Ideas for Filter Forge

Regarding the a) part -- I have a feeling that we will have to redesign the Filter Library completely. We just need some time to understand what problems the current implementation has.

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Lucato wrote: In the presets tab, would be interesting if we could give a name for each preset.

Yes, optional names for presets are already on our list.

there's another growing problem with the searching for filters that is only going to get worse as the list of available filters grows. some categories are starting to get big, with lots of filters in the file tree. adding an alias system to the file tree would help us sort filters the way we want them and not just by how the server sorts them. this is no slur on the way it's currently being done, but everyone tends to want to sort things differently. currently, there is no way for the user to do this. we are simply stuck with whatever order the server gives us the filters.

just as a simple example, let's say there are 5 'wood' filters and i want to be able to put all those filters into my file tree under 'Wood'. i cant do that currently. the best i can do is leave them as is or put them in 'my favorites'. but, as the list of filters grows, 'my favorites' is going to get very crowded and so are some of the server categories.

when i say an 'alias' file tree, i simply mean an area of the file system that allows the user to re-name and re-order the filter file system, but still leaves the current system intact. so, instead of just having 'my favorites' and 'my filters' in the user part of the current system, you would be able to add your own categories and 'alias' the names from the main FF system. you're not renaming the filters; you are simply making a copy of the name down in your own user-ordered file tree.

and, it would be best if this user file system could have sub-folders as well.

craig

Ideas for Filter Forge (Main interface)...

d) When selected 'My filters' we would have in the menu 'View' the options:
- 'View Only Already uploaded'
- 'View Only Not uploaded'
- 'View all My Filters'

e) (coming soon)

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Vladimir Golovin wrote: The biggest problem with the community-based approach... ...and select the "fittest" ones without any editorial control. This is my number one task at the moment

Wow, is It possible with no human inspection? Hehehe. Just kidiing.

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On a tactical level, one of the biggest problems is the rendering bandwidth (we need to render all preview images before we can upload the filter to the Library and on the web).

Talking about rendering all preview/bandwidth/time I think FF Team would cut the render of the variations and maps. I mean, just keep the actual main page of the filter showing only the main render and thumbs of the variations and maps. So, It would reduce 9 renders plus the maps plus html pages! And show the seamless of the main image when clicked on the link. If a member/User/Customer want to see the other variations rendered large, well, render by themselves. Btw, the large one would have a FF watermark.
Another suggestion would be when user want to submit a filter, He/She should render the 512x512 pixels and send/upload the JPG together his/her submittion. So, Automatically would get the Presets generated by the member instead of FF create new ones. Well, the problem here you will need a human inspection in this case to check if the JPG was really an image from the filter or any other image. Maybe when submitting a filter the FF would send the 660x600 rendered from the 'Default' preset. So, even user has used another image, when submitting it would render the original. Hmmm, maybe not, it can make the effect different. Well, I really don't know, just launching some thoughts.

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Lucato wrote: Another suggestion would be when user want to submit a filter, He/She should render the 512x512 pixels and send/upload the JPG together his/her submittion. So, Automatically would get the Presets generated by the member instead of FF create new ones. Well, the problem here you will need a human inspection in this case to check if the JPG was really an image from the filter or any other image.

The rendering of the preview should become an automated part of the submission process and it should happen on the user's machine. Especially because it might take some time to render this it will have a "Darwinian" effect as people will think twice before submitting an especially slow rendering effect. Also because the submission process would take longer than it takes currently people will take even more care in the preparation of their filters in order not to have to update too often.

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Lucato wrote: e) Filter over filter: Maybe would be interesting if the stand alone would get to keep the previous filter applied and apply a new one over It. I mean, we would get to apply one filter and after that apply another one over the 1st filter result. Maybe a checkbox Like "[ ] Over filter". So, if It isn't marked, when you apply a filter you will apply a new one.

lucato, you really have to start reading all the posts. i already suggested that one, as well as having a dual image input.

craig

Ideas for Filter Forge (Main interface)...

f) Maybe it was already mentioned, but when using FF as a filter for PS or other, after clicking on APPLY, It would ask if we want to keep FF opened or close It. Every time I want to aplly a different filter I need to wait FF open up all again.

g) It should be cool if in the "folders" (Building, Misc, Organic...My Filters) we could sort the textures/filters By Date (approved or uploaded) or Alphabetical as is it today. Maybe a RMB and get a context menu with sort order. So we would view the textures by date or alphabetically.

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Lucato wrote: h) In the FILE menu under "New image...", we would have an option "Revert to default image", so it would load up the Default.bmp file into FF.

Yes, thought about this myself. I'm adding this to the list.

Yup Kraellin, I know that, but the suggestion was just to make things easier without searching the file but just clicking on menu.

----Having filter makers choose their own keywords is alright for a start, but that could/should be editable by all users, to change/add, keywords. Kind of a filter wiki type thinger. I know I sometimes over-do my (number of) keywords, and maybe don't put some that are more relevant to what the filter does (or doesn't do). Ultimately, more interaction in a broader scale, is the way of the internet in general, but does that work long term, too early to tell, so it's just an idea meanwhile eh.
----Also, having an archive of filters that get updated, and just automatically tagging them v2, V3, etc, and having all previous versions available, might be an idea worth considering, especially since filters are so tiny in filesize that it wouldn't add to any server traffic/usage hardly at all. More of a filing system issue if anything (extra work that is).

jffe

Ideas for Filter Forge (Main interface)...

i) In the "File" menu under "Save image as..." we would have an option "Batch process..." where it would save at once the selected presets. Maybe it would open up a new window asking stuffs as Save Folder, File Format, File name string and sequence number.

j) Still in the file menu we wound have an option where we would save all presets selected as one only image. Let's suppose I select 12 presets and slect FILE/SAVE AS ONE IMAGE... and a pop-up would show up to select the # of columns by lines. Let's say I've picked 4x3 prests, and FF will generate one large image with the 4 columns presets by 4 lines presets with a small white* distance between them. * Maybe we could select the color background and reduce the size or keep the original size. So, in this case if each preset had 600x600 pixels the FF will generate an image with 2430 pixels x 1824 pixels (6 pixels of distance between presets and borders)

k) Coming soon...

