Perceptually-Supported Image Editing of Text and Graphics

Comments

Summary

This paper describes the ScanScribe system which implements a novel image editing program that emphasize easy selection and manipulation of image materials in the foreground such as sketch on paper.

ScanScribe provides four major advantages. 1) Intuitive model to maintaining image objects and groups 2) It separates fore-ground from light background 3) new interface techniques manipulation of image objects without resorting to pallets 4) provides platfrom for exploiting image recognition and analysis methods.

The user can select each segment in fore-ground image objects and do basic image functions such as move, copy, delete. Group and ungroup them using the flat grouping model, which allows each fragment to be a part of more than one group.

I also separates the background from fore-ground by turning the backgroup pixels to transparent so they doesnot interfere in foregrounnd manipulation of objects. The user is also allowed to input texts from keyboard on the canvas.

Automatic structure recognition is automatic grouping of objects. It uses Gestalt laws of visual perception which includes proximity, smooth continuation, feature similarity, and figural closure. The objects labeled as curvilinear are strokes and objects labeled as blob are text.

Disucssion

A nice tool for image manipulation. Automatic structure recognition was the most interesting part in the paper. Perhaps some more explanation and stats on automatic recognition would have clarified a lot.

Author also did not explained the fragmentation algorithm used by ScanScribe.