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Ivan's picture

Create designs with Context Free

Context Free is an application that creates geometric shapes using a programming language.

All the images created are vector images that can be exported as SVG. You can open the files in Illustrator or Photoshop and further modify them to include in your designs.

Typical uses would be patterns for backgrounds and geometric shapes for logos.

Here are few examples created with this application:

If you want to start learning the language here is a starting point. Open a new document and paste in this code:

startshape drawLine
rule drawLine
{
CIRCLE {}
drawLine {s .9 x .7 y .7 rotate 30}
}

This is what you will see more or less:

This piece of code draws a series of repetitive circles. The number behind s means how much the circle should decrease in size. x and y are how much the circle moves from the previous circle and rotate of course means how much you want to rotate the circle. Try changing these values by small amounts and see what comes up. This app is like a kaleidoscope with an export option. To learn more commands and options open the help files within the application.

Thanks to royaljerry for some of the images.

Craig Michael Patrick's picture
41 pencils

Very cool, Ivan.

This sort of logic has fascinated me for a long time in that I've always considered graphic design (or design in general) as a form of communications. We speak graphically. But does this sort of technology allow people to circumvent the thought process behind graphic communications?

What do you think?

Regards,

Craig Michael Patrick
http://cmpatrick.com

Ivan's picture

I think so. Surely textures and pattens are all around us and all carry subliminal meanings. For example if you see tree like structures it evokes feelings of abundance. If you show disorganized structures you feel dizzy. If you see mountain like structures, you feel space and freedom. The words aren't exactly correct but you get where I'm going.

KellyR's picture
393 pencils

Wow - the programming to create design takes me waaaaaay back to Apple's Logo program. I remember sitting there typing lines and lines and lines of code and then sitting back and watching the "turtle" on the screen scribble out the commands once I was finished with the code.

lucdesaulniers's picture
8 pencils

Yea, I remember that too except it was not on an Apple but on my Commodore 64! And what a drag to see it suddenly stop because you made a typo in 300 lines+ code.

ireid's picture
1299 pencils

Nice. I tried it but the SVG's a REALLY complex! lol I'm STILL trying to open one of them on my Macbook Pro! :P

"Try not, Do! or do not, there is no try."
-Yoda

Creative43's picture
3 pencils

These are really interesting. Some neat outcomes, I will have to experiment with the code given. Thanks.

lucdesaulniers's picture
8 pencils

Get a book on fractals if you are interested..

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