This first step in a sexual reproduction operation consists of a selection of the parent population for the selection for reproduction. In this population those individuals are included, which shall further on recombine their structure. When a two sexual reproduction is performed the population consists of two types. The first one builds up the primary parent parent, the second the secondary parent part. Like in the sexual recombination of metamorphoses images the primary parent part in defined as the individual in which the images structure is included. From the secondary patent part, the structure is selected, which is included into the primary parent part.
The specification of the structure of the secondary parent part is done like in the recombination of metamorphoses images by a mask. Here the mask is not sharp but blurred defined. So soft frontiers are generated. According to the common interpretation of recombination through inserting the picture segments in the mask remain constant. So the definition of a mask can be seen as a kind of positive selection of the artist.
Within the primary parent part a region has to be specified, in which the segment of the secondary parent part shall be integrated. The can be done by Regions of interest (ROIs). As this regions are covers or deleted by inserting operations, this regions should be selected as uninteresting by the artist. Hence they could be called Regions of Uninterest (ROUs) as well. By this through implicitly a negative selection by the artist is performed.
If one parent part consists of several masks or ROUs after the selection of the parent part a selection of the masks have to occur, which shall be used further on.
Further we shall consider the case, that the selected mask and the selected ROU start from the same image frame. In image 1 this is the leftmost border. In the genetic algorithms this would be a one point cross over. By the border curve of the mask in the picture the meeting point is defined, from which the left side of secondary parent part and the right segment of the primary parent part is attributed. Other mask forms and positions will by described in the extended space recombination.
Image 1) Parents with selected mask and ROU
The generation of an offspring starts in the next step with cutting off or with a blurred masquerade. All elements of the secondary parent are eliminated, which lay not within the selected mask. By the usage of indistinct masks the pixels which lay in the interim section between the two pictures are changed in respect of their transparency. Hence the background seems a bit milky.
Image 2) Cutting off with assistance of indistinct masks
If both parents have different measurements, they can be sized by a indistinct masquerade. This is an optional operation, which has the goal, that the recombined offspring has a rectangular structure. Such a scaling would be pertinent that the selected part of the secondary parent fits into the ROU. If this is waived, after the selection a rectangular segment of the offspring may be specified after the selection, which will be used in further generations as an individual. This strategy is described in the context of the extended space recombination.
Image 3) Selection of the border relations
The recombination between primary and secondary parent is performed by inserting the exempted area of the indistinct masquerade of the the secondary parent in the ROU. The underlying pixel of the primary parent is covered or eliminated.
Image 4) Recombination by inserting
The so generated descendant is inserted into the interim population. In the described example the parent individuals are also elements of this interim population. A direct select concurrence is generated. If exactly one descendant is generated in each generation - as seen in image 5), the reproduction strategy is called steady state algorithm in the context of evolutionary algorithms. Scaling of the parents and the offspring shall not be recognized in image 5).
Image 5) Inserting in the interim population
After the interim population has reached its maximum count, the selection for transferring into the next generation will be performed. This will be done by the implicit selection criteria of the artist. The artist selects the best pictures (positive selection) of eliminates the worst (negative selection)
Selected offspring will commonly post processed in the interim section of the picture segments of the parents. Insertion, elimination and clone operations are performed to generated a mostly invisible interim section. Also an insertion of exempted, fractal structures are possible to cover non adequate sections.
In the context of the integrated art process which interacts evolutionary and the conventional art process, post processing play an immanent role. By this local optimizing process with less generations pictures can be generated which are sufficient for the presentation of the and for the transformation in a presentation form like printing on a canvas.
Image 6) Postprocessing
If the offspring should be developed by a asexual reproduction, the definition of a rectangular ROI and the masks is necessary. This depends on the strategy, how the reproduction should take place. If both forms can be applied within a generation, several ROIs and masks must be specified.