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Lucato wrote: i) In the "File" menu under "Save image as..." we would have an option "Batch process..." where it would save at once the selected presets. Maybe it would open up a new window asking stuffs as Save Folder, File Format, File name string and sequence number.

I think the majority of graphics editors support batch automation. For example, in Photoshop you can record a macro that includes a Filter Forge filter and then feed the macro into the batch processor which will take care of file naming and numbering, target directories etc.

Hey Vlad, how is it going? I hope everybody had a great Easter Time.

Vlad

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Vladimir Golovin wrote: I think the majority of graphics editors support batch automation. For example, in Photoshop you can record a macro that includes a Filter Forge filter and then feed the macro into the batch processor which will take care of file naming and numbering, target directories etc.

Well Vlad, I'm sorry but I think Macros won't work once you can't say to the Macro how to get the 2nd, 3rd, 4th or random pick presets from FilterForge. Who uses Photoshop Elements and others won't get to use macros. Besides that, as FilterForge can works as stand alone as I use most of the times, it would be a great addiction get to save/render at once (Batch) all selected presets we have selected into FF.

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Vladimir Golovin wrote: Not sure what you mean here -- the number of rendered pixels in relation to the total number of pixels?

Nope Vlad, what I meant was the actual size of image (whole image) Eg. If I've in stand alone/other setted 1024x1024, it would show up on the side of the progress bar the size of the image -> 1024x1024 pixels. And don't forget to make FF get to keep the latest used size when opening FF again.

Vlad, what about the item "j)" would that be possible to add? That would help a lot.

Best wishes,
Lucato

I see Vlad. Who know in the future. Vlad, I'm sorry I don't know ACDSee, but what is the album/gallery functionality connection with FF genarating all presets as only one image? Does ACDSee do it? I didn't get to understand this part of your comment.

It looks like ACDSee has better contact sheet functionality than my current fave, XnView! I'll check it out (I'd really like to use it for my textures), thanks for the tip, Vladimir!

Ideas for Filter Forge (Main interface)...

n) In the presets tab, FF would allow us to drag & drop the presets to get to sort them the way we want to;

o) The default image is 600x600 when we open FF. If we set the new image as 1800x1800, it keeps this value in the NEW IMAGE pop-up next time we open up FF. When we open FF again, it opens as 600x600 instead of opening the kept value. I think it is due FF opens the Default.bmp file. Well, it would be cool if next time we open up FF, it would open the image as the size saved in the new image pop-up. Maybe we would have a checkbox in the "Options" to pick "Open always the default image" or "Open always the new image";

p) Coming soon...

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MicheleA wrote: As someone who only uses filters -- owner of a basic edition -- the one thing that would improve FF for me is to have a way to keep the "Show Original" box permanently checked.

Just to let you know, the full acts the same way.

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MicheleA wrote: I did look in the options menu for this, but didn't see anything. It's not a major problem, only a bit of a nuisance when I'm browsing through filters, especially since I have a lot of them. Sometimes I simply want to look over the presets, not apply the default filter every time I click on one.

I see what you mean. Good request MicheleA. This way you don't need to wait to render the larger preview to start to render the small presets thumbnails and so on. Yup, maybe FF by default would get the 'Show Original' as checked and just render the preview when we click on a preset.

All kinds of good ideas, Lucato!!! Hopefully most of them will make it into V2.....but I've learned not to hold my breath here.....

Ideas for Filter Forge (Main interface)...

q) In the "About Filter Forge" window, it would have a new tab "History" with all updates info from the previous versions;

r) When Installing Filter Forge and selecting plug-ins/softwares, it would have a browse button to pick where we want to install the FF plug-in. Some users don't have theirs plug-ins folders in the default software folders.

s) Coming soon...

I really like the user render option. I kinda was surprised when I first found out that the rendering was done at your end. I don't think it would be all that cumbersome for me to click a 'render for upload' button and wait while it renders out all the presets and other channel examples. I understand that for more complex filters this could be a task measured in hours, but I'd simply click render and go to bed to find my filters all ready to upload in the morning. The simple way I suppose would be to add a checkbox to the filter editor panel "ready for upload", then two options could be available for upload, 'render this filter' and 'render all filter'.

This rendering could even be available as an idle task. Why not have pre-rendered samples attached to all presets? I'm often frustrated with having to wait while complex filters render, only for me to see which one I'm looking at. then, when you render the filter with new settings you could be presented with the options 'save as image' and a new one, 'make this image preset'. When clicked the new button would save the new render scaled (if required)to the standard preview size and format.

I see two benefits with this system over the current setup. One, it removes the added burden on company resources, which then could be allocated to the Filter Forge app's development and two, it speeds up the whole filter community 'darwinian' process which is nice for filter builders.

I had written a bunch about animation and multiple bitmaps, but after finding them on the wishlist... Suffice to say that I REALLY want both features. I'm an animator and to use FF for creating animated textures would be heaven! The multiple bitmap feature just makes FF more capable and more powerful creating photographic textures for CG. (huge market)

Ideas for Filter Forge (Main interface)...

s) When we call the "About..." in the "Help" menu, Filter Forge would have a new tab called "History Changes" with a list of all Updates, Additions and Fixes from the actual and previous versions;

t) Coming soon...