Notes on Multimedia

1. Definition:
o Multimedia: A combination of the words multi (many) and media (information),
referring to the integrated transmission of information through multiple media.
2. Types of Media in Multimedia:
o Textual
o Graphics and Illustrations
o Audio and/or Animated Video
3. Applications of Multimedia:
o Video games
o Educational software
o Navigational systems
o Entertainment
o Other uses
4. Open-Source Multimedia Design Tools:
o Increasingly popular for being free and customizable (source code is accessible).
o Examples of Open-Source Image Editing Tools:
 GIMP
 Fotor
 Fooflexer
 Snapseed
 Autodesk Pixlr
 Picasa
5. GIMP:
o A multimedia program for sophisticated image editing and transformations.
o Offers a variety of features for image editing and enhancement.
o GIMP was created by Peter Mattis and Spencer Kimball in 1996.
o It provides a robust interface for professional-level image editing and design tasks.

What is GIMP?
 Full Form: GNU Image Manipulation Program.
 Type: Open-source image editing and manipulation software.
 Features:
o Painting tools: Brushes, pencils, cloning.
o Built-in filters: Blur, distort, colorize, transform.
o Layers interface: Supports multiple layers for editing.
o Advanced scripting abilities.
o Compatibility with plugins for enhanced functionality.
o Default File Format: .xcf.

Features of GIMP
1. Full suite of painting and drawing tools.
2. Multiple layers and channels for advanced editing.
3. Supports various file formats: GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, BMP, and more.
4. Ability to add new file formats and filters.

Downloading and Installing GIMP

For Windows:

1. Visit GIMP Download Page.

2. Click Download GIMP 2.10.32 directly.
3. Run the setup and follow these steps:
o Allow permissions.
o Select the setup language (e.g., English).
o Click Install → Finish after installation.

Starting GIMP
 For Windows:
o Click Start → GIMP 2.10.32 OR Double-click the desktop icon.
 GIMP Window Components:
o Menu Bar: Access tools like File, Edit, and Image.
o Toolbox: Tools for image creation and enhancement.
o Foreground/Background Colors: Allows color selection and swapping.
 o Tool Options: Displays options for the active tool.
o Image Window: Each image is displayed in a separate window.
o Ruler: Shows coordinates for editing.
o Layers Palette: Manages visibility order of objects.
o Brushes/Patterns/Fonts Tabs:
 Brushes: For painting, erasing, and smudging.
 Patterns: For filling selected areas.
 Fonts: For customizing text fonts.

Creating a New Image

1. Click File → New OR press Ctrl + N.
2. Specify the image size in the dialog box.
3. Use Advanced Options to set background color or other properties.

Creating a New File

1. Click File → New OR press Ctrl + N.
2. Specify image settings (size, background color, etc.).
3. Click OK.
4. A new blank file is created.

Opening an Image
1. Click File → Open.
2. Select the desired image in the Open dialog box.
3. Click Open.
4. The selected image appears in the GIMP workspace.

Saving a File
1. Click File → Save to open the Save Image dialog box.
2. Choose the drive and folder where the file will be saved.
3. Enter a file name in the Name box.
4. Click Save to complete the process.

Resizing an Image
 To resize the window:
o Drag the window's edge with the mouse.
 To fit the image in the window:
o Go to View → Zoom → Fit Image in Window.

GIMP Toolbox

Overview
The GIMP Toolbox contains tools organized into the following categories:

1. Selection Tools
2. Painting Tools
3. Transform Tools
4. Colour Tools
5. Other Tools

Selection Tools

Purpose: Allow precise selection of areas in an image for editing. All actions after selection
affect only the selected region.

