Fuzzy PixMap (FBM) Image processing software available

[Michael.Mauldin at nl.cs.cmu.edu]

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*   Announcing the "Fuzzy PixMap" (or FBM) image manipulation library  *
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The FBM library is now available in Alpha test form to interested parties.
For information about anonymous FTP, see the end of this message.  This
package allows manipulation and conversion of a variety of color and
black-and-white image formats.  It particular it provides complete support
for Sun rasterfiles with 1, 8, or 24 bits per pixel.

Inputs the following file formats

  o Sun rasterfiles (1, 8, or 24 bits, color or greyscale)
  o GIF files (1 to 8 bits, color or greyscale)
  o PCX files
  o PBM rasters
  o Face files (CMU format for 1bit files by Bennet Yee)
  o FBM files (my own format)

Outputs the following formats

  o Sun rasterfiles
  o FBM files
  o GIF files      (mapped color only)
  o PBM            (1bit files only)
  o Face format    (1bit files only)

With input converter for

  o raw images (like Amiga Digi-View files)

With output converters for

  o PostScript         (1bit or 8bit greyscale files only)
  o Diablo graphics    (1bit files only)

Operations

  o Extract rectangle (optionally resizing and changing aspect ratio)
  o Change density and contrast (color and greyscale)
  o Rotate  90, 180, or 270 degrees
  o Quantize 24 bit RGB images to 8..256 colors
        Modified Heckbert median cut
  o Halftone greyscale using
        Ulichney's Blue Noise dithering
        Floyd-Steinberg dithering
        Jarvis's Constrained averaging
        Threshholding
  o Edge Sharpening by Digitial Laplacian (color or greyscale)
  o Convert color to greyscale (or compute "grey" colormap
        so greyscale images can be viewed on frame buffers)
  o Compute histograms of greyscale images
  o Sample 1bit images to convert to greyscale

Status

    Alpha test release.  "Use at your own risk, bug fixes not
    guaranteed, be happy with minimal documentation."

    Freely available for use, redistribution, incorporation into
    other code.  Just don't make a profit off it or take my name
    off of it.

    Written in C for BSD and Mach Unix Systems.
    Tested on Vaxes, Sun Workstations, and IBM RTs.

    Self contained.  Does not require Sun include files or library
    routines to manipulate Sun rasters.

Availability

    Anonymous FTP

    Host:        nl.cs.cmu.edu (128.2.222.56)
    User:        anonymous
    Password:    name at site
    Filename:    /usr/mlm/ftp/fbm08.tar.Z

    Don't forget to specify "image" type transfer before 

    Will be posted to UseNet when the code is stable and
    the documentation is complete and accurate.

Acknowledgements

    GIF read support written by David Koblas.
    GIF write support written by David Rowley
    Edge detection and pixel cleaning by Gary Sherwin and Michael Mauldin

Rumours

    Future support is rumoured for Amiga IFF files, NeXT TIFF files and
    MacPaint files.  Also it may someday be able to write all of the
    formats that it can read.

    All that is needed to incorporate a new format is to write a routine
    that reads the given image into memory and one that writes it out
    again.  I will incorporate other code on a "whenever I'm not working
    on my thesis" basis.

Michael L. Mauldin (Fuzzy)		School of Computer Science
ARPA: Michael.Mauldin at NL.CS.CMU.EDU	Carnegie Mellon University
Phone: (412) 268-3065			Pittsburgh, PA  15213-3890

[[ I've seen some pictures "quantized" with the modified Heckbert median
cut (since they were from Mr. Mauldin, I assume that it is the same code
as is used in this package.  Absolutely astounding!  Unbelievable!  A must
see.  Maybe I can convince him to put one in the archives.  You really
have to see it to believe it.  --wnl ]]