The Datafile PD-CD 1 Issue 2/PDCD-1 - Issue 02.iso/_utilities/utilities/003/_mask/!Mask/!Help

Text File | 1993-09-17 | 19KB | 418 lines

Version=1.11  You may copy this program for non-commercial reasons only.
summary:
!Mask is an application which allows you select certain items of a picture.
For example you can isolate yellow text from a blue-ish picture. The program
also offers some image processing possibilities like photomorphing.
Input files are always clear or sprite files, output files are always clear
files. In the clear format you have a 24 bit palette or full 24 bit color.
You can translate clears<>sprites using !Translator, see below.

Main features:
1)Selecting & isolating objects in an image, based on its color, hue, etc.
2)Erasing objects in an image
3)Changing the color of objects in an image
4)Morphing one picture gradually into another

*********************************GETTING STARTED***************************
Give the program as much memory as possible, but leave enough screenmemory.
Press the select button over an object in the top-left window. For example
the M of 'megadeth'. Than press menu in the top-left window or press it
above the vertical bar. A mask will be made in about 0.6 (arm2) or
0.15 (arm3) seconds.
*********************************MASKING***********************************
Making masks from r,b,g values in the original image:
grey:
    Compares grey values of pixels and target pixel.
    rule: (r+g+b)-(Tr+Tg+Tb)<d
rgb:
    Compares distance of the rgb vector of a pixel and target pixel.
    rule: (r-Tr)▓+(g-Tg)▓+(b-Tb)▓<d▓
color:
    Compares 'color' of pixels. This is the best choice in most cases.
    Note that masking this way will also select black (rgb=0,0,0) and
    possibly other dark colors. This option is of no use to monochrome
    images.
    rule: v=r+g+b:t=Tr+Tg+Tb:(r*t-Tr*v)▓+(g*t-Tg*v)▓+(b*t-Tb*v)▓<d▓*v▓*t▓
edge:
    Tries to find edges in the picture. Rather slow.
    rule: Er▓+Eg▓+Eb▓>d▓ ,with Er,Eg,Eb the edginess of a point, defined
    by sobelX▓+sobelY▓.
hue:
    Compares color of pixels, but in another way than 'color'.
    The hue of a pixel is not depending on its brightness, nor its
    'whiteness'. So it may do well in overexposed images.
    rule:(h(target)-h(pixel))mod (2*PI)<d , with h(r,g,b)=
    arctan2(r-2/3*sqr(3)*(g+b) , 1/2*g-1/2*b). This is not (and probably
    will never be) implemented for full 24 bit files.

(Tr,Tg,Tb) is the color of the target (selected) pixel.

You can activate the mask routines by pressing menu in the top-left window,
or elsewere, or by selecting a new mask-button.

You can change the value of 'd' by dragging the bar in the middle of the
screen. Dragging with the menu-button will start calculation immediately.

To set the target pixel, use the select-button in the top-left window.

You can make a rectangular mask by setting a rectangle with the adjust-
button in the top-left window.

You can edit pixels by using menu (setting) and adjust (removing) in the
down-left window.

Selecting groups:
    By clicking select on a 4-connected group in the down-left window will
    select this group as the current mask.
    Shift-clicking select on a group that is not masked out, will remove
    that group from the current mask.
    Shift-clicking select on a masked out group, will add that group to the
    current mask.
    N.b. both groups that are in and out the mask are considered to be
    groups.

*********************************MASK PROCESSING***************************
binary operations:
    not   :z=not x
    and   :z=x and y
    eor   :z=x eor y
    or    :z=x or y
    andnot:z=x and not y
    =     :z=x
    0     :z=0
    1     :z=1
    where z is the current mask, (yellow frame) and x and y have to be
    selected, and may be equal to z.

seed x:
    selects all 4-connected objects in the current mask, that are pointed
    at by the pixels in mask x. There is a maximum of pixels that will be
    used as seed. This operation may fail if there is not enough memory.

large x:
    select all 4-connected objects in the current mask, that are thicker
    (in both directions) than x.

noise x:
    removes noise (pixels with less than x 8-connected neighbours)
    if x=8 then this is equivalent to erodating the image.
    Setting x to 3 removes all thin lines in the image.