Shared Properties of Selection Tools:

 Mode: Determines how the selection interacts with existing selections:

o Replace: Replaces the current selection with a new one.
o Add: Adds a new selection to the existing selection.
o Subtract: Removes the new selection from the existing selection.
o Intersection: Keeps only the overlapping area of the two selections.
 Antialiasing: Smoothens the boundaries of the selection.
 Feather Edges: Creates a fuzzy selection boundary.
Selection Tools and Their Functions
Tool Name Description
Rectangle Selection Tool Selects rectangular areas by clicking and dragging.
Ellipse Selection Tool Selects elliptical or circular areas by clicking and dragging.
Free Selection Tool Allows freehand drawing of selection areas. Creates straight lines to close
the selection when released.
Foreground Select Tool Selects an object in two steps: Initial selection, then refining with a brush.
Press Enter to finalize.
Fuzzy Select Tool (Magic Selects areas based on similar colors adjacent to the clicked area. Adjust
Wand) color range via Threshold.

Important Notes
 Selection tools operate in relation to the active layer.
 Fine adjustments like Antialiasing and Feather Edges help create smooth and visually appealing
selections.

Additional Selection Tools

1. By Color Select Tool

o Selects all pixels in the image that fall within a specified color range, regardless of their
location.
o Difference from Fuzzy Select Tool: Fuzzy Select only works on adjacent (continuous)
pixels.

2. Intelligent Scissors
o Useful for selecting areas with prominent color changes at the boundaries.
o Works by creating "control nodes" or anchors around the object’s edges.
o Forms a continuous curve by following high-contrast edges.
o Tip: For smoother paths, advanced users prefer the Path tool.

Steps to Use Selection Tools

1. Open the Image: Load the image you wish to edit.
2. Choose a Tool: Select the desired tool from the Toolbox or the Tools → Selection Tools menu.
3. Make the Selection: Drag the tool over the visible portion of the image to define the area.
4. Process the Selection: Once selected, the area is outlined (e.g., rectangle, ellipse, or marquee),
ready for editing.

Key Modifiers for Selection Tools

Key/Combination Purpose
Ctrl Removes from selection (Subtract Mode). Expands selection from the center.
Alt Moves the frame of the current selection.
Shift Adds to the selection (Add Mode).
Ctrl + Shift Chooses Intersection Mode.
Ctrl + Alt + Drag Moves the selection.
Space Bar Helps navigate across the image.
Ctrl + I Reverses the selection.

Important Notes
 Selection Boundaries: Displayed as an outline around the chosen area.
 Using Key Modifiers enhances the flexibility of the selection process for more precise edits.

Intelligent Scissors Tool

 Combines features of the Lasso and Path tools.
 Useful for identifying zones with prominent color changes near boundaries.
 Creates a continuous curve by following high-contrast edges using control nodes (anchors).

Steps to Use Intelligent Scissors

1. Go to Tools → Selection Tools → Intelligent Scissors.

2. Click at various boundary points on the image to create anchor nodes.
3. The tool automatically connects these points with a selection line along detected edges.
4. Press Enter outside the boundary to finalize the selection marquee.
Rectangle Select Tool

 Used to select a rectangular portion of an image.

Steps to Use Rectangle Select Tool

1. Click on the Rectangle Select Tool in the toolbox.

2. Click and drag the mouse on the workspace to define a rectangular area.

Ellipse Select Tool

 Used to select oval or circular portions of an image.

Steps to Use Ellipse Select Tool

1. Click on the Ellipse Select Tool in the toolbox.

2. Drag the mouse to select the desired circular or oval area.

Free Select Tool

 Enables freehand selection of objects or sections in an image.

Steps to Use Free Select Tool

1. Click on the Free Select Tool in the toolbox.

2. Draw a freehand shape around the area you wish to select.

Fuzzy Select Tool

 Automatically selects areas based on color similarity, detecting edges efficiently.

Steps to Use Fuzzy Select Tool

1. Select the Fuzzy Select Tool in the toolbox.

2. Click on the image section to be selected.
o A dotted line will appear around the chosen section based on its color codes.

These tools streamline image editing and selection tasks in GIMP, making the process efficient
and precise.

