Rendering a Run-Length Encoded Pixel Pattern

A tiny Python script that expands monochrome pixel runs into a text image

19-07-2015

The data below describes each row as alternating runs such as 0x3+1x1: a value followed by the number of pixels to repeat. The Python script expands those runs into a plain-text grid, drawing zeroes as X and ones as spaces.

The output filename ends in .bin, but the program writes printable characters and newlines, not binary pixel data. Without the original source image or puzzle context, the pattern’s subject is unknown; this post documents the encoding and renderer rather than guessing what the picture represents.

0x3+1x1+0x1+0x1+0x7+1x2+0x15+1x1+0x8+1x1+0x8+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x3+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x3+1x1+0x1+1x4+0x2+1x1+0x25
0x2+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x4+1x3+0x1+1x2+0x2+1x8+0x11+1x4+0x1+1x3+0x6+1x2+0x4+1x1+0x4+1x2+0x7+1x4+0x4+1x2+0x7+1x2+0x3+1x2+0x3
0x3+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x11+1x2+0x2+1x3+0x7+1x1+0x4+1x2+0x2+1x2+0x7+1x1+0x6+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x4+1x3+0x1+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x3+0x2+1x2+0x3
1x1+0x2+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x2+1x2+0x1+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x1+1x3+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x4+1x2+0x1+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x3+1x2+0x12+1x2+0x1+1x1+0x3+1x7+0x3
0x3+1x1+0x7+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x2+1x2+0x4+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x1+1x8+0x1+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x5+1x1+0x3+1x2+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x2+1x1+0x3+1x2+0x9+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x2+1x3+0x2+1x1                
0x7+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x1+1x7+0x3+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x1+1x6+0x1+1x1+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x14+1x2+0x8+1x1+0x10+1x2+0x3+1x2+0x1+1x1+0x1
0x6+1x5+0x4+1x1+0x7+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x3+1x2+0x4+1x1+0x8+1x1+0x3+1x2+0x1+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x8+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x1+1x1+0x3+1x7+0x5+1x2+0x2+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x3
0x1+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x5+1x1+0x6+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x20+1x8+0x1+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x4+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x3+1x2+0x7+1x2+0x3+1x2+0x4
0x2+1x1+0x3+1x5+0x5+1x2+0x7+1x1+0x4+1x2+0x2+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x1+1x1+0x3+1x1+0x6+1x2+0x2+1x2+0x3+1x2+0x2+1x3+0x1+1x1+0x6+1x3+0x3+1x5+0x3+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x5
0x4+1x2+0x3+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x5+1x2+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x9+1x1+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x2+0x2+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x4+1x3+0x1+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x3+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x5+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x2
0x6+1x5+0x4+1x1+0x1+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x6+1x1+0x1+1x7+0x4+1x3+0x3+1x1+0x4+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x4+1x1+0x6+1x1+0x6+1x8+0x3+1x1+0x5+1x1+0x7
0x2+1x1+0x3+1x6+0x4+1x1+0x1+1x3+0x4+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x4+1x1+0x5+1x1+0x2+1x1+0x3+1x2+0x3+1x1+0x2+1x3+0x1+1x1+0x2+1x2+0x3+1x3+0x2+1x3+0x9+1x1+0x4+1x2+0x7+1x2
import os
import sys

input = 'pixel_madness.txt'
output = 'pixel_madness.bin'

if not os.path.isfile(input):
    print('{} non esiste'.format(input))
    sys.exit()

if os.path.isfile(output):
    os.remove(output)
fo = open(output, 'w')

with open(input) as fi:
    for linea in fi:
        dupla = linea.split('+')
        for item in dupla:
            x = item.split('x')
            for _ in range(int(x[1])):
                if int(x[0]) == 0:
                    fo.write('X')
                else:
                    fo.write(' ')
        fo.write('\n')

fo.close()