random filter generation (in editor)

This might spark a bit more creativity in the community if there was a feature to "randomly connect features together to create "random" filters. Within the editor there could be controls to regulate the amount of mutation like in filters themselves. This would allow Filter Forge to offer a competitive feature to Texture Maker which sports both "GenWitch" and "GenTex".

Since Filter Forge can act as a plugin I expect it will play nicely with Texture Maker.. allowing for far far greater texture generation power.

Interesting idea.

The only thing I don't like about that is it would encourage ignorance in regards to how the various components work. Instead of learning what they do and how you can utilize them, people would just open up the editor and click "randomize" until something cool popped up in the preview pane.

Not sure I like the idea of having tons of crappy randomly-generated filters in our submit queue

Hey I hear you brother maybe with that I stand a chance at a popular or editors pick as well

boy, i hope that was sarcasm, james. otherwise, you're in for a bit of disappointment... i think. better read vlad's response again

And a randomize feature doesn't exactly mean lots of crappy filters either More like more original features and more chances for unique starting points for filter building.

Torely wrote:

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...(think of the "dice" that Flaming Pear has in a number of their plugins)...

This reminded me of something... It might be nice if you could lock some of the sliders so that when you hit "Next Variant" those locked sliders remain the same, while the others randomly change.

ssamm, i requested the lock sliders quite a while back. i've really got to get you guys to start reading the early posts

an infinite number of chimps, typing on an infinite number of typewriters for infinity would eventually come up with the complete works of william shakespeare. yup, this is an oldie. it could be done, but the code would get so bloated for so little gain, i'm pretty sure this would be a pretty weird addition.

however, it might be possible to do with a third party app, like ken is doing on some things with the ffxml files. set up a third party program and feed a filter file into it and voila', new settings. this would make more sense to me than incorporating it into FF itself.

but, to me, the whole is rather uninspiring. the fun of FF is in the creation. getting to know how things work and what all the components do and plugging this into that and coming up with something new and unique on one's own, is far more pleasing than an automated filter grinder.

and that's not to say that randomization doesnt have its place. it does. i use the randomize button all the time and often come up with my presets that way on large, multi-filters i make. it's like christmas and opening up a package and being surprised and elated at what's there.

so, that sounds like a conflict, perhaps, and maybe it is, even. but somehow just automating the entire thing just doesnt appeal. automating some aspects is different.