Alphabet Texture Creator Extended by SpaceRay

WOW! Thanks very much FF Inc. for the EP (Editor´s Pick) reward, this is my first EP!!!

I have been working in this filter many hours along many days and thinking much how to combine and make all the features and options, and how to solve the problems along the way that arised, but after much work and then lots of testing all the options and possible combinations to see that everything works as expected finally I have finished it, and I feel that the EP is great reward for all my work in this filter.

This version of the filter is the extended version of the much more simpler version Alphabet Texture Creator by SpaceRay

If you feel and think that this version has too much controls, and is too complex please try the other version that has much less controls and options, and will work much better with the "next variant" button than this one.

I will put here the full instructions on how to use this filter in the best way and get the most out of it. And some important notes to be aware of. Also some examples to show what can be done.

Thanks CFandM and thanks to you for the Shape of Things filter and also for the Shapes

THANKS TO THE AUTHORS OF THIS FILTERS


First of all I must give a very big thanks to:

ThreeDee and his excellent letters fr om TD Europa Sans Caps Proc Font with his hard work and great idea to make this fonts as shapes, he has allowed to have letters inside FF something much requested but not possible until he made them.

Skybase and his Gradient Circles where I learnt how to give shading to letters and be able to have good results when mixing shapes in bomber and how to make the colorize

CFandM and his Shape of Things where he has done a very good and well done work finding the way to use a clever masking using the bomber and fill the mask with lots of shapes and be able to configure and customize them in a great way

CFandM and his excellent and well done Working on Shapes Tutorial wh ere I learn many things about how to use shapes inside FF and so I could understand how to use this letters as shapes in this filter.

Also Thanks to Skybase for his help in many other threads that he helped me to solve things and I could be able to learn and reach this point of making this filter

Now please, read the following post for the instructions, thanks

[Removed all the suggestions here: because... what am I saying... it's your filter.]

Thanks Skybase, you can suggest anything you want and if you know betters ways to do something or optimize any part of the filter.

Later will put examples of creations done with this filter

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE THIS FILTER AND GET THE MOST OUT OF IT

Please, see first the above part 1 with the screenshot of the settings

PART 2 - EXPLAINING HOW IT WORKS

I made this filter for making typographic textures (as shown on presets 3,7,8 or 9) or converting images into typographic artistic creations based on source colors

I think that the best way and easier way to first experiment and use this filter is to load an image as "MAIN" (this is the default) and then choose different presets excluding 3,7,8 and 9) and your image will replace the preset image and convert it into the typographic creations.

You can combine this also if you want with Masking and also with Plain colors, see below.

Also as experiment you can load a preset and then active masking and/or plain colors option and see what result you get.

You can also combine two images using one for source of colors, and another loaded as foreground to be mixed with the opacity and blend modes over the typographic result, see below for more details about this. This can be used also to add a texture effect over the typographic result, see below for more details.

You can use the Foreground to colorize the result unloading the tint color and choosing a color

Or you can combine all 3, Main + Masking + Plain colors (see below for more details)

This filter gives you full control with lots of controls and a great amount of possible different combinations that will give many different results and I invite you to test many different settings and experiment with different sources. You can also use masking for making typhographic shape designs.

BASIC CORE
This filter works by selecting 5 Letters from the 25 available in 5 groups, so you can go to the about tab and see how the letters are grouped in each of the 5 groups and then sel ect the one you want.

LETTERS ORGANIZED AS GROUPS​​

In the about tab I have put this letters table so you can know more easily how to choose the letters inside the filter

​​1 - 1A 2B 3C 4D 5E
​​2 - 1F 2G 3H 4I 5J
​​3 - 1K 2L 3M 4N 5O​​
4 - 1P 2Q 3R 4S 5T
​​5 - 1U 2V 3Y 4X 5Z​​

Now in this extended version there is many controls to customize the size, opacity, rotation, position, distribution, amount, color, etc.

