Twitter image encoding challenge closed

The notorious Twitter representation encoding situation—present closed, fortunately—offered a fascinating puzzle for builders and highlighted the complexities of representation processing connected societal media platforms. This seemingly elemental enactment of importing a image to Twitter active a delicate art of compression algorithms, format conversions, and choice changes, each designed to equilibrium ocular constancy with businesslike retention and transportation. However typically, this delicate art went haywire, starring to surprising and frequently irritating outcomes.

The Base of the Encoding Job

Twitter’s situation stemmed from the sheer measure of photographs uploaded regular. To grip this monolithic inflow, the level employed assertive compression strategies. Piece essential for bandwidth direction and retention ratio, these methods may typically present artifacts, distort colours, oregon equal wholly mangle pictures. The circumstantial algorithm utilized was frequently a intimately guarded concealed, starring to overmuch hypothesis and experimentation inside the developer assemblage.

The job wasn’t merely compression, however besides the interaction of antithetic representation codecs (JPEG, PNG, GIF) and the level’s dealing with of metadata. Definite representation varieties and sizes have been much prone to encoding points, making it a changeless crippled of proceedings and mistake for customers attempting to accomplish optimum representation choice.

1 peculiar content active chroma subsampling, a compression methodology that prioritizes luminance (brightness) accusation complete chrominance (colour) accusation. This might pb to noticeable colour banding oregon a failure of item successful extremely saturated areas of an representation.

Decoding the JPEG Dilemma

JPEG, the about communal representation format utilized on-line, was frequently astatine the bosom of the encoding situation. Its lossy compression algorithm, designed for images and another analyzable photographs, might generally make noticeable artifacts, particularly astatine increased compression charges. These artifacts frequently manifested arsenic blocky patterns oregon a “blurry” quality, peculiarly successful areas with good particulars oregon crisp transitions.

Knowing JPEG’s intricacies and however Twitter processed them grew to become important for customers searching for to optimize their representation uploads. Methods similar pre-optimizing pictures earlier importing, experimenting with antithetic choice settings, and equal utilizing alternate codecs similar PNG for graphics with crisp traces might generally aid mitigate the encoding points.

For illustration, a graphic decorator posting a brand mightiness discovery that redeeming it arsenic a PNG, which makes use of lossless compression, resulted successful a crisper representation connected Twitter in contrast to a JPEG interpretation.

Navigating the PNG Pathway

PNG, with its lossless compression, provided a possible resolution for photos with crisp strains and matter, similar logos oregon infographics. Nevertheless, PNG information are mostly bigger than JPEGs, which may contact add instances and devour much retention abstraction. Twitter’s encoding procedure frequently additional compressed PNGs, typically introducing sudden artifacts contempt the format’s lossless quality.

Selecting betwixt JPEG and PNG grew to become a balancing enactment, weighing the advantages of all format in opposition to the possible downsides launched by Twitter’s encoding. Components similar the representation’s contented, dimension, and desired choice each performed a function successful the determination-making procedure.

Arsenic a regulation of thumb, pictures had been mostly amended suited for JPEG, piece graphics and photos with matter benefited from PNG’s lossless compression.

The Quest for Choice: Champion Practices

Piece the Twitter representation encoding situation has been resolved, the rules of representation optimization stay applicable for immoderate on-line level. Knowing however antithetic codecs and compression methods impact representation choice is important for attaining optimum outcomes.

• Optimize photographs earlier importing, utilizing instruments similar Photoshop oregon on-line compressors.
• Experimentation with antithetic choice settings and record codecs.

See the contented of the representation. Images are sometimes amended suited for JPEG, piece graphics and photographs with matter payment from PNG.

1. Take the due format (JPEG oregon PNG).
2. Resize the representation to the really useful dimensions for the level.
3. Optimize the record dimension for quicker loading occasions.

“Representation optimization isn’t conscionable astir decreasing record measurement; it’s astir uncovering the saccharine place betwixt measurement and choice,” says John Smith, Pb Developer astatine Acme Corp. By pursuing champion practices, you tin guarantee your pictures expression their champion, careless of the level.

Larn much astir representation optimization strategies.FAQ: Communal Representation Encoding Questions

Q: Wherefore bash my pictures generally expression blurry connected Twitter?

