Core Image

Here's an informative article on Core Image.

Are there any Mac applications that utilize this as yet?

Absolutely. The operating system itself even uses it (ripple effect on Dashboard, for instance.)

Core Image isn't so much an enhancement as it is an enabling technology. It allows programmers to write more graphically rich code (ie, the ripple effect when dropping a widget on the screen) without compromising processing performance on systems that support it. On systems that don't support it, because such code would execute in the CPU and thus significantly slow the system while it's executing, the code is basically ignored.

Thus for those of us with systems that don't support Core Image, we won't know what we are potentially missing - we'll see the less enriched version of the same thing. And since the vast majority of Macs in current use don't support Core Image, the take up of graphically rich code that exploits it is really not significant as yet.

But this is where I wish Core Image can support some of the things that the Mac mini can in fact do.

For example, some of the things in the Core Image Fun House, and the ripple effect, the Radeon 9200 can in fact do. The ripple effect is easily pulled off on the Radeon 9200, you can see that effect in use in games, AND ATIs demo application.

So what I am saying, the things you CAN do, I wish you CAN see...

You sound like you suspect some kind of anti-Mini conspiracy on Apple's part...

Would it not be more likely that there is a technical reason, for example insufficient video memory on the Mini's implementation of the 9200, to enable the extra effects at desktop screen resolutions, which are generally higher than those used by many games and demos?

Simon

Are there any Mac applications that utilize this as yet?

Let me clarify my question. I mean Mac applications that utilize the technology to get something work-related accomplished. For instance, if Photoshop incorporated support, I can see new or different filters, or filters that worked faster and more efficiently.

Rippling widgets are nice to look at, but where's the beef? Or show me the money, or some other similar cliche.

: )

Jamie

Would it not be more likely that there is a technical reason, for example insufficient video memory on the Mini's implementation of the 9200, to enable the extra effects at desktop screen resolutions, which are generally higher than those used by many games and demos?

I think it's more than just a VRAM issue. The new Mac Minis which, rumor has it, have begun to ship, have 64MB of VRAM but still no CoreImage support.

I wouldn't think so. I play some game called GooBall, which the bubble the dude is in does a ripply effect, along with zoom distortion... and i run it at 1280x1024 and it runs fine...

http://www.macgamefiles.com/detail.php?item=18592&show=image

that screenshot aint the best though, cause when the bubble dude is on the ground, you should see how the ground transforms through the bubble, with ripple effects and distortion.. here is my screenshots...

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/Evilweredragon/bubble1.jpg

notice the water, that is full real-time ripple effect being done in the Radeon 9200..

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v395/Evilweredragon/bubble2.jpg

notice in the bubble, the reflection going throuhg the bubble gets distorted and bent..

those 2 are the main parts of the dashboard ripple effect, which proves the mac mini can do that effect...

Yeah, there are some fun apps that utilize Core Image. Try

Image Tricks
http://www.belightsoft.com/products/imagetricks/overview.php

LiveQuartz Image Editor
http://www.rhapsoft.com/

iMaginator
http://www.stone.com/iMaginator/iMaginator.html

The last one seems the more capable of the apps in terms of working in layers and such. First two are free apps.

Try them on your Mac mini. Should work fine as long as your pics aren't of very high resolution.

The new Mac Minis which, rumor has it, have begun to ship, have 64MB of VRAM but still no CoreImage support.

What is your source for this (the core image part)?

Core Image makes use of a graphics card with programmable GPU. Hence, Radeon 9200 is not supported, while Radeon 9550 is.

But "For computers without a programmable GPU, Core Image dynamically optimizes for the CPU, automatically tuning for Velocity Engine and multiple processors as appropriate."
http://www.apple.com/macosx/features/coreimage/

Some Core Image "effects" are turned off in the system and in apps on systems without programmable GPU simply because the CPU can't do it in real time like the GPU can.

Several non-Apple websites have screenshots of System Profilers from the rumored new Mac Minis. Assuming that all of them aren't fakes, none of them that I have seen show CoreImage support on the graphics card. The CPU does indeed support CoreImage functions if the program sends them to the CPU, but I personally wouldn't characterize that as "true" support.

: )

Jamie

Thanks, Reports I'd seen mentioned the 64MB but didn't specify the graphics card.

Try them on your Mac mini.

Will do. Thanks for the links!

: )

Jamie