What's the algorithm to calculate aspect ratio?
JavascriptAlgorithmMathCropAspect RatioJavascript Problem Overview
I plan to use it with JavaScript to crop an image to fit the entire window.
Edit: I'll be using a 3rd party component that only accepts the aspect ratio in the format like: 4:3, 16:9.
~12 year old edit: this kind of question is rather interesting! There is something here right? Absolutely!
Javascript Solutions
Solution 1 - Javascript
I gather you're looking for an usable aspect ratio integer:integer solution like 16:9 rather than a float:1 solution like 1.77778:1.
If so, what you need to do is find the greatest common divisor (GCD) and divide both values by that. The GCD is the highest number that evenly divides both numbers. So the GCD for 6 and 10 is 2, the GCD for 44 and 99 is 11.
For example, a 1024x768 monitor has a GCD of 256. When you divide both values by that you get 4x3 or 4:3.
A (recursive) GCD algorithm:
function gcd (a,b):
if b == 0:
return a
return gcd (b, a mod b)
In C:
static int gcd (int a, int b) {
return (b == 0) ? a : gcd (b, a%b);
}
int main(void) {
printf ("gcd(1024,768) = %d\n",gcd(1024,768));
}
And here's some complete HTML/Javascript which shows one way to detect the screen size and calculate the aspect ratio from that. This works in FF3, I'm unsure what support other browsers have for screen.width and screen.height.
<html><body>
<script type="text/javascript">
function gcd (a, b) {
return (b == 0) ? a : gcd (b, a%b);
}
var w = screen.width;
var h = screen.height;
var r = gcd (w, h);
document.write ("<pre>");
document.write ("Dimensions = ", w, " x ", h, "<br>");
document.write ("Gcd = ", r, "<br>");
document.write ("Aspect = ", w/r, ":", h/r);
document.write ("</pre>");
</script>
</body></html>
It outputs (on my weird wide-screen monitor):
Dimensions = 1680 x 1050
Gcd = 210
Aspect = 8:5
Others that I tested this on:
Dimensions = 1280 x 1024
Gcd = 256
Aspect = 5:4
Dimensions = 1152 x 960
Gcd = 192
Aspect = 6:5
Dimensions = 1280 x 960
Gcd = 320
Aspect = 4:3
Dimensions = 1920 x 1080
Gcd = 120
Aspect = 16:9
I wish I had that last one at home but, no, it's a work machine unfortunately.
What you do if you find out the aspect ratio is not supported by your graphic resize tool is another matter. I suspect the best bet there would be to add letter-boxing lines (like the ones you get at the top and bottom of your old TV when you're watching a wide-screen movie on it). I'd add them at the top/bottom or the sides (whichever one results in the least number of letter-boxing lines) until the image meets the requirements.
One thing you may want to consider is the quality of a picture that's been changed from 16:9 to 5:4 - I still remember the incredibly tall, thin cowboys I used to watch in my youth on television before letter-boxing was introduced. You may be better off having one different image per aspect ratio and just resize the correct one for the actual screen dimensions before sending it down the wire.
Solution 2 - Javascript
aspectRatio = width / height
if that is what you're after. You can then multiply it by one of the dimensions of the target space to find out the other (that maintains the ratio) e.g.
widthT = heightT * aspectRatio
heightT = widthT / aspectRatio
Solution 3 - Javascript
paxdiablo's answer is great, but there are a lot of common resolutions that have just a few more or less pixels in a given direction, and the greatest common divisor approach gives horrible results to them.
Take for example the well behaved resolution of 1360x765 which gives a nice 16:9 ratio using the gcd approach. According to Steam, this resolution is only used by 0.01% of it's users, while 1366x768 is used by a whoping 18.9%. Let's see what we get using the gcd approach:
1360x765 - 16:9 (0.01%)
1360x768 - 85:48 (2.41%)
1366x768 - 683:384 (18.9%)
We'd want to round up that 683:384 ratio to the closest, 16:9 ratio.