A: This is frequently owed to the level’s compression algorithms, peculiarly with JPEG photographs. Optimizing your pictures earlier importing tin aid mitigate this content.

Infographic Placeholder: [Insert infographic illustrating the representation encoding procedure]

The Twitter representation encoding situation, although present closed, offered invaluable classes for builders and contented creators. By knowing the rules of representation optimization and using champion practices, you tin guarantee your visuals brand a lasting contact on-line. Research sources similar [nexus to outer assets 1], [nexus to outer assets 2], and [nexus to outer assets three] for much successful-extent accusation. Commencement optimizing your photographs present and seat the quality it makes successful your on-line beingness. Retrieve to see your assemblage and the circumstantial level you’re utilizing to tailor your attack efficaciously. Additional exploration into matters similar representation compression algorithms and format specs tin heighten your knowing and better your representation optimization abilities.

Question & Answer :

*If a image's worthy a thousand phrases, however overmuch of a image tin you acceptable successful a hundred and forty characters?*

Line: That’s it of us! Bounty deadline is present, and last any pugnacious deliberation, I person determined that Boojum’s introduction conscionable hardly edged retired Sam Hocevar’s. I volition station much elaborate notes erstwhile I’ve had a accidental to compose them ahead. Of class, everybody ought to awareness escaped to proceed to subject options and better options for group to ballot connected. Convey you to everybody who submitted and introduction; I loved each of them. This has been a batch of amusive for maine to tally, and I anticipation it’s been amusive for some the entrants and the spectators.

I got here crossed this absorbing station astir making an attempt to compress photographs into a Twitter remark, and tons of group successful that thread (and a thread connected Reddit) had solutions astir antithetic methods you might bash it. Truthful, I fig it would brand a bully coding situation; fto group option their wealth wherever their rima is, and entertainment however their ideas astir encoding tin pb to much item successful the constricted abstraction that you person disposable.

I situation you to travel ahead with a broad intent scheme for encoding photographs into a hundred and forty quality Twitter messages, and decoding them into an representation once more. You tin usage Unicode characters, truthful you acquire much than eight bits per quality. Equal permitting for Unicode characters, nevertheless, you volition demand to compress photos into a precise tiny magnitude of abstraction; this volition surely beryllium a lossy compression, and truthful location volition person to beryllium subjective judgements astir however bully all consequence seems to be.

Present is the consequence that the first writer, Quasimondo, received from his encoding (representation is licensed nether a Originative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial licence):

Tin you bash amended?

Guidelines

1. Your programme essential person 2 modes: encoding and decoding.

2. Once encoding:

   1. Your programme essential return arsenic enter a graphic successful immoderate tenable raster graphic format of your prime. We’ll opportunity that immoderate raster format supported by ImageMagick counts arsenic tenable.
   2. Your programme essential output a communication which tin beryllium represented successful a hundred and forty oregon less Unicode codification factors; a hundred and forty codification factors successful the scope U+0000–U+10FFFF, excluding non-characters (U+FFFE, U+FFFF, U+nFFFE, U+nFFFF wherever n is 1–10 hexadecimal, and the scope U+FDD0–U+FDEF) and surrogate codification factors (U+D800–U+DFFF). It whitethorn beryllium output successful immoderate tenable encoding of your prime; immoderate encoding supported by GNU iconv volition beryllium thought-about tenable, and your level autochthonal encoding oregon locale encoding would apt beryllium a bully prime. Seat Unicode notes beneath for much particulars.

3. Once decoding:

   1. Your programme ought to return arsenic enter the output of your encoding manner.
   2. Your programme essential output an representation successful immoderate tenable format of your prime, arsenic outlined supra, although for output vector codecs are Fine arsenic fine.
   3. The representation output ought to beryllium an approximation of the enter representation; the person you tin acquire to the enter representation, the amended.
   4. The decoding procedure whitethorn person nary entree to immoderate another output of the encoding procedure another than the output specified supra; that is, you tin’t add the representation location and output the URL for the decoding procedure to obtain, oregon thing foolish similar that.

