Paramount Theatre Marquee Project Page Created by Ray C. Freeman III for Interplay, Inc. This page contains project history, version information, screenshots, interaction with other software, and links to demos, current version, gallery, and other related project pages.

ALPHA VERSION (1.0) 12/09/2013 by Ray C. Freeman III for Interplay Inc.		BETA VERSION (2.2) 07/07/2014 by Ray C. Freeman III for Interplay, Inc.
Technology: PHP GD Library. Method: Two layers of text (solid back with chiseled overlay) Image is processed one column of pixels at a time, perspective is faked by shorting these columns little by little moving from left to right. Issues: Perspective is incorrect, because letter do not become smaller in the distance, just shorter. Characters are too flat, and look squashed. The image on the screen can't be saved, because the display is actually the original .jpg image with a transparent .png over the top of it. If you try to save it, you get one or the other. Using an apostrophe in the text breaks the program.		Technology: Imagemagick Command Line Processor. Method: Two layers of text (solid back with chiseled overlay), Perspective is generated by a built-in Imagemagick function. File is composited saved as .jpg with another built-in function. Version History: 2.2: (07/07/14) Temporary files are now serialized to eliminate potential race conditions (two or more people trying to use the system at the same time and overwriting each other's data), and are deleted once the final image is created. 2.1: (07/06/14) New phone-scaled interface implemented. Share options created for Facebook, Twitter, Google+ LinkedIn, Pinterest, plus email. 2.0:( 07/05/14) Completely re-written in Imagemagick. Perspective is much better. Due to better perspective, more characters will fit on each line. Characters are both a little transparent and more 3D. Better alignment with the background lines. Six lines of text instead of five. Apostrophes may now be used. Files are saved with numbered indexes and can be downloaded.
CLICK TO TEST THIS VERSION		CLICK TO TEST THIS VERSION

SCREEN SHOTS FROM CURRENT VERSION 07/06/2014 by Ray C. Freeman III for Interplay, Inc.

Interface: The input interface is 320 pixels wide, designed to fit onto any phone. If viewed on a phone, the Paramount image will be above, and the form below. Here, it is seen on a wider screen.

Interaction: The user simply fills in the lines and presses the button. Any lines which are not filled out will result in a blank line on the marquee in the final image.

Result: This is the page that is generated, including links to share the image on various social media sites, or by email, or cutting and pasting a link.

Viewer: All of the links on social media go to this special viewing page. The image itself is a 600x920 pixel .jpg which can be downloaded from the page.

Facebook Sharing: Facebook sharing is automated. The user can add a comment of their own if they wish.

Facebook Sharing: Here is the post on Facebook. The image of the sign can be seen. When clicked, it goes to the special viewer page.

Twitter Sharing: Twitter only allows automation of link sharing, not images. However, the link goes to our special viewer page. The user can add more to the tweet if they like.

Twitter Sharing: Here is the link as seen on Twitter

Google Plus Sharing: Google allows us to automate the posting of the entire image. The user can also add a comment.

Google Plus Sharing: Here's the post on Google Plus. It links back to the viewer page.

LinkedIn Sharing: Linked in sharing is automated as well, and it might be possible to get the marquee image in the post. The user can add a comment, and choose who to share with.

Linked In Sharing: Here is the post as seen on Linked In.

Pinterest "Pinning": This pin is automated, but the user gets to choose what board to put it on and add to the description if they like.

Pinterest "Pinning": Here is the post on my Pinterest Development Images Board

Emailing: The email form is similar to the original input form. Again, if on a phone, the newly created marquee is above the form on the phone. All information is required. The user can edit the message.

Emailing: Here is the email form filled out, ready to send from Ray to Rob.

Emailing: Here is the resulting email. Note that no matter how the user edits the message, the link to the special viewer page is always added at the bottom of the email.

Other Ideas: Since we are saving all the created images so that they can be shared on social media, it would be possible to create a photo gallery of created marquees. Click here for a simple prototype. Latest image loads first, and then you can scroll to the right to see earlier images.

LAST IMAGE CREATED:

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