Dev Diary

[Taron]

Oh, o.k. then... here's a little Zero inspired quicky!

It wasn't all that quick to make a gear in the first place, but hey... only reminds me of what else we'll eventually want in Verve!

The blue guys, by the way, are Brush #9 with the gear image!

looks very great, and nice trails, the orange trail reminds me like a body from a worm or snake

very good news for calligraphy paint trails shapes and sequences shape .. T* .. and for all canvas events!

[Taron]

Yeah, I think there's really a whole new world of Verving in the upcoming release.
Presently, though, I'm fighting with all the effects of my fundamental changes as well as preparing something pretty exciting for myself, too, but it means A LOT OF WORK, really. Thus far I've had an interface graphics generation phase, which was basically the result of writing the generation of specific interface elements, painstakingly arranging them and writing down numbers... all that jazz. NOW, though, I've written (or have started successfully to write) a literally self-generating interface. I'm just saying which button I want on what main element of the interface and it will generate its own images automatically. That's kind of cool, of course, hehe, but I'm not entirely done, yet. Not to mention that I'll have to redo the whole interface and as I'm doing that, I'll most certainly go for the next generation already... it's almost like I'm passed the point of no return, as they'd say. As cool as it might be, it also means quite a bit of a longer wait for you all to get the next round.
Maybe I'll manage to have just one section new with the brush image section and leave the rest as it has been, just so you get to enjoy this crazy stuff already. It's soooooooo freaking amazing, you have no idea how hard it is for me to hold this back from you, honestly.
I'm VERY happy about holding it back, though, because I keep discovering funky crap as well as additional ideas that take it up notch by notch. I thought it was cool when I started with it and it was only a fraction of its current coolness, hahaha...ha....eh....anyway. It's coming...yeah, I think I'll do a little temp version for you as soon as I have the new interface piece.

Dear Taron. Every time I have free time I really like to see your forum and read your comments! That is very nice of you that we can read what is in the progress and the steps you are doing!

..Maybe there are people who like to experiment a lot and the rest likes to use Verve more conventionaly for "classical" paintings. What do you thing about to have an option that switch two interfaces: the first complex with all knobs you mentioned and the second one with easier approach for the beginners and for users that use Verve for "digital oil or aquarel" paintings Does it sound reasonably for you Taron?

[Taron]

YES, IT DOES! (scream for joy) ...that is EXACTLY what I had planned all along, too, and I keep thinking about a name for the switch, hahaha!
Maybe I do make a gear or a chemical thingy, suggesting it's a laboratory?!

But in my head there spooks around a new concept for the fluids, too, and I'll have to see, if that was still fast enough. It would add quite a bit of data, but it would allow for each color/paint to have its own properties, such as fluidity, material look and so on. Not sure, yet. It's tricky. I've done some of it in a different experiment, giving each paint its own shading properties, which is kinda cool, but not as spectacular as one might think.

Anyway, I'm wrestling a little with focus as I try to think up the new interface logic. So many things that factor into that, it's staggering. On one hand it's about a decent generic approach to all general gadgets such as triggers, toggles, dials, sliders, pulldowns, scroll fields and such. On the other hand they have to be flexible enough to be at any shape, if so required and fulfill various functions. But maybe I can simplify a bit more, have to evolve my thinking in that area some more.
It's an exciting process, but I am getting a bit old I have to notice... ...tough to keep too many things in my mind at any given time. That's programming for ya'.

Thank you Taron. Good news!
Yes, laboratory button sounds good! Or advanced or experimental mode maybe..

If I start to develope an application I first try to split all work into smaller tasks and think about the interface because it seems to be a good description how the code should be structured and what is needed to complete.
You have implemented the important gadgets: triggers and dials. If I can suggest maybe you can start to create some temporary interface version using current gadgets you have. I know all gadgets you mentioned are really cool to have but for the testing purposes they don´t play important role.

If you describe the functionality that you want to implement for the interface we can assist and suggest some ideas?

[Taron]

Thanks, Lemi! Those are the right thoughts for sure! You wouldn't believe the amount and depth of different disciplines I'm jumping to and from the entire time. It's nuts, haha. ...as I'm thinking about how to optimize the use of image fragments to create certain gadgets, I may start Verve to ponder and imagine while doodling around and suddenly I notice either a problem or a really cool idea...then, distracted by that, I wonder about how I could implement that, or even give it a quick try. Then I wonder where I should put that option, what it should be associated with and how such access could be elegantly arranged. Then I notice some other issue, all the while thinking about more fundamental improvements and eeeehhhhhahaa..... BRAINS!
So, yeah, it's big, haha!
But it's also the charm of it all, you know.
I just realized that I really want control over how an image sequence can be played.
For example...
Play:

• infinite loop
• one shot

Play direction:

• forwards
• backwards
• ping pong
• random

Play behavior (next step based on):

• current brush size length along the stroke
• fixed length along the stroke
• pen pressure (index into sequence, pressure divided by amount of images in sequence)
• brush direction (degree divided by amount of images in sequence)
• fixed time interval
• proximity to given locations (That might be fun!?)
• OR ANY COMBINATION OF THOSE (omg)

So I have all these ideas that could be really, really awesome!
Then I have to think of a way to create an approachable interface for that. Then I have to figure out, whether this belongs in a brush interface or could be associated with image sequences independently from any specific brush... or both (I think, both possibilities might want to exist?! Maybe like a choice in the brush interface to use image sequence default or override it!?)
How big can I allow this interface to be... how big should the gadgets be.... what about numeric input... tons and tons of stuff to think about, before going at anything that could compromise one of those decisions, you know.

I think, once I'm in the groove, I'll come to a decent intuition again. But I have to watch out that I don't jump the gun, as they say, and start implementing the wrong things at the wrong time.
I'm having to get away from the old interface gradually and must be careful not to weave something of it into the new paradigm, because it could cause plenty of trouble. It's been a little wicked already and I had to track down consequences of my new system, which were often pretty surprising. The new system, though, will be A LOT CLEANER!

[Taron]

UH, based on pen pressure is fun!

Hi Taron
No doubt it is a bottomless pit of complexity you are wrestling with…and yet at the end of the day it must be a simple intuitive interface for it to be usable. I am not an interface designer but I have worked with a vast array of software over the years and I am very sensitive to this issue. Im still amazed at how poorly some of the most common software is presented. Photoshop and illustrator for example are in mho some of the most bloated and redundant interfaces I have seen. This is most evident when I try to teach photoshop to others.

Having said that….there are a few programs out there that have made me smile with delight at their cleverness and simplicity.
For example my wife uses Rhino 3d to make jewellery and it is an ocean of icons and possibilities that will make your brain spin…yet one of the original creators of Rhino has built a new program called MOI which is model of simplicity itself yet carries the vast majority of functionionality and it is all accessible with a tablet pen. I was up and running in an hour and it still makes me smile.

But in terms of painting…. one of the most elegant I have seen is Savage Creatives PROCREATE painting software. You are probably familiar with it but if not I suggest having a look…it is for a tablet but brilliant nonetheless…or perhaps because of that very reason. The presentation and breakdown of the brush system is the best Ive seen…simple, clear and consistent across all brushes including the erasers….and absolutely minimal.

I will be the first to admit I know nothing of these matters except how they feel at the user end. But I do know it easy to lose site of the forest for the trees. What you have created already is breathtaking. Avoid brain freeze! lol
s