Mini Tutorials

Here enclosed the basis of the method multiplied by nine selections or sources giving different results each other. Note that this file contains few controls so you can see for yourself what the settings can give as result. The controls are not remapped and is thus wanted to let you find the right settings.

In this new filter, you will find the same frame component for all sources and with the same settings; also a scale component with a scale control only for sources 8 and 9; a control for the frame width, finally a control for corners. Sure you'll find a switch component with a control selector. Nothingelse.

Spirogram method v1.ffxml

Here a second explanatory diagram.

Images 6 and 7 show different patterns. (See sources 6 and 7 of the filter.)

Images 8, 9 and 10 are related to the setting of the control "corners". (See sources 8-10 filter.) Play with the adjustment, put different values
​​and see the results.

Images 11 to 14 are related to component "scale". If desired, you can double even triple the spirogram. To do this, you must reduce the size of the spirogram using the appropriate settings of the component scale. And more you have spirograms to reduce, more you have scale and frame components. These last frames are used to hide what we do not want to see outside the smaller spirogram.(Refer to sources 8 and 9 of the filter.) For those frames, black color everywhere is applied. You also must adjust the other frame's settings.

Finally, play with all the settings to see what is good or not. Once satisfied with your settings, you can use remapping for controls that you add for the users or fix your own settings for controls that you do not want to add in your filter. Note that the spacing between spirograms 11 and 12 are different, depending on the setting used for the frame width.

FOLLOWING ... the circle in connection with the component scale.

(Write tutorials in another language than his own ... oh boy !... that's sport !)

Thanks Morgan. Glad you like that. It is a lot of work, double work for me with the english, but when needed, I have my friend google translate but google is not so perfect. I have to correct him.

Start with the bare minimum is the purpose of the exercise. I wrote a lot of tuts on the forum where I'm modo, but it was easy because in my language. As we must be all designers somewhere, we are visual persons who need images : it is more helful for the understanding.

Before I continue with circles, we will have to add some colors to the spirograms. I propose few color tricks for that kind of stuff.

The following diagram shows various ways on how to add color to spirograms.

Sources 1 and 5 have only one color. The color of source 1 comes from the color control input to inner frame. The color of source 5 comes from component hue/saturation which is placed at the end of the final blend (blend input to source of the hue/saturation component). Then you add a slider to hue, another to saturation and you put the desired settings. As for the lightness, you leave it to zero.

Source 2 : color added by the threahold component (last blend input to source of threahold and then input to high the same color control as source 1). To low, input a color control and put enabled for image and for alpha. So users will be able to choose their own image, a color or an alpha channel as background.

Source 3 : input to inner frame a profile gradient and set colors with 2 color controls (in the filter, color control for color 1 is the same as source 1)

Source 4 : a color control input to inner frame (in the filter, I used the same as source 1). Now to the last blend, a slider control input to the opacity and an intslider control input to mode. By clicking the filter controls above the result, you will see what setting to fix by playing with these two new controls. In the filter, the mode for the source 4 was settled to 3(= multiply) for image with green dots and settled to 8 (= color dodge) for the image with 6 squares.

Source 5 : (see source 1).

Source 6 : here a bit more complex. Add a free gradient that you input to inner frame. You must input 2 color controls for color 1 and 2 (in the filter, this is already fixed). The other settings for this component : set start X and start Y to 0,5. Type must be set to radial and continuation to flat. Then add a slider control that you input to End X and another slider control input to End Y. And set their numbers until you get the desired result (you must see 2 colors for best result). Finally, an intslider control input to profile. Play with all those settings until you find the best results. (In the filter, End X settled to 87, End Y to 30, Profile 4.)

Source 7 : a little bit more complex that source 6. Colors come from 2 profile gradients, the first one rotate 0, the other one rotate 90. Now with assemble RGB, input the first gradient to R, the second one to B. Then input assemble RGB to inner frame. This gives four nice colors. But we can bright those colors with level component. So input the last blend to source of level. Then a slider control to black point, a slider control to gamma, another slider control to white point. Finally input a checkbox to Preserve color. And set all these slider controls. In the filter, you will see my settings by choosing the 9th preset (= source 7).

Source 8 : I let you discover by yourself how I made that.

Note that I input the free gradient (source 6) to outerframe. You will find the difference.

PART II

In this part, the basis of spirograms is designed with circles. The filter contains two different spirograms with the same base (circles). For these spirograms, the main component is the free ellipse. For spirogram no 1: rotate and blend; for spirogram no 2: scale and blend.

Note that the images are also in black and white to continue with ease and get to the essential of the technique used. You can also add colors as shown in the post above.

Spirogram 1

1. Start with free ellipse with these settings : radius 0,45; origin X 0,5, origin Y 0,5; bevel at contours and squash at 50. Now connect free ellipse to source of an offset component.

