Author Topic: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository  (Read 16490 times)

getter77

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See as how some winds are finally blowing in that direction in the Project Roguelike Renaissance topic, it finally seems time for this to come into being.  This, being a topic centered around the myriad technical situations involved in Roguelike and game development period.

What I need is instruction, helpful links, and pertinent information---same as many folk.  Rather than just eating it though, what I'd like to do afterwards , as applicable, is to then condense down the/each experience to be as utterly Step-by-Step as possible for the future benefit of all---especially me as there are bound to be instances where I have to revisit something worked on awhile back that I have largely forgotten/maybe even repressed.  Perhaps even get some tutorial videos going depending.  Considering I know what I am doing FAR less than pretty well everybody else around here, it falls upon me to best come up with such things post-mortem on a low enough level for the likes of me, burned out adults, and/or young children/crafty animals as the case may be.

Current targets I am surely presently in over my head on(to be updated and linked to and such as wisdom is imparted):

SmartSVN Foundation  http://www.syntevo.com/smartsvn/index.html
Microsoft Visual Basic 2010 Express http://www.microsoft.com/express/Windows/
Notepad++  http://notepad-plus.sourceforge.net/uk/site.htm

"I know not of these things, watch as I slink away   :'( "  Come back!  While the current targets are what they are, Future Targets are very much welcome.  If you know how to certainly do one or more things, or maybe even just about everything, in a given bit of software or language or tool or engine and the like relative to (Roguelike)game development, here is your chance to get up on a soapbox and educate me/the rest of us ahead of time---just because!  Just because nobody has yet asked a question does not mean one shouldn't offer up a correct answer...well...in this special context at least.   :D

When all is said and done, you know, up to and past my death hopefully years/decades from now as the forum chugs onward, we should have a distinct wealth of both detailed info/rants and accompanying Step-by-Step hand-holding the likes of which does not currently exist/overwhelms Google searches/can be fed to the Grue that is Roguebasin over time.

Let's dumb stuff down!  Woo!~  :runs into the sunset:
Brian Emre Jeffears
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getter77

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:Reserved for future Step-by-Steps, and whatever else, as things eventually, but surely spiral, out of control:
Brian Emre Jeffears
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Fenrir

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....crafty animals as the case may be.
Reference to me -- imagined by my glory-seeking mind or otherwise -- noted.

Fenrir displays his large pointy teeth in a broad grin.

I had the good fortune of being part of a rather large thread about Roguelike development back on the Bay12 forums a year ago. It's full of links to resources, but most are about general programming. The discussion is rather insightful as well; at least it was when I was trying to hack things out. http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=30113.0

I'm not so sure this is exactly what you're after or if it is particularly useful, but I don't really have anything else to contribute.
« Last Edit: May 25, 2010, 12:02:49 AM by Fenrir »

getter77

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....crafty animals as the case may be.
Reference to me -- imagined by my glory-seeking mind or otherwise -- noted.

Fenrir displays his large pointy teeth a broad grin.

I had the good fortune of being part of a rather large thread about Roguelike development back on the Bay12 forums a year ago. It's full of links to resources, but most are about general programming. The discussion is rather insightful as well; at least it was when I was trying to hack things out. http://www.bay12forums.com/smf/index.php?topic=30113.0

I'm not so sure this is exactly what you're after or if it is particularly useful, but I don't really have anything else to contribute.

Heh.   8)  We are in the age of Keyboard Cat and the like as well though....only a matter of time...

Topic is as worthy a beast to pour over as others---bound to be some good stuff in those nigh-40 pages and counting.  IIRC, there are various games at work in the Creative Projects board over there and I would reckon at least a portion would've came to be via said topic's input.  I think there may be a similar in scope, general dev, topic or so over on SomethingAwful as well.  Definitely glad it got pointed out in here for myself and others to come!
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stu

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its like a wall of text. is there a question in there? or is it one giant statement?
--/\-[ Stu ]-/\--

corremn

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Brain dump.
corremn's Roguelikes. To admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor.  Warhammer 40000 the Roguelike

getter77

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its like a wall of text. is there a question in there? or is it one giant statement?

???  Enter key was pressed several times in the OP... :-\

Er, shorter version:  "I'm starting from scratch in "these things", what are some good ways to go about coming to grips with each, favored tutorials, and any/all tips and tricks to minimize the inevitable time spent stumbling around before getting something of a handle on things?  Once "things" are understood, I will then try to make them even easier to understand for future people needing to know "these things", with the list of "things" to increase over time."
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corremn

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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #7 on: June 01, 2010, 07:03:13 AM »
Ah, it all makes sense now.

