G’mic Smooth Abstract Filter Demonstration

Crib Notes GIMP Photo Processing Tools 3 Comments
A yellow crocus processed with the g'mic smooth abstract filter.

Recently I’ve been exploring the G’mic Smooth Abstract filter. Because I was unable to find documentation for this filter, I created this post.

Controls for the G’mic Smooth Abstract Filter

The five options you can make for this filter are:

  1. Smoothness
  2. Regularization method
  3. Regularization iterations
  4. Geometry
  5. Details

Smoothness

You can adjust smoothness with the slider or type in a value. The range is 0 to 100. As you can see, increasing the smoothness value softens the picture.

Yellow crocus poking up through the detritus of winter. The original image used to compare the affect of the settings.
Original image
Yellow Crocus processed using G'mic Smooth Abstract Filter. Settings 0-isometric-20-1-30.
Smoothness = 0
Settings 25-isometric-20-1-30.
Smoothness = 25
Settings 50-isometric-20-1-30.
Smoothness = 50
Yellow Crocus processed using G'mic Smooth Abstract Filter. Settings 75-isometric-20-1-30.
Smoothness = 75
Settings 100-isometric-20-1-30
Smoothness = 100
Comparison of Smoothness values

In the gallery above I kept all of the settings at their default except for smoothness.

Regularization Method

Select from a drop down menu with three choices: Isometric, Delaunay Guided and Edge Oriented. The Edge Oriented method gives a sharper result. The Delauney Guided gives the softest result, but has emphasis on the bits that radiate. Also, the center of the flower seems crispest.

The crocus with smoothness set to 25, medium low using the isometric method.
Smoothness = 25 Isometric
The same image using the Delaunay Guided-method within the G'mic smooth abstract filter.
Delaunay Guided
Using the Edge Oriented method.
Edge Oriented
New example: smoothness set to 75, medium high. Isometric method.
Smoothness = 75 Isometric
Smoothness at 75 with the Delaunay Guided method.
Delaunay Guided
The same image with the Edge Oriented method used.
Edge Oriented
Regularization method comparison

The gallery shows the different methods for two smoothness values. The number of iterations for all examples is 20.

Regularization Iterations.

Next comes the number of iterations. You can adjust the number of iterations using the slider or type in a value. The range is from 0 to 100, and the image becomes softer with more iterations.

Using the G'mic smooth abstract filter with Smoothness = 25 no regularization.
Smoothness = 25, Iterations = 0
Smoothness value of 25, isometric method with 20 iterations.
20 Iterations
Smoothness = 25, Isometric method, 100 iterations
100 Iterations
Smoothness = 75, with no regularization.
Smoothness = 75, Iterations = 0
Yellow Crocus processed using G'mic Smooth Abstract Filter.
20 Iterations
Smoothness of 75-isometric method with100 iterations, 1 30
100 Iterations
Comparison of number of Regularization Iterations

For the examples in this gallery I used the isometric method. At 0 iterations the method doesn matter, because it is not applied.

Geometry

This value appears to control how big the chunks are, and the range is from 0 to 4, with 4 having the biggest chunks.

The most detailed of the geometry options in the G'mic smooth abstract filter: Geometry =0. This one keeps more of the green than the other geometry choices. Smoothness 25, and Geometry 0
Smoothness = 25, Geometry = 0
Yellow Crocus processed using G'mic Smooth Abstract Filter Settings 25-isometric-20-1-30
Geometry = 1
Smoothness 25 and Geometry 2
Geometry = 2
Smoothness 25 and Geometry 3 gives a fairly blocky abstract.
Geometry = 3
This looks likes clouds drifting over the original. Smoothness 75 and Geometry 0
Smoothness = 75, Geometry = 0
Geometry = 1 is the default value, it has a bit of definition.
Geometry = 1
Not much detail here: Smoothness 75 and Geometry 2
Geometry = 2
Pretty close to a yellow blob, Smoothness 75 and Geometry 3
Geometry = 3

Details

Unlike the other options, the details slider increases the definition at higher values. As with the other controls, you can either use a slider or type in a value. The range is from 0 to 50, and at 50 you have your original back.

Demonstating the abstract of the G'mic smooth abstract filter. Smoothness 25 and a low detail value, 10.
Smoothness of 25 and details = 10.
Yellow Crocus processed using G'mic Smooth Abstract Filter Settings 25-isometric-20-1-30
Details = 30
Extrememly close to the original, a softness value of 25 and details = 50.
Details = 50.
Very foggy image with smoothness at 75 and details at 10.
Smoothness = 75 and details =10.
Yellow Crocus processed using G'mic Smooth Abstract Filter default Settings 75-isometric-20-1-30
Details = 30
Very close to the original: smoothness of 75 and details at 50.
Details = 50.

Mixing and matching

I tried to present the controls in a logical way above. With so many controls, and a continuous scale available for most of them, you can get an infinite amount of variations for any photo. Here is a YouTube video that shows how to use the filter:

The best thing to do is of course experiment. When you open the filter the default values are softness of 75, isometric, 20 iterations, geometry = 1 and details =30. Hopefully this post will help you decide where to start depending on the effect you want to achieve.

Getting the tools

G’mic is open-source software that contains a set of over 500 filters for photo processing. I run it as a plug-in within the GIMP, but I believe that it works with other programs as well. The web site for G’mic is https://gmic.eu/download.html. If you want to get going with the GIMP check out this post.

3 Replies to “G’mic Smooth Abstract Filter Demonstration”

    1. Good to know. I had trouble figuring out how to present such a complex filter. I’ll go back to the drawing board.

© 2024 K.S. McCormick

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