Da blogt er

Prologue : I originally planned to publish this blog post during the LGM 2026 in Nürnberg. Sadly, however, the  image  from the museum's object catalogue is under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0, so I was not allowed to use it to create a VR panorama. Fortunately, however, the museum has given me permission today to use it under a CC0 1.0 license. At the Germanische Nationalmuseum , I discovered this 360° map of the Nuremberg area from 1581. I just had to convert this 360° round image into a panorama for VR glasses, especially as it is the oldest one I have ever seen – it is almost 500 years old! https://objektkatalog.gnm.de/objekt/La140   First, I removed the decorations in the corners and cleaned up the image. Then, using the workflow described in this old  tutorial , I created an equirectangular 360° panorama. Finally, I added metadata with ExifTool to enable Google Photos and other panorama viewers to detect it as a 360° panorama.    The embedded A-Frame I used s...

Since I wrote the original tutorial , GIMP has evolved, so I've created an updated version that makes use of the new features. The most important new features are that you can now use linked layers, layer groups and non-destructive effects. This tutorial discripes how to create this chrome ball with GIMP. First of all you need a equirectangular panorama . If you don't have one you can get one from HDRI Haven . For this tutorial I took this one: https://hdrihaven.com/hdri/?h=bell_park_pier This time I chose the 2k version because it is faster to process. Of cause you can use other resolutions if you like. Now create a new image with 2048x1024px and delete the background layer:   Then open the image in GIMP with "File -> Open as Link Layer..." and duplicate the layer. The "Open as Link Layer" gives you the possibillity to change the image later.   This is the background layer on which the chrome ball sits. We now need a second layer for the ball itself...

Alexandre Prokoudine does a great job with his Libre Arts blog. This time a very minimalist version without screenshots, just links. While he looks at the big picture, I have collected some news from smaller, more hidden open source graphics projects: Mobile Since I'm only interested in the non-mainstream mobile stacks, I'm ignoring Android as an OS completely here. libcamera v0.2-.04 https://gitlab.freedesktop.org/camera/libcamera/-/releases libobscura An alternative to libcamera appeard to make smartphone cameras easier to use: https://media.ccc.de/v/38c3-libobscura-cameras-are-difficult#t=1495 Megapixels 2.0 alpha release https://blog.brixit.nl/megapixels-2-0-alpha-release/ Desktop xpano https://github.com/krupkat/xpano drawpile https://drawpile.net/ PV https://bitbucket.org/kfj/pv/src/master/

First of all what is Aerialod and why do i need an alternative. Aerialod is an tool to create fast 3D voxel images out of height maps. Advantages and Disadvantages of Aerialod Advantages: User-Friendly: Aerialod is an easy-to-use tool for creating 3D terrain models. It caters to both beginners and experienced users who want to achieve results quickly. Freeware but not Open Source: Aerialod is free to download but does not allows users to modify and extend the source code. Variety of Features: Aerialod supports the generation of various terrains, the use of real satellite data, and the creation of synthetic heightmaps. This makes it a versatile tool for different applications in geodata visualization. Disadvantages: Lack of Advanced Features: While Aerialod offers many useful functions, it may lack some advanced features found in professional 3D rendering tools, making it less suitable for certain applications. Not Open Source No new version since 2023. Overall, Aerialod presents an in...

Here comes the next part of my post chrismas upcyling. I created two different kinds of Fire Bowls Lighter. For the first one you need: Wax residues, e.g. old candles from the Advent wreath or wax waste from New Year's Eve. Toilet paper rolls Newspaper/packing paper Chopped branches from the dried Christmas tree (you can also use wood shavings or guinea pig litter). An old pot (It could be difficult to clean it again.) Wooden clothes pegs scissors Put the wax in an old pot:   Cut the toilet paper rolls in half with scissors. Then make small pocket shapes out of the paper and stick them into the half toilet paper rolls Then fill the small pockets with the chopped pine branches and seal them Melt the wax on the cooker and dip the small packets into the wax using a wooden clothes peg. Place on a surface to harden, e.g. an old cardboard box. For the second: leftover wax, e.g. old candles from the Advent wreath muffin paper moulds chopped branches from the dried up Christmas tree For t...

      EN: How to make a Harry Potter wand from the top of an old Christmas tree. DE: Wie erstellt man einen Harry Potter Zauberstab aus der Spitze des alten Weihnachtsbaumes. EN: 1. Cut the top off the old Christmas tree a hand's breadth below the topmost branch and remove all branches with secateurs. DE: 1. Schneide die Spitze von dem alten Weihnachtsbaum eine Handbreit unter dem obersten Astkranz ab. Dann alle Äste mit einer Gartenschere entfernen .   EN: 2. Remove the rind with a knife. Tip: I use cut-resistant gloves for this DE: 2. Mit einem Messer die Rinde entfernen. Tipp: Ich verwende dafür Schnittfeste Handschuhe. EN: 3. Then smooth the ends of the twigs with a knife. DE: 3. Dann die Enden der Zweige mit einem Messer glatt schnitzen. EN: 4. Now smooth all rough edges with sandpaper. DE: 4. Mit Schmiergelpapier jetzt noch alle rauen Kanten glätten. EN: If you wish, you can now rub the wand with walnut oil or colour it with a glaze of your choice. DE: 5. Wenn...