From Filter Forge Wiki

Contents 1 THE UNOFFICIAL FEATURE WISHLIST 1.1 Introduction 1.2 Quotes 1.3 Let's get started! 2 GENERAL 2.1 Animation 2.2 Batch Render 2.3 Paint 2.4 Particles 2.5 Plug-Ins 2.6 SDK 2.7 Misc 3 RENDERING ARCHITECTURE 3.1 General 3.2 New Filter Types 3.3 Seamless Tiling 3.4 Lighting & Shadows 3.5 Render Maps 4 PHOTOSHOP INTEGRATION 5 MAIN UI 5.1 General Usability 5.2 Filter Browser 5.3 Randomizer 5.4 Filter Presets 5.5 Filter Info Tab 5.6 Lighting 6 FILTER EDITOR 6.1 General UI 6.2 Node-Network Editing 6.3 Filter Controls 6.4 Order of Controls Form 6.5 Filter Properties 7 COMPONENTS 7.1 General 7.2 New Component Types 7.3 Adjustment Components 7.4 Channel Components 7.5 External Components 7.6 Gradient Components 7.7 Noise Components 7.8 Pattern Components 7.9 Processing Components 7.10 Curve & Curve Ops Components 7.11 Controls 8 FILTER LIBRARY 8.1 General 8.2 Filter Pages 8.3 Filter Comment Threads 8.4 Filter Author Pages 9 FORUMS 10 Footnotes

THE UNOFFICIAL FEATURE WISHLIST

Introduction

Welcome! The following list was compiled from threads in the feature request forum. Naturally, the list contains only 'open' feature requests (i.e. those not implemented yet), and only those feature requests that the FF team has commented on in some way have been included (plus those of monumental importance they chose to not comment on). A 'feature assessment by FF team' has been added in parenthesis behind each feature request. Most entries have been 'clickified' to conveniently guide you to the relevant discussion threads. Note that this is an unofficial feature wishlist -- 'The List^TM' - as it is known on the forums - remains undisclosed.

DISCLAIMER: No liability is assumed for correctness or completeness.

Quotes

Here are some general quotes on feature requests, to introduce you to some Filter Forge design philosophy...

"Any operation that is not unique for Filter Forge and can be done with other tools automatically gets a lower priority on our to-do list."
-- Vladimir Golovin

"We prefer to spend our resources on adding things that cannot be done in other software, rather than reinventing the wheel by adding stuff that can be done with thousands of other programs, many of them free."
-- Vladimir Golovin

"Entities should not be multiplied beyond necessity."
-- William of Ockham

"I don't like to think in terms of 'features' -- I usually concentrate on systems that make features possible. Systems are the core, features are a byproduct."
-- Vladimir Golovin

Let's get started!

Enough talking already. Here comes the list...

GENERAL

Animation

• Animation capability. (Often requested, After Effects plugin preferable?) [1][2][3]

Batch Render

• Simple keyframing & Batch render. (Painfully often requested, After Effects plugin preferable?) [4]

Paint

• Spline/Vector paint. (Not planned)

Particles

See 'Bombers' under New Component Types.

Plug-Ins

• 3D application plug-in (3dsmax/maya/xsi/cinema4d/...). (Considered) [5][6][7][8]
• OpenFX standard conforming plugin for compositing systems. (?) [9]
• Compositing application plug-in (After Effects/combustion/...). (Considered) [10][11]

SDK

• SDK for coding components. (Not planned, but Scripting support considered) [12][13]

Misc

• OpenGL/DirectX preview window showing combined filter maps on a 3D sphere/cube. (Considered, low priority) [14]
• Compile .8bf files from FF filters. (Abandon all hope all ye who request this! No cushions for you!) [15]
• Random filter generation. (Not very likely to happen ever! We hates it, we hates it,'dem crappy filters!) [16]

RENDERING ARCHITECTURE

General

• Unclamped float pipeline (Non-clipped HDRI). (Planned, likely in v2.0) [17]
• Multi-pass rendering. (Postponed for future releases)
• Render region. (Considered) [18]
• More Anti-Aliasing kernels. (Considered) [19]
• Sample Render Diagnostics. (?) [20]

New Filter Types

[ note that currently there are 'Simple' and 'Surface' type filters! ]

• Hair/Fur filter type. (Planned, low priority) [21]
• Toon filter type. (Unlikely) [22]

Seamless Tiling

"Speaking seriously, [...] to introduce non-seamless components we'll need to redesign the internals, the website and the interface in order to accomodate the concept of non-seamless filters."
-- Vladimir Golovin

• Locking texture edges for producing tile-sets. (?) [23]
• Global Force Seamless Tiling on/off option. (Planned, low priority) [24]
• Support for non-seamless filters. (Currently planned for version 2.0) [25][26][27][28][29]

