RE: [APML]: 'Fractalised' M51

["Richmann, Michael" <richmann@cmt.anl.gov>]

Well, unless you're working with a GIF or bitmap, most all of the
other file formats (JPEG, etc.) are inherently lossy.  The final image
you see is always compromised to some extent.  The key appears
to be in how efficiently you are able to encode the needed information
to reconstruct a reasonable facsimile of the original full-sized image.
Apparently, the makers of the fractal expansion software have found
a way to represent the original image in a more efficient manner than
the older JPEG format.  As you've noted, you can't reconstruct what 
isn't there, but an efficient encoding scheme can retain more
information
and provide the needed data to do a good reconstruction...

Mike

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Wil Milan [SMTP:wmilan@airdigital.com]
> Sent: Friday, January 16, 1998 8:03 AM
> To:   astro-photo@nightsky.com
> Subject:      Re: [APML]: 'Fractalised' M51
> 
> 
> I want to make sure I understand this: This fractal-expansion software
> uses
> fractal artifacts to make the expanded image seem sharper, but the
> image detail
> it is inserting to do that is pseudo-information, is that correct? It
> can't
> reconstruct what is not in the original image, so the added apparent
> sharpness is
> at the expense of image accuracy, no?
> 
> 
> Wil Milan
> --
> "When I consider your heavens, the work of your fingers, the moon and
> the stars
> which You have set in place, what is Man that you are
> mindful of him, or the son of Man that you care for him?"  -- Psalm 8
>