Re: [Gimp-developer] Help with a Gimp 2.10 question

["Guillermo Espertino (Gez)" <gespertino gmail com>]

El 18/12/12 08:46, jEsuSdA 8) escribió:

> It will be great to use Gimp, cause the course is a great opportunity to
> popularize its use, but if 2.10 Gimp version will be released after
> april, I think I must have to use other software like Photivo, Darktable
> or similar who can work with more bit per channel.

Hi Jesusda! :)

(This is just my personal opinion)

- I wouldn't count on having GIMP 2.10 by April 2013. There's still a 
lot of work to be done and april is really close.

- I would advise you strongly against using a development version for a 
demonstration (except, of course, you're in a Libre Graphics Meeting). 
Any bug can and will be perceived as a weakness of the program. Trying 
to seduce people who don't know GIMP with an unstable version of GIMP is 
really a bad idea. Stick with 2.8.

- A mixed workflow with other applications and GIMP could be acceptable. 
If you process RAW and/or HDR images using Darktable in high bit depth 
to take the most of the source material and export to tiff files for 
final touches in GIMP, quality should be fine if you don't have to go 
berserk with the postprocessing.
High bit depth editing is critical when you have to apply extreme 
processing and when layer and brush strokes accumulation is whether too 
extreme or too subtle.
Generally you can get away with 8 bpc if you don't have to stretch too 
much, but the job you're describing seems tricky, so be careful.

- Finally, I would think twice about going ahead with the course if the 
software we have is not ready for the task.
If editing in high bit precision is mandatory, then GIMP (at least 
today) isn't suited for the task.
I know it sounds like missing a nice oportunity, but maybe it's better 
to postpone than to screw a nice chance to reach a specialized audience.
If you show GIMP and the professionals there conclude that it can't be 
used for their job, that's something extremely difficult to revert.

Anyway, you can turn this "missed oportunity" into a useful event. You 
can meet with them to evaluate if a mixed workflow is viable. There you 
can tell them that high bit precision is being implemented and will be 
available in the next version. You can show them the current stable, you 
can tease them with the new stuff coming, but I wouldn't go there to 
"teach" them how to do the job with free software unless I'm absolutely 
sure that it can be done with the expected quality.


We had to wait years literally to see high bit depth happening in GIMP. 
It's finally happening, but we have to wait a little :-)

Gez.