DPChallenge: A Digital Photography Contest You are not logged in. (log in or register) 
 

DPChallenge Forums >> Hardware and Software >> The GIMP ... any other users out there?
Pages:  
Showing posts 1 - 16 of 16, (reverse)
AuthorThread
 07/30/2004 02:53:12 PM · #1
Any other Gimp users out there? I'm using Gimp 2 on Linux for my image processing. Do you have any suggestions or tips for other Gimp users, especially relating to photo postprocessing? I've just started playing around with postprocessing images recently. Stuff like levels and curves, B&W conversion using channel mixing (though not too happy with my B&W work yet).

I also just got Neat Image Pro and it's working great with Wine. (Note that the Demo version has problems with Wine, but the full version has the critical bugs fixed.)

Cheers,
 07/30/2004 03:11:11 PM · #2
Sorry I can't help; I haven't used GIMP. But have you tried a search on the forums? There are people here who use it and love it, so you might find some good stuff. Good luck!
 07/30/2004 03:32:09 PM · #3
Yes, a forum search on "gimp" returned many relevant threads on the first page alone.

And there must be something at //gimp.org

Message edited by author 2004-07-30 15:32:40.
 07/30/2004 03:51:10 PM · #4
I just started using Gimp 2.0 on Windows2K. So far I like it. Many features, best of it - it's free!

Message edited by author 2004-07-30 15:51:25.
 07/30/2004 04:08:11 PM · #5
I have used GIMP on Linux and Windows and find it useful sometimes. Laterly though, I have been using Adobe Photoshop Elements 2.0. I am planning on playing with GIMP some more to see if I can emulate some things that I have seen/heard in Photoshop.

If I come up with anything, I will be sure to post it.
 07/30/2004 04:14:23 PM · #6
The demo version of Neatimage works with Crossover Office 2. It also works with Crossover Office 3, but some of the widgets are transparent. I haven't tried it with Mandrake's version of WINE.

If you shoot raw, you'll want to install the dcraw plugin for GIMP. Not sure how other distributions package it, but in Mandrake Konqueror will thumbnail raw images (at least it does for Canon raw files, and I don't see why it wouldn't work for Nikon), and you can also spawn GIMP by clicking on a raw file in Konq. There's also a freetype2 plugin for GIMP to give you razor-sharp fonts.

I can't really help with the b&w conversion. I just convert to greyscale and adjust levels, which is quick but doesn't look quite like true b&w. I've heard that people have had good results by decomposing to lab, but I haven't tried it.
 07/30/2004 05:02:41 PM · #7
I seem to remember one of the recent GIMP threads mentioning some common/handy plugins, possibly including one for B+W or Channel Mixer ...
 07/30/2004 08:05:12 PM · #8
Gimp Plug-in Registryhas many cool plugins.
 08/02/2004 03:28:41 AM · #9
Oooh, thanks for all the ideas guys. That'll keep me busy for a while. I tried Cinepaint (//cinepaint.sourceforge.net) which is a fork of Gimp 1.x that supports high-end features like 48-bit color and is used by the movie industry. Unfortunately, it's missing lots of the little things like JPEG quality previews during saves, the slick new Gimp 2 docking system, and is missing a ton of the Gimp 2 filters and other features.

So I'll use it if I need to do some high-definition work, but Gimp 2 is overall better. I just wish it supported 16-bit per component color (48 bit per pixel). Someday, I hope.
 08/02/2004 05:13:58 AM · #10
'Urro..

I'm using the GIMP (V 1.2 at the mo, must upgrade to 2) for all my image work. Not sure what advice I can offer, but I can probably answer questions if you have anything specific.

I've got a reasonble handle on most of it, although I'm still amazed at what some people can do with it. If you start mucking around with the pluggins available it very quickly become the swiss-army-sledgehammer or editing tools, much like photoshop CS seems to be from the little I've done with it at work.

For image download I'm using gtkam (or a cardreader if the card is full, 512Mb takes soooooo long at USB1.1 in the camera). Gthumb for basic preview/folder management, and neatimage (freebee at this stage) under wine occasionally, although I don't really like the plastic effect, so I use it sparingly for sky etc, and put the filtered image in on a seperate layer, apply a layer mask and 'paint' in the filtered bits I want.

Cheers, Chris H.
 08/02/2004 05:34:04 AM · #11
Originally posted by ohmark:
'Urro..

I'm using the GIMP (V 1.2 at the mo, must upgrade to 2) for all my image work. Not sure what advice I can offer, but I can probably answer questions if you have anything specific.

I've got a reasonble handle on most of it, although I'm still amazed at what some people can do with it. If you start mucking around with the pluggins available it very quickly become the swiss-army-sledgehammer or editing tools, much like photoshop CS seems to be from the little I've done with it at work.

For image download I'm using gtkam (or a cardreader if the card is full, 512Mb takes soooooo long at USB1.1 in the camera). Gthumb for basic preview/folder management, and neatimage (freebee at this stage) under wine occasionally, although I don't really like the plastic effect, so I use it sparingly for sky etc, and put the filtered image in on a seperate layer, apply a layer mask and 'paint' in the filtered bits I want.

