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From: boba@wwa.com (Bob Allison)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.ascii,alt.ascii-art,alt.binaries.pictures.ascii
Subject: Talk & GIF: GIF>ASCII Q&As from ASCII Art Resources
Date: 9 Aug 1994 17:27:07 -0500
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In article <326qfr$s2o@usenet.INS.CWRU.Edu>,
Kenneth A. Nau <ed197@cleveland.Freenet.Edu> wrote:
>
>Can someone post or point me in the direction of a program
>
>that will convert an image file...like a GIF or a JPG into ascii?
>
>                            Thank you,
>
>
>                                      Ken
>
>
>-- 
>Take a stroll through your mind sometime,
>You would be surprised what you might find.


Take a stroll through the FAQ sometime,
You would be surprised what you might find. :-)


   Here are Q&As 17, 18 and 19 (on GIF>ASCII) from the ASCII Art 
Resources.  You'll notice it looks different than the FAQ does.


    _  ____                                                          .  O
   / |!__  |    ___________________________________________________   \/|\
   | |  / /                                                             |/
   !_! /_/      How can I make Gray Scale pictures?                   _/ \_


                         <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
                         <<<<<<<<<<Hb:<<<<<<<<<<<<<
                         <<<<<<<<<XMRW:<<<<<<<<<<<<
                         <<<<<<<< MMM$W<<<<<<<<<<<<
                         <<<<<<<~ MMMM$><<<<<<<<<<<
  You can make them from <<<<<<< <MMMMRk<<<<<<<<<<<    Most converters
scratch if you are a     <<<<~s::<XMMM9M<:<<<<<<<<<  require the GIF to be
very good ASCII artist.  <<<<<9k?<HMMM@MXN><<<<<<<<  in 87a format, not 89a
                         <<<<<M$(!?MMMMMH$k<<<<<<<<  format.  GIFs in 89a
  An easier way is to    <<<<!M$k<!MM!`M9M$:<<<<<<<  format, must be converted
use an ASCII converter.  <<<<~MBf!!!" M8MM$!<<<<<<<  to 87a format first.
                         <<<<!M$XH!~ X##MMN<<<<<<<<  Some programs capable of
  There are a number of  <<<<!MM!?!  M:@NM$<<<<<<<<  viewing GIFs can save in
pieces of software that  <<<<<MR!~< <?MN$8N!<<<<<<<  the 87a format.
will convert gray scale. <<<<!MM<<< '4M$$$$!<<<<<<<
                         <<<<!MH<<< '4M$$$$!<<<<<<<    The exception to the
  One is called ASCGIF.  <<<<!?%~<   XM9$B$!<<<<<<<  GIF converters is a
There is also Gifscii    <<<<<XX:<  'XM9$B$!<<<<<<<  bitmap converter for
(with versions for many  <<<<!XM<<  'XM9$$$f<<<<<<<  Windows called Pixel
systems), ANSIrez,       <<<<~!%~<  'XMM$M$!<<<<<<<  Characterizer (version
GIF2ANSI, and gif2txt    <<<<:x!:xHMMMMN$$8k:<<<<<<  0.5) by Shi Y Chen.
for the PC.              <<<<?!Xd$MM!MMM$$$NX:<<<<<
                         <<<<!sN$$MMXMMM$$$$$H::<<<    If you have trouble
  These programs make an <<<<N$$$8HMMM9M?R89MRNk<<<  getting a good conversion
ASCII pic from any GIF   :?<:2C"""""MM9XXM$##*#*!\!  after making a dozen, see
(Graphics Interchange    !!<?##M@@hxMMM!MM$bobann!!  Question 19.
Format) image (or any    XHHH!HMMMM!?X!<MMMMXXxxXXX
image you can convert    MMMMXMMMMMHXXHHMRMMMMMMMMM  Shuttle GIF conversion
to a GIF).               MHW8MMM$8MMM8MN$R$MMMMMMMM  by The Scarecrow.



    _   ___                                                             O
   / | ( _ )    ___________________________________________________  ._/|\
   | | / _ \                                                            |
   !_! \___/    Where can I get Gray Scale converters?                _/_\


   You can get Gifscii for many systems, and the source code from:

                Chris' FTP site
      ->  Host: ftp.ncsu.edu
          Path: pub/ncsu/chking

                Scarecrow's FTP Site
      ->  Host: ftp.wwa.com
       Address: 198.49.174.1
          Path: pub/Scarecrow/Gifscii

                Both Chris' and Scarcecrow's sites have the following:

                Version: File name

                  MSDOS: Gifscii.exe
             Unix (Sun): Gifscii.ux
              Macintosh: MacGifscii.hqx
                  Amiga: Gifscii.lha
          Digital Alpha: ALPHAGifscii.exe
            Digital VAX: VAXGifscii.exe
               c-source: Gifsciiv2.2src

   You can get Gifscii for the Mac, and the source code from:

                Jorn's FTP site
      ->  Host: ftp.mcs.com
          Path: mcsnet.users/jorn/ascii-art

   You can FTP ASCGIF from:

      ->  Host: usc.edu
          Path: archive/usenet/sources/comp.sources.misc/volume30/ascgif

      ->  Host: wuarchive.wustl.edu
          Path: usenet/comp.sources.misc/volume30/ascgif

      ->  Host: ftp.uu.net
          Path: usenet/comp.sources.misc/volume30/ascgif

   You can get GIF2ANSI from:

      ->   BBS: Exec-PC (414) 789-4210
                GIF2ANSI.ZIP is in the "Mahoney MS-DOS" file collection.

