A Few Things About Gimp

Alexzee

Alexzee

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Today's article teaches the basic practices on editing and resizing pictures in Gimp.

writerforlinux.wixsite.com

A Few Things About Gimp

The GNU Image Manipulation Program is a cross-platform image editor available for GNU/Linux, macOS and Windows. Gimp is free and open source so you can change it's source code and distribute your changes. Today I'll be going over where Gimp installs the program and the configuration files on a...
writerforlinux.wixsite.com writerforlinux.wixsite.com
 


I really should learn to use GIMP.

I won't, but I should.
 
 
GIMP would be great software if they manage at some point to copycat properly Photoshop's tools. Smudge and blur tools still missing the modes that Photoshop has over 20 years now
 
KGIII said:
I really should learn to use GIMP.

I won't, but I should.
Click to expand...
There's only so many hours in a day and that often times prevents us from having the time to en devour in new things. I get it--
 
Terminal Velocity said:
GIMP would be great software if they manage at some point to copycat properly Photoshop's tools. Smudge and blur tools still missing the modes that Photoshop has over 20 years now
Click to expand...
Gimp has a blur and sharpen tool.

The smudge tool is like finger painting. I've never tried it.

I was able to blur out 2 of the branches in the picture with the red background.
 

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f33dm3bits said:
Click to expand...
Couldn't watch the entire video. I will tho-
Thanks for posting it f33dm3bits!

I can wait for the works in progress as there isn't anything that I have to have that I can't wait for the dev's to create.
 
Alexzee said:
Gimp has a blur and sharpen tool.

The smudge tool is like finger painting. I've never tried it.

I was able to blur out 2 of the branches in the picture with the red background.
Click to expand...
Once you have selected smudge or blur tool notice the grey (inactive, not yet developed) menu ''mode'' in the left. Very important functions are missing
 
Terminal Velocity said:
Once you have selected smudge or blur tool notice the grey (inactive, not yet developed) menu ''mode'' in the left. Very important functions are missing
Click to expand...
Upon selecting the smudge tool I didn't see a grey inactive menu in the left at all.

I've never used Photoshop so I don't understand, sorry.
 
Before complaining too much, you people should try Krita. That has its advantages, but the selection tools just suk maan...

I need the thing to tell me what is the top-left coordinate and the rectangle dimensions. BTW Krita has a much better "smudge" tool, although it's quirky to use. Otherwise I think the interface is a great mess. It could help being less crowded than that of Inkscape.

GIMP, however, could be maddening to use at times. It depends on which control has the focus. Sometimes I have to make sure by clicking on the document tab at the top. Sometimes the rectangular selection has to be clicked once, twice so it becomes active again, however the toolbar properties might not change to reflect it. Make sure there isn't a cursor in one of those fields, otherwise this could refuse to move a field trying to change the selection or pasting it in another place in the document. Sometimes I think I have the rectangle select tool enabled but forget I picked one of the GEGL filters, which causes some groaning.

BTW no you may not drag a new picture file from your file manager to one of those tabs or anywhere near it... it has to be done right on top of "Wilber" which is almost covered by the toolbox, in order to open that picture in the program.

One more thing. For some strange reason, only on KDE the order of the buttons for JPEG or PNG export dialog is different from that of GNOME and the desktops based on the latter. The "Export" button on KDE is in the middle. On GNOME, MATE etc. it's on the right-hand side. Yes this is kind of silly to point out and it should have been a trivia question...

Do you see the screenshot in the post just above mine? Do you see a small rectangle with a left-hand pointing triangle inside? Which is just above the vertical scrollbar? Click on that and select "Lock Toolbar". Because once you detach that thing it will drive you crazy trying to restore it, and if not you will have to delete the whole configuration and start over. That is, if you haven't backed up the configuration file which should be one of the first things to do after firing up the program for the first time ever. I was trying to teach that move to another member of this forum but got outright ignored...
 
wendy-lebaron said:
Before complaining too much, you people should try Krita. That has its advantages, but the selection tools just suk maan...

I need the thing to tell me what is the top-left coordinate and the rectangle dimensions. BTW Krita has a much better "smudge" tool, although it's quirky to use. Otherwise I think the interface is a great mess. It could help being less crowded than that of Inkscape.

GIMP, however, could be maddening to use at times. It depends on which control has the focus. Sometimes I have to make sure by clicking on the document tab at the top. Sometimes the rectangular selection has to be clicked once, twice so it becomes active again, however the toolbar properties might not change to reflect it. Make sure there isn't a cursor in one of those fields, otherwise this could refuse to move a field trying to change the selection or pasting it in another place in the document. Sometimes I think I have the rectangle select tool enabled but forget I picked one of the GEGL filters, which causes some groaning.

BTW no you may not drag a new picture file from your file manager to one of those tabs or anywhere near it... it has to be done right on top of "Wilber" which is almost covered by the toolbox, in order to open that picture in the program.

One more thing. For some strange reason, only on KDE the order of the buttons for JPEG or PNG export dialog is different from that of GNOME and the desktops based on the latter. The "Export" button on KDE is in the middle. On GNOME, MATE etc. it's on the right-hand side. Yes this is kind of silly to point out and it should have been a trivia question...