Overview of Paint Tools

 GIMP provides several fundamental paint tools for sketching, painting, and modifying images:
1. Pencil Tool: Creates free-hand strokes with sharp edges (no anti-aliasing).
2. Paintbrush Tool: Produces fuzzy strokes using the selected brush.
3. Airbrush Tool: Simulates an airbrush for soft color regions.
4. Ink Tool: Simulates an adjustable ink pen with anti-aliased lines and customizable nib
properties.

Steps to Use Paint Tools

1. Select a Paint Tool:

o From the toolbox, select the desired paint tool (Pencil, Paintbrush, Airbrush, or Ink
Tool).
o Alternatively, go to Tools → Paint Tools → [Tool Name].

2. Create or Open an Image:

o Create a new canvas via File → New, or open an existing image via File → Open.

3. Select a Color:
o Click the color box in the toolbox and choose a color using the gradient sliders or color
samples.
 4. Adjust Tool Settings:
o Configure options like brush size, aspect ratio, angle, and opacity in the toolbox.
o Example: Use the Opacity slider to control the transparency of the brush stroke.

5. Paint on the Canvas:

o Drag the paint tool over the canvas while holding the left mouse button.
o A circle cursor indicates the active paint tool.

Additional Paint Tools and Their Uses

 Clone Tool: Copies portions of an image.

 Bucket Fill Tool: Fills areas with a selected color or pattern.
 Gradient Tool: Fills areas with a gradient.
 Eraser Tool: Removes pixels from the current layer.
 My Paint Brush: Creates fuzzy strokes on blank or existing images.
 Heal Tool: Removes specks and imperfections in photographs.
 Perspective Clone Tool: Clones parts of an image while maintaining perspective.
 Blur/Sharpen Tool: Softens or sharpens edges.
 Smudge Tool: Smears and blends colors smoothly.
 Dodge/Burn Tool: Lightens or darkens specific areas.

Key Modifiers for Paint Tools

 Ctrl:
o Activates "color picker" mode, changing the foreground color to match the active layer.
o Toggles between reference points and original images in the Clone Tool.
o Switches between blur/sharpen or dodge/burn modes.
 Shift:
o Enables straight-line mode for brush tools.
o Allows continuous construction of line segments.
 Ctrl + Shift:
o Draws precise horizontal, vertical, or diagonal lines with controllable angles.

Using the Paintbrush Tool with Opacity

1. Choose a color using the gradient sliders.

2. Select the brush type from the Brushes tab.
3. Adjust Opacity to control transparency (low for transparency, high for opaqueness).

These tools offer diverse features to enhance and modify images effectively in GIMP.

Purpose

The Gradient Tool creates a blending effect between two or more colors, offering a smooth
transition.

Types of Gradient Shapes

1. Linear: Creates a straight-line gradient.

2. Radial: Produces a circular gradient effect.
3. Spiral: Forms a spiral-shaped gradient.
4. Conical: Simulates the effect of looking down at the tip of a cone.

Steps to Use the Gradient Tool

1. Select the Gradient Tool:

o From the toolbox, click the Gradient tool icon or navigate to Tools → Paint Tools →
Gradient.

2. Set Foreground and Background Colors:

o Choose the starting (foreground) and ending (background) colors for the gradient.

3. Choose a Gradient Pattern:

o Open the Gradient drop-down list to select a predefined gradient pattern (e.g.,
foreground to background, rainbow).
 4. Select a Gradient Shape:
o Choose the desired shape (Linear, Radial, Spiral, or Conical).

5. Draw the Gradient:

o Click on the starting point in the workspace and drag the mouse in the desired direction.
o Release the mouse button to create the gradient effect.

Using Opacity Option with the Gradient Tool

 Adjust the Opacity slider in the tool options to control the transparency of the gradient.
o Low opacity makes the gradient appear more transparent.
o High opacity ensures the gradient is solid and opaque.

Healing Tool in GIMP

Purpose

The Healing Tool is used to repair imperfections such as dark spots, scratches, and blemishes in
an image by blending the surrounding pixels.