Anyway why pay for a svn client?  Most people use tortoiseSVN.
Visual Studio 10 express is a excellent choice for RL development or any open source stuff.
Do you need to use notepad++ if you have visual studio? Unless of course you language is not supported.
« Last Edit: June 01, 2010, 07:11:49 AM by corremn »
corremn's Roguelikes. To admit defeat is to blaspheme against the Emperor.  Warhammer 40000 the Roguelike

getter77

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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #8 on: June 01, 2010, 11:59:30 AM »
-SVNFoundation is free actually(thankfully), it is only the Pro one that costs $80 or so, and the reason being it is specifically what is being used/familiar with in terms of PLOS.  I will make a note to pay some mind to this tortoise one though down the line...
-Notepad++ was mainly a case of "probably handy on everything going forward"  versus just using regular Notepad which, in part, was apparently head shaking to another person that wound up doing some ToME 4 things on their end.  Granted, they mentioned a ton of other stuff I've no idea on at present, but hey, one step at a time!   :D
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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #9 on: June 01, 2010, 08:26:40 PM »
Anyway why pay for a svn client?  Most people use tortoiseSVN.

I'm not here to argue with you. Yes, most people use tortoiseSVN because most people only need update and commit. If you're down to the basics I would agree with you, support your local GPL project.

Basically it's like downloading the entire Visual Studio Suite just to code a couple things in C#.
Check out my artwork, photography, and video game projects at www.theoestudio.com.

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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #10 on: June 02, 2010, 08:14:00 AM »
Yes, most people use tortoiseSVN because most people only need update and commit. If you're down to the basics I would agree with you, support your local GPL project.

I guess I'm mostly in the "update" and "commit" group, but so far I saw no obvious holes in TortoiseSVN. Are there some that I should be aware of?

getter77

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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #11 on: July 28, 2010, 04:51:33 PM »
Right folks, here's a start off.  It isn't incredibly organized or well written----mainly due to being the notes I've been taking for the past couple weeks.  Probably various things missing too, but I'd still say it is a solid enough starting place for perusal and I aim to improve and organize it moreso somewhere down the line.  Gists of Raster Art Stuff:

Raster Art stuff:

:Below sourced from GraphicsGale:

Layering: Creates layers, zones to work on part of a piece without disturbing others, like backgrounds, "items", elaborate patterns, etc.  "Working with sheets of clear plastic".  Very often, the "bottom layer" is the background across whatever.
Masking: Protective technique used in conjunction with Layering...transparencies a factor.  Pretty much made from an Alpha channel or Antialiasing.X x Y dimensions:  They are correct once you remember 0,0 exists

-More bits = More colors possible/greater potential color range
-RGB scale = Watercolor-like in nature, "pure red" and such easy but not great at gradation of colors
-HSL is the way that the values of hue, saturation, and lightness are specified. This way is suited for making a subtle gradation of colors. Select a rough color by hue, then adjust saturation. A color gets close to gray by decreasing saturation. At the last, adjust lightness. A color becomes a black when lightness is a minimum value, and becomes a white when lightness is a maximum value.

Flood fill: Envelops a targeted area with a reckoned color, preventing a need to scribble in more tool wear in many cases.
Filled Rectangle:  Same as above, but rectangular in nature.
Rectangular Selector: After dragging it to the dimensions of a given piece, you have 3 principle options:  (Note: Can also often use this to make a Square instead)

1.Move the object itself across to another location on the canvas screen.
2.Drag at the edge-points to work at resizing an object.
3.While selected, clone the object via ye olde Copy+Paste commands

-Frames in a sequence = Animation
-Frames can be cloned outright, removed, new blank ones generated, re-ordered in a sequence, and of course deleted.  The big governing properties for them are Transparency and the "Wait time" for actively displaying a given one.

Onion Skin: Looking through time at a slate of frames with transparency to see all steps at once for the gist of things.
Alpha Blend: The opaque value of a layer. The lower the value is, the more transparent the layer is.

Opacity: Adjusts the opacity of the color. 0 opacity appears transparent, 255 opacity is completely opaque. This value is ignored when the image does not have an alpha channel. Also directly tied to the usual "Pen" mode and "Eraser" actions, as the higher the value is the more dramatic effect an Erasing action has on the area being affected in the image.

-Not uncommon for an Image Preview window to have a tendency by default to evade one's (mouse)cursor so as to not cause some manner of inadvertant disruption.  Usually a trick to access it purposefully.

Oval Selector: Same general function as the Rectangular Selector and likewise can also often be used to create a perfect Circle instead.
Lasso: Free-hand Selector comparable to the fixed shape ones like Oval and Rectangular.
"Magic Wand":  Such a thing is aimed at allowing for a creating a selection area bounded by similar colors, usually of varying tolerance.
"Selection By Color":  Pretty much what it sounds like, same as above for similar color with nothing to do with being "bounded".

Rectangles/Ovals as is or "Filled": Same deal as the "selector' types above, but these are for actual image making.
Color Replacer:  What it sounds like, perhaps as part of a primary/secondary pair you clarify at some point.
Draw Text: Exactly what it sounds like.

AntiAlias = An image will be built using neutral colors when the AntiAlias is ON. The AntiAlias is effective when stretching or rotating a selected image, or when drawing text.

Export function:  If need be, you can export one's many frames as many files, or as a composite of all things on a single canvas.

Snap function: Forces the mouse cursor to only move along custom grids to allow for precise locational control

Image effect: Negative = Reverses the color and the brightnesses in the image.
Grayscale/Desaturate = Removes the color information from the image.

