Topic awaiting preservation: ASCII to .gif

I would like to be able to take data in ASCII and convert it to either a .gif .jpeg or .png format (preferably using PHP) but I don't seem to be turning any resources up that I can learn how to do that from.

If my question sounds naive or ignorant (either one matches in this case) I apologize but I've never even considered doing something like this before so I have no idea where to start.

Any links or shoves in the right direction are appreciated.

-Butcher-

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

It probably wouldn't be too difficult to make a C++ program that turns it into BMP or something, and then you could open that in Photoshop and save it as a gif somehow...

What kind of ascii data are you talking about?

If you have a list of coordinates and want to create a plot from them get a copy of gnuplot. You should be able to download the latest version from http://www.gnuplot.info/ .

gnuplot allows you to create graphs in several formats including .gif.


-- not necessarily stoned... just beautiful.



[This message has been edited by hyperbole (edited 11-04-2002).]

What we're looking to do is be able to create an image map on a web page using JavaScript. Then we want to pass that data to a back-end script, preferably PHP, such that it can take the data and create a .gif or .jpg file which in turn can be converted into an icon file.

This effort is going to support a nifty icon generator tool for the GN *and* can probably help with the Asylum's new pixel people utility.

butcher and I are working together on this part of it.

. . : slicePuzzle

...and I should clarify that we want to make this all automated so the resulting image can be emailed and/or downloaded shortly after its creation on the page.

Get me the minimal file format for gif files, and I could write a little C++ prog that does the trick.

I just need info, I assume it'd be something along the lines of

first 4 bytes: " GIF" (or something weird and more specific)
some random info like file size, image width, image height
1 byte: number of colors in pallette = n
n*3 bytes: rgb values for each color
width*height bytes: color indices

If anyone can figure out this information, writing the program shouldn't be all that difficult. I've done it with WAV and BMP files in the past. Thankfully, since we're *writing* gif files, and not *reading* them, we don't need to know all the possible complications a gif file may have. In fact, we could try saving a 1px wide gif in MS paint and looking at the file in a hex editor to see if we could figure it out.

*goes to try*

[edit: hmm, this looks a little difficult, but it's probably doable by comparing different similar gif files. I was almost right: the first 6 bytes are "GIF89a". I'll see what I can figure out.]

[edit2: oooh, photoshop gifs are *much* simpler. very small. I bet I can do this.]

[This message has been edited by Slime (edited 11-04-2002).]

wooo. sounds interesting slime. id like to have a look at the sources if you are finished slime.

This link is great for image formats, even if it is years old... http://www.dcs.ed.ac.uk/home/mxr/gfx/2d-hi.html

The gif format is pretty simple. I managed to swap colours by treating gif data as a string and changing certain characters - it's the data compression that got to me. Good luck!

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

InI: I'm sure no one is making extra work for themselves by ignoring you but it may be that all your ideas are getting lost in the various posts. Would it be possible to extract all your good stuff like this to one place where we could go and nose through it? I know it would be a valuable resource and it would save a lot of us loads of time. The FAQ is just waiting for this kind of thing (saving ideas, tips, code for getting lost in the rip tides of the Asylum is its raison d'être) or you can put it up at Wapod - it doesn't really matter as long we have one place we can go and look for it. If you want a hand with putting stuff in the FAQ then let me know and I'll do what I can

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

let me just make an off hand suggestion...
ini, perhaps the fact that anytime someone doesn't take your approach to something you throw a fit and insult people *might* just have something to do with why people tend not to fully read through all of your information?

just a thought....

I'm sorry I even started down this road. I can't tell you how upset I am right now.

I don't care how brilliant anyone here is if working with them causes this sort of reaction. This is precisely why I usually keep my projects to myself because I HATE having to exert energy avoiding egotistical outbursts like that, it's like trying to learn a new language while walking through a mine field.

quote:

---

it's the 1000th time you geeks discard my opinion, later discover what I had suggested,
and claim it as yours and revolutionary.

---

I can take a lot of crap but this one has quite simply pushed me over the edge!!!

He's right this is bullshit.

