GIF conversions (was: Re: History)

Colin Douthwaite wrote:
> 
> Matthew Thomas <mpt...@spamfree.land> wrote:
> >...
> >----
       ,.  _
       |J /J
     ,') n F
     |( __J.                      ,-----------------------------------.
     |  `- ]                     | `Let us therefore  brace  ourselves |
    _> .:;J                      | to  our  duties,  and  so bear our- |
   |  ``"'.                      | selves that  if  ASCII  art and its |
   )_'  _,'                      | Usenet groups last for  a  thousand |
  ,MMMMMMF         ,..___,.      | years,  men  and  women  will still |
  MMMMMMM          MMMMMMMJ      | say, "this was our finest hour".'   |
 JMMMMMME          MMMMMMMML      `. ,--------------------------------'
 MMMMMMM[       ,aJhmmmmmmmmMMM.   |/
JMMMMMMM[      `"*MMM**H*MMMP*"    /
MMMMMMMME        (,-=ms:mn-J'     '
MMMMMMMMMn_  mt-2 :._.'_\:.J
YMMMMMMMMMO+n._   `;:`---(.[
 "*MMMMMMMMhh++MMMLhn;;::.J.
   "*MMMMMMMMO+O"*OMMM++-"'.Mhm,.
     "*MMMMMMMO+++`**MMMP**"'MMMO,
       "*MMMMMOO+++OOMhMh   YM\OOO
         "MMMMMOO++OO`MhOO\/MMM\+/L
          |MMMMMOO++OO`MhOO\OMMM\+||
          JOMMMMMMOOOO.MMMO+\**OM\|JL
          FOMMMMMMMOO.'MMMOO+A+OMM|OO,
         /OOMMMMMMMOO*!MMMMOJ+\+O'|MOL
        /++OOMMMMMMo |M\MMO/m==|+O|OMM
       '">++OOOMMMMM/MMM"-"O++oAO+|OMOh
>----
>
> I'm intrigued.
> 
> Exactly how did you produce that picture of Winston Churchill?

Well, put it this way: that picture is the main reason why I am so tired
this morning ...
 
> My guess is a scanned photograph from a history book followed
> by a GIF to ASCII conversion.

Actually, a GIF from http://www.winstonchurchill.org/ (yes, there is
such a Web site -- although many of its graphics are ridiculously large
BMPs, yuk), converted by hand (which is why I'm so tired :-). If the
conversion had been done by computer, there would have been a greater
range of characters used for different grey scales.

> It isn't too bad...although the facial image is not great it is
> recognisable for who and what it is.

Yes, well it's hard to fit that famous podgy grimace into 24 ASCII
characters ... rediddles welcome. :-)

> The available GIF to ASCII convertors are crappy in my opinion. :-(

One day, I promise, when I have enough time to fiddle around with such
things, I will write the ultimate GIF-/JPG-/PNG-to-ASCII converter
(yeah, right!) (... no, really!).

I plan the following features:
* optional edge-detection -- drawing of outlines will take precedence
  over shading the areas inside them
* as much or as little weight as you like will be able to be given to
  the shape of the characters, rather than their darkness or lightness
  (ie, anti-aliasing at the expense of exact shade, or vice versa).

Martin, perhaps you have some code that converts a GIF (or a BMP?) to an
array of some sort? That would get me started, at least.

Hmm, maybe it's time I learnt Perl ...
-- 
   .._o  Matthew Thomas (mpt26 @ student . canterbury . ac . nz)
 ..://\/ http://cantua.canterbury.ac.nz/~mpt26/ (Site for sore eyes)
..:_/\   ASCII ART FAQ: http://cantua.canterbury.ac.nz/~mpt26/art/ascii/
  ..:/   Linux. Because life is too short to reboot.

Related ASCII art in the Gallery

Explore these categories from our collection of 11,000+ artworks:

  _________
 /___   ___\
//@@@\ /@@@\\
\\@@@/ \@@@//
 \___ " ___/
    | - |
     \_/  jrjc

  ______
 /|_||_\`.__
(   _    _ _\
=`-(_)--(_)-'
         hjw

   .="=.
 _/.-.-.\_ 
( ( o o ) )
 |/  "  \| 
  \'---'/jgs  
  /`"""`\\ 

 _________
|  _____  |\
| |\ ___| | \
| | |   | | |
| | |___| | |
\ | |____\| |
 \|_________|
 Andy Johnson

  __      _
o'')}____//
 `_/      )
 (_(_/-(_/

[>====]

Make your own ASCII art

Turn images, text or 3D into ASCII, or draw your own – right in your browser.