dilation x:
    adds pixel if it has at least x 8-connected neighbours.
    nb. dilation(image,x)=not(noise(not image,9-x))

*********************************INPUT/OUTPUT******************************
loading:
    Enter a filename or enter return to abort loading.

load options:
    pic     load a clear or sprite file as the main picture. All 2, 4, 16
            and 256 color sprites are supported, including 256 grey-level
            sprites. If no palette is given, the desktop colors are used
            instead. If a sprite has a mask, this will be loaded and used
            as the currently selected mask. If there is not enough memory
            for the image, it can happen that the program has to quit.
            Loading 2,4 and 16 color sprites may be slow.
    mask    load a binary clear file as the current mask. The file has to
            have the same size as the main picture.
    back    replaces the masked out part of the main picture by the file
            loaded. The loaded file must have the same size (x & y) as
            the current picture. Currently this option works only if both
            the current and loaded picture are full 24 bit images.

saving:
    Enter a filename or enter return to abort saving.

save options:
    pic     save whole picture (masked). Masked out parts of the picture
            are replaced by the nearest color in the images palette.
    smpic   make the picture as small as possible and than save it.
    mask    save the current mask as a binary clear file.

*********************************IMAGE PROCESSING**************************
Image processing options:

Map:
    Loads a color transformation file, and than transforms the colors,
    according to this file. You can make the file yourself, by editing
    !Mask.GenMap
    options: entering return will give you the default file:<Mask$Dir>.Maps.
                                                                      Mymap
             entering 'last' will give you the last used map
             or enter the name of the file.

InvM:
    Inverts the color of the part of the image that is in the mask.

êë:
    Flips image in y-axes.

èï:
    Flips image in x-axes.

24b:
    Converts paletted images to full 24 bit images. This can be useful as
    some options in this program only work with 24 bit images. This operation
    may destroy some masks, without warning. The masks will be compressed and
    stored in the scrap-directory.

Erase:
    Removes the selected part from the image. The removed part of the
    image is filled up with colors, totally depending on the edge of the
    mask. In some cases it is possible to remove something out of the
    image without leaving visible traces. The method used for filling
    up the image is Gauss-Seidel iteration. Currently a slow implementation
    is used for which execution time is about equal to c*P▓ , with c
    some constant depending on your machine and the shape of the mask and
    P is the number of pixels involved. The calculations take place in the
    smallest rectangle, surrounding the mask. If you get the message:'doing
    800 iterations', the calculation will take about 3 minutes on an arm3.
    So make the mask as small as possible! This works only for 24 bit
    images.

Col:
    Changes the color of the pixels in the mask. The resulting image will
    be monochrome. Options:
    C  :the new color will be the some as that of the currently selected
        pixel
    N  :enter values for red, green and blue. The values must a positive
        number (like 0.71 or 4000)
    A  :Abort operation

Grey:
    Changes the grey-value of the pixels in the mask by a specified factor.

Gamma:
    Performs gamma-correction on the pixels in the mask. Gamma < 1 makes
    the picture darker, gamma >1 makes it lighter. Darker parts are affected
    more than light parts. Rule: dest=source^(1/gamma). It can also be
    used on overexposed images: First invert the image, then use 'gamma',
    and invert again.

Filt:
    Multiply each color-component of the pixels in the mask by the given
    value. In many cases this should be preferred above the 'Col' operation.

Contrast:
    Increases the contrast of the pixels in the mask, compared to the
    pixels surrounding the mask. It should be used to make faint, isolated
    objects in the picture better visible.

Sharp:
    Makes the picture sharper. Strength should be between 0 (no effect) and
    1 (strong effect), but may vary from -4 to +4. Making JPEGed pictures
    sharper can give strange effects, caused by blocking. The operation
    only applies on the pixels in the mask, which are not on the edge of the
    picture. Don't use this on dithered pictures. Sharp -0.25 makes the
    picture smooth.

Undo:
    Undoes the last change made to the main picture. Note that the undo-
    option must be on to have something to undo.

