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RIOT - image optimizer, compression

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:43 pm
by ashghost
[Moderator note:


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You want RIOT (Radical Image Optimization Tool).

I assumed it was in the database, but it wasn't, so you've prompted me to finally make a submission:

http://www.portablefreeware.com/index.php?id=1821

Download the zip version and create Riot.ini in the same folder as Riot.exe.

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 3:56 pm
by joby_toss
This is going to be a winner!
Thanks, ashghost!

However! :) To be stealth, one has to also create a file named "Riot-external-tools.ini", if one wants to add external tools later on!

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 6:47 pm
by I am Baas
@ashghost

joby_toss is correct. RIOT creates a folder in Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data where Riot-external-tools.ini is stored.

DB entry updated.

BTW, RIOT has a DLL version for IrfanView and GIMP and XnView addon

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 7:27 pm
by webfork
Holy crap -- I did not expect such a rapid response.

Thanks ashghost!

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 8:13 pm
by ashghost
I am Baas wrote:...creates a folder in Documents and Settings\user name\Local Settings\Application Data where Riot-external-tools.ini is stored.
Thanks for catching that, joby_toss and I am Baas.

I've been doing very little rigorous testing lately - I care little about stealthiness. I checked with Sandboxie and RegFromApp, but I forgot that I'd already used it on my system.

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Sat Jun 26, 2010 8:44 pm
by webfork
So far very impressed.
  • Batch compression - including lists of files and whole directory structures (recursively)
  • Intense control over the number of colors - not only can you reduce colors from 256 to 32 to 16 but you can step up one by one. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, etc. colors. Each step you can watch the file size increase.
  • High compression PNG controls - not just the default save, although transition takes about 20 seconds on a single-threaded 2 ghz system.
  • JPG (Photo) functionality - didn't expect this -- definitely an added bonus and excellent compression
  • "In Place Compare" feature - really great for seeing how different an individual file looks like compressed. Pressing the button on and off again lets you see the subtle changes, especially in JPEG.
  • Broad format support - will open around 50 different file types from PSD to SGI. Nice!
Wow.

Some other usage notes:
  • B&W - Oddly, if you choose two colors, you have to modify the gamma settings if you want it to be black and white rather than grey and white. Worth the trouble for doing so as it reduced a 20 k file to 2 k. 1:10 compression!
  • Cropping - Was surprised the program didn't have some kind of cropping feature, which would very directly change file size, although I can see that not working in a batch file situation
  • Metadata - For JPEG files, it removes metadata by default, which could be a good or a bad thing depending on whether or not you're a photographer. Despite this, the results are impressive: I was able to save 14k from an 85k image.

Re: Easier graphics compression - RIOT drag and drop

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 11:15 am
by webfork
RIOT drag and drop test

I tested RIOT with a similar process that PNG Optimizer has: dragging and dropping images onto the program's EXE (or shortcut to the program EXE).

Results were very good:
  1. It recognized the image I was handing it was very high resolution and offered to resize it both by pixel or %. Excellent.
  2. The program tried JPG first which makes sense since most images are in JPG. I switched over to PNG to see if I could re compress the PNG file.
  3. I tabbed over to the PNG option and was able to play with some compression options. Great stuff.
Would like it if the program offered a "best guess" attempt rather than showing me a bunch of options if I want to compress something right away, but a shortcut to RIOT will be on my desktop from here on out for reasons described in the "compression with logos" bit at the bottom.

Batch drag and drop

This is unimpressive. Dragging more than one file to the icon will result in a batch window that has two major problems:
  1. Only allows export to JPG
  2. Cannot compress by quality, only estimated file size. If you guess too little, you will be looking at a garbled mess.
  • Recommendation

    Open the program, get the settings the way you like, then drag and drop into the window to make changes based on how you have your settings. I wish RIOT would integrate some default settings to make it so you didn't have to have the program running all the time when doing graphics conversion.

Very high compression with logos

What happened to the test image I used in this operation was remarkable. The file was a simple (but very large) logo so reducing the colors to only 2 meant there was only a minor difference between the original file and the compressed file. However, the size was reduced from 1,800 k to 18 k! Its very rare in any kind of compression to get a 100:1 compression ratio using the same file type.

Screencap comparing the two files.

Admittedly, this doesn't represent most situations you'll come across, but for those images with only a few colors like I tested, RIOT seems indispensable.

