Re: How do I use the unpack function?

[Gary Herron]

Marlin Rowley wrote:

All:

I've got a script that runs really slow because I'm reading from a
stream a byte at a time:

// TERRIBLE
for y in range( height ):
for color in range(4):
for x in range( width ):
pixelComponent = fileIO.read(4)
buffer = unpack("!f",pix elComponent) << unpacks ONE
float, but we now can do something with that pixel component.
I can speed this up dramatically if I did this:

// MUCH FASTER
for y in range( height ):
for color in range(4):
pixelComponent = fileIO.read(4*w idth) <<<<<<<<< GET a LOT more
data from the stream into memory FIRST!!
for x in range( width ):
buffer = unpack( ?????? ) <<<< how do I get each float from
the pixelComponent? ??

Just carve of the first four bytes of pixelComponent on each pass
through the loop, and unpack that.

for x in range(width):
fourbytes = pixelComponent[:4] # first 4 bytes
pixelComponent = pixelComponent[4:] # All but first four bytes
buffer = unpack("!f", fourbytes)
There are probably better ways overall, but this directly answers your
question.

Gary Herron

>

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[John Machin]

On May 16, 2:11 am, Gary Herron <gher...@island training.comwro te:

Marlin Rowley wrote:

All:

I've got a script that runs really slow because I'm reading from a
stream a byte at a time:

// TERRIBLE
for y in range( height ):
for color in range(4):
for x in range( width ):
pixelComponent = fileIO.read(4)
buffer = unpack("!f",pix elComponent) << unpacks ONE

[snip]
Perhaps the OP might be able to use the Python Imaging Library (PIL)
instead of reinventing an image-file handler.

[Gary Herron]

John Machin wrote:

On May 16, 2:11 am, Gary Herron <gher...@island training.comwro te:

>Marlin Rowley wrote:

>>All:

I've got a script that runs really slow because I'm reading from a
stream a byte at a time:

// TERRIBLE
for y in range( height ):
for color in range(4):
for x in range( width ):
pixelComponent = fileIO.read(4)
buffer = unpack("!f",pix elComponent) << unpacks ONE

[snip]
Perhaps the OP might be able to use the Python Imaging Library (PIL)
instead of reinventing an image-file handler.

Indeed. That's why my original answer included the line:
There are probably better ways overall, but this directly answers
your question.

Other possibilities.

I don't recognize the file format being read in here, but if it is a
standard image format, the PIL suggestion is a good way to go.

Or, if it is an image of not too enormous size, read the *whole* thing
in at once.

Or rather than manipulate the array by carving off 4 bytes at a time,
just index through it in 4 byte chunks:
for i in range(width):
buffer = unpack("!f", pixelComponent[4*i:4*i+4])

Or
for i in range(0,4*width ,4):
buffer = unpack("!f", pixelComponent[i:i+4])

Or
Use numpy. Create an array of floats, and initialize it with the byte
string, making sure to take endianess int account. (I'm quite sure this
could be made to work, and then the whole operation is enormously fast
with only several lines of Python code and *no* Python loops.

Or
...?

Gary Herron

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