Lighting & Shadows

• Direct Lighting (Phong-based multiple point lighting). (Already there, UI for point lights will be added in future releases.) [30][31][32][33]
• Shadows via Ambient Occlusion. (Prototyped, but very slow) [34]
• Hard Shadows. (Unlikely, very expensive to render) [35]

Render Maps

• Transparency map (Inverted Alpha). (Considered) [36]
• Self-Illumination map. (Planned) [37]
• Export/save multiple render maps at once. (Planned) [38]
• Custom Render Maps/Outputs. (Considered) [39]

PHOTOSHOP INTEGRATION

• Support for more than one PS layer. (Not supported in Adobe Photoshop SDK v6.0, which is used for compatability) [40]

MAIN UI

General Usability

• Menu option to revert to default image (lifesaver). (Planned) [41][42]
• Drag & Drop images into the filter preview window as a fast way to 'open image'. (Planned) [43]
• Open current render as external image. (?) [44]
• Ability to rename filter/edit filter info without launching editor. (?) [45]
• Undo/Redo for the Main program window! (Planned) [46]
• Numeric fields should show more digits. (Planned) [47]
• Numeric fields should support basic arithmetic operations. (suggestion didn't go down particularly well.) [48]
• Display filename of currently loaded image. (Planned) [49]

Filter Browser

• Collapse Filter browser to make room for Filter controls. (?) [50]
• Customizable 'MyFilters' category including sub-folders. (?) [51]
• Set location of 'MyFilters' folder. (?)

Randomizer

• More randomizer fine-control (decouple randomizable items to allow for all possible combinations). (Planned) [52]
• Locking controls to exclude them from randomization. (Planned, low priority) [53][54]

Filter Presets

• Ability to name presets. (Planned) [55]
• Reorder presets via drag & drop. (?) [56]
• More than 20 factory presets per filter. (Considered) [57]

Filter Info Tab

• Make author's name a hyperlink to 'All filters of that author' page. (Planned) [58]

Lighting

• Ability to choose, omit, and set parameters of all lighting schemes to be used in ramdomization. (?)
• Ability to set parameters of lighting controls and include with filter controls. (?)

FILTER EDITOR

General UI

• Large Preview. (Considered) [59]
• Ability to minimize program window when in Filter Editor view. (Planned) [60]

Node-Network Editing

• Drag&Drop component into an existing connection between two nodes, automatically connecting inputs/outputs. (Planned) [61][62]
• Lift component from a connection without destroying the data stream. (Planned) [63]
• Switch foreground/background inputs of blend via hotkey. (Planned) [64]
• Mute/Passthrough mode for components. (?) [65][66]
• Locking components from editing (paramter values, connections, position). (?) [67][68]
• Component Grouping / Subroutines. (Planned, high priority, likely to be in v2.0) [69][70][71][72][73]
• Push-pin/null/pass-thru component to 'bend' connections. (Considered) [74][75]
• Double-click slider title on the settings tab to quickly locate coresponding component. (Planned) [76][77]
• Add components via dropdown menu or context menu. (Overhaul of component panel planned)
• Highlight outgoing connections of selected component. (Considered). [78]

Filter Controls

• Control ghosting (disabling) for 'inactive/unused' controls (i.e. controls on inactive switch branches). (Planned, low priority) [79][80]
• Separators between controls (via 'Order of Controls' form). (Considered)
• Dividing the Filter Controls into sub-categories. (?)

Order of Controls Form

• Support drag & drop. (Planned) [81]
• Select multiple controls to move them at once. (Planned) [82]

Filter Properties

• Disable 'Size, pixels' control slider on Filter Settings tab. (Considered) [83]
• Disable 'Variation' control slider on Filter Settings tab. (Considered) [84]
• Disable 'Randomizer' (or certain kinds of randomization) on Filter Settings tab. (Considered) [85]

COMPONENTS

General

• Collapsing/minimizing components. (Prototyped, tested and rejected) [86]
• Ability to set component presets (default values). (Planned, low priority) [87]
• Selection of color ranges. (Considered)
• Comments/Notes component. (Planned, low priority) [88][89]
• Expression/Script component. (Considered) [90][91][92]
• Math Functions for Map & Curve Components. (Planned) [93]
• Update selected obsolete component (while keeping connections and remappings intact) as a component context-menu option. (Considered) [94]
• Update all obsolete components in a filter option. (Considered) [95]

New Component Types

• Bomber components (i.e. particle placement components). (Planned) [96][97][98][99]
• Bomber particles and particle trails acting on image- and gradient-based forcefields. (Considered) [100]

Adjustment Components

-/-

Channel Components

• Color Math (arithmetic channel operations). (Planned) [101]

External Components

• Frame component enhancements: NGon corners, asymmetrical frames, square fit. (?) [102]
• Image component: Ability to load more than one source image into a filter. (Planned) [103]
• Image component: Embedding external images into filters. (Not going to happen!) [104][105]