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Mon Aug 02, 2010 3:29 pm
by I am Baas
RAID drag and drop test

I tested RAID
You mean RIOT :)

Thanks for sharing your findings.

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Tue Aug 03, 2010 11:35 am
by webfork
> You mean RIOT :)

Ha! Good test, bad documentation. Editing original entry...

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 1:01 am
by luciansabo
This is unimpressive. Dragging more than one file to the icon will result in a batch window that has two major problems:

Only allows export to JPG
Cannot compress by quality, only estimated file size. If you guess too little, you will be looking at a garbled mess.
Actually you are wrong. You can use the same settings in batch also.
You can close the batch window, choose your settings, including output format, metadata, image adjustments, etc then open Batch window again, verify settings there also and press Start.
By default it uses JPEG and your last saved settings, but yon can choose PNG also.

I am working on the RIOT documentation also which will clarify other things for first time users.

The basic RIOT batch-mode work-flow is different than in other batch programs
- open one picture from the list
- choose the most suitable settings
- open batch window and add all files
- verify batch settings then press Start

I noticed in your screenshot you have not checked "best compression" in the PNG settings. Note that for performance reasons a fast PNG compression is applied by default which is a poor compression. For final results always check "best compression". The reason RIOT uses a fast compression by default is to be able to make all your adjustments without waiting for that slow high compression until you are happy with the results.
Also I recommend to use pngout or the faster advpng with RIOT. Currently these methods *usually* give better compression than the internal "best compression".

An automatic optimization mode like you mentioned is planned.
See http://luci.criosweb.ro/riot/bbpress/topic.php?id=51

Regards,
Lucian SABO

RIOT developer

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 7:18 am
by Checker
@ luciansabo:
Welcome to TPFC :wink:
You created an amazing software ... go on with this good work :!:

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 9:47 am
by webfork
First of all thanks for your work on this and making it freely available. I know for a fact that Photoshop CS 2 (still going for over $100 on ebay) doesn't have many of these compression options.
luciansabo wrote:Actually you are wrong. You can use the same settings in batch also.
You can close the batch window, choose your settings, including output format, metadata, image adjustments, etc then open Batch window again, verify settings there also and press Start.
True. I addressed this in the "recommendation" bit that comes after, though that was an edit I added later.
luciansabo wrote:An automatic optimization mode like you mentioned is planned.
See http://luci.criosweb.ro/riot/bbpress/topic.php?id=51
That's fantastic -- I look forward to it.

Dragging and dropping onto an icon is an "edge case" use as I'm sure you're aware; very few other users are going to ask for this kind of functionality. The automatic optimization mode is far more valuable to the average user.

The only reason I bring it up is because I convert files 10x a day and starting a program, getting the settings correct, converting, and then closing the program is sort of tedious. I could leave the program open but I've already got 20 different windows open so I'm trying to keep that to a minimum. Further I like the elegance of a program that does one thing and then goes away. Kind of the anti-iTunes.

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Fri Aug 06, 2010 11:37 am
by luciansabo
I am aware that most users will find more convenient an automatic optimization. This can be implemented as an option in the Explorer right-click menu called "Optimize for web" (shell integration). It would be the easiest way for a basic user to optimize images - by letting the program choose the best settings and - if another format is more suitable suggest to change image format.

I admit that RIOT was initially designed for power users, yet I was trying to make it as simple and intuitive as possible.

RIOT is beeing constantly updated and new features are added. The goals are to keep it simple / easy to use, fast, small, portable, efficient and free.
Not at last it should do only one thing well - optimize images. I will try not to add features that are not related to the program scope.

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Sat Jun 22, 2013 9:22 pm
by I am Baas

Re: Easier graphics compression

Posted: Wed Oct 09, 2013 12:22 am
by I am Baas
RIOT v0.5.2 is available (08.10.2013):
* fixed r s h l v keys prohibited in batch->output path
* fixed filesize different single file vs batch mode if image is resized and using automatic mode.The original was analyzed instead of the resized one in batch mode.
* fixed RIOT stops opening images after switching to batch mode and back
* fixed scrollbar flicker
* fixed loading of TGA 8-bit files with a palette size greater that 256
* fixed TIFF parser didn't initialize the memory with zeros in stripped mode. This caused random bitmap data if the tiff file was corrupted/invalid.
http://luci.criosweb.ro/riot/download/