Re: [BLUG] Editable image repository? (was Transform Ubuntu to OS-X)

On Saturday 06 June 2009 05:07:49 pm Gillis, Chad wrote:
> Quoting Barry Schatz <sorbetninja@gmail.com>:
> > Many would ask "Why imitate Apple?" but I think Ubuntu's default look
> > needs improvement. And making people think you're running OS X on your
> > non-Apple computer is a great way to show off how you can customize free
> > software desktop environments. Good find!
> >
> > Other sites worth checking out are gnome-look.org and kde-look.org.
> >
> > -Barry
>
> Those are some neat sites. Along slightly similar lines, has anyone
> ever come across a central repository like that of explicitly
> openly-shared images in an editable format, for example in GIMP's .xcf
> format or in .svg? It could be useful if someone wanted to use a
> picture for a project but modify it somewhat. For example if you knew
> you wanted to draw something with a "global community" theme you could
> start with someone else's drawing of the Earth, remove the parts you
> don't like, and build on top of it.
>
> -Chad

There are image repositories of CC-licensed content, but not of xcf or svg files. Most content is in either lightly compressed jpg or png, especially if it's fairly detailed. Svg is getting more popular though, and I've seen vector image sites that host svg files along with (huge) png renderings of said svg files. I have also seen wallpaper and art websites that host both the finished image and the various components that went into it. I don't think xcf will get that big, but we'll see. Svg has the advantage of being a web standard.

OpenRaster is a new raster image format standard that the freedesktop.org people are working on that should work across gimp, krita, photoshop, etc. I expect it to displace xcf like OpenDocument displaced the OpenOffice and Koffice document formats.

-Barry