Digital Media

Digital Media includes:

• Internet
• computers/Lap tops
• e-books
• Televisions
• Mobile phones
• Video games
• Gaming consoles.

What number system is digital data based on? What two digits are used to code all digital data?
The number system of digital data is based on what we call the binary system. Texts, numbers, pictures, audio and nearly any other form of information can be converted into bits, also known as binary digits. Each of these digits either have a value of 1 or 0.


What is a bit? What is a byte?
As stated before a bit can also be referred to as a binary digit.  A bit or byte is the smallest unit of information a computer is able to work with.  Computers represent data shown in bits or bytes. Bits are grouped into bits.


What is “sampling rate”? Find an image that explains how sampling works.
Sampling frequency, more commonly known as  sampling rate, is the number of samples per unit of time (usually seconds) taken from a continuous signal to make a discrete signal.



How does Colour Depth (Color Depth) or bit depth effect the appearance of an image? Find some images to illustrate the effect.
Each bit represents not only data but a single colour as well. When the bits are placed next to each other a picture can be seen. This is known as colour or bit depth, and is even call bpp (bits per pixel). Colour depth can also be defined as the maximum number of colours that are used in an image. Colour depth will affect the appearance of any image. For example black and white pictures require a lower colour depth than high colour pictures, so it  may be set to 1-bit colour depth. The images below shows of the difference between to different colour depth settings.







Colour depth effects both still and video digital media. Sampling rate only effects video but not still media. Can you explain.
The difference between sampling rate and colour depth is that sampling rate will only effect videos because it takes in the sample per second. Since a video is a moving image the sampling rate will take in the images per second. Meanwhile colour depth can affect both still and moving images because the colour of the images is the only thing it really needs to measure.

Art using Inkscape

This is an image of a table that I created using the tools provided on inkscape.

Drawing Tools in Word

This is an image i created using the tools in word. It is supposed to be a man on a boat.

Paint.net Tools

The software Paint. net has a vast range of tools that are available to make or alter images. This post is about the functions of these tools.

1) Rectangular Select-

This is used to select a rectangular or square region of a picture, so that it may be modified, deleted, copied or cropped.

2) Move Selected Pixels-

This function allows the user to move, rotate and scale a selection outline along with the pixels in that certain selection.

 

 3) Lasso Select-

The lasso select used to select free form areas of a picture, these areas can then be modified, deleted, copied or cropped.

4) Move Selection-

This function allows you to rotate, move and scale a selection without affecting the pixels selected. This tool is found to be useful for refining selected pixels.

5) Ellipse Select-

                                              

  The ellipse select is allows you to make circular or ellipse selections. The selection can then be modified, deleted, copied or cropped.

6) Zoom-

                            

 Zoom can be used to zoom in or out of the current image. It even allows you to zoom in for a particular region of the whole image.   

 

7) Magic Wand-

Magic wand is a tool used to to select regions (of the current layer) that are of a similar colour.

8) Text Tool-

This tool can be used for placing texts within the picture.

9) Paintbrush-

This tool is selected as a default tool when you open up paint.net. Paintbrush allows you to create all different types of free form drawings.

10) Eraser-

The eraser tool, as the name suggests, is used to erase or rub out parts of the image. The eraser sets the pictures transparency to zero.

11) Pencil-

Pencil allows you to edit the active layer pixel by pixel. Its use is similar to that of the paintbrush. The pencil is said to be easier to use while zoomed into grid mode.

12) The Colour Picker-

The colour picker is a tool used to transform, the current pixel selection, to either a primary or secondary colour. The colour picker is also said to be easier when the image has been zoomed into grid mode. 

13) Clone Stamp-

This function is used for coping and pasting areas of pixels between layers, or within other layers.  

14) Recolouring Tool-

This tool is used to replace one colour with another. The recolouring tools are known to have duplicated functions than that of the colour picker.The following picture is an example of recoloring a specific image.

15) Paint Bucket-

The paint bucket tool is used to fill a selected region with one colour. The fill colour can be chosen from a variety of different colours both primary and secondary. 

16) Line/Curve tool-

This tools provided the user with the ability to draw both straight and curvy lines. The line will start of straight but can then be shaped into one that is curvy.

17-20) Rectangle, Rounded rectangle, Ellipse and Free form shape:

These tools allow the user to draw either rectangles/squares, rounded rectangles, ellipses or even a free form shape.

