[techtalk] Combine vector and bitmap tools in *one* program? (was: [techtalk] To me it fast becomes a non-technicalissue...(COREL/GIMP/PHOTOSHOP etc.) )

[Karl-Heinz Zimmer]

On 10/20/99, 6:06:45 AM, Kelly wrote:

> On Tue, 19 Oct 1999 20:22:01 -0700 (PDT), Nicole said:

> >It's like the difference between drafting/architecture and
> >painting... drafting and painting have their own purposes,
> >and can both be done very methodically. Personally, I would
> >think it would be a Good Thing (tm) to have different tools
> >for vecto and pixel drawing JUST as you have different tools
> >for drafting and painting.

> There's a lot of commonality, though.  If we ever get
> dynamically loaded tools going, there'll really be no reason
> not to do it.

Hi Kelly,

maybe i am misunderstanding you but in my (humble) opinion there
are already such programs with 'dynamically loaded tools'.

I don't know about photoshop plug-ins but at least when it comes
to use GIMP there is no real need to compile all these plug-ins
into the main binary: just put them in the plug-ins' directory
and all of them are loaded dynamically.  Is that what you meant?

By the way, integrating vector capabilities into a mainly bitmap
oriented program like GIMP could (and IMHO *should*) be easily
done: just take a fine GPL'ed vector program like Sketch ( to be
found here: http://www.online.de/home/sketch/ ), get the sources,
add some lines to make it a GIMP plug-in and let it use GIMP's new
feature of ''parasite's parameters'' (see developers doc in this
file: docs/parasites.txt).  By doing so one could easily combine
sketch and Gimp: just store the original Sketch drawing where
the user decides to store it, store the information where that
drawing could be found as 'parasite's paremeter' in the layer the
user took for the Sketch drawing, convert the drawing into a bit-
map of appropriate dimensions and resolution each time the user
finishes working in the Sketch module and store this bitmap as
integrated part of the Gimp picture: just as one of it's layers.
Thus you will have the advantages of the layer oriented Gimp file
as well as the possibility to modify your bitmap easily by acces-
sing the separately stored Sketch drawing...

In order to avoid your friendly ''Hic Rhodos, *hic* salta!''
replies i first considered keeping quiet and not to mention it
but i just _must_  ;-D  say it: in my opinion this development
task could be done easily and if i only had a br^H^H^H^Hthe time
i would do it myself.

(It might sound unfamiliar for some of you because converting the
 vector drawing into a separate bitmap to fill the Gimp layer
 sounds a bit like storing the data twice?  This is true of course
 but remember this modus operandi is already being used by several
 plug-ins:  One of the nicest is surely the ''dynamic text'' tool
 that stores it's original font and text data as such 'parasite
 parameters' in the layer and creates a bitmap for further proces-
 sing in Gimp each time you finish working with dynamic text.)

Best greetings,

Karl-Heinz                      (K.-H. Zimmer, Hamburg, Germany)

postscriptum: Just in case some of you still haven't figured out
              how to make the GIMP give you the power to be your
              best, you might want to look at the very helpful
  ''GIMP Tutorials Pointer Page!''
    http://empyrean.lib.ndsu.nodak.edu/~nem/gimp/tuts/intro.html

    ( I *hope* all of you know the Kylanders' GIMP UserManual?
               http://manual.gimp.org/  I  l o v e  that book! )




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