Curly Lines plugin: updated to v1.1a (19th Nov 2012)

[davidf]

Effects > Render > Curly Lines

This plugin draws all kinds of curly (and straight) lines ...

Added in Version 1.1a:

• Draws an initial line instead of just a dot.
  

Added in Version 1.1:

• The dialog is now resizeable (thanks to midora).
  
• Two new color modes: "First to second color -- across width" and "Emboss", along with "Emboss angle".
  
• "Swap colors" checkbox.
  
• "Transparency".
  
• "Start radial direction is random".
  

For information on the new features, see this post:

http://forums.getpai..._20#entry381760

The PDF guide has been updated too, though it only describes the new controls very briefly.

(Note: the dialog shown below is for version 1.0).

There are a large number of parameters, so I wrote a small guide, which I recommend reading before using the plugin (it includes a quick tour of all the parameters):

http://home.lizzy.co...gin%20guide.pdf (856 K)

Have fun! I'd love to see people's pics.

Download: CurlyLines1.1a.zip

Known bugs: As mentioned in the PDF guide, this plugin has a problem handling lines with high widths and chaotic (low smoothness) lines or the "short sharp" end style.

Edited November 19, 2012 by davidf

[davidf]

Here's an example image created with this plugin (some kind of sea creature):

Edited November 12, 2012 by davidf

[pyrochild]

Wow, looks like it can do some really cool things. But that UI is really intimidating

[davidf]

Wow, looks like it can do some really cool things. But that UI is really intimidating

Hope that doesn't put people off too much!

Normally you only need to use a small number of parameters at a time. For example, to draw a star, click Radial then set Displacement to zero, Number of lines to 10 (or whatever) and move the start end and end points. (Then change Start width and the colors).

Edited November 12, 2012 by davidf

[Red ochre]

WoW, - looks brilliant, thank you and thanks for taking the time to write instructions. :star: :star:

Some plugins suit simple interfaces but its good to have ones with plenty of parameters to 'tinker' with too!

[yellowman]

Awesome, thanks so much, it generates some cool shapes.

I made this and haven't read the instruction yet:

[davidf]

Awesome, thanks so much, it generates some cool shapes.

I made this and haven't read the instruction yet:

Amazing. I reconize the flower petals, but how did you do the inside of the sunflowers and the veins in the leaves?

Edited November 12, 2012 by davidf

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I'm guessing that the leaves are based on your new Cell Texture plugin!

[midora]

Wonderful!

And many thanks for the time you spent for the community in the last weeks creating these great plugins.

It would be nice if you could add the parameters you used to create the examples.

Maybe we could discuss a general way for plugins how to get and put whole sets of plugin parameters (i.e. using an XML description).

And I'm happy that you implemented a solution for the reseed (as I just proposed in developer central). Looks like a simullar understanding of the issue.

[yellowman]

Thanks everyone, well the petals are Curly Lines plugin then some drop shadow, the leaves are also same plugin with Smudge for the veins then some Laplacian pyramid filter plugin,

the center made using a different technique, the plugin wasn't involved, it is Diagonal Cross bucket fill, some displacement then Polar transformation plugin.

And in this one, just the sparks are curly lines plugin.

Click for larger size (980 KB):

[davidf]

It would be nice if you could add the parameters you used to create the examples.

If I could remember them all! I did write some down, actually. Is there a particular example you were wanting parameters for?

Maybe there could be a "recipe book" with example images and their parameters? Not sure how much one is needed ...

Maybe we could discuss a general way for plugins how to get and put whole sets of plugin parameters (i.e. using an XML description).

And I'm happy that you implemented a solution for the reseed (as I just proposed in developer central). Looks like a simullar understanding of the issue.

Being able to save and restore a set of parameters via XML sounds like a good idea.

Two things I wasn't sure how to implement using IndirectUI:

• Ideally, pressing Reseed should fill in the Randomization code field (with a random string).
  
• It would be good to have a Reset all button that sets all of the parameters to their default values.
  

Is there a safe way to set control values programmatically for a PropertyBasedEffect?

Edited November 12, 2012 by davidf

[davidf]

And in this one, just the sparks are curly lines plugin.

Click for larger size (980 KB):

Very cute! Animated, too.

That's one of the effects I had in mind when I started writing the plugin (as well as the idea of electricity flowing between two points). It was originally called Lightning / curve.