21) The tolerance slider-

This function can be used to change how the magic wand, recolour tool and the paint bucket operate. The tolerance slider controls how similar the colours will be. If the function is set a 0% it means that only the exact color selected will be considered. If the slider is set to 100%, it means all colors will be included in the picture or region. The default percentage on the slider is 50% meaning half and half.

 

22) Colour display-

This is the last function shown in the control panel in the program paint.net. The colour display is fairly simply, as it shows what the primary and secondary colours are at that current moment. this function also provided short cuts for resetting the picture/region back into black and white as well as, changing the current primary and secondary colours being used.

Colour Depth

Colour depth is a computer graphics term that describes the number of bits used to represents colours of each pixel in a bit mapped image of frame buffer. The colour depth is determined by the number of colour bits in each pixel.

the following image is of a smiley face made larger to show the colour depth of the image:

Frame Buffer

A frame buffer is an older term for video card. Frame buffer are the portioned areas of the memory card reserved for bit-mapped images especially. The information contained within these areas of a video card hold certain information on the colours of every single pixel within that specific image.

Compression

Compression is a technique used for data storage. It is a more efficient way to save files. Lossless compression is another type of compression. The difference is that lossless has the ability to un-compress any files and then re-compress them. Normal compression does not have this function.

The following image is an image showing data in a file being compressed:

File Extensions

A file extension is the format in which a file is saved as.

Here is a list of some common file extensions:

• jpg: graphics, pictures
• gif: graphics, pictures
• bmp: bulky graphics
• doc: word processing file
• txt: text file
• pdf: portable document file
• htm, html: web pages, ect.
• wav: sound clip

There are many more different file extensions but way too much to name.

Resolution

Resolution is a measure of the quality of a digital image. When the resolution increases the quality of the image increases as well. Resolution is measured in terms of dots per inch (dpi) and/or pixels per inch (ppi).

The following image is an example of resoultion:

DPI

Dpi is the abbreviated term for Dots Per Inch. Dpi is a property of a print graphic and determines how it prints. E.g. size and quality. Dpi (number of pixels) measures resolution on output devices such as monitors and printers.

The following images is an example of Dots per inch:

CPU

Cpu is the short term froom Central Processing Unit. A cpu is similar to a micro chip. This chip acts as the heart of the computer. A cpu is what interprets and carries out instructions, performs a number of information processing task and also controls any devices connected to the computer.

The following is an example of a cpu:

Morphing

Morphing is a special effect used often in computer graphics, movies and television programmes. Morphing is when one changes an image into another through a seamless transition. Traditionally morphing was achieved by cross-fading techniques in films. But since the early 1990s this process was replaced by computer software to create more realistic transitions.

The followingis an exampleof morphing:

Frames

The following is an example of a number of movie frames:

A frame is a single image in a series of still transperent pictures. When the frames are put together they can create videos, animations or almost any moving image.

Frames Per Second

Frames per second (fps) is actually the rate of video frame update of the whole screen per a second. The number of fps have a large impact on the image transition smoothness. The term not only applies to graphic terms but always things like video and film cameras.

The following is an example of a number of frames per second:

Mirror Graphics

Mirroring an image is a process that ends with a reflected duplication of the particular image. The mirrored copy is identical but displayed in a reverse direction. It is known as an optical effect.

Cropping Images

Cropping an image is actually the process of selecting a part of an image that you wish to keep and then deleting the rest.

The following is an example of the process of cropping an image:

Video Cards

A video card is an expansion card that allows the computer to send graphical information to a video display. Video displays are things like monitors or projectors.

the following image is a video card:

Flips

Flips are actually just an image placed in reverse of the orginal postion. An image can be flipped in any direction. The following image is an example of a flipped graphic:

BMP

bitmaps are types of graphics created from pixels in a grid. Each pixel or 'bit' contains specific colour information for the picture. Bmp, for short, graphics have a fixed resolutions meaning any resizing to the image will result with distortion and/or jagged edges.

The following is an example of a bmp file:

Pixels

The term pixel is short for "picture element". A pixel is the basic unit of programmable colours on a computer display or computer images.  A pixel in a way is similar to an atom. It is the smallest piece in an image. The physical size of a pixel depends on the size of the resolution set on the display screen. The more pixels the better the resolution. The resolution of the human eye depends on how good the person's eyesight is. Scientists are estimating our eye resolution to be around 300-500 million pixels. So if we look at something it can be broken down in 300-500 million different pieces. These pieces are what make up the actual or big picture.

The following is an example of a pixel: