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Review: SymmetryMill lets you turn any image into a beautiful repeating pattern |
December 07, 2012
When was the last time you played with a kaleidoscope? I happened to find one in a store not long ago, and peering through its eyepiece, I could see the world around me replaced with pretty, symmetrical patterns. That's a pretty accurate description of what SymmetryMill does. It's a Flash-based tool for creating repeating raster-based patterns from images. Its paid version costs $69 per year (free demo with feature limitations).
SymmetryMill begins the process with a source image. This can be any image, and it doesn't have to have a pattern in it. Vector-based rival Seamless Studio does it the opposite way, starting you off with a blank canvas, The free SymmetryMill account can only use the demo painting of a pixie, but the paid version lets you load any image from your computer (I used an image of a dog). The image appears in a small window that's floating on top of a repeating pattern. Somewhere on the image you'll find a small polygon officially called the "control path"–but really, that's the mirror for your kaleidoscope. Move the control path around, and the repeating pattern in the background instantly changes.
SymmetryMill can create beautiful, surprising results from any source image.
Unlike with a regular kaleidoscope, you can change the type of symmetry: SymmetryMill offers seventeen different symmetry types with names like "Glide reflection" and "Quarter-turns & mirrors." The names change the shape and size of the control path: You click the buttons and the image is instantly updated.
Different types of symmetry yield very different results.
In general, the SymmetryMill interface feels like it was built for light-hearted experimentation. Everything is very responsive, and the image changes as you drag the control path around, resize it, change its symmetry type, or even rotate the source image. That means you can play around until you find a pattern you like.
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Link: http://www.pcworld.com/article/2018747/review-symmetrymill-lets-you-turn-any-image-into-a-beautiful-repeating-pattern.html
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