From Newsgroup: comp.ai.philosophy


This jpg file (from photo dated 25 October 2022) posted to the Wikipedia page on the Dendera Zodiac represents a significant improvement to previous images available on-line, much sharper, though dimly lit, 72 dpi 60224 unique colors (cf. dend-zod-1.png, 3.27 MB, 1179 x 1182 pixels, 96 dpi 286533 unique colors):

Wikimedia Commons - Dendera Zodiac, 3,009 x 2,896 pixels, 4.78 MB:
https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/59/Zodiaque_de_Dend%C3%A9ra_-_Mus%C3%A9e_du_Louvre_Antiquit%C3%A9s_Egyptiennes_D_38_%3B_E_13482.jpg

Using freeware RawTherapee(http://rawtherapee.com) to align photo perspective, first click the "Rotate right" button (turn entire image 90 degrees clockwise) in the top panel; then click the "Transform" button in right panel, set "Lens/ Geometry" Method: Logarithmic, uncheck/disable "Auto-fill", set "Rotate" left +0.20 (counterclockwise), set "Perspective" Method: Simple, Horizontal 0, and Vertical -2.3; then click the "Save current image" icon or type [Ctrl+S]. The saved png file (45.15 MB, 2896 x 3009 pixels) is nearly geometrically uniform;

Using freeware Gimp(https://www.gimp.org) for simple color correction, shadows and highlights, and crop photo edges, could be done using RawTherapee, but the Gimp program is easier to use and includes many unique image editing features. With the file from RawTherapee opened in Gimp, in Colors "Shadows-Highlights", try setting Shadows to a high number (+80) and Highlights to low number (-90); click the "Crop Tool" icon [Shift+C] to clean up outside edges and remove the excess triangular "wavy" portion cut-out from the ceiling; next, click "File", "Export As..." png [Shift+Ctrl+E], set compression level 0 and click "Export"; this cropped file should be about 45.82 MB, 2859 x 2795 pixels, 236479 unique colors. As is, this file is ideal for saving, sharing, viewing, printing, etc.

Using freeware Inkscape(https://inkscape.org) for adding layers of square and radial grid lines, circles, ellipses, and color fills, open this file into the first layer, click "Edit", "Resize page to selection"[Shift+Ctrl+R], lock this layer, zoom to page [5], and save this file [Ctrl+S]; next, add a second layer, click "Create rectangles and squares" [R], draw a small square anywhere on the page while holding down the Control [Ctrl] key to maintain its 1:1 proportion; in Path click "Path Effects", click "+" icon to "Add path effect", which opens "Live Path Effects Selector"; click "Construct grid", set "Size X" 56 and "Size Y" 56; zoom to selection [3] and resize this large square grid to approximately the same size as the page; next, in Object click "Align and Distribute" [Shift+ Ctrl+A] and click the icons to center on both vertical axis and horizontal axis "Relative to Page", zoom page [5], save [Ctrl+S]; in View click "Hide Dialogs" [F12] and "Full Screen" [F11] to maximize work space, then zoom page width [6]; with grid selected, use "Up" arrow to incrementally move the grid up until its horizontal centerline intersects the opposing knees of "Horus"-like figures at the left and right side of the image; move grid's vertical centerline to bisect opposing knees at the top, and the pointed "plumb bob" shape (as if to describe the plumb-line), but opposing knees at the base are offset slightly to the left;
adjust grid size proportionally (holding down [Ctrl] key) until the seventeenth (17th) line from the grid center is approximately tangent to the circle on all four sides; for reference, the twenty-seventh (27th) line to the right of grid center intersects the twenty-fifth (25th) line below grid center at the top of the little black dot just above the far bottom-right corner of the image; also, the fourteenth (14th) line to the right of grid center is tangent to the base of the "decapitated" orb-shaped head which is separated from the body reposing in the chair by the long black "crack" which runs the full length of the image; in Object click "Fill and Stroke", set Stroke style "Width" 0.01 mm; zoom page and save file; in Edit click "Duplicate", in Path click "Object to Path", then in Object click "Objects to guide" (in View toggle "Guides" off/on [Shift+\]);

