Csplk/THE.ASCII.ART.EMPORIUM · Datasets at Hugging Face

text stringlengths 0 4k
programs that do just that already please let me know ASAP. You'll
save me a lot of time.

Thank's a million.

I hope these "tips" have entertained as much as enlightened you.
Like a person I use to listen to on radio often said "When I learn
something during the day I go to bed at night less ignorant."

And so it has been for me a joy to learn how to draw.

From: Nveilleu@emr1.emr.ca (Normand Veilleux)
Date: Sat Jan 08 16:08:26 CST 1994

I have received a few requests to explain the "logic" behind the
smoothing. So far I have only explained what tools I use to create
it (flipping back and forth from normal to reduced view in
WordPerfect). I will try to give here the same explanation I gave
the first student who asked. Since I did not save that discussion
this one will be slightly different.

The whole thing is visual as you could have guessed. So, the best
way I know to show you what I mean is by giving an example:

Take this Doesn't this
for example look smoother?

8 8
88 Yb
88 Yb
888 Y8a,
88888 `"Y888

BTW, that reminds me of a quote I saw not too long ago: "A truly
wise person does not play leapfrog with a rhinoceros" :-)

I consider the "smoothing problem" as nothing more than a "weight
distribution problem". By shifting up the pixel density of an 8
with characters such as P, Y, ", etc., where necessary, and by
shifting down the pixel density of an 8 with characters such as b,
d, a, etc., where necessary, the graphic takes on a smoother look.

May sound simple when it's explained like that but I don't know
where to start to program it. I'll start with easier stuff first,
like flipping a picture horizontally. That's kids stuff. I used
a semi-manual technique when I had to flip my ascii face around.
The picture I had drawn was a mirror image, so it had to be flipped
to look right. I created two small macros (less than 10 commands
each) in WordPerfect which did the bulk of the work. After that
all I needed to do was about 20 global search and replaces. It
took about 5 - 10 minutes total. It would have taken hours to
retype it in reverse or to write a program to do it.

Since I don't have access to a scanner, but I sometimes want to
take a picture from paper and draw it in ascii I developed a GRID
technique to help me out. Anyone who wants to give it a try needs
to create the grid electronically and then print it. Here is how
it works. Start with the following grid:

1.2.3.4.5.
2.A.B.C.D.
3.E.F.G.H.
4.I.J.K.L.
5.M.N.O.P.

The dots can actually be replaced by spaces, so create the grid
using your preference.

Then, copy the whole grid horizontally until you fill all the width
of the paper size you want to use. And then, copy this new grid as
many times as needed to fill the length of the page. You will end
up with something along these lines (with spaces):

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
2 A B C D 2 A B C D 2 A B C D
3 E F G H 3 E F G H 3 E F G H
4 I J K L 4 I J K L 4 I J K L
5 M N O P 5 M N O P 5 M N O P
1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5
2 A B C D 2 A B C D 2 A B C D
3 E F G H 3 E F G H 3 E F G H
4 I J K L 4 I J K L 4 I J K L
5 M N O P 5 M N O P 5 M N O P

Now, get a printed copy of that grid and put it aside for a bit.

BTW, this technique works best with pictures that are about 1/4 of
an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Larger pictures can also be done but
are cumbersome and time consuming. That is how I created three
ascii pictures so far: the hand that showed "that close", the ying
yang, and my own face. The toughest thing about the face was to
draw it on paper first.

At this stage you need to find a picture that is reasonably simple
in terms of complexity :-) In other words not too detailed; the
coarser the better. Something taken from a colouring book would
probably be an excellent choice (although I have not used any
myself yet). You may need to "modify" the picture so that it will
also "cooperate" to the process (especially if taken from a
photograph or other source).

programs that do just that already please let me know ASAP. You'll

save me a lot of time.

Thank's a million.

I hope these "tips" have entertained as much as enlightened you.

Like a person I use to listen to on radio often said "When I learn

something during the day I go to bed at night less ignorant."

And so it has been for me a joy to learn how to draw.

From: Nveilleu@emr1.emr.ca (Normand Veilleux)

Date: Sat Jan 08 16:08:26 CST 1994

I have received a few requests to explain the "logic" behind the

smoothing. So far I have only explained what tools I use to create

it (flipping back and forth from normal to reduced view in

WordPerfect). I will try to give here the same explanation I gave

the first student who asked. Since I did not save that discussion

this one will be slightly different.

The whole thing is visual as you could have guessed. So, the best

way I know to show you what I mean is by giving an example:

Take this Doesn't this

for example look smoother?

8 8

88 Yb

888 Y8a,

88888 `"Y888

BTW, that reminds me of a quote I saw not too long ago: "A truly

wise person does not play leapfrog with a rhinoceros" :-)

I consider the "smoothing problem" as nothing more than a "weight

distribution problem". By shifting up the pixel density of an 8

with characters such as P, Y, ", etc., where necessary, and by

shifting down the pixel density of an 8 with characters such as b,

d, a, etc., where necessary, the graphic takes on a smoother look.

May sound simple when it's explained like that but I don't know

where to start to program it. I'll start with easier stuff first,

like flipping a picture horizontally. That's kids stuff. I used

a semi-manual technique when I had to flip my ascii face around.

The picture I had drawn was a mirror image, so it had to be flipped

to look right. I created two small macros (less than 10 commands

each) in WordPerfect which did the bulk of the work. After that

all I needed to do was about 20 global search and replaces. It

took about 5 - 10 minutes total. It would have taken hours to

retype it in reverse or to write a program to do it.

Since I don't have access to a scanner, but I sometimes want to

take a picture from paper and draw it in ascii I developed a GRID

technique to help me out. Anyone who wants to give it a try needs

to create the grid electronically and then print it. Here is how

it works. Start with the following grid:

1.2.3.4.5.

2.A.B.C.D.

3.E.F.G.H.

4.I.J.K.L.

5.M.N.O.P.

The dots can actually be replaced by spaces, so create the grid

using your preference.

Then, copy the whole grid horizontally until you fill all the width

of the paper size you want to use. And then, copy this new grid as

many times as needed to fill the length of the page. You will end

up with something along these lines (with spaces):

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

2 A B C D 2 A B C D 2 A B C D

3 E F G H 3 E F G H 3 E F G H

4 I J K L 4 I J K L 4 I J K L

5 M N O P 5 M N O P 5 M N O P

1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 4 5

2 A B C D 2 A B C D 2 A B C D

3 E F G H 3 E F G H 3 E F G H

4 I J K L 4 I J K L 4 I J K L

5 M N O P 5 M N O P 5 M N O P

Now, get a printed copy of that grid and put it aside for a bit.

BTW, this technique works best with pictures that are about 1/4 of

an 8 1/2 x 11 piece of paper. Larger pictures can also be done but

are cumbersome and time consuming. That is how I created three

ascii pictures so far: the hand that showed "that close", the ying

yang, and my own face. The toughest thing about the face was to

draw it on paper first.

At this stage you need to find a picture that is reasonably simple

in terms of complexity :-) In other words not too detailed; the

coarser the better. Something taken from a colouring book would

probably be an excellent choice (although I have not used any

myself yet). You may need to "modify" the picture so that it will

also "cooperate" to the process (especially if taken from a

photograph or other source).