Decided to try the new disco ball tutorial at Gimpusers and test out the APNG animation (file size is huge, btw - that definitely needs some work).

http://www.gimpusers.com/tutorials/create-a-disco-ball

I actually discovered on my own the 2 to 1 then resize issue with mapping to sphere (wonder why they did it this way?). Cool tut Mahvin. I'm all into spheres; might give it a try (my own way since I don't read too well; inside joke; lol) later.

OK; this one done my way (I like reinventing the wheel; lol). I did follow the mosaic step (except chose 400x400px to start off with) though, but I could have used Xero's Frittery filter and believe get a better result. I didn't use map object but used lens distortion followed by Mathmap>distort>Sphere. Added some reflection effects (don't ask here; went whack with that) for the result shown.

Just as a sidenote, many here hopefully already figured out there are more then one way to skin a cat. That's what make playing in GIMP (or any other editor of choice) fun.

That was fun!

Mahvin, Lyle and "0", love your spheres....disco balls ...... love the animated one...

I like what you got going on within the first sphere, Lyle. Did you merge or blend a background into the sphere?

O, I thought it was fun, too, made me think of those Mardi Gras beads, only larger.

Molly, I like the animation, too. But its size is mind boggling, almost 1 meg!

I ran GIMP's Twist distortion filter and Unplugged's Copystar (I used filter factory convertor to convert it to a guf file too for better preview, but rarely do this) and blended that result in for the reflection effects. Glad you like the result Mahvin.

@Lyle: GIMP's Twist distortion filter?

It doesn't look like I want it to but I couldn't figure out how to make the reflections travel like they do with a real one. When I realized I wanted it hanging from a turning mechanism, it was too late to add one.

@O: I think it's possible to get the effect of light bouncing from the ball, using a manual process of rotating a multi-colored line nova, tilted slightly with the perspective tool, then fade the "light rays" using a blur to blend it into the background and then reduce its opacity. Duplicate that process and flip the tilted line nova to give it a more round appearance and the appearance of two light rays crossing and converging.

Extremely cool result O. Click below for the GIMP Twist filter Mahvin.

http://registry.gimp.org/node/13221

No idea how I missed THAT script! I tend to think I have every script and plug-in ever created.

It's now compiled and installed. Chicka Chicka Boom Boom!

Yea; the Twist Plugin is quite fun for certain things Mahvin. You know that a plugin guy like me would have such a thing. lol

Thanks for the tutorial and the plugin!!!
Without Twist (Above)
and
With Twist (Below)

they are beautiful and sweet PM.

I didn't do so well but will try again.

Nice Molly!

That's great, Greg! Unfortunately that Twist plugin is only for Windows.

thanks O.....
I want to make a background like the one in the tute but not having much luck.

I don't think so !
Michael Shumaker (i hope i have not mangled the name )compiled for win but is a linux guy he would never , never wrote a windows only plugin.

That seems almost impossible !
Michael Shumaker (i hope i have not mangled the name ) build the win binary
.... but is a linux guy he would never , never wrote a windows only plugin.

THANK O !

Finally looking for the linux version i stumbled on a accurate descrition on how twist works (i was never able to guess its logic..i saw was able to do amazing things but never what i planned to the point that i unistall it )

So here the source (well should be easy to compile, i may try tomorrow for Ubuntu but i can't help for fedora )
http://registry.gimp.org/files/twist-2.0.tar.gz
EDIT good news O:


Here how works
http://www.graphics-muse.org/source/GFX ... t_doc.html

Yeah, I compiled it from source yesterday, only to discover it had a "ready to go" binary file included. I've created very interesting effects with it. Like a twirling galaxy, combining twist with the star field script. Does some amazing things when needed.