2. Offset component settings : offset X 0,2, offset Y 0,14, pourcentage 100. Now connect offset component to source of rotate component.

3. All three next rotate components have the same settings : rotation 0,06; origin X 0,5, origin Y 0,5; pourcentage 100.

4. Add three blend components, all with 100 to opacity. You must connect each rotate to foreground of the blend.

5. Now connect offset component to background of the blend. Note that all the other blend must be connect to the background. (The same as we did for spirograms based on squares.) You must see 4 circles in the third blend.

6. Connect this third blend to source of a 4th rotate and to background of a 4th blend. Settings for this new rotate : rotation 0,25; origin X and Y 0,5. And connect this rotate to foreground of the 4th blend. You must see 8 circles in this last blend.

7. Now we introduce a new component called Flip with these settings : origin X and Y 0,5; and check both flip X and flip Y. Connect to source the 4th blend.

8. Finally, add a last blend (the 5th) and then connect the 4th blend to background of this last blend and flip component to foreground. connect the 5th blend to result and save your filter.

Note that all blends must be in lighten mode.

I do not post any images or filter today, but in a next post to give you the chance to make this filter by yourself.

Thanks CF.

If someone tried to create this filter, you can post it here or an image from it.
I'll put images and filter tonight. For now, just this

Here the first explanatory diagram.

Here a third explanatory diagram

Version 1 shows you this as the third spirogram. But with a new filter (coming soon)
this spiro become a variante of spiro 2.

Here the trick that I was talking about.

The only difference between this second version and the first one is in the final. When we have just 3 spirograms, it is not necessary to add a switch component. It exists another way. So in this version :

1. Add a new blend at the end of spirogram no 1 and connect the last blend of the spirogram no 1 to background of this new blend.

2. Add another blend to the end of spirogram no 2 and connect this blend to foreground of the new last blend of spirogram no 1.

3. Now use a checkbox and connect it to opacity. You have to rename this control, example : Spiro 1 / Spiro 2. This will give to users the choice between spirogram no 1 and no 2. (Refer to the filter)

4. To get a third spirogram, add a checkbox to opacity of the last new blend of spirogram no 2. (Always refer to the filter.) You have to rename this new checkbox, example : Spirogram 2 variante or what you want. This will allow users to choose between spiro 2 and its variante. You must connect the 6th blend (which was the third spiro in the version 1 of this filter) to foreground of this blend as shown in the filter.

The last blend of spirogram no 1 is connected to the result. That's it and that's all for this part III.

Here the second version of the filter

Spirograms based on circles v2.ffxml

Very good, interesting and useful!!!

Thanks very much for taking the time to make all these!!!

Second way


Create a heart with only four components:

1. free ellipse
2. free gradient
2. impulse curve connected to free gradient
4. offset to center the heart

Here the basis of this second way. Note that those 2 first ways are already known.

How to make heart 2.ffxml

4th way


Create a heart with five components and without curve:

1. free gradient
2. free polygon
2. rotate to get the heart in the good direction
4. scale to get the heart in the good size
5. threshold to get a full heart

Note that it is not necessary to add threshold if you just need the contour of the heart. The only different thing between this way and the third one is on the polygon.

As said above, you might try your own tests by changing the settings and see what is happened as result. Do not forget that each way is only a basis and not the end of the filter.

The basis of this 4th way is unknown. I have also used this 4th way for my filter Heart Effect on Photo and Image that you can see by clicking the link above.

Have fun to whom is interesting to create hearts !

How to make heart 4.ffxml

nice Gigi

5th way


Create hearts with just two components, without curve and without slider control (this 5th way was inspired by Skybase) :

1. free gradient
2. free ellipse

You will see a scale component, it's necessary for my needs. You also can see an outline for the heart... it's also for my needs. So I had to eliminate the step curve to get this outline. Before changing the bevel of the free ellipse, I saw that it was not necessary to add a step curve to get a nice full heart. Without the step curve, this leaves free the bevel in order to have the outline of the heart.

No need slider control for the start Y. Just set the free gradient at 36 to start Y. But for the outline heart, this is set to 36.

Here the 5th way

If someone else has other ideas on the subject, feel free to post your methods here. By working together we get to make things better.

How to make heart 5.ffxml

WOW! I have seen that you have added many more useful and interesting things.

Please, would you be so kind to keep teaching us about this good and cools things?

Thanks very much for sharing all this knowdlege and mini tutorials

Thansk to you and good news that you will make more tutorials, do not worry, take all the time you need and make them whenever you can and want.

These mini tutorials are very good, and now that FF 4.0 is finally fully available and that it has the new Loop component, I wonder:

1 - How would be possible to apply the loops to these tutorials above?

2 - Would be better to use the loops component or still use the filters shown above without the loops?

I have seen that Ghislaine have done this with FF 4.0 using loops

GF Spirograph and Cutout Generator