I wrote a python script that parses a text file with pasted numbers from the Steam Hardware survey page, and prints all resolutions and closest known ratios, as well as the prevalence of each ratio (which was my goal when I started this):
# Contents pasted from store.steampowered.com/hwsurvey, section 'Primary Display Resolution'
steam_file = './steam.txt'
# Taken from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/f/f0/Vector_Video_Standards4.svg/750px-Vector_Video_Standards4.svg.png
accepted_ratios = ['5:4', '4:3', '3:2', '8:5', '5:3', '16:9', '17:9']
#-------------------------------------------------------
def gcd(a, b):
if b == 0: return a
return gcd (b, a % b)
#-------------------------------------------------------
class ResData:
#-------------------------------------------------------
# Expected format: 1024 x 768 4.37% -0.21% (w x h prevalence% change%)
def __init__(self, steam_line):
tokens = steam_line.split(' ')
self.width = int(tokens[0])
self.height = int(tokens[2])
self.prevalence = float(tokens[3].replace('%', ''))
# This part based on pixdiablo's gcd answer - http://stackoverflow.com/a/1186465/828681
common = gcd(self.width, self.height)
self.ratio = str(self.width / common) + ':' + str(self.height / common)
self.ratio_error = 0
# Special case: ratio is not well behaved
if not self.ratio in accepted_ratios:
lesser_error = 999
lesser_index = -1
my_ratio_normalized = float(self.width) / float(self.height)
# Check how far from each known aspect this resolution is, and take one with the smaller error
for i in range(len(accepted_ratios)):
ratio = accepted_ratios[i].split(':')
w = float(ratio[0])
h = float(ratio[1])
known_ratio_normalized = w / h
distance = abs(my_ratio_normalized - known_ratio_normalized)
if (distance < lesser_error):
lesser_index = i
lesser_error = distance
self.ratio_error = distance
self.ratio = accepted_ratios[lesser_index]
#-------------------------------------------------------
def __str__(self):
descr = str(self.width) + 'x' + str(self.height) + ' - ' + self.ratio + ' - ' + str(self.prevalence) + '%'
if self.ratio_error > 0:
descr += ' error: %.2f' % (self.ratio_error * 100) + '%'
return descr
#-------------------------------------------------------
# Returns a list of ResData
def parse_steam_file(steam_file):
result = []
for line in file(steam_file):
result.append(ResData(line))
return result
#-------------------------------------------------------
ratios_prevalence = {}
data = parse_steam_file(steam_file)
print('Known Steam resolutions:')
for res in data:
print(res)
acc_prevalence = ratios_prevalence[res.ratio] if (res.ratio in ratios_prevalence) else 0
ratios_prevalence[res.ratio] = acc_prevalence + res.prevalence
# Hack to fix 8:5, more known as 16:10
ratios_prevalence['16:10'] = ratios_prevalence['8:5']
del ratios_prevalence['8:5']
print('\nSteam screen ratio prevalences:')
sorted_ratios = sorted(ratios_prevalence.items(), key=lambda x: x[1], reverse=True)
for value in sorted_ratios:
print(value[0] + ' -> ' + str(value[1]) + '%')
For the curious, these are the prevalence of screen ratios amongst Steam users (as of October 2012):
16:9 -> 58.9%
16:10 -> 24.0%
5:4 -> 9.57%
4:3 -> 6.38%
5:3 -> 0.84%
17:9 -> 0.11%
Solution 4 - Javascript
I guess you want to decide which of 4:3 and 16:9 is the best fit.
function getAspectRatio(width, height) {
var ratio = width / height;
return ( Math.abs( ratio - 4 / 3 ) < Math.abs( ratio - 16 / 9 ) ) ? '4:3' : '16:9';
}
Solution 5 - Javascript
James Farey's best rational approximation algorithm with adjustable level of fuzziness ported to Javascript from the aspect ratio calculation code originally written in python.
The method takes a float (width/height) and an upper limit for the fraction numerator/denominator.
In the example below I am setting an upper limit of 50 because I need 1035x582 (1.77835051546) to be treated as 16:9 (1.77777777778) rather than 345:194 which you get with the plain gcd algorithm listed in other answers.
function aspect_ratio(val, lim) {
var lower = [0, 1];
var upper = [1, 0];
while (true) {
var mediant = [lower[0] + upper[0], lower[1] + upper[1]];
if (val * mediant[1] > mediant[0]) {
if (lim < mediant[1]) {
return upper;
}
lower = mediant;
} else if (val * mediant[1] == mediant[0]) {
if (lim >= mediant[1]) {
return mediant;
}
if (lower[1] < upper[1]) {
return lower;
}
return upper;
} else {
if (lim < mediant[1]) {
return lower;
}
upper = mediant;
}
}
}
console.log(aspect_ratio(801/600, 50));
console.log(aspect_ratio(1035/582, 50));
console.log(aspect_ratio(2560/1441, 50));
Solution 6 - Javascript
Just in case you're a performance freak...
