Summerfield

Flash. AS3. Using AIR to output PNGS and final Color Correction and Manipulation in Photoshop.

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Comments

mokaschitta says:

thats really lovely. how did you create the transparency?
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

natzke says:

Some within Flash (which is where it was originally created) and some in Photoshop (where I combined four generated layers).
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

i see. i was just wondering because as far as i remember postscript does not support any transparency if you want to export the vector data. or can you do it if you render it completly pixel based?
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

natzke says:

Rendered entirely pixel based. Here's the reply made to this thread

//////// COMMENT MADE ON jot.natzke.com

Åke; I'm still working on streamlining this process, but here's my current approach and workflow.

First you'll need the PNGEncoder from Adobe labs.

I'm working in the Flash CS3 authoring environment, which didn't ship with all the AIR extensions, so I also had to download those from here.

Then this was all the code required to export a PNG;

[CODE]

import com.adobe.images.PNGEncoder;
import flash.display.BitmapData;
import flash.filesystem.*;

var file0:File = File.desktopDirectory.resolvePath("image .png");

// Print Button on the stage
printme_btn.addEventListener(MouseEvent.MOU SE_DOWN, printStage);

function printStage (event:MouseEvent) {

var bytes:ByteArray = PNGEncoder.encode(myBitmapData_bmp);

var stream = new FileStream();

stream.open(file0, FileMode.WRITE );
stream.writeBytes( bytes, 0, 0 );
stream.close();
}

[/CODE]

Unfortunately, Flash has a limited the size of BitmapData to 2880px by 2880px (which for most things in Flash needs to do is ample). Since I'm looking to output a much higher final resolution, I incorporated a grid system of 16 tiles (4x4 matrix) which are each 2880x2880 pixels in demension.

Since I have yet to figure out how (or rather spend the time) to get 1 PNG output versus 16 I then have the extra step of loading the images into Photoshop as a stack and manually reordering the pieces into place.

Hopefully that makes some sense. Obviously not the ideal solution at the moment, but it's getting a lot closer to an image size I'd be confident printing as a poster or even a mural.
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

defetto says:

hi
first of all i have to say that the whole "explorin the medium" set is amazing, and in a special way these "concentrik" are impressive...
i'd like to know more about how the images data influence the shape of those concentric shapes (cause this is image-based, right?)

about the manual reorder in photoshop, have u tried the contact-sheet automation in photoshop? i often use it and find it very useful...

keep up the great work you're doin'

peace
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

natzke says:

Defetto - The one major draw back to the contact sheet and the reason I don't use it all that much is that it takes my PNGs, which have transparency, and flattens them to white before tiling them together for me. I do admit it defenitely comes in handy for this type of thing when the composition is complete.

I've been flattening all pieces at the end, to reduce the file size (400meg flat vs. 1.5gig layered psd), so I don't have layers from these last few but here is what just one layer typically looks like;

One of the major reasons why I don't try and control the layering within Flash is that any time I add a blur to the bitmaps as it generates you start to se where the seems are. So I usually build out about 4 or 5 layers and later combine them in photoshop with further manipulation.

RE:Image Based - Yes.
Here is the image for Summerfield;

In concentrik the shapes are not influenced by the color they use. It's just a 1 to 1 relationship. Color determined by the position of origin of the circles being draw inralationship to the image it is pulling the colr data from.

Hopefully that answers your question... and many thx for the compliments :)
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

soh_cah_toa says:

thanks for the process details!
-r
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

defetto says:

thank you very much for your explanation, but so far i still don't get which is the rule defining the shape and the size of the circles, if it's not about the image... i'm lookin forward to your answer, cheers
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

picatar says:

sweet dude. what is up with you?
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Rob Chiu says:

dude i love this.. would love to get a print out of this for the wall.... see u in nyc and brighton :)
Posted 26 months ago. ( permalink )

Sentient Sprocket says:

Wonderful stuff. and cheers for the process.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

Onyro_A_Kyriazis says:

awesome work dude..!!!!!
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

natzke says:

Hey Onyro! Rock out. It's been a while.
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

scruces says:

WOW...always amazing
Posted 25 months ago. ( permalink )

doctor health says:

nice photo
Posted 23 months ago. ( permalink )

melindatwitchet says:

An amazing piece of work, I really really appreciate it! Well done!
Posted 22 months ago. ( permalink )

greynotgrey [deleted] says:

Amazing, impressive.

I'm not a hundredtth the AS programmer you are, but I was experimenting with randomization, duplication, etc. for a few years using forms created in illustrator brought into flash, processed, then exported and manipulated further in Photoshop... so this kind of work really intrigues me. I pretty much gave up on it because I wasn't satisfied with the export options... then when Bitmapdata came out my curiosity was piqued but I never really went very far with it because of the 2880px limit, making generated work pretty much useless for print sizes...

You've shown me a whole new world of possibilities exists!
Thanks for the pleasure of seeing such great work, and for the inspiration.
Posted 21 months ago. ( permalink )

elamoll says:

It's really make a immensely impression, nice
Posted 19 months ago. ( permalink )

hebchop says:

This is great. Do you talk about specifics on your process at speaking events? I'd love to see how you manipulate BitmapData in order to get the results you do. Might be worth a drive to Chicago, even at 5 bucks a gallon;)
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

infakt says:

Beauty !
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

bobelq says:

Great effect. Really
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

leobenan says:

It's unbeliveable!
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

blablost says:

Probably it takes a lot of work.
Posted 18 months ago. ( permalink )

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Taken on October 27, 2007
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Summerfield

Comments

mokaschitta says:

natzke says:

mokaschitta says:

natzke says:

defetto says:

natzke says:

soh_cah_toa says:

defetto says:

picatar says:

Rob Chiu says:

Sentient Sprocket says:

Onyro_A_Kyriazis says:

natzke says:

scruces says:

doctor health says:

melindatwitchet says:

greynotgrey [deleted] says:

elamoll says:

hebchop says:

infakt says:

bobelq says:

leobenan says:

blablost says:

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natzke's photostream

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Exploring the Medium (Set)

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