Getting Started

This guide provides instructions for setting up and using the VisualCrypto repository.

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Installation

Follow these steps to set up the repository:

1. Clone the Repository

git clone https://github.com/coduri/VisualCrypto.git
cd VisualCrypto

2. Install Dependencies

Ensure you have Python installed, then run:

pip install -r requirements.txt

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Usage

You can interact with the repository in two ways:

• By running scripts directly
• Through the web app interface

1. Running Scripts (CLI Approach)

To encrypt or decrypt an image using Python scripts:

1. Navigate to the scripts/ directory:
   

   cd scripts
   

2. Choose an encryption scheme:

   • Visual Cryptography
     

     cd visual_cryptography
     

   • Random Grid
     

     cd random_grid
     

3. Ensure the input image and output directories are correctly set in the script:
   

   image_path = '../images/test.png'
   output_path = '../images/output/'
   

4. Run the script:
   

   python3 vc_grayscale_halftone.py
   

   The generated shares and reconstructed images will be stored in scripts/images/output/.

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2. Using the Web App (GUI Approach)

The repository includes a Flask-based web application for a more user-friendly interaction.

1. Set the Python Path:

   Before running the application, you need to set the PYTHONPATH environment variable. This ensures that Python can correctly locate the project directory and its dependencies. Without this step, launching the web application may result in ModuleNotFoundError or import issues.

   To set the PYTHONPATH, use the following command, replacing <path-to-repo> with the absolute path to your project directory:

   export PYTHONPATH=<path-to-repo>
   

   Example

   export PYTHONPATH=/Users/yourusername/Desktop/VisualCrypto
   

2. Start the Flask Application

   python3 web_app/app.py
   

3. Access the Web Interface: open your browser and go to: http://127.0.0.1:5000/

You can now encrypt and decrypt images using the web interface.

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