Steps to Use the Healing Tool

1. Open the Image:

o Open the image you want to retouch or repair.

2. Select the Healing Tool:

o In the toolbox, click the Healing Tool icon, or go to Tools → Paint Tools → Healing.

3. Choose the Brush Size:

o Select an appropriate brush size from the tool options, depending on the area you need
to heal.

Additional Notes

 The Healing Tool works by sampling the surrounding pixels to blend imperfections with the
texture and color of the area around them.
 Adjusting the brush size helps control how much area the tool will affect at once. A smaller
brush is ideal for finer details, while a larger one is more efficient for larger blemishes.

Additional Step for Using the Healing Tool

4. Press and Hold Ctrl Key:

o Hold the Ctrl key, then click on a clean area to define the sampling point (the area from
which the tool will copy pixels).
o After selecting the sample area, release the Ctrl key.
o Click on the dark spot or imperfection you wish to fix. The tool will blend the selected
area with the sampled area.

Notes on Clone Tool in GIMP

Purpose

The Clone Tool is used to duplicate parts of an image, essentially copying one area of the image
and "cloning" it onto another area.

Steps to Use the Clone Tool

1. Open the Image:

o Open the image you want to work with in GIMP.

2. Select the Clone Tool:

o Click on the Clone Tool icon in the toolbox or navigate to Tools → Paint Tools → Clone.

3. Select Brush Size and Hardness:

 o In the Tool Options, choose the appropriate brush size and hardness based on the area
you want to clone.

How It Works

 The Clone Tool uses a sampling point that you define by pressing the Ctrl key and clicking on the
area you want to copy. Then, when you release the Ctrl key, you can paint the cloned pixels
onto another area of the image.
 The selected brush size and hardness control how soft or hard the cloned edges will be.

Various Tools in GIMP

Blur/Sharpen Tool

 Purpose: Used to blur or sharpen parts of an image, improving the image's quality or
creating artistic effects.
 Steps to Use:
1. Open the Image: Open the image you want to edit.
2. Select the Blur/Sharpen Tool: Click on the Blur/Sharpen Tool from the toolbox.
3. Select Brush Size and Hardness: Choose an appropriate brush size and hardness.
4. Blur Feature: To blur, click and drag over the area to blur.
5. Sharpen Feature: Press and hold the Ctrl key, then click and drag to sharpen an area.
Release the Ctrl key after you’re done.

Smudge Tool

 Purpose: The Smudge Tool is used to create a smearing effect, simulating the effect of
dragging wet paint with a finger.
 Steps to Use:
1. Open the Image: Open the image in GIMP.
2. Select the Smudge Tool: Choose the Smudge Tool from the toolbox.
3. Select Brush Size and Hardness: Adjust the brush size and hardness.
4. Smudge Effect: Click and drag over the area you want to smudge.

Dodge/Burn Tool

 Purpose: The Dodge Tool lightens the colors of an image, while the Burn Tool darkens
them.
 Steps to Use Dodge Feature:
1. Open the Image: Open the image you wish to modify.
2. Select Dodge/Burn Tool: Click on the Dodge/Burn Tool.
3. Select Brush Size and Hardness: Choose the appropriate brush settings.
4. Lighten Area: Click and drag the mouse pointer over the area you want to lighten
(Dodge).

 Steps to Use Burn Feature:

1. Open the Image: Open the image.
2. Select Dodge/Burn Tool: Click on the Dodge/Burn Tool.
3. Select Brush Size and Hardness: Choose the brush settings.
4. Darken Area: Click and drag over the area you want to darken (Burn).

Transform Tools

 Purpose: The Transform Tools allow you to change the appearance of an image or its
components.
 Common Tools:
o Move: Moves selections and layers.
o Align: Aligns layers and objects.
o Crop: Crops the image by removing unwanted portions.
o Rotate: Rotates the selected area.
o Scale: Scales the layer or selection.
o Shear: Moves parts of the image to a different position.
o Perspective: Alters the perspective of the layer.
o Flip: Flips selections and layers.
o Unified Transform: Combines perspective, skew, scaling, and rotation.
o Handle Transform: Used for scaling adjustments.
 o Cage Transform: Allows drawing anchor points to select areas to transform.
o Warp Transform: A tool for warping the image, similar to Photoshop's feature.

