Zmask
An open source image masker/unmasker written in Java.
History and Goal
Seeing patterns and solving problems is fun. So, when confronted with Gmask it did not take very long to get stuck solving all the problems that are out there. Yes, most are porn, but it feels as if you could get that without wrangling a picture for a couple of minutes. Plus, it need not be porn.
However, Gmask is a closed-source 32-bit freeware application that has some large problems with color distortion when you for example do a XOR mask and save the image. There are some additional closed source implementations, such as FLmask and Easymask, that seems to be defunct in one way or another.
There is also a project called jmask that at first glance seems to be pretty much the same as zmask: An open source image masker/unmasker written in Java. Sounded great right there, but when a look at the code mostly created confusion and questions about source code maintainability, some scepticism started to grow. When it was discovered that the masks are still not open source, Zmask was born.
A summary of other applications, plus a nice and graphical guide is available at http://gmask.awardspace.info/.
Zmask was first developed in NetBeans to simplify all GUI cruft. When the author realized that NetBeans was just about as good as crap on a stick at this, and that the NetBeans layout manager works best with things that never will hit production, all NetBeans code was stripped out and is now developed and maintained using vim.
The goal is to foremost create a open source version that can do everything that Gmask can, with the CP mask not especially prioritized, and with a better image (foremost palette) handling. When this goal is reached, it is time to look into other goodies such as a scripting interface for masking/unmasking automation, tree-based undo, the CP mask and perhaps a solver-helper that expands the different mask options in a tree-view and let the operator select the next step in the expansion.
Developer Information
Source is managed through Git.
To do a read-only clone, use the git protocol:
git clone git://github.com/zqad/zmask.git
To view the source in your browser, just visit the homepage on github: https://github.com/zqad/zmask
If you want to discuss anything, drop a mail on the zmask-devel AT lists.sourceforge.net mailing list.