3.413 digitized images, cont. (72)

Willard McCarty (MCCARTY@VM.EPAS.UTORONTO.CA)
Thu, 31 Aug 89 00:03:58 EDT


Humanist Discussion Group, Vol. 3, No. 413. Thursday, 31 Aug 1989.


(1) Date: Wednesday, 30 August 1989 1359-EST (25 lines)
From: JACKA@PENNDRLS
Subject: DIGITIZING IMAGES

(2) Date: Wed, 30 Aug 89 16:15:27 EDT (25 lines)
From: Geoff Rockwell <rockwell@utorgpu>
Subject: Re: 3.408 scanners and digitized images, cont. (213)

(1) --------------------------------------------------------------------
Date: Wednesday, 30 August 1989 1359-EST
From: JACKA@PENNDRLS
Subject: DIGITIZING IMAGES

I have been reading with interest the last month of Humanist and
have just one question and a small piece of information on
digitized information.

QUESTION:

Is there anyone working on a standard for the file structure
for digitized information?

LEAD:

Anyone interested in lower cost solution to digitized pictorial
information ought to look at IBM's new AVC system. IBM has never
been noted for writing good software, but in this case and with its
accompanying hardware, I think, it may be an useful and affordable
station for most humanists who cannot obtain the $100,000 to put
together a fully imaging system.

JACK ABERCROMBIE,
ASSISTANT DEAN COMPUTING
( University of Pennsylvania )
(2) --------------------------------------------------------------30----
Date: Wed, 30 Aug 89 16:15:27 EDT
From: Geoff Rockwell <rockwell@utorgpu>
Subject: Re: 3.408 scanners and digitized images, cont. (213)

Vico's _New Science_ has a frontplate that is discussed in the introduction.
The frontplate is Vico's atempt to represent his idea visually. He wants
us to hold the ideas in our mind's eye all at one moment. The book unravels
from there. My point is that any electronic version of the _New Science_
would be incomplete without access to the frontplate. This is especially
true as the introduction is difficult to follow without the image. I mention
this as a situation where images (without coffee stains) are usefull to
Humanists.

There is an alternative to digitizing images. One can store images on
conventional videodiscs that are driven by software like HyperCard. With
the appropriate board the videodisc image can be projected through a Mac II
screen and captured. A 12 inch CLV disk can hold 108,000 images (TV quality)
and/or 60 minutes of video. Capture would be done only when you want parts
of the image for comparison or manipulation. Capturing images costs - color
images take up space. A 512 x 256 pixel, 24 bit color image takes up around
400K. Storing 108,000 different images would take up 42 gigabytes without
compression. For that reason pressing a videodisk is an attractive alternative.

Yours
Geoffrey Rockwell