COS 126 Display Wall Instructions

This page gives Instructions on how to post your recursive graphics assignment on the Frist Campus Center display wall. The key factor is to submit a .JPG image that is 4096 x 1536 pixels in size. Below we explain a method for transforming your PostScript files into the desired .JPG image. After we receive your images, we will arrange to have then shown on the Frist display wall at a future date.


Instructions

  • Adobe Photoshop is an ideal program to use for this project: it can read and rasterize PostScript files. Also, it is installed on the OIT Windows NT clusters. The directions below assume you are using this program.

  • Compose your image in Photoshop. Create a new image of size 4096 x 1536 (don't use the 3850 x 1470 number in the screen snapshot). Choose RGB color mode.

    4096 x 1536 pixels is quite a large amount of real estate. You can add text by using Photoshop text tools. The next section describes how to insert PostScript pictures. Be sure to save your work frequently -- Photoshop occasionally chokes on large files (e.g., error messages such as "unrecoverable error: sorry." and crash goes Photoshop).

  • When importing (converting the PostScript to pixels -- done when you open a PostScript file) you may want to scale your image. The typical PostScript image is 512 x 512 pixels at screen resolution so doubling or tripling (or more) the size when you open it is fine. (You will get the highest quality results by scaling at the same time you read in the PostScript file.) Note that when you open the file, your art will most likely be in the center of an 8.5 by 11 inch image (612 x 792 pixels). Use Photoshop's ample selection, copy and paste features to select portions of you PostScript file. Also, choose to work in the RGB colorspace (as opposed to CMYK). If you forget, you can always change this later with image->mode->RGB.

    Have fun with this -- the final image does not have to be your straight PostScript images. Experiment, and play around. You're also free to work with a classmate and use both of your results in the same image. Here is a sample file (1/8 size, 1/4 size, full size) for the Dragon Curve to give you an idea of what is possible. Be sure your image contains the following information:

  • Your name. When you become famous, the signed artwork will be more valuable. :)

  • A title, e.g., The Jurassic Park Curve.

  • The course: COS 126.

  • A description of how your image was generated. Your description can use text, pseudocode, graphics, or any combination of all three.

  • Your phone number is optional :)

  • Name your file "username.jpg" and submit it along with the current assignment.

    • This page created by Matt Webb and Kevin Wayne.