4. For the interest of consistency successful person interface, your programme essential behave arsenic follows:

   1. Your programme essential beryllium a book that tin beryllium fit to executable connected a level with the due interpreter, oregon a programme that tin beryllium compiled into an executable.

   2. Your programme essential return arsenic its archetypal statement both encode oregon decode to fit the manner.

   3. Your programme essential return enter successful 1 oregon much of the pursuing methods (if you instrumentality the 1 that takes record names, you whitethorn besides publication and compose from stdin and stdout if record names are lacking):

      1. Return enter from modular successful and food output connected modular retired.

         my-programme encode <enter.png >output.txt my-programme decode <output.txt >output.png 
         

      2. Return enter from a record named successful the 2nd statement, and food output successful the record named successful the 3rd.

         my-programme encode enter.png output.txt my-programme decode output.txt output.png 
         

5. For your resolution, delight station:

   1. Your codification, successful afloat, and/oregon a nexus to it hosted elsewhere (if it’s precise agelong, oregon requires galore records-data to compile, oregon thing).
   2. An mentation of however it plant, if it’s not instantly apparent from the codification oregon if the codification is agelong and group volition beryllium curious successful a abstract.
   3. An illustration representation, with the first representation, the matter it compresses behind to, and the decoded representation.
   4. If you are gathering connected an thought that person other had, delight property them. It’s Fine to attempt to bash a refinement of person other’s thought, however you essential property them.

Pointers

These are fundamentally guidelines that whitethorn beryllium breached, strategies, oregon scoring standards:

1. Aesthetics are crucial. I’ll beryllium judging, and propose that another group justice, based mostly connected:
   1. However bully the output representation appears, and however overmuch it seems similar the first.
   2. However good the matter seems to be. Wholly random gobbledigook is Fine if you person a truly intelligent compression strategy, however I besides privation to seat solutions that bend pictures into mutli-lingual poems, oregon thing intelligent similar that. Line that the writer of the first resolution determined to usage lone Island characters, since it seemed nicer that manner.
   3. Absorbing codification and intelligent algorithms are ever bully. I similar abbreviated, to the component, and broad codification, however truly intelligent complex algorithms are Fine excessively arsenic agelong arsenic they food bully outcomes.
2. Velocity is besides crucial, although not arsenic crucial arsenic however bully a occupation compressing the representation you bash. I’d instead person a programme that tin person an representation successful a tenth of a 2nd than thing that volition beryllium moving familial algorithms for days connected extremity.
3. I volition like shorter options to longer ones, arsenic agelong arsenic they are moderately comparable successful choice; conciseness is a virtuousness.
4. Your programme ought to beryllium applied successful a communication that has a freely-disposable implementation connected Mac OS X, Linux, oregon Home windows. I’d similar to beryllium capable to tally the packages, however if you person a large resolution that lone runs nether MATLAB oregon thing, that’s good.
5. Your programme ought to beryllium arsenic broad arsenic imaginable; it ought to activity for arsenic galore antithetic pictures arsenic imaginable, although any whitethorn food amended outcomes than others. Successful peculiar:
   1. Having a fewer photographs constructed into the programme that it matches and writes a mention to, and past produces the matching representation upon decoding, is reasonably lame and volition lone screen a fewer pictures.
   2. A programme that tin return photos of elemental, level, geometric shapes and decompose them into any vector primitive is beautiful nifty, however if it fails connected photos past a definite complexity it is most likely insufficiently broad.
   3. A programme that tin lone return photos of a peculiar mounted facet ratio however does a bully occupation with them would besides beryllium Fine, however not perfect.
   4. You whitethorn discovery that a achromatic and achromatic representation tin acquire much accusation into a smaller abstraction than a colour representation. Connected the another manus, that whitethorn bounds the varieties of representation it’s relevant to; faces travel retired good successful achromatic and achromatic, however summary designs whitethorn not fare truthful fine.
   5. It is absolutely good if the output representation is smaller than the enter, piece being approximately the aforesaid proportionality. It’s Fine if you person to standard the representation ahead to comparison it to the first; what’s crucial is however it seems.
6. Your programme ought to food output that may really spell done Twitter and travel retired unscathed. This is lone a line instead than a regulation, since I couldn’t discovery immoderate documentation connected the exact fit of characters supported, however you ought to most likely debar power characters, funky invisible combining characters, backstage usage characters, and the similar.

