A community project

[ODdOnLifeItself]

Hello Larry,

Re: "...if it can be done in Gimp"

It seems like there would be some way to take the basic elements of Mehdi's kaleidoscope and make it animated. On the other hand, I don't know of any plug-ins for Xara (Xara or 3rd party) that do any animating. It seems it would have to be written specifically. The "controlling" software that handles the I/O for the live effects seems like it is only coded for static images. This is likely a major hurdle to doing it through plug-ins.

In Gimp, this is accomplished with a script isn't it? The vector eraser idea was met with cold indifference, so I don't think I'll post any requests for a Symmetrical Tool, which seems like what you would need to do this easily.

If there were a way to mask off the shapes so that they were correct and then, perhaps with Live Copies, maybe something will work.

I admire your dedication in trying to make this work.

I'll try a few things (in Xara) and see if anything starts to resemble the effect I think you're going for...

Where there's a will, there's a way! (there's optimism)

Peace

James

[wizard509]

"In Gimp, this is accomplished with a script isn't it?"
Yes

"where there's a will there"s a way"
That's the philosophy I live by

Thanks James.

[wizard509]

Well I've failed a couple more times. But I keep getting more ideas on how this might be accomposished. So far the only sorta success I had was with the circular transparencies but on something resembling a real kaleidoscome that just doesn't seem to be the answer. Maybe one of these days.

[wizard509]

Well in keeping you informed as to my particular progress. Here is the latest sort of success using ShapeShifter's Kaleidoscope Pattern as the basis. I know it isn't there yet but it's closer. Hope you like it as far as it goes.

[Hwy101]

Very Nice Larry -Looks Like a Real one to me (can it be slowed down?) -Tom aka Hwy101

[wizard509]

Yes Tom, but it looks better this way. I may try it again soon (like tomorrow) using more frames and not moving each image quite so far each time. That should do it I think.This is still not what I am after but it is better, and so far the only almost working method I have come up with. Briefly what I did was make a mask and used the same one to slice the image 4 times, then copied the mask to the clipboard and copied the frame and move each image the required direction, then when that was done I pasted the mask back into place and cut off the parts that overlapped, for each image in that frame. Then copied again and repeated the process for each frame. When I knew the finished size I made a large square larger then frame 1 and one smaller then frame ? and cut it out of the larger square, allowing the viewer to only see the cleaned up version which in this case was the size of the final frame.

[ODdOnLifeItself]

Hello Larry,

Still working on the idea. Now, am trying something with Opacity Masks...

In the meantime, (hopefully) for inspiration:


Blender

Peace

James

[wizard509]

That's great James. What ever you did it seems to work really well.
Works much better than mine for sure.
Could you provide a brief tutorial on what you did for the benefit of all interested, (that includes me)?
So far you are the Master!

EDIT:Would it be possible to do that same thing with the photo provided or ShapeShifters kaleidoscope pattern made from the photo?

edit again: OK, James re-looking at your animation I see that it was done in Blender, so I guess you can't provide a tutorial on how you did it in Xara, not yet anyway.

[wizard509]

James, I was thinking that it might be better to do some abstract designs like you are doing rather than using a photo. That way you have more control over starting and stopping points to make it look ever changing. It is difficult to do the animation like I was doing and finding an ending place that doesn't make such an abrupt change as it starts over. I was working on mine trying to slow it down and found out that if I deleted certain frames the whole thing seems to be better in that way. I'm just about ready to start another one to see what I can do to use more frames and not move each piece so far in one go. I'm hoping that will smooth things out a little and slow it down at the same time. I'm getting more maybe not so bright ideas I'll just have to see what comes of that. I'm still sticking with 4 pieces for the moment. but it’s still going to be a multi frame animation.

[wizard509]

Here is my latest. Back to using transparencies. At the moment this is the best I can do.
I know I don't have a good starting and ending place and it looks like it rewinds but otherwise it seems ok (to me at least). What do you think?

Version unknown.swf