Automating filter generation and save

Hey everyone,

So I want to be able to save a series of textures while automating some settings. For example, I want to save 360 images where each image increments the rotation parameter by 1.

I have read a lot of posts on stuff like this, and from what I can tell there is no way to automate it with FF. Is that the case to date? Does Filter Forge 4 contain some advanced functionality that does this? And finally... If there is no current solution to this would you all be interested in one?

I think I could fairly easily make a Windows application that does just this by simply automating the FF software. I am swamped with projects right now as I am developing 2 games outside of my normal 9-5 (which is also game development), so I really don't want to invest time into this unless its really worthwhile. So if FF4 will have some features for this, I'd prefer to just pay for that.

Any thoughts?

I can confirm there will be no additional automation tools beyond the command-line renderer in FF 4.

Hey Jade, as CF said above, there's a Mac downloadable version or an online version of a slider automation tool.
If you find the time, it would be neat to have a PC downloadable version too. And if you can make a tool that will apply the same settings to a whole folder of images, as SR said, that would be the best!

Well if you are going to make a application for making this batch processing I could use the donation button and agree to pay for your work

1 - Be able to tell which filter and which preset (or presets if want to have more than one) do you want.

2 - Be able to tell where is the source of the image that is going to be applied with a button to select the source and do not have to copy the path.

3 - Be able to apply the same filter and preset to a whole folder of images, so this way would be a real batch processing.

4 - Be able to apply 2 or more different filters with the same presets to the same image. I mean that first apply the first filter, and then after apply the second (or more) to the same image (or images if it is a folder instead of only one) and so it could be like stacking filters.

5 - Be able to apply the same filter but with 2, 3 or 4 (or more) different presets, so you would have 2, 3 or 4 (or more) different images (using the same source image) with this 2, 3 or 4 (or more) presets applied.

6 - Be able to change the resolution of the result so it does not depend and is related to the same resolution as the original source image

Thanks very much for your help

Hi SpaceRay, I have started on the application, but have only gotten so far as to capture the window handles for the parameters under the selected filter (so they can be presented to the user fr om my application)

The program will actually work by automating the FilterForge UI at first (so it is virtually unlim ited in what it can do as it will be able to access everything the user can). I would like to include XML support someday, but only if it proves to be really useful over UI automation.

Unfortunately, this means that you *may* need to leave the computer alone while the process is running, depending on how difficult it is for me to access the controls I need. I am trying to make it work in the background so long as FilterForge is running by sending "messages" to the controls on the form rather than automating clicks and key presses. I have automated programs like this in the past with much success, so I think it'll work out well.

I should have more time to work on it this weekend. I will release it as soon as it can open, process, and save a set of files so you can start using it ASAP, and add other requested features as time permits.

SR, FFCat has nothing to do with XML...
All it does is read the FFXML files to extract info from them.
The first released version stored the catalog in an XML file, but that was changed to a binary storage file (You remember, when you lost your catalog ).
The program was written in C#.

I have already told above what would be good to have, but will do it again in another way

As you already know FF does not have any kind of realtime preview to see what would be the final result, even in reduced mode, so it would be good to be able to apply a lot of filters to the same image and see what happens and which one you like it better.

WHAT WOULD BE GOOD TO BE ABLE TO DO AS BATCH PROCESSING IN FILTER FORGE

For example I have one single image and want to:

* be able to select a group of filters ( for example 20 filters) and apply all of them to this same image, also it would be needed to be able to choose which one of the filters preset will be applied, so the result will 20 images.

* be able to select a group of filters (for example 5) and a group of presets of these filters (for example 20 filters and choose 3 presets of each filter) and apply them all to this same image, so the result will be 100 images.

* be able to select a group of filters and a different amount of presets fr om each filter, perhaps 2 presets fr om filter 1, 4 presets fr om filter 2, 1 preset fr om filter 3, etc. and apply all of them to the same single image so you will have lots of different versions of the same image with different filters and presets.


For example I have 40 images in a folder and want to:

* be able to apply the same filter and same preset to all the 40 images. Result 40 images

* be able to apply a group of filters, with one preset each one, to all the 40 images. Result 40 images

* be able to select a group of filters (for example 5) and a group of 3 presets to each, and so you will get as result 600 images.

* Be able to select (as above already described) a group of filters and a group of presets and apply all of them to all the 40 images.

Please take your time to do it and I am not in a hurry to get this and is not urgent.

Probably some research was done. *shrug*

Thanks very much for answering and letting know how is it going

Congratulations for your marriage and wish you both all the best and that you both will be live Happily ever after

As said before I know that you are already very busy and was NOT rushing you in any way, is just that I wanted to know about some possible news, and of course that your own work and business have much more priority than this.

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Jade Skaggs With the impending release of FF4, any ui changes could break my tool, so there is sole motivation to wait for that, but if i free up soon, ill get back on it.

So this will not be possible to make until the final version of FF 4.0 is released in the next half of 2013?

I mean that is not known what would be included and only is known that possibly in Beta 2.0 could be the filter manager that will change the UI.

But other possible changes could there be in other Betas

Well, is better to wait and this will surely work and not make it now and than have to rebuild or repair it because of changes in FF 4.0 and could mean double work and more work time

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Jade Skaggs Im still here though and plan do do something for you

Thanks very much and I think from the many requests since 2006, that I will not be the only one that will LIKE MUCH to have this tool as you can see in this thread here

Proper batch tools = instant FF4 upgrade

Here I have made a compilation of lots of threads requesting for this

Thanks again