Alchemy
Affect Modules
Affect modules are for affecting (changing) existing shapes. You can have more than one selected at a time by using the Affect popup menu in the tool bar. Having several selected at once can lead to quite strange behaviour! Thats a good thing! Lets go through the Affect modules one by one.
Displace
The Displace module changes shape geometry by contracting or expanding the shape based on the movement of the pen. Faster movement causes the shape to contract closer towards the current pen location. Likewise, slower movements push points away from the current pen location.
Use the Displacement slider to change the amount shapes are contracted or expanded.
Gradient
The Gradient module adds automatic colour gradation to shapes, fading between the foreground colour and a transparent colour.
Mirror
The Mirror module reflects shapes along a vertical and/or horizontal axis in real time.
Use the Horizontal and Vertical buttons to turn mirroring on and off.
Use the Move button to set the location of mirroring.
Use the Reset button to reset the location of mirroring to the middle of the canvas.
Blindness
Drawing blind is an exercise used in conventional drawing, and is implemented here in the Blindness module by stopping the canvas display being updated.
Update the canvas display using the Redraw button.
Allow the automatic redrawing of shapes each time the pen is lifted by toggling the Autoredraw button.
Random
The Random module allows you to distort and change shapes. When rolling over a shape, the area around the mouse will have its points randomised.
Mic Expand
The Mic Expand module uses sounds from the microphone to expand, contort, and change shapes. When rolling over a shape, the microphone is opened and the shape is changed according to the incoming sound.
Use the Volume slider to control the level of distortion.
Use the Mode button to toggle between the two different modes. In wave mode shapes are distorted according to the sound wave captured from the microphone. In level mode, the size of the shape is changed according to the microphone volume.
Repeat
The Repeat module duplicates shapes on rollover. This module can be used in combination with other affect modules such as Random and Mic Expand to create slightly different shapes in multiple.
Use the Repeat Interval slider to change the rate at which shapes are duplicated. A smaller interval produces more shapes.
Colour Switcher
The Colour Switcher module can be used to change colours randomly. When the Transparency button is on, the transparency will change with each pen stroke. Likewise when the Colour button is on, the colour will change. Additionally a 'base colour' can be set and a range defined so as to produce very similar colours with a low range, and very different colours with a high range.
Smooth
The Smooth module will smooth out the jagged and hard edges of shapes on rollover. The Repeat button, when activated adds each step of the smoothing process to the canvas as a new shape.
Limit
The Limit module, limits the total number of shapes that can be on the canvas at any one time. It works in a 'first in, first out' style so that older shapes are removed first. This module is useful if you want to keep the sketch minimal, or work with live visuals that appear to fade and animate over time.