Morph:
    Does a photomorphing on one or two images. If on two images, these
    images will be mixed. If you do your best, you can get animations like
    those in Micheal Jacksons video clip 'black or white'. Mixing can
    be done only on two 24 bit images, of the same size. Pure morphing
    however can be done on paletted images too.

    type 1: normal photomorphing on one picture:
       The current picture can be either a paletted or 24 bit image.
       1. First you are asked to give the filename of a secondary (clear)
          picture. The only thing you can do with this picture, in type 1
          morphing is view it. Just enter return if you don't want it.
          The second image must have the same size (x & y) as the first and
          may not have more bits per pixel.
       2. If the first picture was 24 bit, and you have loaded a second
          picture, you are asked if you want to interpolate, if yes, you
          will be doing a type 2 morphing.
       3. After that the number of steps are asked, so you can gradually
          morph the picture. (and make an animation of it!)
       4. If you take more than one step, there is an option to save the
          generated pictures. The pictures will be saved in a directory and
          be numbered 000, 001, 002, etc.
       5. You are asked to load a point file. This is a file, describing
          the transformation. Use this only if you have a point file for
          this particular picture.
       6. You are now ready to set the transformation. Press select somewhere
          in the picture, (keep holding it), move the mouse and let go. The
          point you just pointed at, will be moved along the line. You can use
          adjust to move points around.
       7. Press menu. Wait. Ready.

       (It is easier as it seems:just press return twice)

    type 2: photomorphing, mixing and movie-making of two pictures:
       This will gradually morph and mix two different images into eachother.
       Both pictures must be 24 bit images and must have the same x & y size.
       1. First you are asked to give the filename of a secondary (clear)
          picture.
       2. You are asked if you want to interpolate, if no, you will be doing
          a type 2 morphing, so the 'Y'.
       3. The number of steps is asked. If you want to make a movie, take
          at least 8 steps. Note you can have 73 steps at most, because only
          77 files may be in one directory.
       4. The filename is asked. A directory with this name will be created,
          containing:<dir>.sec.   <dir>.mix.   <dir>.spr. and <dir>.Points
       5. You are asked to load a point file. This is a file, describing
          the transformation. Use this only if you have a point file for
          this particular picture.
       6. You are now ready to set the transformation. Press select somewhere
          in the picture, (keep holding it), move the mouse and let go. The
          point you just pointed at, will be moved along the line. If you
          want a nice morphing, make that items in the first picture cor-
          respond with the same item in the second: e.g. connect eyes, top
          of the nose, middle of the mouth, ears, etc, etc. You can use adjust
          to move points around.
       7. Press menu. Wait. Ready. Note that morphing may use a huge amount
          (temporary) on your hard-disc: 3*steps*size of picture and a
          'disc full' error is fatal.

    Making movies:
       When type 1 morphing, you will find your pictures in the named
       directory, named 000, 001, etc., one which is a link. When type 2
       morphing you will find your pictures in <dir>.mix., named 000, 001,
       etc., two of which are links. Use !Translator to convert these
       pictures to sprites. Save the sprites in <dir>.spr. Use
       !MaskUtils.!Rename to rename the internal sprite names. Place all
       the sprites in one spritefile, using paint and save. You now have
       an animation file, which can be used by !MaskUtils.!Animator. Very
       nice results can be made if you do your best!

bwrgbpcygRB:
    Set the color for a masked-out part. When saving, this color will be
    approximated by the best fitting color in the palette.

