New 2.50 beta available - close to release version

Hi all,

I've just uploaded a new beta version of FotoSketcher 2.50. If no show stopping bug is found at the last minute, this beta will be close to the future release version.

You can download the executable here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/FotoSketcher_2.50_beta2.exe

Here is a quick rundown of the changes in FotoSketcher 2.50:

• New "Linear halftoning" effect.
• Added Serbian translation.
• Resizing or pasting a new source image no longer erases the destination image (if the image sizes are the same). This is particularly useful for merging two images.
• The last effect used is now displayed at the bottom right of the window (useful when using the undo/redo buttons to keep track of what effect was being used).
• Minor interface changes (trackbar increments, manual brush trackbar focus rectangle removed, some window Z-order bugs corrected, visual cues added when parameters can be maxed by clicking on their value).

Have fun!

David

FotoSketcher 2.50 beta 1 available for testing

Hi all,

I've just uploaded a beta for FotoSketcher 2.50, with the new linear halftoning effect (plus various improvements).
You can download the executable here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/FotoSketcher_2.50_beta1.exe

As usual, I would be grateful for your input should you find any lingering bugs :-)

All the best,

David

Cross-hatched linear halftoning... wow, that's a mouthful!

Hi all,

I'm currently putting the finishing touches to version 2.50 of FotoSketcher. A stable beta should be available soon, so stay tuned...

I have added a new effect (linear halftoning) which works quite well on portraits, even if I say so myself :-)
With a script (which I'll provide with the beta) it's easy to create a cross-hatched image like the example below (click on the picture to view full-size):

The new algorithm can also work in color:

In version 2.50, I will also add a new language, Serbian (thanks Nikola!).

All the best,

David

FotoSketcher 2.45 is officially released

Hi all,

FotoSketcher 2.45 is now officially released. As usual you can download either the full version (with setup, uninstall and optional community toolbar) or the portable version here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/download-fotosketcher/ Both are 100% free.

What's new in version 2.45:
- improved brushstrokes placement in Painting 7 (brushstrokes) to give a more painterly effect.
- added a new stylized effect called Emergence 2, based on calculating an approximation of the source image using shaded triangles. The result is different from Emergence and can look a bit like knife painting.  
- solved a bug in the custom brush code used for Painting 7 and 8 effects.
- solved a few bugs in the script (F5) code

In Emergence 2 you can double-click on the number to the right of the slider for the number of iterations (80 by default) and this will change it to MAX. This provides maximum quality for the effect, but is very slow. 

Default value:

MAX value:

I have also made available some scripts for FotoSketcher. You can download the zip file here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/scripts.zip
Simply unzip the files to your hard drive and open them in the scripts window of FotoSketcher (press F5).

Here is an example of the updated Painting 7 effect (click on image for full view):

and here is an example of the new Emergence 2 effect (click on image for full view):

original photo credit Sias van Schalkwyk (http://www.sxc.hu/photo/1181840)

Have fun!

David

FotoSketcher 2.45 beta available

Hi,

FotoSketcher 2.45 is almost ready. I just need to test it thoroughly before releasing it. If you want to try it for yourself (and don't hesitate to let me know if you find any lingering bugs), here is a stable beta version: http://www.fotosketcher.com/FotoSketcher_2.45_RC2.exe

What's new:
- improved brushstrokes placement in Painting 7 effect to give a more painterly effect.
- added a new stylised effect called Emergence 2, based on calculating an approximation of the source image using shaded triangles. The result is different from Emergence and can look a bit like knife painting. 
- solved a bug in the custom brush code used for Painting 7 and 8 effects. Any image can be used as a brushtroke template (must be dark pixels on a white background)

Here are some digital paintings made with FotoSketcher 2.45:

Painting 7 with new algorithm

Original photo credit Pierre Hanquin: http://www.flickr.com/photos/pierrehanquin/7170104717

Emergence 2

Original photo credit: http://www.shorpy.com/node/11302

Have fun with this new version of FotoSketcher :-)

Regards,

David

Upcoming features in FotoSketcher 2.45

Hi all,

The next version of FotoSketcher (2.45) will include a new abstract effect (based on shaded triangles) and better brushstroke placement for the Painting 7 effect, which should give an even more painterly look.
I have also detected a bug in the manual brush code which will be corrected.

Here is an example of the new shaded triangle effect (click on the image to see the details):

Source image credits (Haiwen Chen - http://www.flickr.com/photos/bobochen/8722751927/)

And here is a portrait made with the improved Painting 7 effect (click on the image to see the details):

Source image Photo: © Getty images, MaxPPP

Stay tuned ;-)

All the best,

David

FotoSketcher secrets - tricks you may not know :-)

Dear FotoSketcher users,

Over the years I have added quite a few shortcuts and hidden features in FotoSketcher. Even if you are a regular user, there might be a few that you did not find. 
Since I never really mustered up the courage to write a full fledged manual, this post will help you discover some of the useful little secrets of FotoSketcher.

