OpenConvert from Python:

from openconvert import convert_file

# Simple conversion
success = convert_file("document.txt", "document.pdf")
if success:
    print("✅ Conversion successful!")

# With prompt
success = convert_file(
    "data.csv",
    "report.pdf",
    prompt="Create a professional report with charts"
)

Next Steps

Now that you’ve completed your first conversion, explore more:

📖 Learn More
🔧 Advanced Features
🤝 Get Involved

Troubleshooting

Connection Issues

If you can’t connect to the network:

# Check if network is running
openconvert --host localhost --port 8765 --list-formats

# Try different host/port
openconvert --host 127.0.0.1 --port 8765 --list-formats

Conversion Failures

If conversions fail:

  1. Check if the format is supported: openconvert --list-formats

  2. Verify input file exists and is readable

  3. Try without prompts first

  4. Check the verbose output: openconvert -v -i input.txt -o output.pdf

Need Help?