One parameter I didn't get around to adding was "fork" (or "split") to make lightning more realistic and create fractal-looking tree things.

Edited November 12, 2012 by davidf

[midora]

Maybe one additional hint. Add

	    
    protected override void OnCustomizeConfigUIWindowProperties(PropertyCollection props)
    {
	    props[ControlInfoPropertyNames.WindowIsSizable].Value = true;
	    base.OnCustomizeConfigUIWindowProperties(props);
    } /* OnCustomizeConfigUIWindowProperties */

[Red ochre]

Hello David,

I'm really enjoying this plugin - just had fun making a meadow!

It could be useful to have shading across the width of the line too? (if not too cumbersome to add).

This could be from the primary color, as adding another color wheel would make UI even bigger.

Just think it might add more 'depth' when using it for grass/flowers.

The branching idea sound good too!

Thanks again

[DrewDale]

Seeing some of the examples here of what this plugin can do is really impressive. I hope to have a play around and try to come up with something too. Top marks davidf for writing this, kudos to yellowman & Red ochre for showing us what can be done.

[Pixey]

As I've said before - people who create these plug-ins have my upmost respect and I thank you for doing them (I'd love to know how you do them ... is it like writing a programme for a hard drive, perhaps?).

Now downloading this plug-in and it's time to play Amazing results already from Yellowman and Red OChre

[doughty]

It could be useful to have shading across the width of the line too? (if not too cumbersome to add).

This could be from the primary color, as adding another color wheel would make UI even bigger.

Just think it might add more 'depth' when using it for grass/flowers.

The branching idea sound good too!

Thanks again

Forgive me Red Ochre if I didn't do my quote right.

Davidf, your plug-in is amazing.

Unlike Yellowman I had to read the PDF. All I came up with at first was a few squiggly lines, so Thank You for writing that.

I was trying to make a sun and thought the same thought as Red Ochre about side shading.

[DrewDale]

I will experiment more, when I have more free time, for now though, this is what I created after 10 mins play around

[Goonfella]

Great plugin . Thanks very much.

One suggestion - how about using tabs for the settings ? ( ie Colours, Start Point, Number of Lines, Styles, Twist , Recentre)

It would reduce the size of the UI considerably and make it more user friendly.

[nitenurse79]

Once again davidf you excel, another very useful plugin to have. By duplicating layers, using conditional hue/saturation adding a little a bit of rotate/zoom, a touch of yellow circle, mixed with some zoom blur on the smaller layer, I managed to make this fairly quickly.

Good work yellowman, Red Ochre, Doughty & DrewDale, very creative works

[barbieq25]

Wow! How good is this?! I will have to make some time to play with this. The outcomes I have seen are just wonderful. Thanks so much for your hard work. The .pdf is a great idea. Curly lines is what I have been waiting for

[davidf]

Maybe one additional hint. Add

		
	protected override void OnCustomizeConfigUIWindowProperties(PropertyCollection props)
	{
		props[ControlInfoPropertyNames.WindowIsSizable].Value = true;
		base.OnCustomizeConfigUIWindowProperties(props);
	} /* OnCustomizeConfigUIWindowProperties */

Thanks, I'll include that in the next version.

[davidf]

I'm really enjoying this plugin - just had fun making a meadow!

I love it!

It could be useful to have shading across the width of the line too? (if not too cumbersome to add).

This could be from the primary color, as adding another color wheel would make UI even bigger.

Just think it might add more 'depth' when using it for grass/flowers.

Width-wise instead of length-wise shading sounds good ... it would help with "flame" images and things like that.

The next version might not be for a little while, though.

[davidf]

As I've said before - people who create these plug-ins have my upmost respect and I thank you for doing them (I'd love to know how you do them ... is it like writing a programme for a hard drive, perhaps?).

If you'd ever like to make your own plugin, the best place to start is the CodeLab plugin, which does lots of the work for you:

http://forums.getpaint.net/index.php?showtopic=880

(There are some links to tutorials in the first post in that thread).

[midora]

One suggestion - how about using tabs for the settings ? ( ie Colours, Start Point, Number of Lines, Styles, Twist , Recentre)

Not available in IndirectUI interface used by the plugin.

This is interface is on one side quite restrict (or the author would have done things in a different way) but one the other so easy to setup compared to a Winform solution.