Although much more still needs to be improved, I have uploaded the
present version of the "Imagedata Toolkit" as an interim release. Any
feedback could be addressed to me after the holidays, which I will spend
with relatives.
For adequate performance you need a 2 GHz computer. The majority of the
filters and algorithms need less than two seconds, and a number of them
only about 400 milliseconds.
Derek Bump's included Windows DLL takes about 180 milliseconds to
execute, processing time for non-Windows computers and using the
Rev-scripted 3X3-matrix-filters versions is down to 7.5 seconds.
The external must be placed as usual in the engine folder from where the
stack is opened.
The toolkit can be downloaded (8 MB) from
<http://www.sanke.org/MetaMedia/Samples.htm>.
What has changed in version 2?
- The paintcompression is set to RLE in an openstack handler to
guarantee the same speed for imagedata processing in the Rev IDE as in
the faster Metacard IDE.
- The inks for the graphics used to select an image area for duplicating
or mirroring (used with buttons "mirrored segments" and "multiply
segments") is set to "admin" on MacOS to make the borders of the graphic
visible.
Other changes:
1. Matrix filters
The "external.dll" has been replaced by Derek Bump's "convolve.dll"
resulting in a much faster execution - about 180 milliseconds on the
average - because no workaround is necessary to resolve the Endian issue
of the "external.dll".
A "remove borders" command has been added to the script calling the
"convolve.dll" to remove the black borders caused by the DLL.
A number of matrix filters has been added and the possibilities to
create random matrices have been enhanced, e.g. there is even the option
to choose decimal numbers for the matrix.
2. "Balance" filters
a) "White balance": You can set the white level by clicking on the
image or choosing a dialog. There is also an "auto white balance" that
searches for the brightest pixel of the image and then sets this value
as the new white.
b) "Mid balance": This is a gamma-correction feature. The chosen
middle value (clicking on the image first or setting a slider) will move
the existing 128 level up or down without changing the extreme white and
black values. Choosing a value less than 128 will result in a brighter
image, choosing a higher value will darken the image.
c) "Black balance": Brighten the picture by shifting all color values
higher from the new black level.
3. Brighten/Darken
A very efficient algorithm has been added here with "proportionally"
changing the brightness.
4. Temperature
A "temperature" (colder - warmer) option has been added to button
"Saturation et.al.".
5. Hues
a) "fine tuning": This group at the bottomright corner of the stack
is unchanged. Adding and subtracting RGB values "separately" can produce
an unlimited number of hues.
b) The number of "sepia" options has been increased.
c) "Quick hues" (red, yellow, green, blue, cyan) produces quick hues
- 400 milliseconds on the average - with fixed added values and can be
applied repeatedly.
d) "Shift mid hues": This works along the lines of "mid balance".
First, click on the image to choose a darker or brighter area. Then
choose one of the 5 color-pairs options "red - bluegreen, blue - yellow,
lightblue - red, yellow - dark blue, cyan - green". Selecting a pixel
with a value below 128 will produce a hue with the quality of the first
member of each pair, a value above 128 will result in a hue with the
color of the second member.
e) "Hues (click first)": The chosen average value by clicking into
the image is used to calculate a factor by which the hue (red, green, or
blue) will be increased proportionally.
f) "Hues dialog": This brings up group "Set Hues" with RGB and HSV
sliders (h = hue, s = saturation, v = value/brightness). Changing a RGB
value automatically resets the HSV values and the other way round. The
color shown in the field at the top of the group is then transferred as
a hue to the image using 7 different algorithms producing monochrome,
multichrome, or negative hues.
This is certainly an over-abundance of hues, but having experimented
with a number of interesting approaches to produce hues I have left them
all in the stack for the time being.
6. "Fun-tastic colors": This works best with images that contain larger
areas of "equal colors", e.g. take the sample image "Red Square Moscow".
First click into the image to choose a color value, then apply one of
the three fun-tastic options. These options can be applied repeatedly.
"Fun-tastic colors" are a variation of the "duplicate colors" options
available from the menu of the same button, but more rewarding. Experiment!-
Again my best wishes for the holidays and a Happy New Year!
--Wilhelm Sanke
<http://www.sanke.org/MetaMedia>
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