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We don't use deep dream, but a CNN to power our Instant Preview Tool: http://instapainting.com/assets http://instapainting.com/assets

chrisfarms 7y ago
Tell us more... Is this for previews of the artist assigned you? Or something else?
- chrischen 7y ago
  It’s for a preview for select styles that we have pre-trained models for. If you like it the artist is given the style image to paint it for you. It’s a gimmick but often the results are not bad. Plus a lot of people always ask for an “instant preview” and this is the best we can currently do.
frequentnapper 7y ago
I don't understand. Your website is instapainting, which is different from the one posted. Why are you fielding questions on their behalf and linking to your site?
- jpatokal 7y ago
  Because their site is relevant to the question asked?
  - frequentnapper 7y ago
    how so? it's specifically asking the poster about a process. Then some other service is telling them about their own process while advertising their site, which is also a direct competitor to theirs.
    - chrischen 7y ago
      The OP was joking about the plot twist but as it turns out we actually did the plot twist! We released one of the first free to try deep-learning powered photo to painting service shortly after the paper was published in 2015: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10162121 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10162121. The initial version was a general one that took 1 day to train each image uploaded, and worked on arbitrary images. That being said I think your belief somehow these comments shouldn't be used to promote competitors—at the expense of hiding potentially relevant comments from the community—is misguided. Ultimately HN, and even Show HN, are here to serve the interests of the community first—not the poster. I personally always appreciate when reading "launch HN" when someone summarizes the competitive landscape because this information helps me, the community member, and so that HN doesn't simply become a PR channel for every startup. It would make sense if this were an actual advertisement (say, on Facebook) that you'd get rid of comments mentioning competitors, but this isn't an ad platform, and I think mentioning competitors contributes to the discussion around what is being launched. Comments and discussion should benefit the community first, and not the poster of the story.
      - frequentnapper 7y ago
        You have misunderstood. I don't have a problem with regards to you saying something like, "I represent Instapainting, which is a competitor and we used CNNs..." Your response to this particular thread made it seem like you were somehow connected to the OP and if one didn't read the link properly and distinguish it, might just seem like the OP is linking to their product's version of CNN powered paintings.
      - asavadatti 7y ago
        I hear you and I agree with you. HN shouldn't be a PR channel for your startup and the community benefits from talking about the competitive landscape. Your other comments about your margins and business model were quite insightful to me. However having said that, it does feel like you are hijacking this thread. You have linked to your own website multiple times, advertised your own competing Indian artist services, and you are even answering questions that were posed to the OP. That, in my opinion, is a step too far. Your thoughts on "Community First" come across as a tad hypocritical as you seem to be doing plenty of PR for your own service. This may have not been your intention but that is what it is coming across as.

chrisfarms 7y ago

Tell us more... Is this for previews of the artist assigned you? Or something else?

chrischen 7y ago
It’s for a preview for select styles that we have pre-trained models for. If you like it the artist is given the style image to paint it for you. It’s a gimmick but often the results are not bad. Plus a lot of people always ask for an “instant preview” and this is the best we can currently do.

frequentnapper 7y ago

I don't understand. Your website is instapainting, which is different from the one posted. Why are you fielding questions on their behalf and linking to your site?

jpatokal 7y ago
Because their site is relevant to the question asked?
- frequentnapper 7y ago
  how so? it's specifically asking the poster about a process. Then some other service is telling them about their own process while advertising their site, which is also a direct competitor to theirs.
  - chrischen 7y ago
    The OP was joking about the plot twist but as it turns out we actually did the plot twist! We released one of the first free to try deep-learning powered photo to painting service shortly after the paper was published in 2015: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10162121 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=10162121. The initial version was a general one that took 1 day to train each image uploaded, and worked on arbitrary images. That being said I think your belief somehow these comments shouldn't be used to promote competitors—at the expense of hiding potentially relevant comments from the community—is misguided. Ultimately HN, and even Show HN, are here to serve the interests of the community first—not the poster. I personally always appreciate when reading "launch HN" when someone summarizes the competitive landscape because this information helps me, the community member, and so that HN doesn't simply become a PR channel for every startup. It would make sense if this were an actual advertisement (say, on Facebook) that you'd get rid of comments mentioning competitors, but this isn't an ad platform, and I think mentioning competitors contributes to the discussion around what is being launched. Comments and discussion should benefit the community first, and not the poster of the story.
    - frequentnapper 7y ago
      You have misunderstood. I don't have a problem with regards to you saying something like, "I represent Instapainting, which is a competitor and we used CNNs..." Your response to this particular thread made it seem like you were somehow connected to the OP and if one didn't read the link properly and distinguish it, might just seem like the OP is linking to their product's version of CNN powered paintings.
    - asavadatti 7y ago
      I hear you and I agree with you. HN shouldn't be a PR channel for your startup and the community benefits from talking about the competitive landscape. Your other comments about your margins and business model were quite insightful to me. However having said that, it does feel like you are hijacking this thread. You have linked to your own website multiple times, advertised your own competing Indian artist services, and you are even answering questions that were posed to the OP. That, in my opinion, is a step too far. Your thoughts on "Community First" come across as a tad hypocritical as you seem to be doing plenty of PR for your own service. This may have not been your intention but that is what it is coming across as.