Re: Question: Is there any software for converting line art to ASCII art? (nothing inside)

On 2 Jul 1998 04:37:29 GMT, spu...@aol.com (Spunk1111) wrote:

>>Message-id: <359...@news.chicago.il.ameritech.net>
>
>>Subject: Question: Is there any software for converting line art to
ASCII
>>art? (nothing inside)
>
>I must be missing something here...  isn't "line
>art" the same as ASCII art? -- line-style is
>a way to make ASCII art, just as solid-style
>and gray scale are methods..
>
>What are you  asking?
>Can you be more specific?
>-joan

I think he means "Line art" in the same sense that Scanner hardware &
software means, ie: a B&W bitmap (1 bit) image with NO grey pixels.

He might also mean Vector art that programs like Illustrator, Freehand
and CorelDraw produce (like you seen in WMF files).

Such a program does not yet exist but it would be quite fascinating to
see it's output. Yes, I know what you're all thinking but believe me,
if you think what I think he wants is already out there you don't
actually know what I think he thinks he wants ;)
Follow me so far?

Please don't reply saying programs like GIF2ASC etc.. do this because
they don't. They are all simply bitmap resamplers. This basically
means they read a square cluster of pixels (of varying sizes) from the
source image and caculate which ASCII character most fits that cluster
(usually in terms of greyscale intensity). They don't extract line
info from images and relate that to an ASCII line/curve simulation.

It is this latter process that I think "Baked in Alaska" is after.

I work in a software graphics house and I discussed such a program
with one of our lead programmers and we came to the conclusion that
although it would be (theoretically) possible to write, it would not
be worth it for various reasons. Most important of which is the fact
that good (real) ASCII art is like Origami in that it isn't supposed
to be a photographic replica of an object, or even a line drawing
representation but a stylised suggestion of the objects intrinsic
charictaristics.

So, Sorry pal, No such program exists. We'll all just have to make do
with artistic skill for a while longer. (thankfully!).
:nathaN

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+-=*@*=-=*@*=-=*@*=-=*@*=-=*@*=-=*@*="No, I don't have a SIG"-=*@*=+
|                                                - Naughty 1998    |
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