GIMP Resynth vs. Photoshop Content Aware 269
aylons writes "Just after Adobe released videos showing off the content-aware feature of Photoshop CS5, the GIMP community answered by showing the resynthesizer plugin, which has been available for some time and can do a similar job. However, are they really comparable? (In original Portuguese, but really, the images are pretty much self-explaining.) Compare them side by side removing the same objects from different kinds of images. Results do vary, but the most interesting part may be seeing the different results and trying to understand the logic of each algorithm."
Plugin vs built-in (Score:5, Informative)
I can't speak for everyone who uses PS and/or Gimp, just for myself.
The real news was not the ability to do this kind of interpolation, but the fact that's built-in and integrated in the workflow.
For Photoshop, Alien Skin Image Doctor has been available for years (2002 maybe). What matters for me is that I no longer need to use a plugin and I can use this smart fills in several scenarios, including as a brush to remove fine things like wires.
The same goes with another new feature in PS CS5, the new selection tools. There were at least 2 or 3 plugins (like Fluid Mask) that could do tricky selections, but now it's built-in.
Same with the new lens corrections, no need for PTLens anymore, I can even profile my own lenses using the new lens profile creator from the labs.
I don't want to sound like I'm defending Adobe here, I used to hate them. For 10 years I've been using Corel Photo-Paint (from v3 to X3) plus a few others including The Gimp. In the end I realized that despite its shortcomings, PS really is the best tool for the job. When you're under pressure to deliver, small differences add up.
Re:I'm sure... (Score:5, Informative)
> I even know it exists, what it's called, where it's website is, and I still have no idea how to download or install it.
I use Ubuntu. There was a package for it. All I had to do was run apt-get.
This is probably just a "script" and can be dropped into the appropriate place if you don't have a proper package.
Plenty of PS stuff exists as plugins. Does that mean they don't exist either?
Re:I'm sure... (Score:3, Informative)
You claim to know where the website is... The FIRST PAGE of the website gives install instructions, source download, and RPM/DEB packages.
Why do people complain when they are too stupid/lazy to take 5 seconds to read 1 page? Honestly if you can't be bothered to read 2 lines of text to learn how to install something, you probably should be using Photoshop anyway.
Re:Even so... (Score:3, Informative)
Re:I'm sure... (Score:5, Informative)
It's in the AUR [archlinux.org] as a package for Arch. I don't even use Arch and it took me thirty seconds to find this. It's the very first page when you Google for "arch linux resynthesizer." [tinyurl.com] You want to be 1337 "cause I use Arch?" Learn to Google.
Re:I'm sure... (Score:5, Informative)
$ sudo apt-get install gimp-resynthesizer
However, when I first tried using it, I was using the Filter->Map->Resynthesize... menu option which kind of works, but isn't so great. I had to google to find a good explanation of how to use it. What you should do is:
1. Install as above,
2. Select area of image to remove,
3. Use Filters->Enhance->Smart remove selection...
And to be clear about this - it is fucking awesome. Seriously! I'm not usually _that_ impressed with things (I'm far too old!), but this goes into total witch-craft territory, it is *that* good!
If anyone has managed to install this plugin under Windows, I'd like to know the instructions for doing so (not for me... it's for my *friends*... honest!!!).
Re:I'm sure... (Score:3, Informative)
It works reasonably well, but be aware of the limitations. Resynthesizer was originally made for texture enlargement, so you are best of working in chunks where you want a uniform texture. If it keeps pulling in texture that doesn't match you might have to create a layer isolating the matching texture and use the plug in itself (instead of the "Smart Remove" tool it is bundled with) to specify that layer as the texture source, make sure the source and target layers color spaces match, it will refuse to use an RGBA source with an RGB target. If they are both RGBA (the most realistic case), Resythesizer might leave small holes in the image, they are easily filled with a quick "Smart Remove".
If this sounds too complicated to any of you, you should try doing it by hand... Tools help, they don't do the job for you.
Re:I'm sure... (Score:3, Informative)
Ah yes, the classic open source fanboy response. If something is difficult to use in any way, you are "stupid". Hilarious.
Well you clearly aren't using Ubuntu then or an equaly useable distro.
*Now, lets see. Open the Ubuntu Software Center,
*in the search box type resynth (It should now be displayed)
*Click the Resynthesizer item
*Click install
Now start GIMP, create a new image and hey presto, in Filters->Map you'll see the entry for Resynthesizer
Surely that's not that hard.
Oh, and having been called upon more than a few time to install PS plugins I can assure you it's
completely plugin dependent how easy or hard that can be. Sometimes PS is no walk in the park.
I swear, the anti FOSS trolls aren't even trying these days, they just assume if it's Linux it's always hard.
Re:Even so... (Score:5, Informative)
Why do you think it was a pro-Linux site? Just because one of the sample pictures had toy penguins in it?
I looked at the first 5 pages of the site and it was mostly articles about Windows OS and Windows graphics applications with a few stories about Apple stuff and Twitter. Not a single article about Linux.
Re:OT: GIMP scaling seems broken. (Score:4, Informative)
Re:I'm sure... (Score:2, Informative)
Turning the screw: $1
Knowing which screw and which way to turn it: $199
I'm not a linux user. Are all plugins for all programs accessed that way?
Quite often, yes. I'm sure if you look hard enough though you'll be able to find ones that aren't pre-packaged and then you'd need to read the web page from where you download the plugin. In this case it'd be somewhat similar to what is required for some PS plugins.
Knowing which screw and which way to turn it: $199
Just as with most things, some superficial knowledge is helpful but again, Linux software is no orphan in this respect and is also not always as hard as some would like to try to make out.
Re:I'm sure... (Score:4, Informative)
8/10/2009: I haven't really been keeping up with API changes in the GIMP, or with emails people send me. If you emailed me and I haven't replied, I'm sorry. If you want to take over as maintainer of this project, email me. Other emails will probably continue to sit unread in my inbox.
That would be as of August last year...
Yes I do know what they are. (Score:1, Informative)
Yes I do know what they are. Your point? A professonal firm will have calibrated monitors in a lighting booth. And that will convert CMYK to RGB for that monitor. They will also have calibration from the process they are using. And if they aren't using a monitor, they can use AdobeRGB (do you know what that is?) or sRGB (do you know what that is?) which are a set calibration of RGB components just like your calibrated monitor.
Except, being actual defined settings, you don't need to change your calibration if you change your monitor: they use an "idealised monitor".
Therefore there is NO DIFFERENCE if they use your calibrated monitor or they use sRGB/AdobeRGB. Their calibration will be as good in either case.
So again, I ask, why would you NOT TRUST their printer taking RGB when you trust their monitor to take RGB???
Because PS allows CMYK.
No other reason.
It's a fake.
Re:I'm sure... (Score:3, Informative)
The author writes on the plugin's page that he doesn't have time to maintain it any longer, and is looking for someone to take over. Apparently it was a thesis of some sort and now it's done (sad fate of much interesting academic software).
Re:I'm sure... (Score:1, Informative)
yes, Gimps GEGL engine can do 16 bit and CMYK. and non destructive editing.
most of the internal tools have been ported. The transition is not complete yet though so it still defaults to 8 bit RBG.
I took a look at GEGL's algorithms and it boggles my mind the crazy awesome math going on in it.
Once the transition is complete and the old rendering engine is deprecated, what are the PS fanboys going to hate on next?
UI? (I use dual monitors and my window manager isn't retarded so the whole argument over no single menu is stupid. gimp on dual monitor setups rocks, photoshop on more than one monitor is pain)