Plugin Suggestion: Random Dot Generation

[Wither]

Ok, so I was thinking about Photoshop brushes. You can set the scatter amount and stuff, which leads to random dots all over the place. Would it be possible (or practical may be the better word) to make a plugin that generates dots randomly? I've done something similar to what I mean with Flash here.

... ... ...

Well, there's my suggestion/request.

ActionScript is infinitely different than any of the C languages, but on the offchance it helps, here's the scripting used to generate the dots.

if (_root.incolor == "random") {
for (i=0; i<_root.amount; i++) {
	var t = this.attachMovie("dot", "dot"+i, i);
	t._x = Math.random()*600;
	t._y = Math.random()*500;
	t._xscale = Math.random()*200+20;
	t._yscale = t._xscale;
	t.myColor = new Color("dot"+i);
	t.myColor.setRGB(random(999999));
}
} else {
for (i=0; i<_root.amount; i++) {
	var t = this.attachMovie("dot", "dot"+i, i);
	t._x = Math.random()*600;
	t._y = Math.random()*500;
	t._xscale = Math.random()*200+20;
	t._yscale = t._xscale;
	t.myColor = new Color("dot"+i);
	t.myColor.setRGB(_root.dotcolor);
}
}

[pyrochild]

Like this?

Here's the CodeLab source - I even commented it!

int Amount1=250;	//[1,1000]Amount
int Amount2=25;	//[0,1000]Minimum Size
int Amount3=50;	//[1,1000]Maximum Size
//submenu:Render

//=======================================================
//This is all so repeating the effect with Ctrl+F shows up different
//Only works when compiled - not within CodeLab
private byte instanceSeed = unchecked((byte)DateTime.Now.Ticks);
private int seedCount = 0;
private int Seed;

protected override void OnSetRenderInfo(EffectConfigToken token, RenderArgs dstArgs, RenderArgs srcArgs)
{
   this.Seed = seedCount ^ instanceSeed;
   seedCount++;
}
//=======================================================

unsafe void Render(Surface dst, Surface src, Rectangle rect)
{
   Random r = new Random(this.Seed);

   //create a GDI+ graphics object
   Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(dst.CreateAliasedBitmap());

   //enable antialiasing
   g.SmoothingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.AntiAlias;

   //there's no point rendering outside of our given bounds
   g.Clip = new Region(rect);


   //=====================================================================
   //This is copies the source to the destination canvas - optimized for speed
   //So don't worry too much about understanding it - there are easier ways to do it
   for (int y = rect.Top; y     {
       ColorBgra* srcptr = src.GetPointAddressUnchecked(rect.Left, y);
       ColorBgra* dstptr = dst.GetPointAddressUnchecked(rect.Left, y);
       for (int x = rect.Left; x         {
           dstptr->Bgra = srcptr->Bgra;

           srcptr++;
           dstptr++;
       }
   }
   //====================================================

   for (int i = 0; i     {
       //==========================================
       //the try/catch block is in case the user selects a minimum higher than the maximum
       //as we don't want something so trivial to cause a crash
       int size = 0;
       try 
       {
           //determine the size
           size = r.Next(Amount2, Amount3);
       }
       catch { }
       //========================================

       //location...
       Point pt = new Point(r.Next(Math.Abs(src.Width - size)), r.Next(Math.Abs(src.Height - size)));

       //we're rendering in grayscale, so only need one byte
       byte color = (byte)r.Next(256);

       //create our brush
       Brush b = new SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(color, color, color));

       //draw!
       g.FillEllipse(b, new Rectangle(pt.X, pt.Y, size, size));

       //clean up our resources
       b.Dispose();
   }
}

I didn't want to over complicate things, so it only renders in grayscale. You'll have to use other methods to color them. Personally, I think Gradient mapping would be easiest and most flexible, but to each his/her own.

[barkbark00]

Bug:

Minimum Size > Maximum Size = No Dots...

Edit:

Got this when I increased the max value higher than the hieght. Image was 800x600.

File: C:\Program Files\Paint.NET\Effects\RandomDots.dll
     Effect Name: PaintDotNet.Effects.UserScript
     Full error message: PaintDotNet.WorkerThreadException: Worker thread threw an exception ---> System.ArgumentOutOfRangeException: 'maxValue' must be greater than zero.
Parameter name: maxValue
  at System.Random.Next(Int32 maxValue)
  at PaintDotNet.Effects.UserScript.Render(Surface dst, Surface src, Rectangle rect)
  at PaintDotNet.Effects.UserScript.Render(EffectConfigToken parameters, RenderArgs dstArgs, RenderArgs srcArgs, Rectangle[] rois, Int32 startIndex, Int32 length)
  at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.ThreadFunction()
  --- End of inner exception stack trace ---
  at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.Join()
  at PaintDotNet.Effects.BackgroundEffectRenderer.Start()
  at PaintDotNet.Menus.EffectMenuBase.<>c__DisplayClassa.b__8(Object sender, EventArgs e)

[pyrochild]

That's not a bug, that's common sense. The number n in 10

[barkbark00]

Well, I know that.

You should link the max value to the min value when the min meets or exceed the max...like in "Add Noise".

Edit:

Can you add an option to stop the dots from overlapping?

--------------

This makes great star fields!

[pyrochild]

You mean Frosted Glass; Add Noise has no such binding. And neither will this, as long as it remains a CodeLab plugin.

CodeLab can't do that, you see. Not until BoltBait gets around to updating it for IndirectUI.

[barkbark00]

You mean Frosted Glass...

Right, sorry!

[pyrochild]

Edit:

Can you add an option to stop the dots from overlapping?

