Re: paleonet Digital Images & PaleoBase

[David Waugh <dwaugh@xxxxxxxx>]

Dr. MacLeod, I was cleaning out my mailbox when I came across this 
old email. I saved it because I was very interested in how you 
combine the images by "hand" to increase the depth of field. I assume 
that this is done in Photoshop or a similar graphics package. Is 
there a source you can point me to that explains how to do this? 
Thanks David Waugh

>A very interesting string about digital images. Just a short note
>here about the image compositing process that was discussed a couple
>of days ago. We've used image compositing to correct depth-of-field
>problems on both macroscopic and microscopic images for years, most
>notably in the image sets created for the PaleoBase databases. We're
>very pleased with the results, examples of which can be seen a the
>PaleoBase web site (http://www.paleobase.com/home.html). NHM authors
>(and others who have asked us to create these images for them) have
>also published many such images in the technical literature. They are
>absurdly simple to create and do not require expensive technology.
>Several years ago I conducted a test between our hand-made images and
>the Synoptics image compositing software for some moderately
>difficult microscopic images (planktonic foraminifera). The hand-made
>images were quicker to produce and achieved a better result than the
>software (a least at that time). I'm seeing automated image
>compositing routines appearing in lots of image analysis packages
>just now so it looks like this is going to be a standard
>image-manipulation feature in the near future. Still, I think better
>results can be achieved by an analyst who has a 'feeling' for the
>geometry as opposed to an algorithm that is maximising/minimizing
>some number. I suppose it also depends on how much time a person
>wants to spend at this sort of work.
>
>The PaleoBase databases (co-published by Blackwells and the NHM) will
>be 'on show' at the GSA meeting next week. Anyone interested in these
>composites can see them there.
>
>Norm MacLeod
>
>
>--
>
>
>___________________________________________________________________
>
>Dr. Norman MacLeod
>Keeper of Palaeontology
>The Natural History Museum,
>Cromwell Road, London, SW7 5BD
>
>(0)20-7942-5295 (Office)
>(0)20-7942-5546 (Fax)
>
>Web Page: http://www.nhm.ac.uk/palaeontology/a&ss/nm/nm.html
>
>___________________________________________________________________


-- 
-------------------------------------
David Waugh
Department of Geology
Kent State University
Kent, OH 44242