vectoraster manual

Vectoraster 6 Manual

Copyright 2014 Lost Minds www.lostminds.com 1

Lost Minds

Vectoraster 6Manual

Version 6.0.8



ContentsIntroduction 1

System requirements 1

1 Interface layout 21.1 Control panels 21.2 Collapsing sections 31.3 Value fields and sliders 3

2 Source images 42.1 Primary and secondary source image 42.2 Measurement and adjustment 5

3 Document information 63.1 Document size 63.2 Raster information 6

4 Raster points 74.1 Point shape 74.2 Point size 94.4 Point outline 104.5 Point transformation 104.6 Point color 11

5 Raster pattern 125.1 Pattern type and spacing 125.2 Pattern transformation 135.3 Background color 14

6 Display 156.1 Raster window zoom 156.2 Raster window display 156.3 Auto regenerate 15

7 Raster utilities 167.1 Align raster to edges 167.2 Multi scale 16

8 Saving and loading 178.1 .VRaster format 178.2 Embedded data 17

9 Exporting 189.1 Copying to the clipboard 189.2 File export 189.3 CSV point data export 189.4 Export raster size 189.5 Export color 189.5 Batch export 19

10 Preferences 2010.1 Display 2010.2 Preset images 2010.3 Exporting and saving 2010.4 Software update 20

11 Buying the full version 2111.1 Online purchase procedure 2111.2 Educational site license 21

Distribution 22

Credits 22Concept and programming 22Sparkle update code 22Testing 22

Version history 23



IntroductionVectoraster is an application that allows you to create raster half-tone patterns in vector-based formats based on an existing bitmap image.

Bitmap source image

Generated vector raster

The resulting raster can then be exported to various file formats (vectors to EPS or PDF or bitmap to TIFF, PNG or JPEG) or copied and pasted straight into most layout and vector graphics software.

The rasters can be generated with many different distribution patterns and the individual points can be of many different shapes to suit different purposes.

System requirementsVectoraster requires an intel-based Mac running Mac OS X 10.7.5 or later to run.



1 Interface layout

1.1 Control panelsThe Vectoraster interface for each document is contained in a single window that you can use either in full screen or windowed mode. In the center is a view of the raster that updates as you change any parameters. To the left and right sides of the window there are panels containing controls for all the different parameters you use to define the raster. Using the buttons next to them you can hide and show these panels independently.

In the panel to the left there are controls for setting up the input that the raster will be based on and document information (see section 2 for more).

In the panel to the right there are controls for all the parameters deciding how the raster is then rendered, both the individual raster points (see section 3) and the raster pattern (see section 4).

Below all this, there is a dark area at the bottom of the window that contains the display controls. To the left are controls for zooming and to the right for controlling display of the raster and source image.



1.2 Collapsing sectionsThe controls in the control panels to the left and right are divided into four main sections, Source images, Document information, Raster points and Raster pattern. These sections then have multiple subsections for various parameters.

All these sections can be collapsed and expanded independently by clicking on their header, giving you quick access to any combination of controls at the same time, while allowing you to hide controls you dont need at the moment.

The subsections can be opened and closed individually, or you can open and close an entire section by clicking its header.

In addition to this you can also show/hide the entire control panel by using the little buttons next to them.

1.3 Value fields and slidersMany value parameters are controlled by a combination of a value field and a slider. You can either edit the value by typing in the field or by dragging the slider with the mouse.

You can also use the arrow keys while the value field is selected to increase or decrease the value. Pressing just the arrow keys usually changes the value +/- 1, but automatically reduces the steps to 0.1 and the 0.01 as the value approaches zero for non-angle values.

By holding down shift you can instead step +/- 10 and with option held +/- 0.1. This allows you to quickly tune the values exactly without having to type in a new value.

Some parameters also have a vary check box next to them. This means you can vary this parameter with the weight of each point. Checking this lets you set a min and max value for the parameter that the value will vary between.



2 Source imagesThe basis of a raster in is the so called source image(s). It is from these the data is taken to define how raster will be generated.

In most cases only the primary source image is used, but you can also set a secondary source image. This can be used for example if you wish to use one image to control the size of the raster points and another to control the color of the points. Note that the secondary source image will be scaled to the same size as the primary source image in these cases.

2.1 Primary and secondary source imageIn the first two subsections of the Source images section lets you set the primary and secondary source image.

There are several ways to set a source image:

- Press browse and select an image file on your hard drive.

- Drag and drop an image or image file into the image-well on the panel.

- Select the image-well and paste an image into the image-well directly.

- Use the presets menu to select one of the preset images.

As a shortcut you can also drag and drop an image file directly onto the Vectoraster icon to create a new Vectoraster file using the image as a source image.

You can also use the Import source image option available in the File menu to import images from other formats. For example you can select a frame a from QuickTime compatible movie file to use as a source image.

Vectoraster always uses bitmap representations of the source images, so if you supply a vector graphics image as a source image it will be automatically rasterized to be used internally.



2.2 Measurement and adjustmentThe basis for the raster generation is the values taken from the source images. At each point in the raster pattern a weight value is measured, and this weight value is then used in many ways to define the raster. The most common use is to set the point size, but it can also be used to vary many other parameters, including the density of points in varied density rasters.

In this panel you can control what is measured to give the weight value. You can choose between a wide range of data from each of the source images as well as random values.

The Invert option inverts the measured value effectively inverting the raster.

The Local average option generates a measured value by calculating an average of several local points. This makes the raster smoother but takes longer to render.

In addition to this there are sliders to change the darkness and contrast of the weight measurement function. Darkness adds or subtracts to the value, and contrast multiplies it exponentially. In other words, these controls give you basically a brightness/contrast control for the raster.



3 Document informationIn the document information panels you can see information about the current raster and set its size.

3.1 Document sizeIn the document size panel you can see the export size of the current raster document. While the vector output can be scaled to any size, this is the size the exported file will have.

Initially, the size of the document is set based on the pixel size of the source image, one mm per pixel.

To change the document size you simply press the button in the panel and fill in a new document size. The dialogue will then give you an option to also scale all your raster parameters if you like, so the appearance of the raster remains the same.

3.2 Raster informationIn this panel you can see information about the number of points in the current raster and how long it has taken to calculate and render it.



4 Raster pointsThe shape of the points in the raster is defined in the Raster points section of the right hand control panel. There are four subsections with different types of point shape settings:

4.1 Point shapeIn this section you specify the shape of each individual point in the raster. This is done by first selecting a type of point, and then adjusting the various settings that are available for this point type. On the left there is a preview image that shows you what the points will look like.

The available point types are:

CircleA circular point. There are no shape settings for this point type.

BoxA square box. There are no shape settings for this point type.

Polygon and Rounded polygonA polygon with equal length sides. You can control the number of edges and rounding of the edges for the rounded type. The Random edges-option makes the number of edges random from point to point, based on the base edge number.

Contracting shapeSame as rounded polygon but with an additional option to have the sides contract towards the center. The Vary contraction option varies the amount of point contraction with the point weight.



Random shapeA random rounded shape for each individual point. You can control the amount of rounding, contraction as well as the average number of edges.

Character / TextUse characters from any installed font as raster points. You specify a set of characters using the character set field. You can also use the All letters option to use all letters in the English alphabet as character set.

You can use the characters in the set in three different ways, controlled by the mode menu. You can either loop through the letters in order to get a text-like appearance of the raster or use the characters of the set in a random order. Finally you can also use the entire character set for each point.

Custom shapeImport a custom graphics file to use for the points. You can either use EPS vector format or you can use a bitmap image.

If the bitmap has an alpha-channel it will be used as a mask, otherwise the darkness will be used to control transparency.

You can apply the current point color to custom shape points by checking the apply point color check box. For EPS shapes the fill color will be changed. For bitmap images the image will be tinted.

NOTE: EPS is a complex format with many versions, so this may not work properly for all EPS graphics. If youre having problems, try simplifying or saving your point graphic file as a different version EPS and try again.

Line rasterInstead of generating a raster with a lot of individual points this point type generates lines connecting the points with varying width depending to the point size.

Because this mode is a little different than the other point types it does not have any transform options, and it does not work with the random or varied density raster patterns. Line raster



4.2 Point sizeIn this section you control how big the points in the raster are. This is done by selecting a size function that defines how the measured value from the image will be translated into a point size, and then setting a minimum and maximum size of the points. The settings here are common for all point types.

The available size functions are:

LinearJust a simple linear mapping of measured value to point size.

CurveThis size function gives you the option of tweaking the size function a little by changing the curve weight, allowing you to tweak the exposure or balance of the raster image as compared to the original source image.

IncrementalWith this size function you can set a number of fixed size steps for the points.

ConstantWith this size function the size is the same for all points. This can be useful if you want to vary some other parameter (like color, outline width, aspect, rotation etc.) of the points across the raster, but keep the point size constant.

For all the size functions you can also use the option of removing points smaller than a specified size.

To the left there is a small diagram that gives you a rough idea of what the current size function looks like.



4.4 Point outlineIn this section you can change the points to outline mode, making the points outlined instead of filled.

This is probably most useful with the Vary outline option activated. This will vary the width of the outline with the weight of the point, between the defined max and min widths.

4.5 Point transformationIn this section you can control the transformations to the individual points.

Rotation sets the angle each point is rotated around its center. You can also add a random value to each point to have them rotated randomly or add the raster rotation to align the points to the rotation of the raster pattern. Finally, there is a Vary option to vary the rotation of each point between a min and max with the weight of the point.

The aspect setting controls the height/width ratio of each point. The Vary option varies the aspect ratio between a min and max value with the weight of the point.



4.6 Point colorIn this final point control section you set the color of the raster points.

At the top you of the section you can set a base color source by using the sliders to set a mix between three sources:

Single solid colorA single color that you can set using the color well next to the slider

Primary source imageThe color of the pixel at the point location in the primary source image.

Secondary source imageThe color of the pixel at the point location in the secondary source image.

Below this you can then adjust the point colors taken from the source by shifting the hue, saturation and brightness of the color using the sliders below after activating the Point color adjustment option.

You can also set these adjustments to vary between a min and max value with the point weight, letting you make color gradients in the raster. Point color from a secondary source image



5 Raster patternThe pattern of the raster is defined in the Raster pattern section. There are three subsections with different types of raster pattern settings:

5.1 Pattern type and spacingHere you control the type of pattern to use and the spacing of the points in the raster pattern.

The default setting is to use the same spacing for both horizontal and vertical spacing, but by checking the Separate vertical spacing option you can instead set different spacing values for horizontal and vertical.

While the two spacing settings are labeled horizontal and vertical they should actually be seen as a first and second direction. For example in a radial raster they represent radial and circumference distance.

The raster patterns available are:

Straight gridA basic grid with straight rows and columns.

Alternating gridA grid pattern with every other row shifted and the row distance slightly reduced in order to make the distance between point centers equal in the diagonal directions.

RadialA radial raster with the points in circles around a centre point.

Straight grid

Alternating grid

Radial



RandomRandom point distribution of points.

Varied density randomA random point distribution where more points are placed in darker areas of the source image.

With this distribution there is also a falloff parameter that controls the falloff of the point density.

Varied density structuredA point distribution where more points are placed in darker areas of the source image, but this time in a structured pattern. Due to the way this pattern is generated, the structure of it will vary depending on the raster spacing.

With this distribution there is also a falloff parameter that controls the falloff of the point density.

Random linesA point distribution where more points are placed in strings along random crisscrossing lines. Most useful as a way to make random line rasters or text rasters.

5.2 Pattern transformationHere you control the transformation of the entire raster pattern, rotation and offset.

To offset the raster you can either click and drag in the raster window or enter offset values in these fields.

With plain rasters without any distortion effects offsetting the raster changes very little. But with radial rasters, or distortions applied it can be used to make substantial changes to the raster pattern.

There is a button to reset the offset to 0,0 and another to access the raster align tool, that lets you align the raster to the edges or center the center point (see section 7).

Random

Varied density random

Varied density structured

Random lines



To make a more interesting raster pattern you can also apply various distortions to the pattern. The distortion types that are available are: Twist, Bulge, Wave, Split and Randomize.

The randomize distortion is a good alternative to the random raster patterns as it allows you to add a more controlled amount of randomness to the raster pattern.

For each you can control the strength of the distortion and the size. The strength parameter controls how much affected points will be distorted, and the size parameter controls how much of the raster pattern will be affected.

The distortions are generally centered around the center of the raster at 0,0 offset. So if you want to move the distortion effect, just offset the raster.

5.3 Background colorIn the last sub panel you control the color of the background. In exported rasters a rectangle of this color will be added behind the raster.

By default this is white, and as long as it is white it will not be included in exported rasters. If you change it to any other color, it will be included in the exported rasters.

You can also chose not to use any background.



6 Display6.1 Raster window zoomThe two basic display controls are located at the bottom of the raster window.

The first are the zoom controls located to the left. They allow you to zoom in and out using the slider, or to fit the entire raster to the window size. While you are zoomed in you can hold space and click and drag in the image to pan around.

You can also use the menu items in the Display menu and their keyboard shortcuts to zoom in/out/fit.

6.2 Raster window displayThe second control of this panel is the display slider. It controls how much of the raster and primary source image are shown. When it is all the way to the left only the image is shown, in the middle both are shown and to the right only the raster is shown. This does not affect the exported raster, its only for practical use while youre working with the raster.

6.3 Auto regenerateBy default the raster regenerates every time you change a parameter. Usually this is fast enough to update right away, however, for complex rasters with a lot of points and slower systems you can turn this off in the Display menu.

You can then manually use the Regenerate item in the same menu to regenerate and update the raster.



7 Raster utilitiesThe raster utilities are tools for performing various more complex operations on the raster automatically. They can be accessed from the Raster utilities menu or a button in the interface and they open a new modal dialogue.

For the Batch processing utility, see the Export section below.

7.1 Align raster to edgesThis utility can be used to change the raster offset and spacing to align the pattern exactly to the edges of the raster or centering the middle point exactly in the center.

7.2 Multi scaleThis utility can be used to scale multiple raster parameters at once with a single slider. The parameters available depend on what effects you currently have enabled in the raster. You then just check the parameters you want to scale and use the slider to scale them. As with all other controls, the raster is updated live to show you the effect.

Pressing Ok applies the change, while pressing Cancel reverts the parameters back to their original values.

You can also access this quickly by clicking the Multi scale button at the top of the raster controls panel.



8 Saving and loading8.1 .VRaster formatTo save or open a previously saved Vectoraster document, just use the Save and Open commands in the File menu.

The files saved by Vectoraster use an internal format and are of the type .VRaster. This file cannot be used by any other applications and is only for use by Vectoraster.

For exporting to file formats that can be used by other applications, see the Exporting section below.

8.2 Embedded dataWhen saving a document the source image(s) and custom point image data is embedded into the VRaster file, so you do not need to keep the original source image file once you have saved the Vectoraster document.

Also embedded in the file is a preview image of the raster, used in previews in Finder. The size of this preview can be set in the Vectoraster preferences.

However, font data is not embedded in the file, so in order to display character/text rasters correctly in Vectoraster when you open a saved VRaster file you need to have the font installed.



9 ExportingTo use the raster you have created you need to export it to a format other applications can use.

9.1 Copying to the clipboardThe easiest way to export is to copy the raster onto the clipboard by using the Copy Vector-Raster item in the Edit menu. This will copy the raster data to the clipboard in PDF format, which is the standard vector-graphics data format. So you can then just paste it into, for example, Illustrator.

There is a bug in some versions of Adobe Illustrator CS4 and earlier that sometimes prevents you from pasting in PDF data from other applications. If you are having this problem, try this:

- In Illustrator, copy any object inside an open Illustrator document.

- Quit and restart Illustrator. - You should now be able to paste in things

from Vectoraster and other applications into Illustrator.

9.2 File exportYou can save the raster in vector format as an EPS or PDF-file that can be imported into most vector illustration packages.

NOTE: The EPS implementation of Apple generates a lot of extra clipping rectangles when points are clipped. To get the original raster clipping rect, just use the background box, or use PDF format (which is generally better).

You can also export to bitmap image formats TIFF, PNG or JPEG. In these cases you also specify the size in pixels of the exported image.

To export to any of these formats, use the Export item in the File menu.

9.3 CSV point data exportIn addition to the vector or bitmap export options you can also export your raster to a comma separated file with just the position and size values of all the points. This file contains no point shape information or color data, but it can be useful for additional CAD or other custom use of the raster points.

9.4 Export raster sizeThe size of the exported raster is the document size that can be set in the document size panel (see 3.1).

9.5 Export colorAs the colors in Vectoraster are based on the RGB input of the source images the colors in the exported rasters will also be in RGB mode.

Most vector illustration software use CMYK colors as a default, and they might therefore incorrectly convert the colors in the raster to CMYK when importing the raster, making the colors look grayish and washed out. To avoid this, make sure you change the document to be in RGB color mode before you import or paste in the Vectoraster data.



9.5 Batch exportThe batch export panel, accessible from the Raster utilities menu, allows you to automatically apply the current vectoraster to a series of source images.

