More Fun With Open Source IMPs
After figuring out the ins and outs of Hugin, the open source panorama stitcher, I perused the net a bit looking at what other people had to say about the same software, and I came across this fascinating video:
Now I don't know about the code itself, but on a conceptual level, this process is nothing short of brilliant. It simply fascinates me, and as I type, I'm in the process of downloading programs that will allow me to do it myself.
First, I need to reinstall the GIMP via macports -- a software package that allows for a wide variety of command line programs which would be otherwise unavailable to your mac. I already have GIMP, but I have a non-macports version which doesn't support the plugins necissary for liquid rescaling.
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Let me try that again: I don't need to install macports, because liquid rescaling is included as a plugin in GIMP 2.4.2 which I already have. This is a good thing, because installing macports, as it turns out, also requires installing Xcode, which requires a lengthy membership application for the Apple Developer Connection, which in turn requires a headache, which ultimately leads to the innards of my computer being smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.
For those who'd rather have it in English: after a lot of frustrating stuff, I realized I already had what I'd just spent an hour looking for.
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So after a few experiments with liquid rescaling I can definitely say this: whatever you do, do it first on an image which has been greatly scaled down. This process is slooowwww. The video makes it look like you just slide the image around and it stretches and bends like silly putty. No. Even an image of a mere 600x400 pixels might take a minute or so to rescale.
Beyond that, it's pretty much like the video. I have yet to come up with an interesting application for this within the pics I currently have, but if and when I do, I'll post some samples. In the meantime, here's a flickr page which has quite a few examples of what other people have done with this app.
Click to viewNow I don't know about the code itself, but on a conceptual level, this process is nothing short of brilliant. It simply fascinates me, and as I type, I'm in the process of downloading programs that will allow me to do it myself.
First, I need to reinstall the GIMP via macports -- a software package that allows for a wide variety of command line programs which would be otherwise unavailable to your mac. I already have GIMP, but I have a non-macports version which doesn't support the plugins necissary for liquid rescaling.
---
Let me try that again: I don't need to install macports, because liquid rescaling is included as a plugin in GIMP 2.4.2 which I already have. This is a good thing, because installing macports, as it turns out, also requires installing Xcode, which requires a lengthy membership application for the Apple Developer Connection, which in turn requires a headache, which ultimately leads to the innards of my computer being smashed out by a slice of lemon wrapped around a large gold brick.
For those who'd rather have it in English: after a lot of frustrating stuff, I realized I already had what I'd just spent an hour looking for.
---
So after a few experiments with liquid rescaling I can definitely say this: whatever you do, do it first on an image which has been greatly scaled down. This process is slooowwww. The video makes it look like you just slide the image around and it stretches and bends like silly putty. No. Even an image of a mere 600x400 pixels might take a minute or so to rescale.
Beyond that, it's pretty much like the video. I have yet to come up with an interesting application for this within the pics I currently have, but if and when I do, I'll post some samples. In the meantime, here's a flickr page which has quite a few examples of what other people have done with this app.