Caricature challenge

[Wilhelm Sanke]

On Mon Dec 17, 2007, Ken Ray kray at sonsothunder.com wrote:

>  The only thing I could
> think of would be to make it a multi-step process:
>
> 1) Take the original image (img "orig"), duplicate it (img "dupe") and
> lock its loc.
> 2) Set the rect of "dupe" to the same size as the polygon
> 3) Make a new image object (img "stretch") that has the same size as
> the copy.
> 4) Set the imageData of the "stretch" to the imageData of "dupe"
> 5) Set the backgroundPattern of the polygon to "stretch"
>
> This of course couldn't happen dynamically in real time without
> stuttering, etc., especially on larger images. I miss SuperCard's
> manipulation of pictureData in Revolution (you can do all sorts of
> other things too like setting offsets, magnification etc.) - it would
> be a great addition to Rev...
>
>
> Ken Ray
> Sons of Thunder Software, Inc.



In my reply of Nov 29 to thread "Any suggestions on how to "onion 
skinning"?" I had mentioned some new features of my upcoming release of 
the "Imagedata Toolkit" - among them

"copying - and enlarging or shrinking - and pasting oval or rectangular 
portions of an image into the same or another image with variable fringe 
and/or overall blending into the basic image)."

I applied this to a photo of a not unknown public figure, the result can 
be inspected here:

<http://www.sanke.org/Software/SmilingBush.jpg>.

To achieve this I used a number of steps, in which about two of Ken's 
five steps are applied, but most of which follow a  different sequence 
and are of another  nature.

The basis for the "copying - and enlarging or shrinking - and pasting 
oval or rectangular portions of an image"  are rects, ovals, and 
polygons in the form of images with transparent fringes of different sizes.

I use a rectangular or oval graphic as a selection tool that can be 
resized and dragged  across the photo to select a portion of it (This 
selection tool is similar to that used in my "seamless tiles 2" stack).
The underlying image - the partially tranparent basic template - is then 
adjusted in location  and size  to the selected portion of  the photo. 
At the same time an already existing empty image "newimage" is  also set 
to  the selected portion of the image.
The imagedata of  the selected portion  of the photo are then read  into 
the "newimage", and the alphadata of the template are applied to the 
"newimage".

You can then enlarge or shrink  "newimage" or leave  it as it  is and 
drag it to any place  on the photo. You can  also flip "newimage".

Next step is to integrate the image- and alphadata of "newimage" into 
the photo, either once or several times at different places. This 
integration can be applied with variable levels of blending,  in 
addition to the transparent fringe of the template that ensures optimal 
blending into the photo.

If an enlarged portion  of  "newimage" should have been dragged to a 
position where it overlaps the rect of the photo, the overlapping parts 
of "newimage" are then cut off in the process of integration.-

For  "SmilingBush" I have only used a single oval template. The star -  
taken from the left side - on his forehead - is partially blended. One 
of the flags - taken from his lapel - has been flipped.-

I hope I do not cause trouble with this attempt of a caricature - as it 
happens in other parts of the world. Bush is indeed a known public 
figure and  as such often the object of caricatures.

Best regards,

Wilhelm Sanke

<http://www.sanke.org/MetaMedia>