GIMP Version: ALL
Operating System: ALL
OS Version: ALL
GIMP Experience: Intermediate

---

Why ?
Gimp may use as pattern images of most the more used format (.i.e jpg, png,gif)
It has anyway its own format that apparently doesn't offer any advantage BUT A LIMITATION

Pattern saved as path can't be larger of 500x500, BUT same limitation doesn't affict the other formats

So why use pat format to save pattern ?

You mean .pat and not path?

If so, and there is a limit of 500x500 (never tried it) then I don't know and agree with you. Better off saving it as .png.

yes i mean .pat
From the a doc i read somewhere (not sure of the link sorry) the size limitation is applied only to .pat, no to patterns saved in other formats

I may check better later(as now i removed all add-on to reinstall them with GURM , but i still fight with setting up Gurm paths, so i can't check ) but i really can't see why use .pat instead then png

GIMP patterns existed before PNGs, at least before PNGs were adopted as a standard.

Until GIMP 2.4, GIMP did not offer the ability of filling a layer with an arbitrary graphic (i.e., the clipboard buffer) and could only fill with solid colors or with "patterns". While patterns are no longer technically necessary, they provide a paradigm with which users are familiar.

I saw that thread too (believe it was at the Registry) and it is a false statement. I have some quite large patterns and they are still seamless PC. This one's of my 1600X1600 gyroid seamless. I zipped it up (810K as opposed to 9.76MBytes unzipped; lol).

It also seems to be the standard for pattern extensions - paint shop pro, adobe,gimp, canvas 11 all use it.
Its nice to have that option if you decide to import one of the other programs patterns.

I do know though that you can save any size image in Gimp other than the pat extension bigger than 500x500.
I do not know the limitations on other programs, but i assume the same applies just for directory size reasons.
The norm for Gimp is 200x200 pixels i believe.

I would say though the reason is probably because it is just the norm for most all other programs

Oh by the way, I forgot to add that yes, GIMP takes freaking forever to load. lol

Still hope someone figures out a way to save the previous session to bypass the need to reload all the crud (such as brushes, pattersn, etc) that need to be re-initiated every freaking time GIMP starts. Don't really need to do this if no change occurs which is 99.9% of the time. Don't really want to play games and use programs like GURM; sorry.

Hu ?
i was no talking about remain seamless, only of size limits

@lylejk
Ahh okay i downloaded the file and now i see what you mean for false statement, is very big, in .pat format but still is accepted(i take your word for this last ,i didn't check )
...so you are saying that .pat size limits was removed?...correct ?

still i have no clear your point about "remain seamless"

I actually never knew there supposedly was one. Just don't tell the developers this; they may add that feature and then many of my patterns will be hosed. lol

Now, if you try to use clipboard pattern, it is size limited to 512X512 max for some reason (so if you have a seamless tile that you copy to clipboard that is bigger then this dimension, it won't be seamless anymore in the clipboard tile set).

add LIMITATIONS ?
i hope the devs having much more pressing things to take care !!

(PS but that may change if you start promoting sets of 16.000x16.000 gimp patterns on the developer mail list )

LOL for sure.
Really i do not think they care unless its in the download package.
Wonder why 512? ... Why not 514?

Well, drat. I saved the gold environment pattern as a .pat in my pattern folder and it won't show up for me. Yes, I closed Gimp and reopened it, and I've done this many times on the old pc with no problem, so it's a mystery why it is not working on the macbook. I am using the 'user' folders for everything, but that shouldn't be a problem as my added scripts show up just fine.

Many pattern don't show up for me too, but i have no idea why, seems not related to the format or the size

PS maybe is related to image ratio? they must be 1:1 or rectangualar pattern are supported too ?

I guess I'll just save it as a jpg in my gfx photo file for now.

I do not think its the ratio, many of mine are not even at all.And some of PS patterns work some do not - weird I know.

I have some patterns that are larger than 512px² with .pat extensions in my patterns folder.

It's as Lyle says, clipboard patterns greater than 512px² won't work.

A comment about GURM since it was mentioned in PC's post. I went through all the ceremony of installing it and setting paths and found that it works fine, I just never use it, it's cumbersome for me. I am disappointed in it.
Sorry if that was miserably off topic but it seemed to apply.

Are you saying that Paint Shop Pro patterns can be imported to Gimp? I probably still have a passle of them stuck away on a CD somewhere and it would be nice to actually use them rather than just keeping them because I'm a software hoarder.

PSP pat files will not open in GIMP. I had some I had saved and no go. The PSP patterns can be saved as jpg, png, etc. in PSP, then opened in gimp and saved as patterns.