The Fastest way (in JavaScript) to compute a rectangle ratio it o use a true binary Great Common Divisor algorithm.
(All speed and timing tests have been done by others, you can check one benchmark here: https://lemire.me/blog/2013/12/26/fastest-way-to-compute-the-greatest-common-divisor/)
Here is it:
/* the binary Great Common Divisor calculator */
function gcd (u, v) {
if (u === v) return u;
if (u === 0) return v;
if (v === 0) return u;
if (~u & 1)
if (v & 1)
return gcd(u >> 1, v);
else
return gcd(u >> 1, v >> 1) << 1;
if (~v & 1) return gcd(u, v >> 1);
if (u > v) return gcd((u - v) >> 1, v);
return gcd((v - u) >> 1, u);
}
/* returns an array with the ratio */
function ratio (w, h) {
var d = gcd(w,h);
return [w/d, h/d];
}
/* example */
var r1 = ratio(1600, 900);
var r2 = ratio(1440, 900);
var r3 = ratio(1366, 768);
var r4 = ratio(1280, 1024);
var r5 = ratio(1280, 720);
var r6 = ratio(1024, 768);
/* will output this:
r1: [16, 9]
r2: [8, 5]
r3: [683, 384]
r4: [5, 4]
r5: [16, 9]
r6: [4, 3]
*/
Solution 7 - Javascript
Here is my solution it is pretty straight forward since all I care about is not necessarily GCD or even accurate ratios: because then you get weird things like 345/113 which are not human comprehensible.
I basically set acceptable landscape, or portrait ratios and their "value" as a float... I then compare my float version of the ratio to each and which ever has the lowest absolute value difference is the ratio closest to the item. That way when the user makes it 16:9 but then removes 10 pixels from the bottom it still counts as 16:9...
accepted_ratios = {
'landscape': (
(u'5:4', 1.25),
(u'4:3', 1.33333333333),
(u'3:2', 1.5),
(u'16:10', 1.6),
(u'5:3', 1.66666666667),
(u'16:9', 1.77777777778),
(u'17:9', 1.88888888889),
(u'21:9', 2.33333333333),
(u'1:1', 1.0)
),
'portrait': (
(u'4:5', 0.8),
(u'3:4', 0.75),
(u'2:3', 0.66666666667),
(u'10:16', 0.625),
(u'3:5', 0.6),
(u'9:16', 0.5625),
(u'9:17', 0.5294117647),
(u'9:21', 0.4285714286),
(u'1:1', 1.0)
),
}
def find_closest_ratio(ratio):
lowest_diff, best_std = 9999999999, '1:1'
layout = 'portrait' if ratio < 1.0 else 'landscape'
for pretty_str, std_ratio in accepted_ratios[layout]:
diff = abs(std_ratio - ratio)
if diff < lowest_diff:
lowest_diff = diff
best_std = pretty_str
return best_std
def extract_ratio(width, height):
try:
divided = float(width)/float(height)
if divided == 1.0: return '1:1'
return find_closest_ratio(divided)
except TypeError:
return None
Solution 8 - Javascript
You can always start by making a lookup table based on common aspect ratios. Check https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Display_aspect_ratio Then you can simply do the division
For real life problems, you can do something like below
let ERROR_ALLOWED = 0.05
let STANDARD_ASPECT_RATIOS = [ [1, '1:1'],
[4/3, '4:3'],
[5/4, '5:4'],
[3/2, '3:2'],
[16/10, '16:10'],
[16/9, '16:9'],
[21/9, '21:9'],
[32/9, '32:9'],
]
let RATIOS = STANDARD_ASPECT_RATIOS.map(function(tpl){return tpl[0]}).sort()
let LOOKUP = Object()
for (let i=0; i < STANDARD_ASPECT_RATIOS.length; i++){
LOOKUP[STANDARD_ASPECT_RATIOS[i][0]] = STANDARD_ASPECT_RATIOS[i][1]
}
/*
Find the closest value in a sorted array
*/
function findClosest(arrSorted, value){
closest = arrSorted[0]
closestDiff = Math.abs(arrSorted[0] - value)
for (let i=1; i<arrSorted.length; i++){
let diff = Math.abs(arrSorted[i] - value)
if (diff < closestDiff){
closestDiff = diff
closest = arrSorted[i]
} else {
return closest
}