add another layer[Shift+Ctrl+N]; in View > "Show/Hide" > check/enable the "Tool Controls Bar" and "Snap Controls Bar"; click the Arrow next to "Toggle snapping on/off"[Shift+%] to open "popover" menu in "Advanced mode", check/enable "Guide lines"; click "Create circles, ellipses and arcs"[E]; while holding down [Ctrl] key, draw a circle starting at the "Handle to guide intersection" at the center of the grid until the "Handle to Path" or "Handle to guide" 'x' appears at the intersection of the nineteenth (19th, both vertical and horizontal) lines from the grid center, maintaining thin (0.01 mm) stroke width; zoom to selection [3],
deselect [Esc], then draw a another circle starting at the center until the 'x' appears at the first (1st) grid lines from grid center; select all [Ctrl+A], in Path click "Object to Path" [Shift+Ctrl+C], in Extensions > Generate from path, "Interpolate" Exponent 1.0, Interpolation steps 17, "Live preview" and in a few moments, nineteen (19) concentric circles appear grouped together, click Apply, close "Interpolate" window, in Edit click "Delete"[Delete] to remove the first two (extra) inner and outer circles; lock layer, save, and close file [Ctrl+W] to clear "undo history"; reopen this file, zoom to page and add a fourth layer;

click "Draw Bezier curves and straight lines" [B] icon on the toolbox and draw a horizontal line from the center of grid to the outer edge on the right side, in Edit click "Duplicate"[Ctrl+D], select all [Ctrl+A], in Object click "Align and Distribute" [Shift+Ctrl+A], and Relative to "First selected", click "Align right edges of objects to left edge of the anchor" to move copied line segment to left side of grid center, in Object "Group" [Ctrl+G]; holding control[Ctrl] key, select left line segment, in Object "Transform" [Shift+Ctrl+M], in "Move" set Horizontal -1.000 mm, click Apply, select all, click "Align and Distribute" [Shift+Ctrl+A], unlock grid layer, hold [Shift+Ctrl] and select grid, Relative to "Last selected", click "Center on vertical axis", deselect all; select line segment(group of 2), "Duplicate"[Ctrl+D], in Object "Rotate 90* CW", select all [Ctrl+A], Group [Ctrl+G], Duplicate [Ctrl+D], Transform [Shift+Ctrl+M], Rotate Angle +10.000*; again select all, group, duplicate, transform, rotate +20.000*; select all, group, duplicate, transform, rotate +40.000*; finally, select all, group, rotate +10.000*(note gaps for horizontal and vertical grid centerlines); holding [Shift+Ctrl] to preserve aspect ratio, expand this radial grid so that all lines extend just outside corners of image, set stroke width 0.01 mm; lock all layers, save, close, backup; reopen file, zoom to page, add a fifth layer;

hide layers 1 , 2, and 4; unlock layer 3 (circles), select all, copy, deselect, lock layer 3; in layer 5 click "Paste in Place"[Ctrl+Alt+V], ungroup, deselect, and with guides enabled, select the smallest circle at center, hold the [Shift] key and stretch the horizontal centerline selection handles one(1) guide square outward, tangent to the next larger circle as indicated by the snap-enabled 'x' and "cusp node to guide", resulting in a 2:1 integer-ratio ellipse; repeat this step for each larger circle, 3:2, 4:3, 5:4, 6:5, 7:6, ... and so on until 19:18;
select all, set stroke width 0.01 mm; the largest circle (19) already exists in layer 3, so delete it from layer 5; select all, copy, then add a sublayer under current ellipse layer, paste in place, rotate 90* CW; lock and hide all layers; save, close, reopen, zoom to page; show layers 1 (image) and 3 (circles); add a sixth layer; starting at center draw a circle just large enough to circumscribe entire image; set color fill to blue (hexadecimal RGBA #0000ffff), stroke width zero(0), zoom to selection; in circle/arc toolbar set "Start" 355.000 and "End" 5.000, for a 10 degree circle sector centered on 0 polar degrees; in Path click "Path Effects" [Ctrl+&], click "+" icon to "Add path effect", which opens "Live Path Effects Selector"; click "Rotate copies", Number of copies 36, check Split elements; press [Tab] key once to select next 10 degree sector counterclockwise and set fill color to magenta (#ff00ffff); press tab, set fill to orange-yellow (#ffbe00ff); tab, set fill to blue-violet (#4000ffff); tab, set red (#ff0000ff);
tab, yellow (#ffff00ff); tab, violet (#8000ffff); repeat tab or click to select each next sector CCW, red-orange (#ff4001ff), green (#00ff00ff), violet-magenta (#bf00feff), orange (#ff8000ff), cyan (#00ffffff), magenta (#ff00ffff), orange- yellow, blue, red, yellow, blue-violet, red-orange, green, violet, orange, cyan,
violet-magenta, orange-yellow, blue, magenta, yellow, blue-violet, red, green, violet, red-orange, cyan, violet-magenta, and finally, orange; save file, close,
backup, reopen, zoom to drawing, select first "Rotate copies" 10 degree segment and change Starting angle from 0.00 to 5.00, rotating the entire group of solid color segments five (5) degrees counterclockwise; select all, set fill "Opacity"
to (about) 7%, deselect, lock and show all layers, uncheck/disable guides, hide dialogs, full screen, zoom page width; hold Shift and right mouse button to pan,
click + to zoom in, - to zoom out; save file, show dialogs, add a seventh layer;

