Graphics Lab/Resources/SoftwareThe Graphics Lab is a project to improve the graphical content of the Wikimedia projects. Requests for image improvements can be added to the workshop pages: Illustrations, Photographs and Maps. For questions or suggestions one can use the talk pages: Talk:Graphics Lab, Talk:Illustrations, Talk:Photographs and Talk:Maps.
This specific page is a list of free graphic programs that are useful in manipulating images for the graphics lab. If you have a question about a particular point in one of the programs, asking on WT:GL may help. For general help, try searching for "[program] tutorial" or "[] help" or similar.
| Free Software (GNU General Public License) | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Name and Function | Operating system(s) | Download | ||
|
Inkscape, the general standard for creating and editing SVG files | Windows; macOS; Linux | All | |
|
GIMP, similar to Adobe Photoshop. Used for the retouching of images, and creating raster graphics (PNG, JPEG). Can also be used to create animations (GIF) when the GIMP Animation Package (GAP) is installed. | Windows; macOS; Linux; Solaris; BSD | Windows, Linux/BSD/Solaris macOS | |
|
hugin, for the stitching of panoramic images together into one big image, correction of perspective and various other things. | Windows; macOS; Linux; BSD; Other Unix Systems | All | |
|
QGIS, to create GIS maps' layers: topographic background, shaded relief, states/provinces polygons, rivers/lakes/coasts, urban areas, etc. PNG or SVG. | Windows; macOS; Linux; etc. | All | |
| Open Jump GIS, to create SVG or PNG maps and GIS vector datasets. | Windows; macOS; Linux | All | ||
|
Blender, for the creation and editing of 3D images. | Windows; macOS; Linux; Solaris; IRIX; C source | All | |
|
Scribus, a free desktop publishing application (DTP). | Windows; macOS; Linux; Unix; OS/2; eComStation; ArcaOS | All | |
|
POV-Ray, a free 3D ray tracer. | Windows; macOS; Linux | All | |
|
Dia, create and edit diagrams and graphics that only require basic shapes. Supports exporting to vector (SVG) and various raster file formats. | Windows; Linux; macOS | All | |
Examples of images created with the above programs.
-
Inkscape (see more) -
GIMP -
hugin -
Blender -
POV-Ray
