Scanner menu missing

[SylDer]

Hello, the menu to create an image from a scanner is no longer available.
Is this temporary or an oversight?

Thank you.

[rich2005]

(Yesterday, 07:40 AM)SylDer Wrote: Hello, the menu to create an image from a scanner is no longer available.
Is this temporary or an oversight?

Thank you.

You really need one of the Gimp developers to give a full answer, there is a developer who does visit these days so keep visiting.

There is a problem with Windows and twain see: https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/-/issues/10930

A look at the Gimp 3 plugins folder and there is no twain plugin. Looks like there is no twain support.

[CmykStudent_]

SylDer: Hi! Yes, unfortunately our scanner plug-in was 32bit and we had to drop 32bit support in GIMP starting 3.2.2 (the platform we use to build GIMP on Windows was phasing 32bit code out).

I did manage to make a new 64bit plug-in using WIA drivers, so the option will be restored in GIMP 3.2.4 (which we hope to release this weekend): https://gitlab.gnome.org/GNOME/gimp/-/me...uests/2746

Note that you'll need newer WIA drivers for your scanner if you don't already have them, and the UI might look different when the scan options appear. I'm still working on learning the WIA API and hopefully improving it, but for now it should restore basic scanning.

[Tas_mania]

I think scanners are disappearing from tech stores because smart phones do most of the scanning now. I think there is still an office use for scanners but the manufacturers should provide the software.

I don't think Gimp needs to scan, why should it? I'm predicting Gimp 3 will end up as 'bloatware' because it's tried to please too many corporate interests.

[CmykStudent_]

Tas_mania: I'm curious what you consider "corporate interests"? To my knowledge, we don't have any corporate sponsors dictating what we develop.

GIMP has had a built-in scanner for Windows (and I think macOS) for a long time, even before 3.0. I did tests with GIMP 2.10 to compare and contrast how the scanner feature worked in fact. All I tried to do was restore a feature that was lost when we deprecated 32bit code.

[Tas_mania]

Quote:tried to please too many corporate interests

I'm thinking of Windows and MacOS compatibility (and possibly ARM) at the development stage. I'm sure that previously Gimp was ported to closed sourced operating systems.

[CmykStudent_]

Tas_mania: Ah, I see! It's just because GIMP is developed by volunteers - and some volunteers use Windows and macOS, so naturally they want to improve compatibility with their platforms. However, the Windows-specific stuff isn't built or added to the Linux packages (or vice versa). So the Linux builds shouldn't become any more bloated as a result.

[rich2005]

I really appreciate the ability to scan directly into Gimp. It is not a big deal to scan to a file, then open the file in Gimp but it is a break in workflow.

Linux (well the Debian / 'buntu versions) rely on Sane / Xsane and xsane is / was one of those stand-alones that is also a Gimp plugin. All you get in the Gimp plugins is a symbolic link to the xsane binary. No bloat there.
While Xsane works stand-alone it was broken for a long time in 'buntu. Needs a fix and a re-write for Gimp 3.
There is now a plugin for linux that calls xsane from Gimp 3 and sends the scan back and that works for me. Gimp has always been great for plugins, no need to use what you do not require.

When it comes to using a phone in place of a scanner, there have been long threads even here on "how do I fix this image I took using my phone". Even with a light box / stand that you get now for a phone, results need more work than a scanner.

[Tas_mania]

Hi Rich,

Quote:When it comes to using a phone in place of a scanner, there have been long threads even here on "how do I fix this image I took using my phone". Even with a light box / stand that you get now for a phone, results need more work than a scanner.

I pulled some flatbed scanners apart and they are just a camera on a track with a ribbon cable. They have a lid and a light so you could call them a light box  
 Maybe Gimp could access security cams, dash cams, wild life cams or robo vacuum cleaners?

I noticed shots from an Android Galaxy look like garbage with Ristretto Image Viewer but look great with the Chrome browser. I think of Gimp as an image workstation that exports to something. Something that can be seen on everything - the good the bad and the ugly.

[CmykStudent_]

(4 hours ago)Tas_mania Wrote: Maybe Gimp could access security cams, dash cams, wild life cams or robo vacuum cleaners?

If someone's willing to write the code to do so, sure!

We are working on an extension platform where you can download and install plug-ins from a "package manager" in GIMP, so we're hoping to offload some requested functionality there - that way it's not in "core", but you can easily add it.