[techtalk] whas up wid da GIMP? [from Updated Enlightenment (more @debian, GIMP and COREL DRAW*)]

[Kelly Lynn Martin]

On Fri, 15 Oct 1999 23:07:49 -0400, Walt <pippin at fred.net> said:

>I'm confused about the usefulness of explaining CMY to RGB to HSV
>relations and not supporting it. What is the big BLOCK in the way of
>CMYK or LAB(or HSB or HSB or LCH or whatever you wanna call it)
>support in GIMP? (Also, why no bitmap mode support?)

Ok, this is a semi-official statement from an actual GIMP
developer. :) 

The major block in the way of supporting multiple colorspaces is a
great deal of rigidity in the current structures for representing
pixels.  Significant work has been done in this area for the HOLLYWOOD
project (film editing, which requires 48-bit color), which we hope to
fold back into GIMP for either 1.4 or 2.0.  While the main goal of
HOLLYWOOD was to provide 48-bit color (3x16 bit channels), the
modifications should also facilitate alternate colorspaces.  However,
these mods are rather extensive and will be tedious to roll back in,
which is why they're not going in 1.2.

Bitmaps are sorta supported as a species of indexed image with two
colors.  GIMP's support for indexed images is also poor, although the
Adam "The Great One" Moss is supposedly working on substantial
enhancements in this area.

Constructive suggestions of how to improve the GIMP are, of course,
always welcome.  

Kelly

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