img2txt 2008.11.20

################################################################################
this is a moderately sophisticated python3.0 script fully utilizing
extensions, & demonstrated to run under python2.6 via py3to2.
for performance, portions of it have been inlined w/ direct C code using
scipy.weave. the algorithm also heavily uses bitwise operations.
it takes a jpg, gif... image file & outputs it in colorized ascii art.
also serves dual purpose as a 3-d colorized scientific plotter in text terminals
(screenshots of image conversion & 3d plot in putty terminal included)

if something fails, try updating ur install of py3to2 to the latest version @:
http://pypi.python.org/pypi/py3to2

how to enable 256 color on putty: http://www.emacswiki.org/emacs/PuTTY#toc2
how to enable 256 color on xterm: http://www.frexx.de/xterm-256-notes/

img2txt is hard-coded to use lucida-console font, but courier looks ok.
the screenshot shows putty w/ lucida-console 5pt.

AUTHOR:
kai zhu
kaizhu256@gmail.com

REQUIREMENTS:
- posix/unix os (Windows currently unsupported)
- py3to2
- Python Imaging Library
- scipy

API:
img2txt module:
- img2plaintxt - converts image file to portable plain txt
u can copy & paste in documents
- img2txt - converts image to high-quality colorized txt
for display on terminals supporting 256 color (putty, xterm...)
- tplot3d - 3d color scientific plotter

USAGE:
start up the py3to2 interpreter by typing "py3to2" in ur terminal &
import img2txt:
$ py3to2

Python 2.6.py3to2 (r26:66714, Nov 18 2008, 00:56:43)
[GCC 3.4.6 20060404 (Red Hat 3.4.6-10)] on linux2
Type "help", "copyright", "credits" or "license" for more information.
>>>
>>> import img2txt
created...
py3k server starting...
>>> ...py3k server started w/...
>>>

in this example, u'll b loading the image file included w/ this distribution,
"mario.jpg". its a fairly large image, so u probably want to scale it down
to 0.5 (or less):
>>> colortxt = img2txt.img2txt('mario.jpg', scale = 0.5)
>>> print( colortxt )

... beautiful image appears ^_-

>>> plaintxt = img2txt.img2plaintxt('mario.jpg', scale = 0.5)
>>> print( plaintxt )

... rather plain b/w img -_-, but u can copy & paste it in documents

actually, the plaintxt prolly won't look well when pasted,
b/c most document readers invert the color:
>>> plaintxt = img2txt.img2plaintxt('mario.jpg', scale = 0.5, invert = True)
>>> print( plaintxt )

... b/w img w/ colors inverted. may look funny now :/
but it'll b normal when u paste it into ur document

the 3d plotting feature is a bit more complicated. for the time being,
simply run the test. (if u want to kno how to use it,
u'll need to look @ the img2txt.tplot3d.test() method in img2txt.py)
>>> img2txt.tplot3d.test()

################################################################################
RECENT CHANGELOG:
current
fixed bug where 64bit gets truncated to 32 on 32bit machine
256 color support
20081119
fixed bugs in setup.py