8 DIFFERENT POSSIBLE RESULTS

In the Original version Alphabet Texture Creator you only have 2 way for getting results (the 1st one and 4th shown below), and in this extended version there is 6 ways

1 - EXTERNAL IMAGE - Using External images loaded through main or tint color will use the source color to paint the colors of the letters

2 - PLAIN COLORS - You can paint each one of the 5 letters with one color, so you can choose 5 colors, or make all the same, as you want.

3 - EXTERNAL IMAGE + PLAIN COLORS - You can also combine the External image with the plain colors and tint the result.

4 - MASKING USING BLACK BACKGROUND - You can load any external image that could have an surrounding black background, and this will be considered as a mask, and then none of the letters will fill this black space

5 - MASKING USING BLACK BACKGROUND AND PLAIN COLORS

Same as 4 activating the plain colors, this would good for using over black and white images as source.

6 - EXTERNAL IMAGE + MASKING WITH EXTERNAL SOURCE IMAGE

To be able to use this you have to load an external image (either main or tint color) and then go to the MASK CONTROL part and "Activate Masking", you have to load
another external image as the mask, it must have a transparent background to work. Also you can invert the mask to get the inversal result of the mask

7 - PLAIN COLORS + MASKING WITH EXTERNAL SOURCE IMAGE

Is the same as number 5 but instead of loading an external image, you have to unload anyone loaded, and go to PLAIN COLORS part and activate it and then go "Activate Masking"

8 - EXTERNAL IMAGE + PLAIN COLORS + MASKING WITH EXTERNAL IMAGE

You can combine point 5 and 6 to get another different result, load the external image, activate plain colors and then activate masking.


3 WAYS OF IMAGE INPUT, PLAIN COLORS AND 2 WAYS FOR MASK IMAGES

1 - MAIN EXTERNAL IMAGEloaded through the menu File--> Open Image.. or using the source loaded from the plugin.

2 - TINT COLOR - Uncheck the Main/Tint Color and load the images in the color control

3 - FOREGROUND TINT COLOR - Choose a color a load an image here if you want.

4 - PLAIN COLORS - To be able to tint with a different color each of the letter groups.

5 - MASK IMAGE - This must have a transparency background to be used as a mask

6 - MASK BACKGROUND - With this you can choose to have a plain color background instead of the default transparent background or also you can any image of your choice as background.

MORE DETAILED EXPLANATION

1 - MAIN EXTERNAL IMAGE

This way will let you use all the preset available (excluding presets 3,7,8 or 9) because this image will replace any image stored inside the preset and use those settings with the image loaded to create automatically the result.

This is the default value so this will let you also use this as a plugin fr om a host software and load the image you have there.

The best way and easier way to is to load an image as main and then choose different presets. You can also combine 2 images loading the

Although the problem with this is that you can´t save any preset with any image loaded this way, as it will not work as expected, I mean that it will show any
built-in image loaded instead, so it will not be shown the real result that you are seeing on preview window, BUT this does not mean that the preset does not work, because if you load again the same source image and you choose this preset, it will give you the same result although is not shown in the preset.

To save the result as a preset showing the same result as you see on the preview window you must load the same image through Tint Color and then save the preset

2 - TINT COLOR - Uncheck the Main/Tint Color and load the images in the color control

This will work good for storing presets showing the real result that you have got, you can load the image through main image and when you are satisfied with the result, uncheck "Main/Tint Color" and load exactly same image in the Tint Color, and save the preset.

3 - FOREGROUND TINT COLOR

You can also combine the main typographic texture with another image overlaid over the result. Two images using one for source of colors, and another loaded as foreground to be mixed with the opacity and blend modes over the typographic result. This could be used to add texturizing to the result, as you load for example a grunge texture and overlay it over the typographic result

For this to work right the Opacity must be at value 100 and then if needed reduce it

Also you can use the Foreground to colorize the result unloading the tint color and choosing a color and a blend mode

4 - PLAIN COLORS - To be able to tint with a different color each of the letter groups.