Enlarge Canvas = Enlarges the size of the canvas while leaving the current image size alone.
Crop = Cuts off the image except the selected area.
Resample = Changes an image's width and height.

:Above sourced from: GraphicsGale:


/Stile and Alchemy had nothing new./


:Below sourced from TwistedBrush:

Zoom 1 to 1 toggle = Allows one to temporarily view an image at standard zoom while working at a modified zoom level.  Zoom itself generally doesn't modify your image, only your ability to interact with and perhaps notice the finer details.

DPI = Dots Per Inch, generally useless unless intending to print things out(as the printer is keen on this attribute)/metric is set to be Inches or Millimeters instead of Pixels.

Image Resizing: There are a variety of ways to do this that need to be kept in mind/researched further, with Bicubic being a functionally common one.  It tends to change the image data on every layer of a project unless specified to do otherwise via use of Filters and the like.  As always, MAKE USE OF THE PREVIEW FUNCTION WHEN POSSIBLE TO DO SO.

Brush attributes: In general, brushes have the following attributes that have the potential of being modified if the software in question supports the operation to do so: Shape, Size, Rotation, Color, Pattern, Texture/Effects.

-Some software, like TwistedBrush, has the capability of allowing you to "lift" a specific color from an external reference image for use in your own works---think well done skintones and the like.

Color Palette =  Collection of 256 colors that tend to be easily selectable. Within TwistedBrush, there is the capability to generate a custom one of these from the image itself, or a spot within it, that you are currently working on---ensuring that you never wind up using an "unnatural" color.

-Color sliders can often be specified to precise values either as RGB attributes or some manner of incremental, precise Shift+clicking

Color Picker Tool/Pipette = Allows you to extract an exact color from anywhere on your canvas with a right-click to "extract" and result in it entering your active/current color pool.  Tied in with the ability to extract from the above mentioned external reference images.

-All Tool use is done via Right-clicks after enabling them appropriately.
-Tools can be managed via Dynamic Hotkeys (Hold Toggles essentially) as well as normal Toggle hotkey presses.

Ellipse Tool = When enabled allows you to click-drag ellipses(filled ovals with the potential for filled circles as well) across the canvas.
Gradient Tool =  Lets you create a customized gradient on you canvas between some mixture of perhaps a selection of your 4 primed colors and/or the Alpha channel to introduce Transparency into the mix. Could perhaps then "harvest" a certain very nearly transparent gold via the Color picker to use.
Rectangle Mask Tool = Creates a specific rectangular mask of a given size and intensity in terms of opacity.  Can be forced to be a Square Mask as is commonly the case with many Rectangular operations.
Ellipse Mask Tool = Same exact deal as the above, only Ellipses and potential Circles instead.
Wand Mask Tool = Same deal as the other Masking tools only with this you can freehand the nature of the Mask to be whatever on top of the degree of such as is expected.

Image Warp Tool = Allows for manipulation of the image as if it were soft rubber.  There is a wide selection of differing warp techniques to be studied not unlike Resizing Techniques as well as a variable strength level to impart unto each.

Script Brush Tool = Allows for the recording and playing back of either exact brush work done repeatedly, or just the brush work itself so as to open up the specific movements to being used in conjunction with differing brushes and/or colors/effects.
Unmask Grid Cell Tool = Allows you to mask everything on your canvas except a small, defined part where works shall be centered on.
Pan Tool = Grab at "spots/edges" on a given canvas/page to quick-travel to them without needing to use the scroll bar.  Think a quick camera pan and that's pretty well the gist of it.

Drawing Guide Tool = Enables a WIDE variety of drawing guides from grids to 2D planes in order to aid you in reckoning your images without directly altering them.  Yet another thing to investigate alongside Warping and Resizing techniques.

Filters =  A way to apply any number of dramatic and subtle effects, as YET ANOTHER thing to investigate, upon an entire layer of an image.  Each filter has unique controls to finetune the effect.  As can they be created outright, via Lua scripting in the case of TwistedBrush.

Solutions, a Pro version only feature:  Allows for a range of complex image results to be automatically generated upon a single click after setting some parameters.  Could be WELL worth investigating alongside the rest.

Clips feature:  Allows for an in-app image bank of fodder for copy+paste actions and all else---to the tune of up to 400 across a slate of groupings.

Layer Alpha Lock = Locks in the alpha channel transparency for a given layer so you can edit freely without worry of applying new content to transparent areas.
Layer Mix Modes = A suite of various Layer effect stylings that can be applied to a given image, including but not limited to: Normal, Multiply, Screen, Dodge, Burn----leaving the same "target" looking rather different across each of the assorted implementations.
Layer Mask:  Hybrid of Masking and Layer work that can be used to keep things separate and editable via introducing an "interloper"/intervening modifying layer.
Layer Transformations = Large assortment of various Filters are used to transform the contents of a layer after the fact in an often Distortion-based fashion and manner.  To be investigated.
-Alpha Filter is used to modify the Alpha level upon a singular level without messing with any other aspect at play.