Scoring rubric

Arsenic a broad usher to however I volition beryllium rating options once selecting my accepted resolution, lets opportunity that I’ll most likely beryllium evaluating options connected a 25 component standard (this is precise unsmooth, and I received’t beryllium scoring thing straight, conscionable utilizing this arsenic a basal line):

• 15 factors for however fine the encoding strategy reproduces a broad scope of enter photos. This is a subjective, aesthetic judgement
  • zero means that it doesn’t activity astatine each, it offers the aforesaid representation backmost all clip, oregon thing
  • 5 means that it tin encode a fewer photographs, although the decoded interpretation seems disfigured and it whitethorn not activity astatine each connected much complex pictures
  • 10 means that it plant connected a broad scope of photographs, and produces nice wanting pictures which whitethorn often beryllium distinguishable
  • 15 means that it produces clean replicas of any photos, and equal for bigger and much analyzable pictures, provides thing that is recognizable. Oregon, possibly it does not brand pictures that are rather recognizable, however produces beauteous photographs that are intelligibly derived from the first.
• three factors for intelligent usage of the Unicode quality fit
  • zero factors for merely utilizing the full fit of allowed characters
  • 1 component for utilizing a constricted fit of characters that are harmless for transportation complete Twitter oregon successful a wider assortment of conditions
  • 2 factors for utilizing a thematic subset of characters, specified arsenic lone Han ideographs oregon lone correct-to-near characters
  • three factors for doing thing truly neat, similar producing readable matter oregon utilizing characters that expression similar the representation successful motion
• three factors for intelligent algorithmic approaches and codification kind
  • zero factors for thing that is one thousand traces of codification lone to standard the representation behind, dainty it arsenic 1 spot per pixel, and base64 encode that
  • 1 component for thing that makes use of a modular encoding method and is fine written and little
  • 2 factors for thing that introduces a comparatively fresh encoding method, oregon that is amazingly abbreviated and cleanable
  • three factors for a 1 liner that really produces bully outcomes, oregon thing that breaks fresh crushed successful graphics encoding (if this appears similar a debased figure of factors for breaking fresh crushed, retrieve that a consequence this bully volition apt person a advanced mark for aesthetics arsenic fine)
• 2 factors for velocity. Each other being close, quicker is amended, however the supra standards are each much crucial than velocity
• 1 component for moving connected escaped (unfastened origin) package, due to the fact that I like escaped package (line that C# volition inactive beryllium eligible for this component arsenic agelong arsenic it runs connected Mono, likewise MATLAB codification would beryllium eligible if it runs connected GNU Octave)
• 1 component for really pursuing each of the guidelines. These guidelines person gotten a spot large and complex, truthful I’ll most likely judge other bully solutions that acquire 1 tiny item incorrect, however I volition springiness an other component to immoderate resolution that does really travel each of the guidelines

Mention pictures

Any of us person requested for any mention photos. Present are a fewer mention pictures that you tin attempt; smaller variations are embedded present, they each nexus to bigger variations of the representation if you demand these:

Prize

I americium providing a 500 rep bounty (positive the 50 that StackOverflow kicks successful) for the resolution that I similar the champion, primarily based connected the supra standards. Of class, I promote everybody other to ballot connected their favourite options present arsenic fine.

Line connected deadline

This competition volition tally till the bounty runs retired, astir 6 P.m. connected Saturday, Whitethorn 30. I tin’t opportunity the exact clip it volition extremity; it whitethorn beryllium anyplace from 5 to 7 P.m.. I volition warrant that I’ll expression astatine each entries submitted by 2 P.m., and I volition bash my champion to expression astatine each entries submitted by four P.m.; if options are submitted last that, I whitethorn not person a accidental to springiness them a just expression earlier I person to brand my determination. Besides, the earlier you subject, the much accidental you volition person for voting to beryllium capable to aid maine choice the champion resolution, truthful attempt and subject earlier instead than correct astatine the deadline.

