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Red ochre

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Posts posted by Red ochre

    CodeLab v6.12 for Paint.NET 5.0.12 (Updated February 11, 2024)

    in Plugins - Publishing ONLY!

    Posted

    I have just installed the latest paint.net (4.3.3) in 'tandem' with v4.2.16 and v3.5.11 (perhaps that's a tricycle 😄). I decided to name the program folders 'pdn4.3.3', 'pdn4.2.16' and 'pdn3.5.11'.
    Unfortunately this prevents the codelab v6.4 installer from detecting the installation.... I've just tried renaming the pdn4.3.3 folder back to 'paint.net' - the installer still tells me I have version 0.0 and asks if I want to proceed anyway. I aborted the installer.

     

    Is it possible to get the codelab v6.4 .dll without an installer?... or does the 'install anyway' choice allow me to specify a path?

     

    Many thanks

    What is the easiest way to create a "cut out" for use in other images?

    in Paint.NET Discussion and Questions

    Posted

    Welcome to the forum @Alex Trussler

     

    1 hour ago, Alex Trussler said:

    I did not see any edge finder or even free-hand edge selection tools.

     

    The built-in 'Lasso' select tool is a useful way to manually select then delete parts of the background. Just remember the start point joins in a straight line to the last point.

    https://www.getpaint.net/doc/latest/LassoSelectionTool.html

     

    TR's Alpha cutter plugin has edge following abilities and allows manipulation of the area before erasing.

    https://forums.getpaint.net/topic/26966-trs-alpha-cutter-v304-april-7th-2014/

    Difficulty saving GIFs

    in Paint.NET Discussion and Questions

    Posted

    Hello Bannerman100, welcome to the forum!

     

    1. Quantization algorithm: A paint.NET (Pdn) image is 32 bit, 24 of those bits are used for colour, this means 2 to the power of 24 colours = 256 * 256 * 256 = 16777216 possible colours! (and 256 levels of opacity{0 to 255}).
    Now the Gif file type can only save in 8 bit (or 2 to the power of 8 = 256 possible colours {255 if transparency is used, I assume}), so there needs to be some way of deciding which gif colour is used to represent a Pdn colour.
    The choice is is 'Octree' or 'Median' cut = Octree seems to give better results and is set as the default.

     

    2. Dithering level: Now if a Pdn colour is nearly halfway between the two possible Gif colours what do you want to do?
    As an extreme example imagine you want to save a mid-grey colour in a black OR white format! - all black or all white?... or you could randomly apportion pixel colour to be black or white, which from distance would look grey. Think how shading is done on an old engraving.
    Compressing a 24bit image to an 8bit image uses the same idea to make colours appear more accurate.
    For a circuit diagram I would think zero dithering would suit you - unless it gives false colours for resistor values or other colour coding?

     

    3. Transparency threshold: Pdn has 256 levels of opacity/transparency but Gif only has two - fully opaque or fully transparent. So at what point do you want semi transparent pixels to be represented as opaques ones?
    I suggest using the default value of 128 and look at the preview image - are any important bits lost? - serifs of letters or other details. If so reduce the threshold.

    I'm no expert on file types, so hope I haven't misled you... I'm sure to be corrected if I have!
    The concepts are actually simple but the terminology can get in the way sometimes... Just click 'Default' and save!😁

     

    @Midora just explained all that in a greatly compressed format! 😉

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