Cheers, Chris H.


Sorry about the off-topic post: If you haven't tried it yet, you should try Digikam. I find it to be much nicer than GTKam, and it has basic editing and file/folder management built-in. It even handles card readers nicely.
 08/02/2004 09:19:52 AM · #12
I've been using The GIMP since version 0.54 back in 1998 (before layers existed)... so you could say that I'm sort of an old hand with it. =)

I use GIMP for all of my editing (except noise reduction, where I use NoiseWare under Win32) on all of my dpchallenge entries.

/Andrew
08/09/2004 01:23:44 PM · #13
Originally posted by Kha0S:
I've been using The GIMP since version 0.54 back in 1998 (before layers existed)... so you could say that I'm sort of an old hand with it. =)

I use GIMP for all of my editing (except noise reduction, where I use NoiseWare under Win32) on all of my dpchallenge entries.

/Andrew


Gimp's selective desat does a very good NeatImage-like job on noise. I usually use a 3-5 pixel blend and > 75 threshold. Follow it up with a bit of USM and the image is smooth as silk.

There is a dcraw plugin which allows live preview as you tweak RAW settings, although the preview is smaller than I'd like. It's (obviously) based on the dcraw code (which coincidentally is what Adobe's PS converter is based on!). Once GIMP overcomes the 16bit issue I think it's going to become much more popular. There are also some Linux color management solutions I'm finding these days. SuperPrint allows printer profiles, and there is a GIMP CMS which can handle profiles for monitors. It's still a bit of tinkering to get it all working, but I'd much rather tinker than spend hundreds on Photoshop - that $$ goes a long way towards the filters and macro glass I'm dreaming of.

If you're using Linux here's a tip that will help with the dcraw installation if you are using a Fedora or RedHat derived distribution - make sure you have the gimp-devel package installed or you won't be able to complete the installation of the plug-in.
 08/09/2004 01:33:08 PM · #14
There's a review of The GIMP 2.0 in PC Magazine (issue of Sept. 7), but I haven't read it yet.
 08/09/2004 02:02:22 PM · #15
Originally posted by cghubbell:
Originally posted by Kha0S:
I've been using The GIMP since version 0.54 back in 1998 (before layers existed)... so you could say that I'm sort of an old hand with it. =)

I use GIMP for all of my editing (except noise reduction, where I use NoiseWare under Win32) on all of my dpchallenge entries.

/Andrew


Gimp's selective desat does a very good NeatImage-like job on noise. I usually use a 3-5 pixel blend and > 75 threshold. Follow it up with a bit of USM and the image is smooth as silk.

Selective desat? NeatImage-like job? That's strange. Is there a special 'selective desat' tool? The only way I know of is to duplicate the layer, desaturate one layer, and erase/mask as desired to let color show through. I don't understand how that is like NeatImage at all.... :-(

[quote]There is a dcraw plugin which allows live preview as you tweak RAW settings, although the preview is smaller than I'd like. It's (obviously) based on the dcraw code (which coincidentally is what Adobe's PS converter is based on!).[/quote]
Yes, I'm using dcraw and the RawPhoto plugin from //ptj.rozeta.com.pl/Soft/RawPhoto . It works well, except I can NEVER get the white balance right no matter how hard I try. I don't think the Kelvin readout that it provides is accurate at all: my Nikon D70's manual tells what color temperature the daylight, tungsten, shade white balance, etc. are, but I don't get even close to good results with the raw converter setting. So I always have to live with the 'use camera white balance' option.
 08/10/2004 09:19:22 AM · #16
Originally posted by skylen:

Selective desat? NeatImage-like job? That's strange. Is there a special 'selective desat' tool? The only way I know of is to duplicate the layer, desaturate one layer, and erase/mask as desired to let color show through. I don't understand how that is like NeatImage at all.... :-(

Originally posted by cghubbell:
There is a dcraw plugin which allows live preview as you tweak RAW settings, although the preview is smaller than I'd like. It's (obviously) based on the dcraw code (which coincidentally is what Adobe's PS converter is based on!).

Yes, I'm using dcraw and the RawPhoto plugin from //ptj.rozeta.com.pl/Soft/RawPhoto . It works well, except I can NEVER get the white balance right no matter how hard I try. I don't think the Kelvin readout that it provides is accurate at all: my Nikon D70's manual tells what color temperature the daylight, tungsten, shade white balance, etc. are, but I don't get even close to good results with the raw converter setting. So I always have to live with the 'use camera white balance' option.


I don't know what I was thinking... I meant selective guassian blur - not selective desat. Must be loosing my mind :)

I haven't played enough with the WB yet... Been using camera WB as you mentioned just so I wasn't playing with too many variables at once while learning the ropes.


Pages:  
Current Server Time: 09/12/2025 03:28:23 PM

Please log in or register to post to the forums.


Home - Challenges - Community - League - Photos - Cameras - Lenses - Learn - Help - Terms of Use - Privacy - Top ^
DPChallenge, and website content and design, Copyright © 2001-2025 Challenging Technologies, LLC.
All digital photo copyrights belong to the photographers and may not be used without permission.
Current Server Time: 09/12/2025 03:28:24 PM EDT.