README for Image Transcoder

Image Transcoder

Image Transcoder is a Node.js-based project designed to encode and decode binary data into images and vice versa. It leverages libraries like sharp for image processing and provides a modular, worker-thread-based architecture for efficient parallel processing of files.

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Features

• Binary to Image Conversion: Converts binary data into images using a custom color mapping system.
• Image to Binary Conversion: Decodes images back into binary data, supporting file reconstruction.
• Parallel Processing: Utilizes worker threads to process multiple files simultaneously for improved performance.
• Customizable Output: Supports flexible image dimensions and output directories.
• File Metadata Encoding: Encodes file names and metadata into images for easy identification during decoding.
• Error Handling: Includes robust error handling for file operations and processing.

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Installation

1. Clone the repository:

   git clone https://github.com/mrFavoslav/image-transcoder.git
   cd image-transcoder

2. Install dependencies:

   npm install

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Usage

Binary to Image Conversion

To convert a binary file into images:

node main/ftb.js <input_file>

• Input: Specify the file or directory to be converted.
• Output: Images will be saved in the out directory.

Image to Binary Conversion

To decode images back into binary files:

node main/btf.js

• Input: Images from the out directory.
• Output: Decoded files will be saved in the output directory.

Additional Options

• -ct: Clears the temporary folder before processing.
• -co: Clears the output folder before processing.

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Project Structure

• main/: Contains the main scripts for binary-to-image (ftb.js) and image-to-binary (btf.js) conversion.
• workers/: Includes worker scripts for parallel processing (imageWorker.js, progressWorker.js).
• OLD/: Legacy scripts and files for reference.
• out/: Stores generated images during binary-to-image conversion.
• output/: Stores reconstructed files during image-to-binary conversion.
• temp/: Temporary storage for intermediate files.

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Dependencies

The project uses the following Node.js libraries:

• sharp: For image processing.
• fs-extra: For enhanced file system operations.
• prompt-sync: For command-line input.
• worker_threads: For parallel processing.

To view all dependencies, check the package.json file.

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How It Works

Binary to Image Conversion (ftb.js)

1. File Reading: Reads the binary data from the input file.
2. Nibble Conversion: Splits each byte into two 4-bit nibbles.
3. Color Mapping: Maps each nibble to a specific RGB color.
4. Image Generation: Creates images with the encoded data and saves them in the out directory.

Image to Binary Conversion (btf.js)

1. Image Decoding: Reads images from the out directory.
2. Color Matching: Matches pixel colors to their corresponding nibbles.
3. Binary Reconstruction: Reconstructs the binary data and saves the output files in the output directory.

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Example

Binary to Image

node main/ftb.js example.txt

• Input: example.txt
• Output: Images in the out/ directory.

Image to Binary

node main/btf.js

• Input: Images from the out/ directory.
• Output: Reconstructed files in the output/ directory.

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Contributing

Contributions are welcome! If you have ideas for improvements or find any issues, feel free to open an issue or submit a pull request.

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License

This project is licensed under the MIT License. See the LICENSE file for details.

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Author

Created with ❤️ by Ondřej Chmelíček (a.k.a. Favoslav_).
Check out more about me on my website.