Unplot.py: from plots to tabular data

Recently, when doing backups, I noticed a script on my hard drive, which I think may be useful to someone else. It takes an image with a line plot and generates a data file for that plot. So it does an operation inverse to plotting, i.e. unplotting.

Download: unplot.py.

The script is available on bitbucket. Feel free to improve.

To run the script, you first need to decide which part of the plot image you want to scan, and what values the pixels correspond to. I prefer to use Gimp or Geeqie to find pixel coordinates.

If there are many lines on the same plot, You may also decide to colourize the line you are interested in with some distinct colour. Use Gimp if necessary. Write down the colour's HTML code.

This plot is a good point to start:

Then you can run the script against it. In the directory with the script, run:

./unplot.py "#00ff00" 0 151 0 475 5.0 824 0.09 85 /path/to/plot.png > /path/to/data.txt

The first parameter is the HTML colour code of the line to select. Then there is the values and the pixel coordinate of the bottom left corner of the plot: X value, X pixel coordinate, Y value, Y pixel coordinate. Then the same for the top right angle. And finally the name of the file with the plot. The output is redirected to the text file. Please note that the origin of digital images is usually the top left corner.

After running the script try plotting the data once again to make sure you selected the right colour and region. I went too far to the right in this example and the green letters were mistaken for the part of the plot.

In Russian: unplot.py: извлекаем табличные данные из графиков.

How to select a region by intensity range in Gimp?

I wrote this as an answer to Photo.StackExchange question, how to select by histogram range in Gimp.

Step-by-step

1. Make a copy of the layer (Layer → Duplicate Layer)
2. Select the duplicate layer, apply threshold (Colors → Threshold) to select the range of intensities.
3. In Layer → Mask → Add Layer Mask (or right click in the list of layers). Select “Grayscale copy of layer” and “Invert mask”.
4. idem: Mask to selection.
5. Hide or remove the layer with mask.

An example:

An original image. I want to select the circle:

Make a copy of the layer:

Apply threshold. Note that the area to be selected is black:

Add Layer Mask using the grayscale value of the image:

Now you've obtained an image with the mask. Everything except the black circle is transparent (we can see the bottom layer through it):

Convert the mask to selection. Switch to the original layer. The circle is selected.