Path: utzoo!utgpu!watmath!att!bellcore!rutgers!cs.utexas.edu!csd4.milw.wisc.edu!leah!rpi!mab.ecse.rpi.edu!wrf
From: wrf@mab.ecse.rpi.edu (Wm Randolph Franklin)
Newsgroups: comp.graphics
Subject: Re: SigGraph Fractal Compression
Keywords: did anyone see this at siggraph?
Message-ID: <6595@rpi.edu>
Date: 8 Aug 89 22:29:48 GMT
References: <2037@netcom.UUCP>
Sender: usenet@rpi.edu
Organization: Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY
Lines: 39

In article <2037@netcom.UUCP> marcos@netcom.UUCP (Marcos H. Woehrmann) writes:
>Did anyone who was fortunate enough to attend SigGraph see the Fractal
>Data Compression software/hardware?  The only information I have is that
>it's supposed to be able to generate amazing compression ratios and the
>company is based in Atlanta.

Barnsley gave  a  talk at the  Computers  and Math conference at  MIT in
June.  He showed some pretty  pictures and recited  some nice stats.  He
refused to  give any concrete  details of how he  did  it.    One of his
opponents (I forget his name)  was also  there and strongly attacked him
in  a  separate  talk.   The   opponent claimed that   traditional image
processing compression  methods   give similar packing   ratios.   Erich
Kaltofen@cs.rpi.edu was one  of  the  organizers and so might  know  the
other speaker's name.

The most  favorable interpretation of  Barnsley is that  he is trying to
keep it secret to patent  it or apply  for grants or  to exploit it with
his  company.   A  middling interpretation  is  that the process  is not
automatic   but  requires  a lot  of hand tuning   on each picture.   An
unfavorable interpretation  is   that it only works   on  a few selected
pictures, and Barnsley is  trying to stonewall  while he generalizes the
method.  Pick one.

Personally,  I have   a  low opinion   of  people in  graphics who   try
simultaneously to get  intellectual  priority for  first discovery of an
idea  while keeping  critical details  secret so  that  no one  else can
actually use   it.  Editors should  reject teaser  papers    like these.
Grantors  should   require that all  details  resulting  from a grant be
public.   Barnsley said that some of  his  work was developed on a DARPA
grant, I think.

Please  email responses as well  as posting   since I will   be away for
awhile.


						   Wm. Randolph Franklin
Internet: wrf@ecse.rpi.edu (or @cs.rpi.edu)    Bitnet: Wrfrankl@Rpitsmts
Telephone: (518) 276-6077;  Telex: 6716050 RPI TROU; Fax: (518) 276-6261
Paper: ECSE Dept., 6026 JEC, Rensselaer Polytechnic Inst, Troy NY, 12180