A. I doubt everyone here reads every thread in every area of this board. If I don't have something to say on a subject or it seems like someone else has provided an answer my common technique is to generally just ignore the thread after a point.

B. It can be a serious pain in the ass to track down some old posts. Many times threads evolve into something having nothing to do with the orginal post so who knows where the answer might lie.

C. Haven't you noticed yet that people ask the same question over and over again? Jesus just last week someone asked how to do an image rollover in the DHTML forum. You don't see anyone else getting their panties in a bunch because they've answered the question over and over.

Finally I have no idea who's claiming your idea as their own but fucking grow up this is going to happen. It's happend to me, it's happened to max and I'm sure it's happened to slime and bugs not one else is throwing a fucking prepubescent tantrum about it.



.:[ Never resist a perfect moment ]:.

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

quote:

---

there is an obvious and hard to
repair mismatch between what you like and what I like.
Can you understand that instead of taking it personal

---

I think you need to take your own advice Ini.

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

InI, where is this coming from? You really need to calm down.

Yes, sometimes you post things that don't get any replies. Sometimes it's because it goes over our heads, sometimes we're just not interested at the time. But that doesn't give you an excuse to get angry when people forget about specific things you've said in the past. If that happens, all you have to do is give a link to the old thread, or repost it again (because, yes, we all have to post the same things more than once). But blowing up at people like this isn't going to help *anyone*.

If you're contributing to the Asylum because you want recognition, then you need to find another reason to contribute. Besides, many times I've seen people compliment you for the java applets you've made. Recognition is great when you get it, but no one *deserves* it automatically, and many people who earn it never recieve it. This is a part of life. You can't get angry at people for not giving you the recognition you may deserve.

Just, man, if you think there's a problem, there are much better ways of dealing with it than you have done here. Please, calm down!

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

I don't know, i read most of your shit, liked it (sometimes gasped) and still call it shit without trying to be offensive.

What is it with this place when people start being more like themselves? Bah... long live the asylum...

on the topic, i would recommend using the .XBM-generator or something

Ok, I think everyone need go and read this right about now:
http://www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum1/HTML/005545.html

Bah... That ^^^ is meant to be the "asylum love" thread. Arr well.

[This message has been edited by Dracusis (edited 11-05-2002).]

Broken link? Deleted/locked/archived thread?

Don't you just hate it when you get interested, lurk a thread, and then ini gets involved and throws a tantrum? Completely ruins a good thread that I may have had some chance of understanding.

I hate even more when folks gang up and beat some Asylumite to death so please don't mistake this post for that.

Actually, InI, the fact that people try to speak rationally to you instead of just verbalizing you to ribbons shows respect, a great deal more than most people have earned around here. The tantrums you throw out of pure ego would get inmates with less to offer beaten back to the stone age. But the tongues are bitten a bit, out of respect. So you really want to get your panties in a twist? Then take these negative posts here and multiply them by an abuse factor of ten to see what you more than likely deserve.

Jeepers.

Jason

oh, come on, guys!

Don't do this... this what the artists do... don't fall into that trap..

come on... let's just for get about this..




Code - CGI - links - DHTML - Javascript - Perl - programming - Magic - http://www.twistedport.com
ICQ: 67751342

ok, this what I was looking for:
http://www.ozoneasylum.com/Archives/Archive-000002/HTML/20021015-1-005457.html


Code - CGI - links - DHTML - Javascript - Perl - programming - Magic - http://www.twistedport.com
ICQ: 67751342

What do you guys say we get back on topic now?

-Jestah
Cell 277

that's what I did!

read the link I posted-

see, that's the problem with you.. you never read the damn links I post... watch yo' damn back, Jest-Foo'!!


Code - CGI - links - DHTML - Javascript - Perl - programming - Magic - http://www.twistedport.com
ICQ: 67751342

The poster has demanded we remove all his contributions, less he takes legal action.
We have done so.
Now Tyberius Prime expects him to start complaining that we removed his 'free speech' since this message will replace all of his posts, past and future.
Don't follow his example - seek real life help first.

OK I think it best if we closed this down and started again here:
www.ozoneasylum.com/Forum12/HTML/001164.html

___________________
Emps

FAQs: Emperor