Programming
Stained Glass Effect (using VB6 and GIMP)
I wanted to title this article “a novel method for matrix randomization using polygons and custom differential post-processing blending”… but that was a bit long, even for me…
Generating Emboss / Engrave / Relief Filters (in VB6)
Basic emboss and engrave filters are two of the simplest image processing features to implement. Both operate on the same principle – for each pixel, subtract the RGB values of one or more neighboring pixels in a particular direction. This leads to an image where low-contrast areas are all black, while high-contrast areas (edges) are varying colors of brighter intensity. Most emboss/engrave filters add 127 to the RGB values so that uniformly contrasted areas are gray. I’ve added a “color” option to my implementation, so you can emboss/engrave an image to any hue. In the Bayonetta example above, the left side of the picture is embossed to something around #81a3fe…
Drawing the Mandelbrot Set / Fractal (in VB6)
Today’s very cool project demonstrates a proof of concept implementation for rendering the famed Mandelbrot set (or “Mandelbrot fractal”) using VB6. It’s a bit of a feat, since VB6 isn’t exactly optimized for recursion-heavy calculations…but you know me. I love making VB do things it was never meant to do! :)
Artificial Life Simulator (in VB6)
Here you have it: the largest, most complex programming project now available on tannerhelland.com. Originally a final project for a university bioinformatics course, this artificial life simulator has now been completely retooled as a full-blown lesson in evolution and population genetics. As with most artificial life simulators, a set of simple artificial creatures compete for limited resources. Each creature has a strand of pseudo-DNA that determines three basic attributes: size, speed, and range (how far it can see)…
Hidden Markov Models, the Viterbi Algorithm, and CpG Islands (in VB6)
Today’s project is something new to this site – bioinformatics code! I feel a tad ridiculous that it’s taken me so many years to post code related to my field, but hey – better late than never. Read on to discover the awesomeness of Hidden Markov models, the Viterbi algorithm (also known as Viterbi paths), CpG islands, and how these all work together to help scientists locate genes.
Sepia / “Antique” Image Effect (in VB6)
I’m guessing you’ve seen this style of image before – a sort of pseudo-antique filter than can make any image look like it was taken with a very old camera. There are many ways to programmatically generate images like this, and in this article I’ve put together one that does more than just make the image look “brown.” This filter involves several steps (fading, multiplicative brightness, and gamma correction, among others) and results in a conversion that not only adds a sepia coloring, but also gives an image a histogram more in keeping with older photos.
Nature-Inspired Image Filters (in VB6)
Today’s article brings a collection of random image effects that can be quickly (and programmatically) generated. In an attempt to give the project some coherency, I’ve named each effect after something “nature-themed” so as to help distinguish them. As always, full source code and a sample .exe is provided…
Custom Image Filter Engine (in VB6)
The ability to create custom filters is a mainstay of any quality graphics application. A robust matrix-based filter engine can be used to create tens – even hundreds – of unique image effects by simply manipulating the matrices that get passed into the engine. In this project, I’ve provided a 5×5 custom filter engine with support for both scaling and biasing. This is identical to the custom filter engine provided by Photoshop, and mine is even slightly faster (at least for the screen-sized images I’ve been testing)…
Edge Detection (in VB6)
Edge detection (also called “boundary detection”) is a fundamental problem in image processing. The ability to accurately detect visible “edges” in an image has many applications – from missile targeting to OCR to cool Photoshop effects. In this project, I’ve compiled 6 well-known edge detection algorithms (along with two of my own for fun). Full VB6 source code is provided, as well as an .exe for those just interested in the effects alone…
Advanced Image Histograms in VB6 – Stretching and Equalizing
As promised, here is the second half of my histogram code project. In this project, I’ll show you how to stretch a histogram, equalize individual channels, and – most useful of all – equalize an image’s overall luminance. Cool, eh?
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