Ask MetaFilter posts tagged with imaging

What's the best way to create a 3D model from the "average" shape of real-world objects?

itchi23 — Wed, 27 Aug 2008 10:57:17 -0800

I'm beginning a project where I need to construct a 3D model based off the "average" shape (I'm not sure that's exactly the proper term) of a number of similar real-world objects, and I'm not sure on the best workflow or process. Example: I have 25 bananas and I want to create a 3D model based off the average shape of all these bananas. There are a few options I've explored, and I'm trying get some advice on the best route to pursue before I'm up to my neck in "data" and find that there's a more efficient way.
- One option is to make 3D models of each object, then find a way to construct an average 3D model based off the source models. I don't have much 3D modeling software experience, so I'm not sure if this is even possible using the software my university has license to (Cinema 4D and Maya.) I am planning to use photo-modeling software (where you construct 3D models from a series of calibrated photos) to create the models, so...
- Another option would be to create an average image for each angle required by the photo-modeling software, but I'm unclear on how to do this. I've seen some imaging research done that constructs an average image based off two source images, but I don't know if this research allows for multiple (maybe...20?) input sources. Also, I've only seen this research while surfing my rss feeds, and I don't know if I saved the article, so I don't have a www to refer to.
- Alternately, instead of using this imaging research, I thought of using image-morphing in After Effects (I know - cheezy 90's movie effects...) to find a mid-point between two images. I'd output that mid-point, run the morph on another two images, output that mid-point morph, and then run a morph on the two previous output images...and repeat the process.
This last option seems most plausible process, but it also seems to be the most time-consuming as well. Are there any options I might not be thinking of? Is there a process that seems most efficient/time-saving than another? Does anyone have experience doing something remotely similar to this? :) Thanks meta.mind!

Measuring overlap in graphical objects

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 17:17:07 -0800

SVG or Java: Measuring the overlap of graphic objects If I have two overlapping objects, say two circles, is it possible to measure the overlap between them as a fraction of the enclosed area of either object?

Can this be done within SVG, and if not, is this kind of measurement possible with the Java AWT Graphics package, or another framework I can plug into Java?

Document management on a shared hosting server?

sprocket87 — Tue, 27 Feb 2007 12:43:18 -0800

Help me find an online document management system / digital asset management system. I'm looking for a document management system (DMS) / digital asset management system (DAM) for my scanned documents. I plan to store all of my important documents, from credit card statements to bills to receipts to insurance info, etc, digitally. I'll be using a scanner with ADF & duplexing to digitize my papers. I need a management system to organize and archive them.

Ideally, I'd like to have some software that can be set up on Dreamhost for a hosted solution. However, to allow for more flexible responses, here are my overall stipulations:

1. Must be free or inexpensive. See 2.

2. Must be hosted online. I don't trust local copies (hardware failure/fire/theft/etc). This applies to portable (DVD, etc) media as well. It does NOT need to be a hosted system per se, in that Company X provides the DMS/DAM software and hosts it. I am willing / would prefer to use a 3rd party host, such as Dreamhost, for cost reasons. They are much more flexible in that they offer tons of storage and bandwidth and whatever else you want for a much lower cost. I don't want to pay $X/mo just for an online DAM. I am willing to pay $X/mo for a shared host that allows me to host anything else I want as well though.

3. Must be somewhat easy to install, configure and use, whether it is a provided & hosted service or a service I set up on a shared host.

4. Does not have to control my scanning experience; I can use a separate tool to get the files digitized but I'm looking for the DSM/DAM service to organize them. Obviously an online service wouldn't have much control over my hardware anyway :)

5. Should have the usual DMS/DAM features: File indexing for a wide array of filetypes (doc/pdf/all images/tiff/archives/etc), support OCR if possible, allow categories and advanced naming/file control, exporting, etc.

I love the looks of Linux DMS tools like DocMGR, but the setup looks somewhat overwhelming. I'm comfortable with basic Linux tasks, but configuring a shared host is a bit confusing to me. Is there any way to even set up such services on a shared host? For instance, is it possible to install DocMGR on Dreamhost? I suspect not, as it uses PostgreSQL and Dreamhost uses MySQL. But beyond this limitation, how does one go about installing their own applications on a shared host? I mean, Dreamhost provides a shell prompt, but not root - are you even allowed to install software? And what about dependencies, etc?

I know Dreamhost offers several "One-click" installable services, like MediaWiki, Wordpress, Joomla, etc, but I don't think any of these are exactly what I'm looking for. I'm assuming it's possible to set up some other service, albeit with more work, but I'm not having much success finding documented "How To's" for this. For instance, how to set up docmgr/doxfs/etc on a shared host.

Also, I know there are some basic Windows tools like PaperPort and Docsvault that do a great job of managing local copies of digital files, but I want them online. I understand I could simply backup a directory to an online host, but I'm thinking a hosted database would be preferable for advanced administration, etc.

Obviously I have a lot of "wants" so this is pretty wide open. Understand that I'm not a corporation and don't need any huge DAM solutions, but I'd like something a little more advanced than a basic client-side software.

I can't get this open!

keep it tight — Thu, 30 Nov 2006 06:20:40 -0800

I have a customer that is using a document imaging system that has a web search capability. They are having issues opening the images...of course there's The system is a SQL backend with a client. They also have a browser based search capability that will allow them to query the database and get a result list. When they click on an item in the list, it only gives them the option to Save or Cancel...no open. If they hit the same application on MY server, when they click an item, it gives them Open, Save and Cancel.