Mask Filter: Allows you to use any of the image processing filters upon a given Mask.  Including, but not limited to the likes of: Feathering(Softening of edges), Blending, Expanding, Shrinking.  Study of Filters from above thus grants another stage upon which to manifest it, whereas other Technique Assortments seem to have only their singular niches to affect change with.

Tracing mode feature:  Allows you to load in an image then activate a transparent page layer on top of it from which to trace it as best as one can.
Reference Image feature:   Can import up to 9 different pictures to zone somewhere on the viewing area to harvest for color picking or just look to draw from directly.

Blob Modeler/Modeling = Method to create 3D-like organic objects using methods common to TwistedBrush and perhaps others.  Done via a combination of specialized brushes and Layer mode mixing and messing with.

Paper Texture:  With TwistedBrush, you can change the default "paper" upon which the canvas is generally drawn to a variety of things that will react in various ways to your brush work accordingly.

:Above sourced from TwistedBrush:

:Below sourced from Fotografix:

Adjustment layer = Special type of layer that applies an adjustment to all layers below it. Unlike a regular adjustment, an adjustment layer does not modify the underlying image itself; instead the adjustment is dynamically applied to the underlying layers. In this way, you can try various adjustments without losing the original image.
-In programs that support Undo/Redo actions, like Fotografix, there may be issue of slowdown as memory is consumed from storing such.  In the case of Fotografix however, there is a handy Purge command that frees all of this up anew.
-Layers can be moved around the canvas to different selection areas as you wish. Not all file types support Layering, at least as of 7/11/2010.

-Scripts in Fotografix are constructed in simple text files saved to a certain extension upon a certain pool of rules available in the instructions---versus having to learn a scripting language like Lua to create any useful/interesting quick actions.

Clear command: Erases the selected region and makes it transparent.
Reveal All command: Extends the image canvas to reveal any hidden layers
Threshold command: Applies a threshold to the image.
Posterize command: Reduces the number of colours used in the image.
Rasterize Layer command: Rasterizes the active layer. (?)

Ruler tool: Used to measure the distance/angle between two points on an image.

:Above sourced from Fotografix:

:Below sourced from ArtRage:

-Possible Layer Blending(top-to-bottom, with it being impossible to trigger on the most base layer due to "nothing" existing under it to blend with) effects include: Tint=Adds color to a black/white image, Shadow which applies subtle shadowing to objects, and Highlight accentuating the color(s) of the Layer beneath.  Can be reverted/does not inherently damage either layer involved.  There are many other such Layer Blending options, commonly based upon Photoshop doings. As usual, further investigation is not likely a bad idea.
-It is possible to Merge Layers into a Group in order to enact mass transformations and the like.
-Layers can be converted to Stencils, as well as custom Stencils made outright.

:Above sourced from ArtRage:

/OpenCANVAS has nothing new, help files for Pixia and Phierha seem to not exist in any currently findable form/

:Below sourced from MyPaint:

.ORA = A burgeoning new file format intended to be used for high end info, like layers and such, to be cross-compatible across various Raster tools in order to sidestep Photoshop's .PSD which got scrappy license-wise back in 2006.  Support is slim thus far, but should grow.

-Save Next Scrap feature: Handy thing that starts a 'scrapbook' operation with respect to your files, allowing for an increasing numbered iterations to where you can fork off to different ideas/methods at regular/frequent intervals.
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getter77

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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #12 on: July 28, 2010, 04:56:36 PM »
:Above sourced from MyPaint:

/grafx2 has nothing new/

:Below sourced from mtPaint:

-Variable gradients = It is possible to have a variety of differing shaped gradients employed to create interesting visual effects, like a bulls-eye, rainbow, stroked out sticks that curve around, and so forth.

:Above sourced from mtPaint:

/GraphicsMagick is too damned obtuse with providing a findable manual/

:Below sourced from Hornil StylePix:

Various BLENDING MODES include:

-Normal Mode = Your 2 layers do not interact and the upper layer is displayed with full prominence. The lower layer can still be seen via adjusting the opacity of the upper one.
-Darken Mode = Compares the darkness levels within each respective layer and displays the darkest of them all for emphasis.
-Multiply Mode = Multiply mode darkens the lower layer based on the darkenss of the upper layer. No part of the image will get lighter. Any applied tone darker than white darkens the lower layer. White becomes transparent.
-Burn Mode = Linear Burn mode works like multiply but the results are more intense.
-Color Burn Mode = Burns in the color of the upper layer with the lower layer. No part of the image will get lighter.
-Add Mode = Adds the color of the upper layer to the lower layer.
-Average Mode = Averages of the color of the upper layer and the lower layer.
-Lighten Mode = Exact opposite of Darken Mode.
-Screen Mode = Brightens by lightning the lower layer based on the lightness of the upper layer. The result is always lighter, and makes it a good mode for correcting exposure in photos that are too dark.
-Color Dodge Mode = Dodges the lower layer with the upper layer, resulting in a lighter image. No part of the image will be darkened.
-Dodge Mode = Linear Dodge mode works like screen but with more intense results.
-Overlay Mode = Multiplies the light colors and screens the dark colors.
-Soft Light Mode = Multiply the dark tones and screen the light tones.
-Hard Light Mode = Multiplies the dark colors and screens the light colors.
-Pin Light Mode = Changes the lower layer pixels depending on how bright the pixels are in the upper layer. It acts like Multiply when the upper layer color is darker than neutral gray, and acts like screen if the upper layer color is lighter than neutral gray. 
-Subtract Mode = Subtracts the color of the upper layer from the lower layer.
-Negation Mode = Changes the lower layer pixels depending on negation of the upper layer.
-Difference Mode = Reacts to the differences between the upper and lower layer pixels. Large differences lighten the color, and small differences darken the color.
-Exclusion Mode = Uses the darkness of the lower layer to mask the difference between upper and lower layers.
-Hue Mode = Changes the hue of the lower layer to the hue of the upper layer but leaves brightness and saturation alone.
-Saturation Mode = Changes the saturation of the lower layer to the hue of the upper layer but leaves brightness and hue alone.
-Color Mode = Changes the hue and saturation of the lower layer to the hue and saturation of the upper layer but leaves luminosity alone.
-Brightness Mode = Changes the Brightness of the lower layer to the Brightness of the upper layer while leaving hue and saturation the same.
 
-Nearest and Bilinear are 2 other Resizing Techniques, though Bicubic is considered best among them for most purposes.

Z Order: Arrangement of Layers

Histogram:  Shows the quantity of pixels in an image in graph form.
Waveform:  Similar to Histogram, but concerned with image width vs pixel quantity.

Polygonal Lasso:  Like a free-hand Lasso, only you set points of interest in a more deliberate way, like say for a complex star shape.

-Make straight lines in this with a Brush Tool via pressing the Shift key.

-Distance, as a factor of Brush composition, relates to how much space there is between the "dots" a given brush will put down.

Various FILTERS include:

\The COLOR sect has to do with adjusting just that, and its attributes, of an image or a particular part of it.

-Auto Level = Analyzes intensity of all colors via Histogram and then averages it all out.
-Auto Contrast =  Same deal with Contrast
-Auto Color Balance = Same deal with Color proportions.
-Level = Changing the intensity range of an image, making things overall lighter or darks according to the metrics you specify.
-Curves = Changing the intensity range of an image to potentially advanced color manipulation.
-Color Balance = Adjusting the color balance of an image.
-Brightness/Contrast = What it sounds like.
-Hue/Saturation = What it sounds like.
-Gamma Correction = What it sounds like.
-Desaturate = As previously defined.
-Invert = What it sounds like.
-Grayscale = What it sounds like.
-Threshold = Transforms an image into a black and white image. The pixels that have a greater brightness than threshold will be white pixel, and the other case will be black pixel.
-Quantize = Not clearly explained.  Something to do with Bit masking across RGB Alpha
-Histogram Equalize = Auto-adjusts brightness of colors in an image.
-Posterize = As previously defined, letting you step down the number of levels in an images color period.

\The BLUR sect has to do with softening images, or at least part of them.

-Box Blur = Ties intensity of the effect within a box to radius.
-Gaussian Blur = More natural looking blur, also with a radius based intensity.
-Motion Blur = Afterimages of for illusionary movement, tied to Angle, Radius, Distance
-Zoom Blur = What it sounds like, tied to centering on an area then adjusting the Radius and (x,y) values---think 3rd dimension movement/popping out into kinda.

\The SHARPEN sect has to do with increasing the contrast of images, or parts of them.

-Sharpen = What it sounds like tied to the above.  The effect becomes stronger with each subsequent use of it.
-Sharpen Edge = Same deal as the above, only incorporating the edge factored into the normal Sharpening.

\The PIXELATE sect has to do with processing by the pixels.

-Mosaic = Cuts the image into many squares, determined by radius value.

\RENDER sect just outright does stuff/replaces what is on the current layer.

-Cloud = Makes an image-sized/specified image-area sized cloud based on the foreground and background colors.
-Checker Board =  What it sounds like as in the above, with settings for width/height.

\NOISE sect is what it sounds like

-Add Noise = What it sounds like, having you control the amount and color of said "static".
-Median = Noise removal, powered by Radius setting.

\DISTORT does what you might think.

-Diffuse = Scatters the pixels of the image, with radius determining the travel distance.

\CONVOLVE sect is not explained well...something to do with setting Spacial Filters that can bring out the Edge-work/shapes in Images in a dramatic fashion?

\STYLE sect is apparently what one might suspect?

-Solarize = Overexposed photographic film effect.
-Sobel Edge = Same as the above, but with a certain emphasis on edges present.

\MORPHOLOGICAL has to do with shapeshifting stuff

-Erosion(Minimum) = Smooth on down small light regions, more repeats the smaller they get, bigger the dark.
-Dilation(Maximum) = Smooth small dark regions, more repeats the smaller they get, bigger the light.
-Opening = Combo of the above, in order, which will fill in the "creamy middle white frosting" with the surrounding dark chocolate---so to say.
-Closing = Exact opposite of the above.
-Outlining = Subtracts the Erosion from the Dilation of an image.