In the panel you first define input settings in the panel to the left, choose either to use frames in a QuickTime compatible video file, or use all image files in a selected directory.

If you use a movie file you can also set a sampling rate.

In the output settings to the right set where the output will be stored. You can also choose the size and format of the output.

You can either save the output as numbered vector files in EPS or PDF format, bitmap images in TIFF, JPEG or PNG format, or you can render the exported rasters into a QuickTime movie file.

Finally you start the process with the start button in the bottom right (this then turns into a button to abort the batch process).



You can access the application preferences using the Preferences... item in the application menu. The preferences window has several tabs with different settings:

10.1 DisplayHere you can control some aspects of the interface appearance. You can also turn on/off interface animations, shadows and background texture. This has no impact on the raster functionality, but might make the interface more responsive if youre on a slower system.

Finally you can enable/disable multi-threaded rendering. Enabled this will make updating much faster, especially for large rasters with a lot of points. However, for some color gradient rasters with a lot of overlapping large points, it might cause some incorrect rendering. Again, this has no impact on exported rasters, it only affects display in Vectoraster.

10.2 Preset imagesIn this panel you can pick what image is to be used as the default for new documents.

There is also a button for opening the preset images folder in Finder. You can put your own images in there, and they will be added to the preset images menus the next time Vectoraster is launched.

10.3 Exporting and savingHere you can set the size of the preview image that is embedded in saved VRaster files, and you can also control whether the source image should be included in exported rasters.

10.4 Software updateIn the last tab you can set if you want Vectoraster to automatically look for new versions or not, and you can also manually check for updates.

10 Preferences



11 Buying the full versionThis software is shareware. That means that you can download it and try it out for free. However, until you purchase the full version points will be removed in random holes from all exported rasters.The price is $32 for new users, and $12 to upgrade for registered users of Vectoraster 5. Payment is handled online via the secure servers of Kagi. You can pay with any major credit card, paypal, purchase orders and many other payment methods.

11.1 Online purchase procedureTo buy Vectoraster click the Purchase Online-button in the shareware notice window, or go to http://www.lostminds.com and click store in the menu.

You will then be directed to Kagi, the company that handles the payments. They can offer secure online payments and accept just about any form of payment.

After you have paid you will receive an automatically generated code via e-mail in a few minutes that allows you to unlock the software and use it without limitations.

To unlock the software, just enter your name, the e-mail you used to register and the code you received in the shareware notice window that appears at startup.

Your payment is vital as it will enable us to continue improving this product and make other great applications in the future.

11.2 Educational site licenseFor educational institutions like schools that want to provide Vectoraster for students and staff there is a greatly reduced price offer to buy an educational site license for Vectoraster 6. To find out more, go to http://www.lostminds.com, click store in the menu and look for the educational site license link.



DistributionThis application is distributed as shareware. This means the unregistered package is free to download and share, as long as you distribute the entire package with this manual, the online registration link and the sample files are included with it. However, if you do, it would be nice if you dropped me a line to tell me about it.

If you wish to distribute the application commercially or if you have some other question you can reach me at:

lars.gafvert (at) lostminds.com

You can always find the latest version of Vectoraster and our other products at:

http://www.lostminds.com

CreditsConcept and programming

- Lars Gfvert

Sparkle update code - Andy Matuschack

More info: http://sparkle.andymatuschak.org/

Testing - JB Davis, Benedikt Steinle, Jonas Svensson,

Guy Tom, Rogrio Maciel, Lionel Noel



Version historyVersion 6.0.8 - 2014-05-16

- Fixed bug where batch processing input source alternatives would be incorrectly disabled. - Fixed bug where disabling the text raster all lettersoption would not work as expected. - Fixed a bug that could cause a crash on mismatch between primary and secondary source

image size.

Version 6.0.7 - 2014-04-30 - Added support for source images in non-RGB bitmap formats (Such as CMYK or grayscale color

models).

- Fixed a bug with quick look previews in Finder etc for .VRaster files.

Version 6.0.6 - 2014-04-22 - Added a new export mode to save raw point location and size data to a CSV-file. - Fixed a bug with CMYK color channel measuring. - A couple of typo fixes.

Version 6.0.5 - 2014-03-17 - Fixed a bug where pasting in vector graphics in the source image well would result in a blank

raster.

- Vector images used as source images are now instead rasterized automatically and work just like bitmap images.