Interface tricks:

1: this is the zoom indicator. If you click on the percentage (shown here at 100%), you can manually enter the desired value (from 5% to 1000%).

2: if you left click on the left magnifying glass icon, you will zoom out of the image. You can keep your finger on the mouse button and FotoSketcher will zoom out further. Now, the fun bit: you can also RIGHT-CLICK on this icon, for faster zooming out!

3: if you left-click on the middle magnifying glass icon, the zoom level will revert to 100%. However, if you RIGHT-CLICK the icon, the images will be automatically zoomed to best fit their respective panels (pretty useful for large images).

4: yes, you guessed it... you can also RIGHT-CLICK on this icon :-)

5: if you click and drag on the division line, this will resize the two panels. Now the fun part: if you DOUBLE-CLICK on the division line, both panels will automatically resize to their default widths.

6: you probably know that you can click and drag the image around. But did you know that DOUBLE-CLICKING will show you a full screen preview?   


In the drawing parameters window, there are also a few useful tricks.
First of all, if you double-click on the name of a parameter (like "image simplification" as shown below) this will reset its value to the default (10 in this case).

 
Also, for some effects, it is possible to increase the number of iterations. Simply double-click on the value at the right of the trackbar (255 in the example below) and the value will change to MAX. This increases the time taken by the effect (and hopefully the quality of the rendering!).

 So far, this trick works with the following effects: 

•  Painting 7 (brushstrokes) - for the "number of brushstrokes" parameter
•  Emergence - for the "number of iterations" parameter

Another tip is that in Windows explorer you can drag and drop a picture onto the FotoSketcher icon and the program will start with your image loaded. If FotoSketcher is already started, you can simply drag and drop an image onto the first panel (source image) and it will open.


Keyboard shortcuts:

There are quite a few keyboard shortcuts you can use in FotoSketcher. Most of them are listed in the menus, as shown below:

 

If you have a keyboard with a number pad, you can also use the + (plus) and - (minus) keys to respectively zoom in and zoom out.

I hope these tips will help you enjoy playing with FotoSketcher even more!

All the best,

David

Small bug fix - FotoSketcher 2.41 available

Hi all,

Just a quick word to let you know that I've just released version 2.41 of FotoSketcher. This is minor update, due to a bug I found today concerning frames.

As usual, you can download the latest version here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/download-fotosketcher/

To all users who updated to version 2.40 since yesterday, I apologize.
In the hope that you'll find it in your hearts to forgive me, here is a painting of my faithful cat (who is unfortunately not very useful in bug hunting):

  
All the best,

David

FotoSketcher 2.40 now available for download - 100% free, as always :-)

Hi all,

FotoSketcher 2.40 is now officially released.
You can download it here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/download-fotosketcher/

Thank you to everyone who helped me by providing feedback, suggestions, bug reports and translations :-)

Here is a list of new features and improvements in version 2.40:
- new script engine (press F5 to call the script window) to automatically apply multiple effects
- more powerful image merge function (with multiplication of both images)
- improved interface (no third party code, reorganised menus and menu icons)
- DPI support for JPG images
- possibility to save a picture during processing
- better directory management (keeping track of current open, save and manual brushes directories)
- automatic saving of last texture, text and frame parameters used (tip: on some Windows 7 and 8 systems, you might have to run FotoSketcher as administrator for this to work)
- new translated terms (mainly for the script function)
- various bug fixes and improvement
- Windows 8 support

 source image credits  http://www.flickr.com/photos/bcnbits/134741553/

Enjoy :-)

Best regards,

David

FotoSketcher 2.40 Release Candidate available ***updated***

Hi all!

I now have what I believe to be a stable release of FotoSketcher 2.40. It does not have any obvious bugs that I could find and all the new features I wanted to add are now functional.

You can download the release candidate here: http://www.fotosketcher.com/FotoSketcher_240_RC4.exe

Here is a summary of all changes and additions in this version:
- script engine (press F5 to call the script window)
- more powerful image merge function (with multiplication of both images)
- improved interface (no third party code, reorganised menu and menu icons)
- DPI support for JPG images
- possibility to save a picture during processing
- better directory management (keeping track of current open, save and manual brushes directories)
- automatic saving of last texture, text and frame parameters used
- new translated terms (mainly for the script function)
- small bug fixes and improvements

If you would like to test the new script feature, you can download an example script here (right click and choose "Save link as..."): http://www.fotosketcher.com/Sketch_and_Emergence.fss

Here is an example using this script on a photo I took in Neath (Wales) last year:

Source photo:

Result:

Here is a second script you can download to give a comic book effect (right click and choose "Save link as..."): http://www.fotosketcher.com/Comic_book.fss

Here is the result on the same source image:

Should you find bugs in this Release Candidate, I would be grateful if you could let me know so that I can correct them before going live :-)

All the best,

David