\Photo Enhancement is generally what you'd think.

-Glow = Filters light to soften, attributes combined for unearthly glowing.

Styles:  In this case they add an overall effect to an image, like an outlight, shadow, some glow.

:Above sourced from Hornil StylePix:

:Below sourced from Paint.NET:

-Other BLEND MODES include:

-Reflect = Can be used for adding shiny objects or areas of light.
-Glow = Reverse of Reflect that pretty well swaps layers then Reflects results.

Aside from normal Paste operations, you can choose to have the thing about to be Pasted automatically become a Layer unto itself as well as a separate Image entirely.

\Within ADJUSTMENTS, which are comparable to COLOR FILTERS:

-Sepia = This adjustment turns the image black & white, and then adds a sepia tone. This can be used to give your images a nostalgic look.

EFFECTS for Image modification include:

\Stylistic which meant to give the result of something drawn with traditional artistic means such as ink, pencil, and oil.

-Ink Sketch = Exactly as it sounds.
-Oil Painting = Ditto
-Pencil Sketch = You get the idea

\BLUR sect\

-Fragment = Copies, or "fragments", of the image are drawn at the specified offset distance and rotation. This can be useful for creating an unfocused or "drunken" appearance for an image.
-Radial = Same deal as Motion Blur, but spread through concentric circles rather than straight lines.
-Surface = This effect is useful for blurring the soft details or noise in an image while retaining most edge details and contrast.
-Unfocus = This effect looks similar to Gaussian Blur at first, but it gives a more dreamy or "unfocused" look to the image.

\DISTORTION sect\

-Bulge = This effect is used to make part of an image appear close or further away, as if the image had been squeezed.
-Crystalize = This will make an image appear as though it is made from a mosaic of randomly shaped crystaline cells.
-Dents = This popular effect makes an image appear as if it is on the other side of dented transparent metal (theoretically speaking, of course), displaced glass, or turbulent water.
-Frosted Glass = This will make the image appears as though it were being viewed through a sheet of frosted glass.
-Pixelation = This effect will reduce the detail in the image and give the effect that each "pixel" was much larger.
-Polar Inversion = This applies a transformation between Cartesian  and polar coordinate systems/Crazy as hell swirly effect.
-Tile Reflection = This makes the image appear as though it were behind a sheet of glass with articulated tiles.
-Twist = This effect is used for twisting a portion of the image, either clockwise or counter-clockwise.

\PHOTO sect\

-Soften = This is useful for adding a glowing and glamorous or dreamy effect to a photo.

\RENDER sect\

-Julia Fractal = Creates a freaky looking visualized Math dealie.  Bears experimenting.
-Mandelbrot Fractal = Ditto, yet very different.  Bears experimenting.

\STYLIZE sect\

-Edge Detect = This effect will highlight the edges in an image as if a light had been shown on it from a certain angle.
-Emboss = This effect will result in a black and white image where the edges have been given a three-dimensional highlight similar to physical embossing.
-Outline = This effect will find the edges of an image and trace around them with the requested radius.
-Relief = This effect is similar to Edge Detect, except that it blends the result back into the original image.

-Combining the Magic Wand with Lasso use to get precise selections for non-standard shapes = A GOOD IDEA

:Above sourced from Paint.NET:

:Below sourced from GIMP:

-"Undo History Dialog" is a handy feature that create a little visual sketch list of ongoing Undo-capable points so that you can quickly step back in time to a spot where things looked moreso what you were shooting for.

-You generally can't Undo actions that have multiple steps to them per step---have to Undo in a single go back to the point before any of those formative steps happened.

-The Image Properties option, under the Image heading, is mighty handy for getting a quick gist as to the particulars of a given image you've loaded up.
Brian Emre Jeffears
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getter77

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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #13 on: July 28, 2010, 04:57:20 PM »
-Only certain Paint Tools have the capability to play nice with straight-line making modes.  In GIMP, this is pretty much "Click mouse, hold Shift, Click again at end point while still holding Shift"

-Floating layer sections pretty much cause nothing to function proper, gotta anchor them or turn them into normal ones.

-Always make sure Show Selection is checkmarked-on in the View Menu.

-Also, make sure layers you want to mess with are visible and the opacity of it isn't set at like zero.  Keep Layer to Image Size going to make sure all is in-bounds of the image you want to mess with.

-GIMP is generally pretty bad with Indexed Format Images, as is common with .GIF and .PNG.  Better to convert it to RGB, work on it, then perhaps switch back to Indexed Mode to Save it anew.

-Likewise, many Filters only work on RGB mode---though some only on Grayscale and/or Indexed or depending on the presence one way or another of an Alpha Channel

-Drag and Drop an Image into the TOOLBOX in GIMP to open it as a new image, dropping it into an already open image will instead add it in as a Layer.