This is as shown on presets 3, 8 and 9 and as you can see on these presets, the main image is not active and using the Tint color with unloaded image and white color, so then the colors choosen will be kept.

You can also activate the main or tint color with a texture to be able to texturize the result or you can combine the result with an image or photo.

Also as shown on Preset 3 you can also use the Masking with Plain Colors

5 - MASK IMAGE - This must have a transparency background to be used as a mask

See the above screenshot of the setting for the description of this one

Thanks Sphinx and also for the documentation comment. I want that anyone could understand and use this filter in the best way and knowing how it works, and what can be done, and the possible things you can do.

Later will put examples of creations done with this filter

See also later on next post how to make FRAMES with this filter and put images inside

INSTRUCTIONS ON HOW TO USE THIS FILTER AND GET THE MOST OUT OF IT

PART 3 - EXAMPLES OF USING THIS FILTER PRESETS AND FIND HIDDEN ONES

I will put here some example of using this filter in some ways that I have seen and ideas to be used here, to know what I want to explain, see the image attached at the end of this post

TWO WAYS TO USE THE PRESETS

There are two way to use the presets

1 - Choose a preset and modify the setting having the saved settings as base source, as it happens with other filters

2 - Follow the below suggestion to find more presets that are hidden than I have also made

There are more than 20 presets available, see why below

Filter Forge does not allow to have more than 20 presets, but in this filter I have been able to carefully create the presets and configure and customize them so you can have more than 20 presets activating others parts of the filter.

One examples is Preset 3 that is exactly the same than Preset 9, but as you can see both look very different and you would not guess that it the same, well the same may happen with other presets too.

How to find the other hidden presets?

As said there are more presets hidden, and to be able to find them you can do the following steps, and if find one that you like you can it as a preset and keep it.

There are different ways to do it

1 - Choose any preset you want
2 - Activate Plain Color checkbox ( or deactivate it if it is already active)
3 - Activate Masking checkbox (or deactivate masking if active)
4 - Activate Invert Mask checkbox
5 - Deactivate plain colors

In points 3 or 4 you can also choose if you want to activate the Mask Background to see better the letters

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See below at the end of this post for a graphical example of this steps seen here above to see the differences

You can of course change also the order of the above and activate first the masking, invert mask and then after the plain colors, as this is just an example.

Also I suggest that the first time, you use the default images of the presets to see how the look, and store the presets that you may like, and then you can load your own images as main and try these same steps again.

Another way to do this if you want to see the true colors of the "Plain Colors" is to unload any image loaded, as the Main is the default you can go to "File--> New Image and make it plain white, or you can change to "Tint color" unchecking the Main checkbox and unload the color control to white,

And if instead of plain white and still you want to use the "Plain colors" and want to keep the original colors you have choosen, is recommended to use use lighten images that have light colors (yellow, light blue...) instead of dark colors, because the plain colors will be mixed with the original source colors below. I can´t use the blend modes to mix this plain colors with the others because all of this is done inside the bomber component.

After trying the default Lifesaver mask you can also try your own image masks, see next post of part 4 to know more about this.

Also after trying this steps and see what happens you can also try and experiment to modify the result before going to next step. I mean to use the following most important settings that have more impact in the final result:

1 - Scale
2 - Density
3 - Simplify Design
4 - Letters Amount
5 - Letters Multiplier
6 - Letters Opacity
7 - Size Chaos

And as you may know already from any other filter is also good to try "Size, Pixels" to reduce or enlarge the global result. Also use the Global "Variation" that you give you lots of different result while keeping the same settings.

Sorry that using the "next variant" button gives mostly bad results, but it was impossible to make it work right with so many controls available and having all the freedom that you have in this filter, this is one of the reasons I have made this extended version VS the simple version.