Do you see the screenshot in the post just above mine? Do you see a small rectangle with a left-hand pointing triangle inside? Which is just above the vertical scrollbar? Click on that and select "Lock Toolbar". Because once you detach that thing it will drive you crazy trying to restore it, and if not you will have to delete the whole configuration and start over. That is, if you haven't backed up the configuration file which should be one of the first things to do after firing up the program for the first time ever. I was trying to teach that move to another member of this forum but got outright ignored...
Click to expand...
I see the vertical scroll bar in the screenshot in post #10.
I'm having trouble finding the icon with the hand pointing triangle inside.

Used Shutter to draw an arrow on the left side to what I think you mean.
Is this the icon you mean Wendy?
 

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@Alexzee :-

One thing the GIMP is very good at is the ability to "embed" an animated GIF file within a static PNG file. Like these, which used to be my forum siggies at one time:-

Forum-Spex.gif


.....and this:-

puppifesto2.gif


.....or this:-

Puppy-signature-3.gif


This last one referred to my old rig; a 2004 Compaq Presario desktop - one of the very last, built immediately prior to the HP buyout - with an Athlon64 X2 3800+ dual-core, and all of 3 GB of DDR1! :p

PNG images were concocted in MooiTech's PhotoScape running under WINE - I use this to create all my desktop backgrounds, too - then the GIF files were added in the GIMP; the scrolling text came courtesy of a 'fun' site called WigFlip, which sadly disappeared around 2½-3 years ago. A shame, 'cos they had no end of wee scripts'n'stuff that generated all manner of little 'toys' and widgets for your desktop. There was some really neat stuff on there.

Sod's law, unfortunately. Happens to too many websites these days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I found the tutorial for embedding the GIF file into a PNG file here, on the "GimpTOOTS" YouTube channel:-


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

As for Photoshop, I purchased the CS2 suite back in the day. It's the last version of Photoshop that runs halfway well under WINE; later versions are way too temperemental. (And no way in hell am I paying Adobe a monthly subscription just to manipulate/modify a few images...!)

I've used PS and the GIMP alongside each other for the best part of 20 years. I've got so used to the pair of 'em, I can switch apps halfway through a project and carry on without missing a beat. I never understand the fuss users of one will make concerning use of the other; they're both raster graphics editors, and by & large they both function the same. Workflow might be a bit different, but too many folks, IMHO, get "stuck in a rut" with regards to their routine.....and refuse to step outside their comfort zone.

(It was a revelation using the GIMP under Linux after struggling with the balky, glitchy Windows port for several years. Under Linux - its native environment, BTW - it's smooth and extremely powerful. Just as it should be.)


Mike. ;)
 
Last edited:
MikeWalsh said:
@Alexzee :-

One thing the GIMP is very good at is the ability to "embed" an animated GIF file within a static PNG file. Like these, which used to be my forum siggies at one time:-

Forum-Spex.gif


.....and this:-

puppifesto2.gif


.....or this:-

Puppy-signature-3.gif


This last one referred to my old rig; a 2004 Compaq Presario desktop - one of the very last, built immediately prior to the HP buyout - with an Athlon64 X2 3800+ dual-core, and all of 3 GB of DDR1! :p

PNG images were concocted in MooiTech's PhotoScape running under WINE - I use this to create all my desktop backgrounds, too - then the GIF files were added in the GIMP; the scrolling text came courtesy of a 'fun' site called WigFlip, which sadly disappeared around 2½-3 years ago. A shame, 'cos they had no end of wee scripts'n'stuff that generated all manner of little 'toys' and widgets for your desktop. There was some really neat stuff on there.

Sod's law, unfortunately. Happens to too many websites these days.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

I found the tutorial for embedding the GIF file into a PNG file here, on the "GimpTOOTS" YouTube channel:-


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~​

As for Photoshop, I purchased the CS2 suite back in the day. It's the last version of Photoshop that runs halfway well under WINE; later versions are way too temperemental. (And no way in hell am I paying Adobe a monthly subscription just to manipulate/modify a few images...!)

I've used PS and the GIMP alongside each other for the best part of 20 years. I've got so used to the pair of 'em, I can switch apps halfway through a project and carry on without missing a beat. I never understand the fuss users of one will make concerning use of the other; they're both raster graphics editors, and by & large they both function the same. Workflow might be a bit different, but too many folks, IMHO, get "stuck in a rut" with regards to their routine.....and refuse to step outside their comfort zone.

(It was a revelation using the GIMP under Linux after struggling with the balky, glitchy Windows port for several years. Under Linux - its native environment, BTW - it's smooth and extremely powerful. Just as it should be.)


Mike. ;)
Click to expand...
Thanks for the feedback Mike.
I've been using Gimp since 2013, really like the program.

If we don't step out of our boxes we won't learn from out mistakes.
However, not everyone see's things this way.

Enjoy the weekend mate!
 
Last edited:
Fixed! Enjoy the weekend everyone!
 

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Alexzee said:
...as I'm not sure how to show the 2 menu's/docks on either side of the program like you have.
Click to expand...

Initially, it depends on the distro you are installing it on, and what the devs have tweaked.

Wiz
 
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