Version 6.0.4 - 2014-02-04 - Fixed a bug that would sometime cause the background color box to be incorrectly scaled in

exported rasters.

- Replaced the align raster button in the pattern transformation panel. - Source image files dropped into the source image wells now get the correct file names and

vector graphic files are properly rejected if dropped.

- Fixed/improved the information in some error messages.

Version 6.0.3 - 2013-12-05 - Fixed a bug with selecting non-rgb defined spot colors in the color picker. - Improved character point font picking interface that also fixes some problems users with third-

party font managing utilities were having.



- Fixed a bug that left some graphical glitches when the right control panel was collapsed. - Font and color picker panels are now automatically dismissed when you use another control.

Version 6.0.2 - 2013-11-26 - Fixed a few bugs with bitmap custom shape rendering.

Version 6.0.1 - 2013-11-14 - Fixed a bug that caused a progress-bar to appear in exported rasters for some users. - Fixed a problem with apple code-signing the prevented the application from being properly

identified on some systems.

Version 6.0.0 - 2013-11-11Major changes and new features:

- New and improved single-window interface with two control panels and full screen support. - New multi-threaded background rendering engine with much improved performance. - New color adjustment controls the let you shift point color hue, saturation and brightness as

well as vary these changes across the raster.

- Much improved control of varying secondary parameters such as point rotation, outline width, aspect and contraction across the raster.

- New Constant point size function where all points are the same size. Useful for when you want to vary other parameters instead.

- New Sparkle-based software updating and Apple code signing for quick secure version checking and future updates.

- New consistent document size system, letting you set the size of the raster for export.

Other changes, fixes and new features:

- Improved dynamic zooming and panning controls. - Tweaked arrow key value adjustment in fields to automatically take smaller steps for smaller

values and fixed some bugs with value entering.

- Varying parameters (such as size, rotation etc) can now have a max value lower than min, resulting in a reversed value gradient.

- New raster align tool to center the middle raster point in the raster. - New buttons in the interface to quickly access the raster align and multi scale-tools. - Improved line raster rendering with cleaner line ends and removal of redundant points. - Exported rasters are now grouped in a clipping rectangle to make them easier to handle. - Improved memory management with automatic reference counting. - Raised raster point limit to now allow up to 10 million points in a raster. - Fixed scaling of secondary source images. - Fixed a number of bugs with raster offset.



Version 5.2.1 - 2013-05-20 - Fixed a freezing bug with Random Lines rasters introduced in version 5.2.0.

Version 5.2.0 - 2013-05-17Changes and new features:

- Added a raster information panel showing information like raster size, dpi and number of points, accessed by clicking the little info-button in the bottom right of the raster window.

- Length unit consistency. All length values (like point size, point spacing etc) are now in millimeters, the option of using other length units when exporting has been removed.

- Made the embedded message in exported rasters for unregistered users clearer.

Bug fixes:

- Hiding the application using the Hide menu item now works properly. - Fixed some problems with unlocking Vectoraster, and made the error messages for invalid

registration codes more helpful.

- Fixed a bug that sometimes caused holes in exported rasters for registered users on Mac OS X 10.6.8.

Version 5.1.1 - 2013-03-21 - The raster rotation setting now accepts negative values, making it easier to make text rasters

with lines pointing upwards.

- Fixed a bug that would sometimes reset the text raster text string when the text raster mode was changed.

- The preset images are now replaced in the preset image folder if they are removed for some reason.

- Change of the default value of the display slider to only show the raster from the start for new rasters.

Version 5.1.0 - 2013-01-29New features:

- New raster pattern: Random lines. (Try it in a line raster or text raster!) - Improved bitmap export panel with mm size and dpi calculation. - Max values of the point size sliders are now adjusted with raster spacing for better precision. - Tweaked Multi Scale tool interface.

Bug fixes:

- Fixed a bug in line raster rendering that would incorrectly bridge some gaps in lines. - Fixed a bug where setting a point color without any source image color mixing would always

result in the color black.



Version 5.0.2 - 2012-10-03 - Added a Vary point rotation-option that varies the rotation of each point with the point weight,

allowing for some interesting pattern effects in gradients.

- Fixed rendering problems with display setups where retina and normal displays were used together.

Version 5.0.1 - 2012-09-16 Bug fixes:

- Fixed bug that made it impossible to change the source image in documents created with the default source image setting set to none.

- Fixed bug that made entering values in the bitmap export size fields result in strange values for some rasters.