Crop Tool

 Purpose: Used to remove unwanted parts of the image.

 Steps to Use:
1. Click on the Crop Tool: Select the Crop Tool.
2. Select Area: Click and drag to select the portion of the image you want to keep.
3. Apply Crop: Press Enter to apply the crop.

Paths Tool

 Purpose: The Paths Tool is used to trace around objects or areas of interest with more
control than other selection tools.
 Steps to Use:
1. Select Paths Tool: From the menu, go to Tools → Paths, or click on the Paths icon.
2. Create Points: Click to create points and form the path. Drag the handles to adjust
curves.
3. Modify Path: You can move or adjust points and lines to refine the path.

Color Tools

 Purpose: These tools help to adjust the colors of the image in various ways.
 Common Tools:
o Color Balance: Adjusts the cyan, magenta, and yellow levels.
o Color Temperature: Used to correct color casts due to lighting.
o Hue-Chroma: Adjusts light saturation and color.
o Colorize Tool: Converts the image to grayscale, then colors it.
o Threshold: Converts the image to black and white based on a threshold.

These tools offer a range of options for modifying images and enhancing their appearance,
offering flexibility for detailed adjustments.

GIMP Tools and Functions

1. Other Tools in GIMP

 Color Picker Tool: Allows you to pick a color from the image by clicking on it. This can be used to
set the foreground or background color.
 Zoom Tool: Enables users to zoom in or out on specific areas of the image. You can click the Plus
or Minus buttons to adjust the zoom level.
 Measure Tool: Measures distance, angle, height, and width of a selected area in the image.
 Text Tool: Used for adding and editing text on images.

2. Editing Images in GIMP

 Foreground Color: Fills the image with the default foreground color.
o Steps: Edit → Fill with FG color.
 Background Color: Fills the image with the default background color.
o Steps: Edit → Fill with BG color.
 Fill with Pattern: Fills the image with a selected pattern.
o Steps: Edit → Fill with pattern.
 Stroke Selection: Adds a stroke (outline) to the selected area.
o Steps: Edit → Stroke Selection.
 Stroke with Paint Tool: Applies a stroke using any available paint tool.
o Steps: Edit → Stroke with Paint Tool.

3. Preferences in GIMP

GIMP’s Preferences allow users to customize the interface, keyboard shortcuts, preview
settings, monitor calibration, and color management, helping improve user experience.
4. Working with Filters in GIMP

Filters are used to modify the appearance of an image or its layers. Common filters in GIMP
include:

 Blur: Softens images or parts of an image, e.g., Gaussian Blur, Focus Blur.
 Enhance: Corrects flaws in the image, such as noise, poor sharpness, or dust.
 Distorts: Alters images in various ways, such as adding a Lens Distortion or Emboss
effect.
 Light and Shadow: Adds effects like Lens Flare, Supernova, or Drop Shadow to
manipulate lighting in an image.
 Noise: Adds noise or grain to images for a specific effect, such as HSV Noise or RGB
Noise.
 Edge Detection: Identifies edges in an image, useful for outlining objects. Filters include
Difference of Gaussians and Neon.

5. Enhance Filter Descriptions

 Antialiasing: Smoothens jagged edges.

 Deinterlacing: Removes unwanted picture artifacts from interlaced frames.
 Sharpen (UnSharp Mask): Enhances image sharpness, especially edges, without increasing
noise.

6. Distorts Filter Descriptions

 ApplyLens: Adds a lens effect to the image.

 Emboss: Creates a raised, 3D effect on the image.
 Mosaic: Divides the image into tiles for a mosaic effect.
 Spherize: Applies a spherical distortion to the image.