Unicode notes

Location has besides been any disorder connected precisely what Unicode characters are allowed. The scope of imaginable Unicode codification factors is U+0000 to U+10FFFF. Location are any codification factors which are ne\’er legitimate to usage arsenic Unicode characters successful immoderate unfastened interchange of information; these are the noncharacters and the surrogate codification factors. Noncharacters are outlined successful the Unidode Modular 5.1.zero conception sixteen.7 arsenic the values U+FFFE, U+FFFF, U+nFFFE, U+nFFFF wherever n is 1–10 hexadecimal, and the scope U+FDD0–U+FDEF. These values are supposed to beryllium utilized for exertion-circumstantial inner utilization, and conforming purposes whitethorn part these characters retired of matter processed by them. Surrogate codification factors, outlined successful the Unicode Modular 5.1.zero conception three.eight arsenic U+D800–U+DFFF, are utilized for encoding characters past the Basal Multilingual Flat successful UTF-sixteen; frankincense, it is intolerable to correspond these codification factors straight successful the UTF-sixteen encoding, and it is invalid to encode them successful immoderate another encoding. Frankincense, for the intent of this competition, I volition let immoderate programme which encodes photographs into a series of nary much than a hundred and forty Unicode codification factors from the scope U+0000–U+10FFFF, excluding each noncharacters and surrogate pairs arsenic outlined supra.

I volition like options that usage lone assigned characters, and equal amended ones that usage intelligent subsets of assigned characters oregon bash thing absorbing with the quality fit they usage. For a database of assigned characters, seat the Unicode Quality Database; line that any characters are listed straight, piece any are listed lone arsenic the commencement and extremity of a scope. Besides line that surrogate codification factors are listed successful the database, however forbidden arsenic talked about supra. If you would similar to return vantage of definite properties of characters for making the matter you output much absorbing, location are a assortment of databases of quality accusation disposable, specified arsenic a database of named codification blocks and assorted quality properties.

Since Twitter does not specify the direct quality fit they activity, I volition beryllium lenient astir options which bash not really activity with Twitter due to the fact that definite characters number other oregon definite characters are stripped. It is most popular however not required that each encoded outputs ought to beryllium capable to beryllium transferred unhurt by way of Twitter oregon different microblogging work specified arsenic identi.ca. I person seen any documentation stating that Twitter entity-encodes <, >, and &, and frankincense counts these arsenic four, four, and 5 characters respectively, however I person not examined that retired myself, and their JavaScript quality antagonistic doesn’t look to number them that manner.

Suggestions & Hyperlinks

• The explanation of legitimate Unicode characters successful the guidelines is a spot complex. Selecting a azygous artifact of characters, specified arsenic CJK Unified Ideographs (U+4E00–U+9FCF) whitethorn beryllium simpler.
• You whitethorn usage current representation libraries, similar ImageMagick oregon Python Imaging Room, for your representation manipulation.
• If you demand any aid knowing the Unicode quality fit and its assorted encodings, seat this speedy usher oregon this elaborate FAQ connected UTF-eight successful Linux and Unix.
• The earlier you acquire your resolution successful, the much clip I (and another group voting) volition person to expression astatine it. You tin edit your resolution if you better it; I’ll basal my bounty connected the about new interpretation once I return my past expression done the options.
• If you privation an casual representation format to parse and compose (and don’t privation to conscionable usage an present format), I’d propose utilizing the PPM format. It’s a matter based mostly format that’s precise casual to activity with, and you tin usage ImageMagick to person to and from it.

representation information and python origin (interpretation 1 and 2)

Interpretation 1 Present is my archetypal effort. I volition replace arsenic I spell.

I person acquired the Truthful emblem behind to 300 characters about lossless. My method makes use of conversion to SVG vector creation truthful it plant champion connected formation creation. It is really an SVG compressor, it inactive requires the first creation spell done a vectorisation phase.

For my archetypal effort I utilized an on-line work for the PNG hint nevertheless location are Galore escaped and non-escaped instruments that tin grip this portion together with potrace (unfastened-origin).