QuickMask = The way GIMP allows you to see and manipulate a "selection" in a variety of ways---pretty handy potentially for delicate image manipulation work.

-“Stroke path” means to apply a specific style to the path (color, width, pattern... )
-"Path Tools" = Incorporating the various Curved lines alongside the Straight line ability.

-Path use is incredibly light on system resources, even if perhaps maddening on the user to keep up with.  Each point beyond the first one set creates another segment that can be manipulated afterall.

-Feathering can't be incorporated into Path creation, the effect is lost as it is pretty much an "all or nothing" endeavor.

-There is much potential for nifty doings when one converts Text to Paths as you can then use various Transformations on it alongside modifying the "stroke path"/style of the thing's composition.  Path doings are generally Vector in nature though, despite GIMP being able to reckon with some of the basics.

\Image hoses / Image pipes\

Brushes in this category can make more than one kind of mark on an image. They are indicated by small red triangles at the lower right corner of the brush symbol in the Brushes dialog. They are sometimes called "animated brushes" because the marks change as you trace out a brushstroke. In principle, image hose brushes can be very sophisticated, especially if you use a tablet, changing shape as a function of pressure, angle, etc. These possibilities have never really been exploited, however; and the ones supplied with GIMP are relatively simple (but still quite useful).

-Parametric Brushes = Beget by the Brush Editor GUI, and tend to be resizable to boot---perhaps even tying such into hotkey presses and mouse wheel rotations if set just so via Preferences.

-Indexed palette = The total range/sum of colors present within a given image.

-Logo script functions within GIMP allow for a variety of effects to stylize text by.  Worth investigating.

-Healing Tool:  Similar in function to Clone, it also takes the immediate area in account for the destination point needing tending to.

Utter sideline:  Ponder the situation that is monitor display technology versus printer/paper technology....perhaps in respect to digital ink/paper advancements?  It would seem that, if solved, it would be possible to have tremendous resolutions within an image without needing a gigantic monitor and much scrolling.  That said, surely performance would come into play...

-Color profiling/syncing is something to bear in mind if printing, scanners, digital cameras, etc are involved.  Preview functions exist that allow you to see if something can't be translated/reproduced on another device at present due to the different ways they tend to be set up to interpret image/color data.

-"Snapping" = “Snapping” to guides, or to an image grid, means that when a tool is applied by clicking somewhere on the image display, if the clicked point is near enough to a guide or grid, it is shifted exactly onto the guide or grid.  This preference option determines how close a clicked point must be to a guide or grid in order to be snapped onto it, in pixels.

Transform Tool: "Shear" = Shear tool is used to shift one part of an image, a layer, a selection or a path to a direction and the other part to the opposite direction. For instance, a horizontal shearing will shift the upper part to the right and the lower part to the left. A rectangle becomes a diamond. This is not a rotation: the image is distorted.

Transform Tool: "Perspective" = Pretty much relates to modifying the perspective in a transformative fashion via click/drag doings.  Think the whole "road heading into the distance getting smaller the further it goes" and that's pretty well a good shake of it.

-GEGL Operations = Something like TwistedBrush's Solutions...yet not stable/working quite yet?

-Buffers = Buffers are temporary repositories for image data, created when you cut or copy part of a drawable (a layer, layer mask, etc.).

-Guillotine Tool = Cuts the image in the selected manner/area and the remnant pieces then become new images to otherwise work with.

\GIMP Filter section\

-Blinds = It generates a blind effect with horizontal or vertical battens. You can lift or close these battens, but not lift the whole blind up.
-Curve bend = Each be used to "pinch" an image from perhaps the middle or stretch about a bit.
-Engrave = Pretty much what it sounds like.  Needs an Alpha channel to activate.
-Erase Every Other Row = What it sounds like, either showing the background color or becoming transparent if it is a layer on top of something else.
-IWarp = Interactively deform an image in a variety of ways you can modify.
-Page Curl = What it sounds like.
-Polar Coords = Warp wraps the entire image around into either a circular or rectangular appearance.
-Ripple = What it sounds like.
-Shift = It shifts all pixel rows, horizontally or vertically, in the current layer or selection, on a random distance and within determined limits.  Kinda looks like it or perhaps Ripple could be used to create something of a Heat Haze/Mirage effect.
-Waves = Throw a stone into a still pond and that's pretty much what it does to the image.

-Whirl and Pinch = Whirl and Pinch” distorts your image in a concentric way.“Whirl” (applying a non-zero Whirl angle) distorts the image much like the little whirlpool that appears when you empty your bath. “Pinch”, with a nil rotation, can be compared to applying your image to a soft rubber surface and squeezing the edges or corners. If the Pinch amount slider is set to a negative value, it will look as if someone tried to push a round object up toward you from behind the rubber skin. If the Pinch amount is set to a positive value, it looks like someone is dragging or sucking on the surface from behind, and away from you.

