This task is the opposite of the PPM conversion through a pipe. In this task, using a delegate tool (like cjpeg, one of the netpbm package, or convert of the ImageMagick package) we read an image file and load it into the data storage type defined here. We can also use the code from Read ppm file, so that we can use PPM format like a (natural) bridge between the foreign image format and our simple data storage.

ppm := Run("cmd.exe /c convert lena50.jpg ppm:-") 
                       ; pipe in from imagemagick
img := ppm_read("", ppm) ;   
x := img[4,4] ; get pixel(4,4)
y := img[24,24] ; get pixel(24,24)
msgbox % x.rgb() " " y.rgb()
img.write("lena50copy.ppm")
return
 
ppm_read(filename, ppmo=0) ; only ppm6 files supported 
{
if !ppmo  ; if image not already in memory, read from filename
  fileread, ppmo, % filename 
 
  index := 1  
  pos := 1
 
  loop, parse, ppmo, `n, `r
  {
    if (substr(A_LoopField, 1, 1) == "#")
      continue
loop, 
{ 
 if !pos := regexmatch(ppmo, "\d+", pixel, pos)
break
    bitmap%A_Index% := pixel
    if (index == 4)
      Break
    pos := regexmatch(ppmo, "\s", x, pos)
    index ++
}
  }
 
  type := bitmap1
  width := bitmap2
  height := bitmap3
  maxcolor := bitmap4
  bitmap := Bitmap(width, height, color(0,0,0))
  index := 1
  i := 1
  j := 1
 bits := pos 
loop % width * height 
  {
      bitmap[i, j, "r"]  := numget(ppmo, 3 * A_Index + bits, "uchar")
      bitmap[i, j, "g"]  := numget(ppmo, 3 * A_Index + bits + 1, "uchar")
      bitmap[i, j, "b"]  := numget(ppmo, 3 * A_Index + bits + 2, "uchar")
 
      if (j == width)
{
	j := 1
	i += 1
}
      else
	j++
}
 return bitmap  
  }
#include bitmap_storage.ahk ; from http://rosettacode.org/wiki/Basic_bitmap_storage/AutoHotkey
#include run.ahk ; http://www.autohotkey.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16823
 