Please stop using edits to add completely new ideas! I'll only ever see them by raw chance.

And I really don't feel like tackling math that complicated right now. If someone else wants to, that's fine. Code is above.

Edit:Got this when I increased the max value higher than the hieght. Image was 800x600.

...

Fixed.

[david.atwell]

I made a color version (w00t! First plugin!).

I don't know how to switch back and forth, so you'll still want the previous one if you want grayscale (or just run B&W). I don't know how to create more sliders, so I can't make it so you can change which colors it chooses (right now, it just chooses a completely random value for red, green, and blue).

But I did compile it into a DLL, complete with an icon! Yay!

@pyrochild: I don't want to step on your toes, so if you'd prefer me to remove this plugin, I'll be more than happy to. It's essentially your code with two extra lines and a modification to two more, so it's obviously derivative.

Anywho, ScriptLab:

int Amount1=250;   //[1,1000]Amount
int Amount2=25;   //[0,1000]Minimum Size
int Amount3=50;   //[1,1000]Maximum Size
//submenu:Render

//=======================================================
//This is all so repeating the effect with Ctrl+F shows up different
//Only works when compiled - not within CodeLab
private byte instanceSeed = unchecked((byte)DateTime.Now.Ticks);
private int seedCount = 0;
private int Seed;

protected override void OnSetRenderInfo(EffectConfigToken token, RenderArgs dstArgs, RenderArgs srcArgs)
{
   this.Seed = seedCount ^ instanceSeed;
   seedCount++;
}
//=======================================================

unsafe void Render(Surface dst, Surface src, Rectangle rect)
{
   Random r = new Random(this.Seed);

   //create a GDI+ graphics object
   Graphics g = Graphics.FromImage(dst.CreateAliasedBitmap());

   //enable antialiasing
   g.SmoothingMode = System.Drawing.Drawing2D.SmoothingMode.AntiAlias;

   //there's no point rendering outside of our given bounds
   g.Clip = new Region(rect);


   //=====================================================================
   //This is copies the source to the destination canvas - optimized for speed
   //So don't worry too much about understanding it - there are easier ways to do it
   for (int y = rect.Top; y < rect.Bottom; y++)
   {
       ColorBgra* srcptr = src.GetPointAddressUnchecked(rect.Left, y);
       ColorBgra* dstptr = dst.GetPointAddressUnchecked(rect.Left, y);
       for (int x = rect.Left; x < rect.Right; x++)
       {
           dstptr->Bgra = srcptr->Bgra;

           srcptr++;
           dstptr++;
       }
   }
   //====================================================

   for (int i = 0; i < Amount1; i++) //loop through the number of dots we want
   {
       //==========================================
       //the try/catch block is in case the user selects a minimum higher than the maximum
       //as we don't want something so trivial to cause a crash
       int size = 0;
       try
       {
           //determine the size
           size = r.Next(Amount2, Amount3);
       }
       catch { }
       //========================================

       //location...
       Point pt = new Point(r.Next(Math.Abs(src.Width - size)), r.Next(Math.Abs(src.Height - size)));

       //we're rendering in color now!
       byte colorr = (byte)r.Next(256);
       byte colorg = (byte)r.Next(256);
       byte colorb = (byte)r.Next(256);

       //create our brush
       Brush b = new SolidBrush(Color.FromArgb(colorr, colorg, colorb));

       //draw!
       g.FillEllipse(b, new Rectangle(pt.X, pt.Y, size, size));

       //clean up our resources
       b.Dispose();
   }
}

ZIPped DLL is attached.

Random Dots - Color.zip

[pyrochild]

I wouldn't have posted the source if I didn't want people modifying it.

[david.atwell]

Okay, cool. I wasn't sure...this is really my first foray into plugins in general, so I have no idea. :-D

[R3VENGE]

wow this looks like a great idea

[Curmudgeon]

Would it be possible to add a "reseed" button, similar to the clouds render?

This is good, clean, wholesome fun and I'm sure I'll find a use for it sometime or another

[pyrochild]

Would it be possible to add a "reseed" button, similar to the clouds render?

This is good, clean, wholesome fun and I'm sure I'll find a use for it sometime or another

to reseed it, just Ctrl-Z (Undo), Ctrl-F (Repeat effect)

Or, if you want to reseed while the dialog is still open, just change the value of a slider, then change it back.

It won't be able to have a reseed plugin unless the plugin is made into a full plugin, instead of a CodeLab prototype.

[D.C. (Conviction]

actually, i tried that this morning and it kept doing the same thing

[Curmudgeon]

Thanks, I just figured that out before you replied. Before, I was cancelling, then went back to render>random dots each time

[pyrochild]

actually, i tried that this morning and it kept doing the same thing

Are you using it within CodeLab, or are you using the DLL?

It will only work if you use the DLL.

[D.C. (Conviction]

I'm using the dll

[MadJik]

This is my version (my view) of the Random dot generator:

-Reseed,

-Fill (or not)

-Border (or not)

-Random color(s)

-etc...

I didn't find a efficient solution to check if dots are overlapping...

Should I publish it in the plugin forum?

[Mike Ryan]

Wow. Nice job Madjik! Definetly post it!

Edit: Found a bug. The secondary and primary are backwards.

[MadJik]

Thanks for the Wow!

I don't see the bug!

Primary is inside, Secondary is the border, and vice-versa in Secondary mode...

And so if you uncheck 'Filled' and check 'borders', only secondary is used for the border.

This is the way it is made!

[Mike Ryan]

Oh ok! I understand now! I had thought that it was just confused in code or something. Also, src?