-Wind = What it sounds like, as something of a motion-blur'ish blast across an image.
-Sparkle = Adds sparkles to an image based on areas you determine to be the lightest, with white points pretty well always triggering a sparkle.
-Supernova = What it sounds like.
-Perspective = Creates another layered aspect to an image to where you can fashion on offset "shadow" for it, like a photo standing on edge or a pillar and so forth.
-Xach-Effect = This filter adds a subtle translucent 3D effect to the selected region or alpha channel.  Could come in handy for maybe something glassy, or some other oddball task as it is somewhat odd looking.
-Apply Lens = Selected area is warped in such a way as if you were looking at it through a spherical lens.  Somewhat akin to a crystal ball by my reckoning.
-Slur = Adds an effect something like melting an image downward.
-Edge Filters = Various weird things reckoned on interpreting the edges/boundaries of colors and such.
-Laplace = Makes for thin, pixel wide borders---looks kinda sinister/cool in terms of what it does to the Taj Mahal for instance.
-Neon = Pretty well what it sounds like.
-Sobel = Similar, yet different than, Laplace in what it wrangles.
-Erode = Widens and enhances bright areas, functions as the word might make you think on a pic of the Taj Mahal.
-Canvas = This filter applies a canvas-like effect to the current layer or selection. It textures the image as if it were an artist's canvas.
-Cartoon = The Cartoon filter modifies the active layer or selection so that it looks like a cartoon drawing. Its result is similar to a black felt pen drawing subsequently shaded with color. This is achieved by darkening areas that are already distinctly darker than their neighborhood.
-Clothify = What it sounds like.  Selected region or Alpha only it would seem.  Could be pretty handy depending.
-Cubism = What it sounds like.
-GIMPressionist = It gives your image the look of a painting. All is going as if your image was painted again on a paper and with a brush you'd have chosen. It works on the active layer or selection.  Various complexities to setting up the parameters of it though.
-Oilify = What it sounds like.
-Predator = Hilariously what it sounds like---image via Predator Vision!
-Weave = Adds a freaky weaving effect where the image looks as if it were printed over woven ribbons of paper, thin wooden sheet, or stripped bamboo.  Can also add a "Lattice" twist through it where you can see through the "mesh" into the image proper.
-Add Bevel = Incorporates a bump map to add a slight "pop up/out" to an image.
-Add Border = What it sounds like.
-Coffee Stain = Also what it sounds like.
-Fuzzy Border = Again what it sounds like, border with some fade/jaggedness to it.
-Old Photo = Again what it sounds like.
-Illusion = Makes the image into a kaleidoscope dealie via use of "Fractal Trace'.
-Make Seamless = This filter modifies the image for tiling by creating seamless edges. Such an image can be used as a pattern.  Somehow makes me thing of some Buddha depictions/mandala depictions for lack of the proper term....could be handy.
-Map Object = This filter maps a picture to an object (plane, sphere, box or cylinder).  Sphere DEFINITELY looks like a crystal ball.
-Small Tiles = This filter reduces the image (active layer or selection) and displays it in many copies inside the original image.  One big pic into like 9 little ones in the same image area for instance.
-Tile = Same deal as above, but less/bigger in an almost clone-like fashion then makes an even bigger than the original picture from them.
-Difference Clouds = Creates freaky looking color-modified clouds/distortion-like things over an image.
-Plasma = Pretty much a randomized, yet modifiable, color explosion.
-Solid Noise = Creates what can be a good Gray Cloud'ish thing with Turbulence activated that you can then incorporate into whatever---making it somewhat versatile and apt for texture making perhaps.
-Flame = Creates what you might think, but not a good idea to use on larger images as there are apparently dev woes.
-IFS Fractal = You can create amazingly naturalistic organic shapes, like leaves, flowers, branches, or even whole trees.  Rather sensitive to work with though and not terribly simplistic.
-Diffraction Patterns = Good for making intricate patterns, stained glass, or psychadelic looking things
-Maze = Creates a random line maze, center to edge path to solve.
-Qbist = Generates random textures containing geometric figures and color gradients.
-Fractal Explorer = Like the IFS thing, but more simplified ranging towards chaos.
-Gfig = Allows you to create geometric figures and add them on top of an image---complex apparently?
-Sphere Designer = Cannibalizes the current image to create a Sphere based upon what it eats.
-Chalk = What it sounds like in terms of Oilify and the like.
-Particle Trace = Creates something akin to a laser rebounding show within the area of an image specified.

:Above sourced from GIMP:

Things to bear in mind as deeper subjects to investigate:

Solutions
Filters
Brushes
GEGL Operations
Logo script functions in GIMP
Layer Blending
Layer Transformations/Effects
Drawing Guide Tools
Resizing Techniques
Image Warp Tools
Mask Filters
Plugins/Scripts
Variable Gradients
Fractal stuff
Strange monitor/display notions
Brian Emre Jeffears
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In Training

getter77

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Re: Takes a Temple to raise a Champion! PRR Technical Sorcery Repository
« Reply #14 on: July 28, 2010, 04:59:08 PM »
There, took some doings to figure out exactly how to split apart these 15 pages of notes to where it'd post on here in line with the character limit.   :D
Brian Emre Jeffears
Aspiring Designer/Programmer/Composer
In Training