}
return arrSorted[arrSorted.length-1]
}
/*
Estimate the aspect ratio based on width x height (order doesn't matter)
*/
function estimateAspectRatio(dim1, dim2){
let ratio = Math.max(dim1, dim2) / Math.min(dim1, dim2)
if (ratio in LOOKUP){
return LOOKUP[ratio]
}
// Look by approximation
closest = findClosest(RATIOS, ratio)
if (Math.abs(closest - ratio) <= ERROR_ALLOWED){
return '~' + LOOKUP[closest]
}
return 'non standard ratio: ' + Math.round(ratio * 100) / 100 + ':1'
}
Then you simply give the dimensions in any order
estimateAspectRatio(1920, 1080) // 16:9
estimateAspectRatio(1920, 1085) // ~16:9
estimateAspectRatio(1920, 1150) // non standard ratio: 1.65:1
estimateAspectRatio(1920, 1200) // 16:10
estimateAspectRatio(1920, 1220) // ~16:10
Solution 9 - Javascript
As an alternative solution to the GCD searching, I suggest you to check against a set of standard values. You can find a list on Wikipedia.
Solution 10 - Javascript
Im assuming your talking about video here, in which case you may also need to worry about pixel aspect ratio of the source video. For example.
PAL DV comes in a resolution of 720x576. Which would look like its 4:3. Now depending on the Pixel aspect ratio (PAR) the screen ratio can be either 4:3 or 16:9.
For more info have a look here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pixel_aspect_ratio
You can get Square pixel Aspect Ratio, and a lot of web video is that, but you may want to watch out of the other cases.
Hope this helps
Mark
Solution 11 - Javascript
Based on the other answers, here is how I got the numbers I needed in Python;
from decimal import Decimal
def gcd(a,b):
if b == 0:
return a
return gcd(b, a%b)
def closest_aspect_ratio(width, height):
g = gcd(width, height)
x = Decimal(str(float(width)/float(g)))
y = Decimal(str(float(height)/float(g)))
dec = Decimal(str(x/y))
return dict(x=x, y=y, dec=dec)
>>> closest_aspect_ratio(1024, 768)
{'y': Decimal('3.0'),
'x': Decimal('4.0'),
'dec': Decimal('1.333333333333333333333333333')}
Solution 12 - Javascript
function ratio(w, h) {
function mdc(w, h) {
var resto;
do {
resto = w % h;
w = h;
h = resto;
} while (resto != 0);
return w;
}
var mdc = mdc(w, h);
var width = w/mdc;
var height = h/mdc;
console.log(width + ':' + height);
}
ratio(1920, 1080);
Solution 13 - Javascript
I think this does what you are asking for:
webdeveloper.com - decimal to fraction
Width/height gets you a decimal, converted to a fraction with ":" in place of '/' gives you a "ratio".
Solution 14 - Javascript
This algorithm in Python gets you part of the way there.
Tell me what happens if the windows is a funny size.
Maybe what you should have is a list of all acceptable ratios (to the 3rd party component). Then, find the closest match to your window and return that ratio from the list.
Solution 15 - Javascript
bit of a strange way to do this but use the resolution as the aspect. E.G.
1024:768
or you can try
var w = screen.width;
var h = screen.height;
for(var i=1,asp=w/h;i<5000;i++){
if(asp*i % 1==0){
i=9999;
document.write(asp*i,":",1*i);
}
}
Solution 16 - Javascript
in my case i want something like
> [10,5,15,20,25] -> [ 2, 1, 3, 4, 5 ]
function ratio(array){
let min = Math.min(...array);
let ratio = array.map((element)=>{
return element/min;
});
return ratio;
}
document.write(ratio([10,5,15,20,25])); // [ 2, 1, 3, 4, 5 ]
Solution 17 - Javascript
I believe that aspect ratio is width divided by height.
r = w/h
Solution 18 - Javascript
Width / Height
?