Here below is the graphical view of how a preset can change much when activating other options in the filter having all the same preset and same settings

Here is the original Preset 6 and how is changed below by just activating some checkboxes



Stay tuned for the Part 4 of instructions on how use better the masking and be able to make Frames or make Letters filled with Letters

Here is the second part of the first part of the above post

2 - Colorful source


Here instead of using a plain white frame with black background, I have painted this stripes so they will be used to paint the letters

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Stay tuned for the second part of the instructions for using a mask activating the masking

I have seen that the Individual rotation does not work always right, and many times the letters are cut, and I having seen what may be wrong, I think I found the problem, and is that Threedee have used the "Free Rectangle" component to make the letters, and they have the feature of going out of bounds, so when you rotate the letter it goes out of the boundary of the shape and gets cut. I will try to fix it. Sorry.

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Skybase Here's a super fun, super challenge generate a serif font with adjustable parameters

Good challenge but the problem is that I do not like most of the Serif letters if it is going to be used in an artistic and graphical way, like for example in this filter, or to make typography art.

Second part of making frames with MASKING ACTIVATED INSTRUCTIONS
These are going to be put next week, sorry for the delay

I have been busy making an update that will let you make seamless textures, and also add textures to the inside of the letters.

Also making an alternative version for not only using the internal fonts

Be able to use ANY FONT with Alphabet Texture Creator Extended filter

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Skybase You're just finding excuses not to do it.

Well, In this case is not an excuse, is that is real that I do not like any serif letters for artistic work, I like any other artistic font but not serif ones, at least for this kind of artwork, as I find them not good looking from my point of view, again only for artistic work.

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Skybase Designers don't stop. Never stop. Anywhere.

OH!! YES!!! YES!!! I totally agree, I do not stop, My neurologist have told me that I am a Workaholic and that I can never stop doing things on the computer, and only stop for eating, sleep, bath, and going shopping for food, that I should ALSO DO OTHER things apart from design, art and computer. The only thing I do is go to cinema, and sometimes although few watch TV.

Here is one example I have made that I still have put none on this thread

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Skybase lol well ok, I meant that a sneakish taunt to just challenge/push your abilities. Sounded like a worthy challenge honestly that'd help.

I am open to some possible challenge and thank that you could suggest one, and it sounds good, but it must be something that I would like to do and have some motivation to do it, and get something I want or would be useful to have.

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Bojan Zivkovic Excellent filter, thank you very much for creating it.

Thanks very much for your comment and glad that you like it and found it excellent

I am thinking in way to make it even better and optimize it in some way, and I am making a new update to include filling letters with images, and another thing more.

Also I am thinking to make alternative versions with this filter:

1 - Make this filter with seamless tiling, as it now is now possible to use this tiling but if I remove some parts of the filters and replace them it could perhaps work with seamless tiling

2 - Be able to use any of your chosen font instead of the fixed and only one included in the filter here, and you can see some examples of this alternative here that I am making and still to be finished

Be able to use ANY FONT with Alphabet Texture Creator Extended filter

3 - Make this filter with different shapes instead of letters

4 - Make this filter with your own images (with transparent background) instead of letters

This is a gorgeous filter, thank you for all the work you put into it!

Hi,
This filter is great! Can it be expanded to use words rather than random letters?

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Peggy_Walters58 This filter is great! Can it be expanded to use words rather than random letters?

Using the option 2 in previous post I have done this and using the FF Ladybug image for source color

This other filter will be available soon

Well, now that FF 5 has the new bomber plus with unlimited images, I think is time to make a new variation of this filter that will include ALL of the letters at once, and you will not be limited to having to choose only 5 of them,

For this is not needed any batch image loader as the fonts are already done inside FF thanks to the great work of ThreeDee that made my dream true of having letters inside FF, and can not thank him enough

And will be easier to use than before I think

Then the next step would be using other characters or writing styles as decoration or art.
What about ideograms? Hiragana and katakana? Thai characters? Runes? Ogham?
Or maybe invented languages. They all could make very interesting filters.