Dec 19

Visualists Rejoice! While we may hold great deal of visual tools available to us through software and hardware, sometime you come across something that captures your imagination and gives you a new techniques based on the presented flexibility of freeform that those maybe are. Alchemy is exactly that!

alchemy

The Alchemy Interface

Alchemy is an open drawing project aimed at exploring how we can sketch, draw, and create on computers in new ways. Alchemy isn’t software for creating finished artwork, but rather a sketching environment that focuses on the absolute initial stage of the creation process. Experimental in nature, Alchemy lets you brainstorm visually to explore an expanded range of ideas and possibilities in a serendipitous way.

Modules

Alchemy consists of a growing number of ‘modules’ that can be added or removed at will. Using a given module you can do things like:

  • Shout at the computer. Use your voice to control the width of a line or the form of a shape.
  • Draw ‘blind’. Turn off the canvas display and explore what shapes emerge from the ‘darkness’.
  • Create random shapes. Generate shapes that can be used as a starting point for characters, spaceships, or whatever shape you see in the ‘clouds’.
  • Mirror draw. Draw mirrored symmetrical forms in realtime.
  • Capture real colour. Use your web camera as a live colour palette.
  • Randomise. Mess up and distort shapes.

Global Features

Other global features place focus on the ‘process’ of drawing, letting you do things like:

  • Record a drawing ’session’. Automatically save the contents of the canvas to a page in a PDF file at set intervals.
  • Auto-clear the canvas. Start drawing on a clean slate at set intervals. Force yourself to start over fresh.
  • Switch the canvas. Automatically open your sketch in a more ‘conventional’ drawing application, either as a bitmap or vector file.
  • Avoid distraction. Alchemy has a very minimal interface, just a simple toolbar that dissapears magically, and a fullscreen mode to block everything else out.

Download
http://al.chemy.org/download/

Please watch the Videos:


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Dec 18

There is an ongoing design discussion going on at VJ Forums in regards of new VJ Central redesign. A number of people have posted they own logo mock-ups including yours truly. I have made 2 different concepts, the latest one is being aimed towards vjforums itself, and I’m actually pretty happy with it. Please join in the discussion an if you have any elegant ideas, feel free to submit something towards vj community.

Dec 11

Wow, just upgraded my WordPress system to a Brand new Spanking version 2.7 codenamed Coltrane. Investigating this system further, – first impressions,- Tops!!!

Dec 09

My beloved FLOSS Audio Video Conference – Piksel 08 has just been and gone (4th to 7th of Dec) and they have left a valuable collection of streamed archives linked through they own site. http://giss.tv/dmmdb/piksel08
Very valuable resource and inspiration point for anyone looking to work with Open Source Software in Audio and Video front. Highly recommended.
In particular pay attention to FLOSS Salon Section for extra in depth talk on latest developments in software and hardware.

Dec 09

It has been well over a week since any last update on a visual front.  Mainly working on Web related projects and putting together few sets for upcoming events. One of these events is worthwhile mentioning about.
Infinity & Beyond.  It is a 3 day festival which goes over NYE celebrations taking place up deep North Queensland  at Mungalli Falls with amazing line up of International and Domestic and Local talents.

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