- Fixed bug with loading secondary source images.

Version 5.0.0 - 2012-09-13 Major new features:

- Measured value adjustments. New controls for adjusting measured values with an offset and exponent, giving roughly a brightness/contrast adjustment effect to rasters.

- Multi Scale. A new feature that lets you scale multiple parameters, like point size and raster spacing, simultaneously with one control.

- Source image presets. New popup menus for quickly switching to a number of built in preset source images, such as radial and linear gradients.

- Improved varied density rasters. Varied density rasters now have a falloff parameter, and a new structured varied density raster pattern has been added.

- Outline mode. A new point shape mode to render outlines instead of filled point shapes, with an option to vary the stroke width with point weight for some interesting effects.

- Improved history management. More robust infinite undo and redo history for all actions, and an added revert to saved file menu item.

Other new features:

- Print directly from Vectoraster. - Raster utilities menu. A new menu with utilities to automatically alter multiple raster

parameters, like aligning the raster to the edges and the multi-scale feature.

- Contracting point shapes can now have negative contraction values. - PNG image export added and image export interface improved. - Improved Quicktime movie frame import interface with frame and time location . - Improved batch processing interface with JPEG and PNG format support. - The opened/closed state of the interface panels are now saved for each file.



- Raster patterns now extend infinitely when offset, allowing for more subtle radial rasters. - Improved EPS export that avoids all the clippings paths that were previously created.

Bugfixes:

- Fixed display on HiDPI (retina) displays. - Fixed undo of raster or point rotation always reverting to zero. - Fixed problems with preferences and unlocking for some users with non-admin user accounts. - Fixed a bug where checking for new versions on startup could stall the application. - Fixed a crash that occurred sometimes after importing a source image from a quicktime movie

frame.

- Fixed raster offset dragging with raster rotation. - Fixed a bug where saved varied distribution rasters would be opened as random distribution

rasters.

- Fixed a bug where decimal values would be incorrectly displayed in newly files opened from finder until any value was edited.

- Lots and lots of other little tweaks and fixes.

Version 4.1.0 - 2011-10-15 - Improved custom shape rendering that allows varied fill color of most EPS vector custom shape

points and removes the individual clipping rectangles in the resulting exported rasters.

- Added option to turn coloring of custom shape points on/off. - Fixed a bug that would cause asymmetrical bitmap custom shapes to be draw incorrectly. - Fixed a bug with the contracting point shape vary contraction option and changed the way it

works to make it more interesting and useful.

- Some minor fixes and tweaks to the raster pattern preview and random value measurement mode.

Version 4.0.1 - 2011-06-22 - Arrow key stepping support in all value fields, up/down arrow keys change the value +/- 1 and

with shift +/- 10 and option +/- 0.1 to let the user quickly tweak values without typing.

- Fixed a batch processing memory leak. - Folder batch processing output is now automatically placed in a new sub folder called batch

output.

- Lots of little stability fixes and optimizations.

Version 4.0.0 - 2011-01-28 - New more flexible interface based on collapsing panels. - Support for different point size functions including the new curve size function. - File preview and QuickLook support in Finder (Mac OS X 10.5 required). - Raised max number of allowed raster points to 1 million.



- Quickly create new rasters by dragging and dropping image files onto the Vectoraster application icon.

- New and improved manual. - Raster pattern preview display. - Point size function preview display. - JPEG export. - 64bit/32bit universal application (Mac OS X 10.5 required). - Optimization of text raster rendering. - Measurement optimization. - New unified export dialogue. - New default gradient source images for new files. - Improved incremental point size functionality. - Several memory leaks fixed. - Bug with EPS export of custom shape points fixed. - Bug with pattern offset re-center fixed. - Bug with batch export to movie with no background fixed. - Lots of other little bugs fixed.

Version 3.5.2 - 2010-08-06 - Randomize raster distortion that allows for a more controlled level of randomness in the raster

pattern.

- Some small bug fixes. - Check for updates feature.

Version 3.5.1 - 2009-12-06 - Option to remove points smaller than a set size limit. - Fixed bug causing freeze when zooming in too much. - Fixed a rounding error bug for people using comma instead of period as decimal separator. - Fixed bug with export units setting that swapped millimeters and points.

Version 3.5.0 - 2009-11-30 - Added batch processing tool. - Added movie frame import. - Added Box point shape. - Added the random edge number option for the polygon point shapes. - Added lossless LZW-compression to exported TIFF-files. - Fixed some interface quirks in Mac OS X 10.6.