Shift-select in the top-left window will draw a line. The color of this
    line is changed gradually from point a to point b. You should only
    use this option, if you can see separate pixels. The option can be
    very useful when erasing things. Currently this works only for 24 bit
    images.
*********************************DISPLAY & OPTIONS*************************
zoom:      zoom to the currently selected point
unzoom:    zoom out
mask       Zoom into the selected mask
X          Show full image
arrows     Move through picture
DMA        Turns dma off in large calculations. Applies for: morph, edge,
           ChngCol,Erase,Contrast. You can set it on startup changing the
           !Mask.!Defaults file.
FD         Fast display. This turns dithering off. You can set it on startup
           by changing the !Mask.!Defaults file.
PAL        Toggle between the two selectable palettes.One is the default
           palette, the other is:BGGRRRBG. This gives a somewhat better
           picture in most cases. You can select it on startup by changing
           the !Mask.!Defaults file.
UNDO       toggle undo on/off. When on, before the main image is changed, it
           is saved as <Wimp$ScrapDir>.MaskBackup  The image is not saved
           after inverting. The default undo-setting is set in the
           !Mask.!Defaults file.
*********************************HIDDEN OPTIONS****************************
You are not supposed to use these options:
ñ   Do a speed test for displaying        (it will mess up your screen)
T   Tidy the memory map
ú   Show memory map                       (it will mess up your screen)
V   Show info+version number
|   Test new memory routine
\   Test compression routines             (it will mess up your screen)
J,K Find out yourself
*********************************GENERAL***********************************
General (tips, etc.):
1)  Because images will usually be displayed smaller than the original,
    some pixels will not be visible. So even if the mask looks solid, there
    may be some gaps in it. To fill up singular gaps in the mask you can
    use 'dilation 8'. Excessive pixels can be removed by 'noise 1'.
2)  If you want to select more than one group in the down-left window, you
    can try the following:
    Surround the groups by using the menu-button. (make sure they are fully
    surrounded or they will disappear!). Shift-select in a masked-out
    (black) part. Wait a second. Shift-select again at the same place, and
    if you are lucky, your groups will be isolated. Using this method
    multiple times can yield better results.
3)  The screenmode is set in the file '!Mask.!Defaults'. Change this file
    to your own preferences. The screenmode has to have 256 colors and a
    size of at least 640 by 256 pixels.
4)  The icon sprite was, ofcourse, made with this program.
5)  Depending on the available memory, you can have up to 6 mask at a time.
    You can select the mask by pressing the arrows (if they are there).
    If there is just enough memory for only one mask, it will be very
    difficult to produce good results, so save a part of the picture and
    edit that, or give the program more memory.
6)  If there is not enough memory for even one mask, the only thing you can
    do is to view the picture. Making a mask will generate some fatal
    error message or even kill your computer.
7)  This program has been written on a 2Mb A3000 with arm3 and RO3.10 and
    should work on all other arm based machines.
8)  Some buttons have key-shortcuts:
    L load         A and         = =
    S save         O or          E eor
    0 clear        1 set         N not
    Z zoom to mask X show full   D zoom in
    C zoom out     M Morph

If anybody wants to write a (semi-) riscos version of this program, please
do so, but tell me first, so I can prevent multiple people doing the same
thing.

next versions:
This program is a collection of things that I liked to do and were quite
easy to do in the context of this program. This will not change in the
future.
Michel Grimminck 23 may 1993

Email:[e-mail]
Smail:westerstraat 155▓
      1015 MA Amsterdam
      The Netherlands
------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPENDIX A |
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡-¡/
4-connectivity: the points marked by * are all 4-connected to P
8-connectivity: the points marked by + are all 8-connected to P
╖╖╖╖╖╖╖             ╖╖╖╖╖╖╖
╖╖╖*╖╖╖             ╖╖+++╖╖
╖╖*P*╖╖             ╖╖+P+╖╖
╖╖╖*╖╖╖             ╖╖+++╖╖
╖╖╖╖╖╖╖             ╖╖╖╖╖╖╖
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPENDIX B |
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡-¡/
Things that cannot be done with paletted files:
1)load:back   Load file as background
2)Color operations, unless the palette allows it
3)Erase       Erase if in mask
4)Set color of masked out part exactly good
5)Draw interpolated lines
6)blending    (in photomorphing)
7)sharp       Making pictures sharper
8)contrast
***************
Things that cannot be done with 24 bit files:
1)24bit       Convert them to 24 bit
2)Hue         Use 'HUE' for mask criteria
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
APPENDIX C |
¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡¡-¡/
how to get !Translator:
!TRANSLATOR is a shareware program from:

John Kortink
Nutterbrink 31
7544 WJ Enschede
The Netherlands

or send email to [e-mail]

Payment NOTE
------------
Payment in CASH ONLY PLEASE, in any currency, for the equivalent of 35 dutch
guilders (England ú10). The only exceptions may be (in order of preference) :

a) A Eurocheque, for 35 dutch guilders, *with* pass-number on the back
b) Postal exchange for 35 dutch guilders
c) Any other form of payment, which gets charged by the bank, but which I'm
   happy to accept if I end up with 35 dutch guilders after bank charges.
   Typical bank charges are ú8 on any non-a) payment.
(the above was written by John Kortink)