Directional Cross-Hatching

Hello Filter Forge community! I just want to start out saying I understand virtually nothing about filter forge even though I've been using it for a couple of years. I'm a big fan of what everyone is coming up with and I want in on the action. However I don't want to create or recreate something just for the sake of it...So I have a two questions. (please reference the attached image)
1.I love the basic etching filter, however I really want to create (or someone else create) a filter that can follow the contours of a shape. Is this possible to do? I want hatch lines that don't go in just a wave pattern or straight pattern, but can follow the general shape of the subject. Sort of like a displacement in photoshop would do.

2.As I mentioned I'm totally new to this. I don't know anything about programming or node based filter creating. Where can I start? I've been looking for content on youtube and here but most videos just show how to make a specific filter. Where is the best place to get a guided lesson about the basics, like what each node does? Or what the inputs mean/do?

Thanks for any help you can give me!

I modified one of my existing filters (Detail Painter) and called it Hatch Painter. Is that what you had in mind? If so email me. Derivatives nodes are used to follow the contours, then Bomber+ paints the stripes. I might release it...

Thanks Rachel! I do really like both of those filters you've shown me. I will definitely use them for future projects. But I think I am wanting something that is more of a scratchboard technique. The attached photo shows how the lines are shaped to the contours of "ben franklin's" face. Do you think this is something that can be created?

Using the Bomber+ technique this is the best I can do The hatching does not line up that well, but it looks interesting. I'll let you guys vote. If you think this is worthy of release, I will release it...

here is a 5 min filter, totally unrefined, but might give you some idea/direction you could play with

hey Mardar

Rachel- thanks for showing your progress. I can totally see how this could get there. I don’t know how of course, but I think there is something special there.
Mardar- thank you. Yes! I had seen this one and think it’s fantastic. It still gives me some of the issues that the etching filter does. I think it is just a more evolved version of actually. I did manage to combine this with another filter I like for a fun painterly effect but I’m going to keep at it.
Carl- awesome filter. I haven’t seen this one before but It certainly gives me another jumping off point. I will try to let my baby brain play with this for a while. If anything happens, I’ll share on this post.

A completely different method, very experimental at this point.

For less clutter I'm moving my experimenting to Chaos Fields.

@Rachel looking interesting

Bit of fiddling to get it looking better

well last one, [ hard to stop once you start developing a filter ] developed a better way of displacement where the lines don't tangle

I like that last example Rachel. Does it look as good on a black and white photo.

Carl your last example is getting more refined. I like it.

Rachel that is nice on B&W.I was playing with Carls filter he shared here and came up with this little panda cubbie.

Great. I'm looking forward to Rachel's release and yours Carl.

I do love pandas. I'm obsessed with the furry little critters. They are my spirit animal.... round and slow moving just like me. Ha Ha.

Hi
Welcome to FF!

To get hatching to follow the geometry of an image, you will need to somehow feed it something that told it what kind of underlying geometry was there. (Since it's too hard to get it to recognize shapes, the way a human would). A normal map essentially IS that geometry - so if you had one, you could feed it the normal map + the image, then distort or rotate the hatching based on the normals.

There are tools out there that can look at an image and try to figure out what the normals would look like.
https://dreamlight.com/how-to-create-n...otographs/ If you are taking photos yourself. Uses: https://filterforge.com/filters/14597.html
http://www.2deegameart.com/p/sprite-dlight.html Inexpensive basic thing.
http://boundingboxsoftware.com/materialize/
http://www.crazybump.com/
https://www.substance3d.com/products/s...alchemist/ (the 'delighter')

There is even a guy who *hand paints* normal maps. Which is ... awesome.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bi6eMi4dgwU


You might check out modifying my CutlineV18 filter: https://www.filterforge.com/filters/9503.html
It has a setting where color in the input image *rotates* the underlying hatch direction.