   You can get gif2txt from:

      ->   BBS: Aquila BBS (708) 820-8344]
                gif2txt.zip


    If you do NOT have FTP available, you can get Gifscii by email.
To receive  _  send email to boba@wwa.com with the subject line  _
          _| |_                                                _| |_
          \   /                                                \   /
           \ /                                                  \ /
            Y                                                    Y

      File Name                       Version   Size    Subject line

   o  Gifscii for the Mac                 2.2 - 37 K    REQUEST GIFSCII MAC
   o  Gifscii source code                 2.2 - 51 K    REQUEST GIFSCII SOURCE


                                                                     "\   /"
    _   ___                                                            \O/
   / | / _ \    ___________________________________________________     |
   | | \_, /                                                            |
   !_!  /_/     How can I make better Gray Scale conversions?         _/ \_


   Most of us start out thinking that you just put a GIF into a converter
program and out comes a perfect ASCII pic.  Would you believe ... there are
some things you can do to improve the chances of getting a good conversion.


   The following is not a complete list, but it is what I have learned in
making many conversions:

   o  Use an 8 bit gray     <<<~!%<:<<<~<!<~4<XXM?XH!!:!:!!!`~<<!~
      scale or color image  <<<<<<~!!<<<~!:<!!XMX!XMf<X!~~~ ~`~`          <
      instead of a 2 bit    <<<<<<<<<<!<<<!<:kHNMXMMh!!~         .~       <
      B&W image.            <<<<<<<<<<<<<<xXMM9R8888F~     '    '
                            <<<<<<<<<<<<xHMM?W88888#!  :       ' '
   o  Use an image with a   <<<<!<<<<<<hMMMMW888888 <:<<<>   .~      '
      wide range of tones,  !<:!<<!<<!!!""M888888RM<!xH!    <:<:
      with a relatively     !!!!!!X!:<~~  J88888RM!<<?M   .<~
      even distribution of  !!!!?!?!!:z  .88888MM!!?hH!::<! ::   `         `
      shades from dark to   !!!!!!X9MN .o888888MXHMMM!~~` `~!!<<<:<<:<
      light.                X!!!??NM`?uN88888R?HMMM!~       `<!<::<<<<<<
                            ??XXX?9Uo@888888MMMM!"~           '!!!!<`<<<<<<: :
   o  Keep it simple, like  XXNN8N888888888R"!"`             -  ~~<~<!<<<::<:`
      a face or close-up    H988RMM8888888R!           !>     x<      `~~!?!!:
      of an object.  Avoid  M9R*!MMMRRR8RR8i:::<x<.        .xH?<         `!!!<
      complicated pictures, 8@M!~~!*MMNN8N88NBNNNX!!!<:n+!*"!<~~ ~<:       `<<
      they seldom produce   8R~< ::xH88RMRRBOBA888h:<       ~~:::<<<:       ~<
      good results.         8R .xXMMMMRRRMMM9MMM5MM?!:       '`~~<!<<:       ~
                            88>!MMMH(2MMMMMM9MMMMRM!<~~           ::<<:
   o  Avoid busy            88X~tX!???tMXM?MM@HXMMMM%. <<~:<!~<<!<:!<:<
      backgrounds.          R8WxX?XXXhM!?MMM9MMX!?M%!!::.  ` `~~~~!!<<<:
      Also, assuming the    ?t88MHM*MMMHHMHHMMMX<?t!!?HXX!?<       ~!<!<
      preference for        !HM88MH!??*MtMMM9?%?t?!?tXXMMtXH!:      `~!<:
      viewing the final     !!MR88MXX?XXX!MX?~!!!H!!!%XXMXH9X!<      '<~~!
      ASCII pic is light    !!HMR888MHMXSXM!XX%!k<XXhXXHtMMMM?X<<:<      ~~<<
      characters on a dark  !HX9MM888MMMMMMHM?MMMMMM9MMMHMMM?M!!!<X:
      background, avoid     !HX?MMR8888N88MMM!HMMMMMHMMMHMHMHHHHXXX!<<:<
      bright backgrounds    !!!??!(?M@88888NMMMMMMMMMMMMMHMMMMMMMMMHxx:<:::<::
      in the original,      !<!!!?!<MMM888888NMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM9MHMHM!x!?%!XX
      with exceptions.      nxxx:?x!t?MMN888888N8MMMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM?H?HXX!!tHHM

   o  Use an image that is tightly                       Kitten GIF conversion
      cropped, without a lot of waste.                       by The Scarecrow.

   o  Be prepared to quickly run through a series of conversions. You will
      probably not like the majority of conversions you get.  Be prepared to
      discard 9 to 11 out of 12.

   o  It helps to do touch-up work on the converted picture.  Most pics I have
      posted have been touched-up.  Concentrate on the focal points and
      important areas of the picture.


   Send any gray scale conversion techniques you know to: boba@wwa.com


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