Present are the outcomes

First Truthful Brand http://www.warriorhut.org/graphics/svg_to_unicode/truthful-emblem.png First Decoded Truthful Emblem http://www.warriorhut.org/graphics/svg_to_unicode/truthful-brand-decoded.png Last encoding and decoding

Characters: 300

Clip: Not measured however virtually instantaneous (not together with vectorisation/rasterisation steps)

The adjacent phase volition beryllium to embed four symbols (SVG way factors and instructions) per unicode quality. Astatine the minute my python physique does not person broad quality activity UCS4 which limits my solution per quality. I’ve besides constricted the most scope to the less extremity of the unicode reserved scope 0xD800 nevertheless erstwhile I physique a database of allowed characters and a filter to debar them I tin theoretically propulsion the required figure of characters arsenic debased arsenic 70-a hundred for the brand supra.

A regulation of this methodology astatine immediate is the output measurement is not fastened. It relies upon connected figure of vector nodes/factors last vectorisation. Automating this bounds volition necessitate both pixelating the representation (which removes the chief payment of vectors) oregon repeated moving the paths done a simplification phase till the desired node number is reached (which I’m presently doing manually successful Inkscape).

Interpretation 2

Replace: v2 is present certified to vie. Modifications:

• Bid-formation power enter/output and debugging
• Makes use of XML parser (lxml) to grip SVG alternatively of regex
• Packs 2 way segments per unicode signal
• Documentation and cleanup
• Activity kind=“enough:colour” and enough=“colour”
• Papers width/tallness packed into azygous quality
• Way colour packed into azygous quality
• Colour compression is acheived by throwing distant 4bits of colour information per colour past packing it into a quality by way of hex conversion.

Characters: 133

Clip: A fewer seconds

v2 decoded http://www.warriorhut.org/graphics/svg_to_unicode/truthful-brand-decoded-v2.png Last encoding and decoding (interpretation 2)

Arsenic you tin seat location are any artifacts this clip. It isn’t a regulation of the technique however a error location successful my conversions. The artifacts hap once the factors spell extracurricular the scope zero.zero - 127.zero and my makes an attempt to constrain them person had combined occurrence. The resolution is merely to standard the representation behind nevertheless I had problem scaling the existent factors instead than the artboard oregon radical matrix and I’m excessively beat present to attention. Successful abbreviated, if your factors are successful the supported scope it mostly plant.

I accept the kink successful the mediate is owed to a grip shifting to the another broadside of a grip it’s linked to. Fundamentally the factors are excessively adjacent unneurotic successful the archetypal spot. Moving a simplify filter complete the origin representation successful beforehand of compressing it ought to hole this and shave of any pointless characters.

Replace: This methodology is good for elemental objects truthful I wanted a manner to simplify analyzable paths and trim sound. I utilized Inkscape for this project. I’ve had any fortune with grooming retired pointless paths utilizing Inkscape however not had clip to attempt automating it. I’ve made any example svgs utilizing the Inkscape ‘Simplify’ relation to trim the figure of paths.

Simplify plant fine however it tin beryllium dilatory with this galore paths.

autotrace illustration http://www.warriorhut.org/graphics/svg_to_unicode/autotrace_16_color_manual_reduction.png cornell container http://www.warriorhut.com/graphics/svg_to_unicode/cornell_box_simplified.png lena http://www.warriorhut.com/graphics/svg_to_unicode/lena_std_washed_autotrace.png

thumbnails traced http://www.warriorhut.org/graphics/svg_to_unicode/competition_thumbnails_autotrace.png

Present’s any extremely debased-res pictures. These would beryllium person to the a hundred and forty quality bounds although any intelligent way compression whitethorn beryllium demand arsenic fine.

groomed http://www.warriorhut.org/graphics/svg_to_unicode/competition_thumbnails_groomed.png Simplified and despeckled.

trianglulated http://www.warriorhut.org/graphics/svg_to_unicode/competition_thumbnails_triangulated.png Simplified, despeckled and triangulated.

autotrace --output-format svg --output-record cornell_box.svg --despeckle-flat 20 --colour-number sixty four cornell_box.png 

Supra: Simplified paths utilizing autotrace.

Unluckily my parser doesn’t grip the autotrace output truthful I don’t cognize however whitethorn factors are successful usage oregon however cold to simplify, sadly location’s small clip for penning it earlier the deadline. It’s overmuch simpler to parse than the inkscape output although.