hide all layers; show and unlock layer 5 (ellipses) and its sublayer, select all
in all layers [Ctrl+Alt+A], copy, lock and hide layer 5; select and show layer 7,
paste in place [Ctrl+Alt+V], hide dialogs, zoom page width; select smallest (2:1)
ellipse, hold [Shift] and select second smallest (2:3) ellipse (which is tangent
to the first ellipse at its major axis), in Path click "Exclusion" [Ctrl+^], set
fill color to violet; select third-smallest (4:3) ellipse, hold Shift and select
fourth-smallest (4:5) ellipse, click Exclusion [Ctrl+^], set fill color to green;
select fifth-smallest (6:5) ellipse, hold Shift and select sixth-smallest ellipse
(6:7), click Exclusion, set fill color to cyan; select seventh-smallest ellipse (8:7), hold Shift and select eighth-smallest ellipse (8:9), click Exclusion, set
fill color to orange-yellow; select ninth-smallest (10:9) ellipse, hold Shift and
select tenth-smallest (10:11) ellipse, click Exclusion and set fill color to blue;
select eleventh-smallest (12:11) ellipse, hold Shift and select twelfth-smallest
(12:13) ellipse, click Exclusion, set fill color to blue-violet; select thirteenth-
smallest (14:13) ellipse, hold Shift and select fourteenth-smallest (14:15) ellipse,
click Exclusion, set fill color to violet; select fifteenth-smallest (16:15) ellipse,
hold Shift and select sixteenth-smallest (16:17) ellipse, click Exclusion, set fill
color to violet; finally, select seventeenth-smallest (18:17) ellipse, hold Shift
and select eighteenth-smallest (18:19, largest) ellipse, click Exclusion, set fill
color to magenta; save file, close, backup, reopen; show guides, show dialogs, zoom
to page, click "Create rectangles and squares" [R] and draw a rectangle starting on
the horizontal centerline at least one guide square to the left of largest ellipse
up to the right side enough to cover the entire top half of these elliptical lines;
select all, in Object > Clip > Set Clip; this non-destructive option makes only the
top half of ellipses visible; select all, group [Ctrl+G], duplicate [Ctrl+D], flip
vertical [V], select all, in Object, click "Align and Distribute" [Shift+Ctrl+A],
click "Align top edges of objects to bottom edge of anchor", hide guides, zoom to
drawing; hold [Ctrl] key to click on violet color fill in bottom half of smallest
ellipse and change color from violet to orange; repeat this step for each larger
bottom ellipse, green to orange, cyan to red-orange, orange-yellow to yellow, blue
to red, blue-violet to magenta, and violet to violet-magenta; leave the two largest
ellipses, violet and magenta, unchanged; select all, in Object > Clip > Release Clip,
then Ungroup [Shift+Ctrl+G], in "Fill and Stroke", set stroke width to zero (0.000),
copy (all), lock and hide layer 7; add eighth layer and paste in place [Ctrl+Alt+V],
group [Ctrl+G] and rotate 90* CW; ungroup, set stroke width 0.01, deselect; starting
at the left side and working to the right, leave first two largest ellipses, magenta
and violet, unchanged; change third ellipse fill color from violet-magenta to blue;
change fourth ellipse fill color from magenta to green; change fifth ellipse fill
color from red to yellow; change sixth ellipse fill color from yellow to orange;
change seventh ellipse fill color from red-orange to red; change eighth ellipse fill color from orange to magenta; leave smallest, ninth and tenth ellipse fills,
orange and violet, as is; continuing to the right, change green to magenta, cyan
to red, orange-yellow to orange, blue to yellow, blue-violet to green, and violet
to blue; select all, set stroke width to zero (0.000), set fill and stroke "Blend
mode" to "Overlay", and "Opacity" to (about) 9%, deselect and lock layer; show and
unlock layer 7, select all, set blend mode to overlay and opacity 9%, deselect and
lock layer; show layers 1 (image), 3 (circles), 5 (ellipses), and 6 (color sectors);
save, close, backup, reopen; zoom to page, in File click "Export" [Shift+Ctrl+E],
in Page tab try "DPI" 2400, click Export, use zero (0) compression for image size
of (about) 7628 x 7452 pixels, 1013104 unique colors, 217 MB; save and close file;
reopen this file, in Layers and Objects (Shift+Ctrl+L) right-click Layer 1 (image)
and select "Hide/show other layers" to hide (all) other layers, export page using
same 2400 dpi and 0 compression settings, but with a different (*.png) file name;
close without saving and exit Inkscape; next, open this raster image file in Gimp,
in View > Zoom > click "Fit Image in Window" [Shift+Ctrl+J]; in Image > Transform >
click "Rotate 90* clockwise"; in File click "Export as" [Shift Ctrl+E], then click
"Create Folder", type folder name (e.g. "90cw"), and name the file (e.g. "90cw1");
set "Compression level" to zero (0) and click "Export"; next, in Edit click "Undo
Rotate image" [Ctrl+Z], in Image > Transform > click "Rotate 90* counter-clockwise",
in File click "Export as", click "Create Folder" and name it ("90ccw"), name file
"90ccw1", compression level 0, export; next, in Edit click "Undo Rotate image", in Image > Transform > "Rotate 180*", then "Export as", "Create Folder" ("180"),
name file "180-1", compression 0, export, close file; finally, repeat these same
steps for the first png file with added overlay (circles, ellipses, color fills),
to the same file folders, using sequential file names "90cw2", "90ccw2", "180-2";
close file, exit Gimp, backup these (8) png files; save, share, view, print, etc.