Gradient Components

• 'Fixed' and 'Proportional' options for gradients (i.e. options to make gradients independent of 'Size, pixels' and Image Aspect). (Considered) [106]
• More Gradients (radial, angle, diamond, box). (probably on low priority, as they can be assembled using other components) [107]
• Angular/Radial Gradient. (Considered, issues with Seamlessness) [108]

Noise Components

• More Noise Types. (Unlikely. You can make tons of noises by using profile inputs, input mapping, noise distortion, etc.) [109]
• Noise types that are much more regular variants of the standard perlin/worley types. (didn't appear to go down well!) [110]
• Probability Maps for Worley-based noises. (Unlikely for noises, but maybe for Bombers) [111]

Pattern Components

"Our codebase for pattern components is currently based on rounded rectangles, and to introduce hexagonal tiling (or any tiling based on non-rectangular polygons) will require a new codebase. We'll probably rewrite it in the future, but this is currently a low-priority item."
-- Vladimir Golovin

• Fractal Generators. (Planned, deemed highly desirable, though possible issues with seamlessness) [112][113][114]
• L-System generator component. (?) [115]
• Maze component. (?) [116]
• More Tilings. (Considered) [117]
• NGon/Star shape and geometric primitives generator. (Planned, likely to be introduced alongside bombers) [118][119]
• Pipes/Tubes generator component. (?) [120]
• Spiral/Vortex component. (?) [121]
• Text (or Typography Module). (Considered, likely to be introduced alongside bombers) [122]
• Truchet Tiling generator. (Considered) [123]

Processing Components

• Blur, Mapped (aka 'Depth Blur'). (Planned and already prototyped, but slow) [124][125]
• Blur, Radial. (?) [126]
• Blur, Smart (i.e. egde preserving). (Considered)
• Blur, Wind. (Planned) [127]
• Color Regions component (various modes). (Considered, but technically difficult) [128]
• Derivative (???) component. (Planned) [129]
• Erode/Dilate filter (Minimum/Maximum). (Planned) [130]
• Find/Detect Edges filter (Sobel). (Planned) [131][132][133]
• Gridwarp. (No word from devs. Issues with seamlessness?) [134]
• Illumination/Lighting component. (Considered early on, but has been scrapped due to usability/learnability design decisions) [135]
• Keyer (luma/chroma). (?)
• Median filter. (Planned) [136][137]
• Multiblend with blend modes. (Not going to happen because UI to unwieldy)
• Offset, Absolute. (Planned) [138]
• Pixelize, 'True' (i.e. averaging an entire 'square' vs. sampling a single pixel from it). (Considered) [139]
• Polar Coordinates transformation (and the reverse). (Considered) [140]
• Rotate. (Considered, issues with seamlessness) [141]
• Reflection component. (Considered early on, but has been scrapped due to usability/learnability design decisions) [142]
• Repeat. (Considered, speed issues) [143]
• Scale. (Considered, issues with seamlessness & bitmap based components)
• Shadow component. (See Illumination/Lighting above) [144]
• Switch, Conditional Logic. (Planned, low priority) [145]
• Switch, Per-pixel. (Considered) [146]

Curve & Curve Ops Components

• Bezier Curve (i.e. user editable curve type). (Planned, but requires serious architectural redesign) [147]
• Arc-curve that extends past 90 deg (Lamé curve). (Planned) [148]
• Inverse Sine Curve. (?) [149]

Controls

• Math for controls. (Planned) [150]
• Slider with biased value distribution. (Planned, low priority) [151]
• List Control/Dropdown selector for dropdown menues. (Put on hold, possibly scrapped? Suggest again and you'll definitely get no cushions!) [152]
• Ability to customize value ranges of sliders appearing on the Filter Control Tab. (?)

FILTER LIBRARY

General

• Redesign of categories into a tag-based system. (Considered, categories WILL get redesign eventually)
• Quality Coefficients for authors i.e. ratio of submitted filters to popular filters and editor's picks. (Considered) [153]

Filter Pages

• Photo gallery for filters. (Considered) [154]
• Include author name along with filter title. (Considered)
• Rendering Speed Classification for Library Filter showing on filter details page. (Considered, but unlikely) [155]

Filter Comment Threads

• Grant filter author control over "Comments on Filters" thread. (Unlikely) [156]
• "Comments on Filters" thread title should update when filter name is changed. (Planned)

Filter Author Pages

[aka "All Filters by this author"]

• Introduce 'Featured', 'Popular', 'Recent', 'All Filters by Category' and 'Snippet' tabs, similar to Filter Library. (Redesign/Improvements planned) [157]
• 'Add This Author to Favorite Authors' & 'Ignore Filters by This Author' options. (Considered) [158]
• 'Download All Filters By This Author' option. (Considered) [159]

FORUMS

• Customizable Timezones (per-account) for the forums. [160]
• Polls feature. (Unlikely) [161]

Footnotes

Original list compiled by Crapadilla. Feel free to contribute!