Context Free - a program that generates images from written instructions

http://www.contextfreeart.org/

by Garbage • 14 years ago

82 11 14 years ago

tikhonj2• 14 years ago

This is an interesting program.

However, I found the headline a little bit misleading--I thought "written instructions" meant natural language. On the website, the blurb actually continues "...written instructions called a grammar" which makes it clear this doesn't expect natural language.

keeperofdakeys• 14 years ago

In fact, it looks like a 'grammar' is quite similar to most programmings languages, http://www.contextfreeart.org/mediawiki/index.php/CFDG_HOWTO. It makes the iteration and stopping-bounds easy to create. It also allows uses functions to define shapes, so you can use them again easily.

jeremysalwen• 14 years ago

Interestingly enough, I actually know of a website which does exactly what you are talking about: http://wordseye.com/

(Full disclosure: I might potentially be working on a speech interface for this system soon)

tikhonj2• 14 years ago

Wow, that's really neat. I'll have to play around with it later.

pantaloons• 14 years ago

Yes, the distinction between "program that generates images from written instructions called a grammar." and "image file format" is an interesting one too.

pavlov• 14 years ago

The tagline does sound like something from the '50s.

"COBOL - a program that generates software from written instructions"

skrebbel• 14 years ago

Nice idea, but not very revolutionary. I mean, we already have Processing, which is the same but with time included, and which has significantly more interesting efforts in its gallery, if you ask me. I'm not sure what these people are trying to achieve - if it's to get more people into procedural graphics, an (even) more accessible set of tools would be warranted. If it's to create splendid graphics, better tools would probably be warranted (though admittedly I've only checked 10 pictures or so).

On the programming-a-picture front: I always thought that this one [1] is particularly impressive (4 kilobyte Windows executable; zip includes a jpg for if you don't run Windows)

[1][http://loonies.dk/demos/bin/lns-burjbabil.zip]

tavish1• 14 years ago

The difference is that this language is rule based.

Jach• 14 years ago

Another open source program in the same space: Structure Synth. http://structuresynth.sourceforge.net/ (Combined with Sunflow to render can make some great images.)

mbq• 14 years ago

Almost like Logo (-;

RodgerTheGreat• 14 years ago

Reminds me of Forth Haikus: http://forthsalon.appspot.com/

Context Free - a program that generates images from written instructions

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