Using freeware Irfanview(https://irfanview.com/) for viewing these files in full
screen, the lockable zoom [Shift+L] and pan [Shift+Ctrl+K] feature is especially
useful for making slide shows from screen shots saved to groups of smaller files
(screenshot pngs at 1920 x 1080 screen resolution average about 4.5 MB per file);
open Irfanview, in Options "Properties/Settings"[P], in Viewing set "Main window
color" to black, in Browsing set "Loop current folder", uncheck/disable "Beep on
folder loop/stop or screen shot save", and set "Load next/previous file on Mouse
wheel scroll" to Never; in "Full screen/Slideshow" set "Fit to screen all images/
movies (3)", check/enable "Horizontal center image on screen", "Vertical center",
"Use Resample function for first display of an image" and "Use Resample function
for zooming", set "Screen color" to black; in "File Handling", for "Save/Rename"
check/enable "Display 'Save'-Dialog for 'File->Save' menu"; click "OK" to accept
changes; next, open any one of the eight 2400 dpi png files and press [Enter] to
view it in full screen; using Windows 10/11, press [Windows key+PrtScrn] to save
the first file in the default "C:\Users\[User Name]\Pictures\Screenshots" folder
(in File Explorer, right-click this folder, click "Show more options"[Shift+F10]
and "Send to" Desktop to create shortcut); the default file name "Screenshot (#)"
increases by 1 with every screenshot with no reset; this registry fix solves it:
https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/6108-reset-screenshot-index-counter-windows-10-a.html
download "Add_Reset_Screenshot_Index_Counter_to_Desktop_Context_Menu.reg", merge
so the Desktop Context Menu, Show more options, "Reset Screenshot Index Counter"
resets the counter to 1 every time you click it (works fine on Windows 11 22H2);
to bulk rename files, select all [Ctrl+A], copy [Ctrl+C], then paste [Ctrl+V] in
new folder, select all, right-click first file and click "Rename" icon [F2], and
type name to replace "Screenshot" (#); backup, then delete files in "Screenshots"
folder; the first four slide show folders might be named for the four directions
looking up from the center of the earth, in counterclockwise order starting with
South, West, North, and East; in zodiac terms Leo, Scorpio, Aquarius, and Taurus;
like the four seasons Summer, Fall, Winter, and Spring; Day, Evening, Night, and
Morning; Life, Death, Afterlife, and Rebirth; the main thing is to be consistent;

[end parts 1 - 5; see part 6 for continuation]
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