What in either Pearl or IIS would prevent the Opne option from showing up?

Is Onbase the right base?

keep it tight — Thu, 14 Sep 2006 05:37:33 -0800

HAs anyone out there had any good or bad experiences with the OnBase Imaging software from Hyland? Our company is looking at becoming a reseller and I am just looking for different perspectives.... Thanks Gang!

Wide-format vs Pictrography

Blazecock Pileon — Mon, 21 Aug 2006 14:15:47 -0800

Wide-format printers: best models and per-print pricing? Or to go with a Pictrography? I am considering the purchase of either a Fuji Pictrography 4000 printer or wide-format printer for an imaging facility for biological sciences.

The wide-format printer would be used for printing research posters and the like, while the Pictro 4000 would be used for printing images for submission to journals. It can print fairly large, which is why I might consider this over a wide-format unit.

I'm pretty familiar with the Pictro 3000 model, and imagine the 4000 model would not be too different, but for its print size.

Specifically regarding wide-format printers:

• What are the best printers out there?
• What features should I look for?
• Cost-recovery: How much should I charge end users per print, to be able to recoup consumables costs?

Can I drop consideration of a wide-format printer, and instead have end users use a Pictro 4000 for building research posters? Is this realistic? Perspectives from research scientists would be useful here.

Thanks!

How do I post-process?

patr1ck — Thu, 16 Mar 2006 11:29:46 -0800

Where can I go and what can I do to learn how to properly post-process my digital photography? On a budget? I'm an amatuer photographer, and I want to try and take my work to the next level by learning how to produce the same sort of stunning effects (obviously using Photoshop, Aperture, or some other software) seen on photoblogs like the ever popular Chromasia and Durham Township.

I'm a student, so I don't have a ton of cash to throw at this, but I would be willing to pay a fair bit, it all depends on what's involved. Are there good books that can teach me what I need to know, or is taking a class the way to go?

Any insight appreciated, thanks!

iphoto to bridge?

philmas — Sat, 17 Sep 2005 07:54:14 -0800

I want to create a photo library in Photoshop CS2 Bridge by transferring files from iphoto. How can it be done cleanly? I want to do all my editing in Photoshop now and don't want to be jumping back and forth btwn. PS and iphoto. I'm trying to figure out how to drag all the files into Bridge, with folders, and be able to see all my files in thumnail format, kinda like iphoto. It seems that the only way I can see all the files in Bridge is to remove them from the folders they reside in in my iphoto library. I know this is a bit of a neophyte question but I need help. Any feedback would be appreciated.

Document Imaging/Management

gnz2001 — Tue, 12 Jul 2005 10:15:55 -0800

I’m tasked with finding an appropriate Document Imaging/Management solution for my company. We’re an engineering/environmental consulting firm with several offices, amounting to about 300 users. The ones I’ve looked at so far are Questsys , Docstar , Laserfiche and, (the really cheap solution) PaperPort . Does anyone have any experience with these solutions, or can you recommend another solution that you have implemented?

Simple BMP Smoother/Res'er

ZenMasterThis — Fri, 17 Jun 2005 07:34:20 -0800

Need a simple Win XP utility to increase the resolution and then smooth curves and angles on some monochrome .BMPs. Preferably freeware. Suggestions? Thanks!

Concentric circles going wavy

Space Coyote — Sun, 10 Apr 2005 00:52:56 -0800

Is there a name for the phenomenon of concentric circles in computer images creating weird wavy distortions when you shrink the image? Example here: big / small.

Question number 14929

eileen — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 08:25:46 -0800

Searching for a specific type of book scanner....maybe it only exists in my imagination, but I would like to scan sketchbook pages without ripping them out...{mi}

Question number 14493

ooklah — Thu, 27 Jan 2005 13:54:50 -0800

Is it possible to convert or otherwise use Photshop plugins from Windows to Mac? I have lots of legacy plugins and effects from the old Windows PC here at work. We switched to Mac but many of the plugins are not available for Mac.

Question number 10068

freebird — Fri, 10 Sep 2004 11:48:21 -0800

What are some computer languages for describing/generating graphics?

Question number 6405

Hildago — Thu, 08 Apr 2004 23:30:08 -0800

Has someone come up with a tool for removing notebook lines from scanned documents?

Question number 5697

biscotti — Sun, 07 Mar 2004 21:48:04 -0800

Sorting digital images. I went digital a year and a half ago and I still haven't figured out a way to sort my pictures that really works for me (by which I mean edit, in the sense of going through and picking out the keepers and organizing them by merit, subject, whatever). Before I went digital I used to just get cheap 4x6 prints of everything on every roll and had a very efficient system for sorting through, editing and organizing them, is there anything software-wise which makes this intuitive and easy, or should I just start printing? I find moving images around in folders really counter-intuitive for this purpose. Any suggestions?

Question number 3903

armoured-ant — Mon, 15 Dec 2003 04:55:17 -0800

For a while now, my ex-fashion student Kaffrin, and writing student Me have been wanting to hop aboard the t-shirt printing bandwagon. Is there a cheap, high-quality screenprinting kit out there? Or any better suggestions than inkjet iron-ons to get images and text from a computer screen onto fabric?