Version 3.0.1 - 2009-06-19 - Vectoraster now properly adds the right file extension in save dialogs. - Made the interface fields more responsive. - Added a help menu item to open the manual.

Version 3.0.0 - 2009-03-24 - Line raster mode to generate proper line rasters. - New character point modes to select characters from a defined set, loop through a string or use

an entire string as a point.

- Separate horizontal and vertical raster spacing setting. - Incremental point size option to use a set number of point sizes instead of the default linear

distribution.

- Improved point rotation control. - Better control of Random shape points, previously know as Random blob. - Remodeled user interface with separate source image, point and pattern panels. - Moved display slider and zoom controls to the bottom of the main window and fixed zoom

centering.

- Option to include source image in exported rasters. - Improved manual. - Fixed problems with open paths in exported rasters with rounded point shapes. - Fixed random value measurement. - Fixed problem with aspect ratio of custom point shapes. - Fixed problem selecting font family members for character point shape type under OS X 10.5.

Version 2.1.2 - 2008-02-17 - Fixes to various things that were broken in version 2.1.1 - Restored real-time raster regeneration. - Better support for the special character panel.

Version 2.1.1 - 2008-02-09 - Fixed crash under Mac OS X 10.5. - You can now abort slow raster regenerations.

Version 2.1.0 - 2008-01-10 - A new raster distortion feature allows you to twist and deform the raster patterns. - Adjustments to make the interface more responsive. - Source image data is now compressed making saved .VRaster files much smaller. - Better handling of corrupted files.



Version 2.0.1 - 2007-10-01 - You can now apply color to custom bitmap shapes. - Improved random blobs shape, now you can adjust contraction and smoothing of the blobs. - Undo now works for the color wells. - A bunch of small fixes.

Version 2.0.0 - 2007-08-14 - Custom point shape. Use any image file as raster points. - Secondary source image for color or point size. - Source color mixing sliders. - Preference to use points or millimeters as units for exported rasters. - Character point type can now use a random character. - Display menu with options to render rasters in draft mode and to turn off raster auto

regeneration.

- Export to PDF added. - Export to TIFF added. - New option to control if the raster should have a background color. - Preference to copy vector-rasters as PDF, EPS or both. - Lots of small bugs fixed.

Version 1.1.2 - 2006-09-09 - Fixed bug caused by duplicate fonts. - Correct pixel sizes for source images at non-72dpi resolutions. - Fixed source colors for images with alpha channels on Mac OS X < 10.4

Version 1.1.1 - 2006-08-30 - Point shape aspect-ratio parameter introduced. - Polygon shapes are now properly closed in exported rasters. - Removed extra points from exported character rasters. - All color picker modes are now supported.

Version 1.1.0 - 2006-08-22 - Vectoraster now requires Mac OS X 10.3 or later. - Varied density distribution introduced. - Character point type now supports all members of each font family. - CMYK-channel measurement. - Reworked random blob points and random distribution. - Some minor bugs fixed.



Version 1.0.1 - 2006-08-03 - Fixed bug with missing controls under Mac OS X 10.3.

Version 1.0.0 - 2006-07-29 - Initial release.

IntroductionSystem requirements

1 Interface layout1.1 Control panels1.2 Collapsing sections1.3 Value fields and sliders

2 Source images2.1 Primary and secondary source image2.2 Measurement and adjustment

3 Document information3.1 Document size3.2 Raster information

4 Raster points4.1 Point shape4.2 Point size4.4 Point outline4.5 Point transformation4.6 Point color

5 Raster pattern5.1 Pattern type and spacing5.2 Pattern transformation5.3 Background color

6 Display6.1 Raster window zoom6.2 Raster window display6.3 Auto regenerate

7 Raster utilities7.1 Align raster to edges7.2 Multi scale

8 Saving and loading8.1 .VRaster format8.2 Embedded data

9 Exporting9.1 Copying to the clipboard9.2 File export9.3 CSV point data export9.4 Export raster size9.5 Export color9.5 Batch export

10 Preferences10.1 Display10.2 Preset images10.3 Exporting and saving10.4 Software update

11 Buying the full version11.1 Online purchase procedure11.2 Educational site license

DistributionCreditsConcept and programmingSparkle update codeTesting

Version history

vectoraster manual

Documents