diff -rNu vmd_orig/configure vmd2/configure
--- vmd_orig/configure	Sun Jul 13 21:15:48 2003
+++ vmd2/configure	Sun Jul 13 21:30:47 2003
@@ -927,6 +927,7 @@
 		   'PlainTextInterp.C',
 		   'PluginMgr.C',
 		   'POV3DisplayDevice.C', 
+		   'PPMDisplayDevice.C', 
 		   'PSDisplayDevice.C', 
 	  	   'VMDQuat.C',
 		   'RadianceDisplayDevice.C', 
@@ -1045,6 +1046,7 @@
 	      'PluginMgr.h',
 	      'PointerTool.h', 
 	      'POV3DisplayDevice.h', 
+	      'PPMDisplayDevice.h', 
 	      'PSDisplayDevice.h', 
 	      'VMDQuat.h',
 	      'RadianceDisplayDevice.h', 
diff -rNu vmd_orig/src/FileRenderList.C vmd2/src/FileRenderList.C
--- vmd_orig/src/FileRenderList.C	Sun Jul 13 21:15:40 2003
+++ vmd2/src/FileRenderList.C	Sun Jul 13 21:35:32 2003
@@ -46,6 +46,7 @@
 #include "RenderManDisplayDevice.h"   // RenderMan interface
 #include "VrmlDisplayDevice.h"        // VRML 1.0 
 #include "Vrml2DisplayDevice.h"       // VRML 2.0 
+#include "PPMDisplayDevice.h"         // PPM
 
 #if defined(VMDLIBTACHYON) 
 #include "LibTachyonDisplayDevice.h"  // Built-in Tachyon ray tracer
@@ -68,6 +69,7 @@
   add(new RadianceDisplayDevice());
   add(new R3dDisplayDevice());
   add(new VrmlDisplayDevice());
+  add(new PPMDisplayDevice(app->display));
 }
 
 // destructor, deallocate all the info
diff -rNu vmd_orig/src/PPMDisplayDevice.C vmd2/src/PPMDisplayDevice.C
--- vmd_orig/src/PPMDisplayDevice.C	Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969
+++ vmd2/src/PPMDisplayDevice.C	Sun Jul 13 21:34:27 2003
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+
+/***************************************************************************
+ *cr                                                                       
+ *cr            (C) Copyright 1995-2003 The Board of Trustees of the           
+ *cr                        University of Illinois                       
+ *cr                         All Rights Reserved                        
+ *cr                                                                   
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+/***************************************************************************
+ * RCS INFORMATION:
+ *
+ *      $RCSfile: PPMDisplayDevice.C,v $
+ *      $Author: brad noyes $        $Locker:  $             $State: Exp $
+ *      $Revision: 1.2 $       $Date: 2003/06/19 18:16:50 $
+ *
+ ***************************************************************************
+ * DESCRIPTION:
+ *
+ *
+ ***************************************************************************/
+#include <GL/gl.h>
+#include <stdlib.h>
+#include "PPMDisplayDevice.h"
+#include "Inform.h"
+
+PPMDisplayDevice::PPMDisplayDevice(DisplayDevice *d) : 
+  FileRenderer("ppm", "snap.ppm", "gimp %s") {
+  display = d; 
+}
+
+int PPMDisplayDevice::open_file(const char * filename)
+{
+  if ((outfile = fopen(filename, "wb")) == NULL) {
+    msgErr << "Could not open file " << filename
+           << " in current directory for writing!" << sendmsg;
+    return FALSE;
+  }
+  my_filename = stringdup(filename);
+  isOpened = TRUE;
+  return TRUE;
+}
+
+void PPMDisplayDevice::render(const VMDDisplayList *)
+{
+    int i;
+    int height = display->ySize;
+    int width = display->xSize;
+    GLubyte* pixelbuffer;
+
+    /* got code from newsgroup post */
+    glReadBuffer(GL_FRONT);
+    glPixelStorei(GL_PACK_ALIGNMENT, 1);
+    msgInfo << "Height= "<<height<<" Width="<<width<<sendmsg;
+
+    pixelbuffer = (GLubyte *) malloc(sizeof(GLubyte) * 3*width*height);
+    glReadPixels(0, 0, width, height, GL_RGB, GL_UNSIGNED_BYTE,pixelbuffer);
+
+    fprintf(outfile, "P6\n# VMD OpenGL\n%d %d\n255\n", width, height);
+
+    for (i = height-1; i >= 0; i--)
+    {
+        fwrite(pixelbuffer + i*width*3, 1, width*3,outfile);
+    }
+
+    free(pixelbuffer);
+    return;
+
+}
+
+void PPMDisplayDevice::close_file(void)
+{
+    fclose(outfile);
+    outfile = NULL;
+    delete [] my_filename;
+    my_filename = NULL;
+    isOpened = FALSE;
+}
diff -rNu vmd_orig/src/PPMDisplayDevice.h vmd2/src/PPMDisplayDevice.h
--- vmd_orig/src/PPMDisplayDevice.h	Wed Dec 31 19:00:00 1969
+++ vmd2/src/PPMDisplayDevice.h	Sun Jul 13 21:32:37 2003
@@ -0,0 +1,44 @@
+/***************************************************************************
+ *cr                                                                       
+ *cr            (C) Copyright 1995-2003 The Board of Trustees of the           
+ *cr                        University of Illinois                       
+ *cr                         All Rights Reserved                        
+ *cr                                                                   
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+/***************************************************************************
+ * RCS INFORMATION:
+ *
+ *      $RCSfile: PPMDisplayDevice.h,v $
+ *      $Author: brad noyes $       $Locker:  $             $State: Exp $
+ *      $Revision: 1.2 $       $Date: 2003/06/19 18:16:50 $
+ *
+ ***************************************************************************
+ * DESCRIPTION:
+ *
+ *
+ ***************************************************************************/
+
+
+#ifndef PPMDISPLAYDEVICE_H
+#define PPMDISPLAYDEVICE_H
+
+#include "FileRenderer.h"
+
+class PPMDisplayDevice : public FileRenderer {
+private:
+  DisplayDevice *display;
+public:
+
+  PPMDisplayDevice(DisplayDevice *);
+
+  virtual int open_file(const char *filename);
+
+  // ignore the renders
+  virtual void render(const VMDDisplayList*);
+
+  virtual void close_file(void);
+
+};
+
+#endif