Category: update

SeiZenn – tablet pattern editor – twists and chunks

Hi
There are a few improvements in the tablet editor

Twist counter

First a twist counter that you can activate on “display panel”
At the top, display when there are too many twits, backward or frontward
For twist neutral, or almost, it display number of turns

Reference line

Second, a reference line.
Using right click on line numbers you can add “reference line”
It adds a blue mark for the reference line, and cyans marks for all line that are same as reference

Chunk viewer

Third a chunk viewer.

     => 

A pattern can be cut into chunks :

– with right click on border as marks
– using the marks (scissors “cut on marks” )
You can then choose the chunk you want to see. You can add chunk, join the present one with the next one, duplicate the present chunk.
The threading is only visible on the first chunk
The reference is the last row of the first chunk. On the different chunks (apart from first), the reference line is shown at the top.
The end of the chunk “should” be the same as the reference line so that the different chunk could be woven in anyorder. If it is OK, the square is black, otherwise it is red

The twist counter only take into account the present chunk.
As an example, I reproduced a pattern from the great book  “tablets at work” by Claudia Wollny, p406  https://www.claudia-wollny-edition.com/en/tablets-at-work.html
You can choose the chunk you want to see

New way to locally save pattern

Hi

In a previous post https://www.raktres.net/blog/2022/01/28/sharing-patterns/  I explained how to share patterns.

Since this post, I added a way to locally save patterns on your computer. You can use it to save you drafts in “inkle” and “grid” tools. I will think about adding this function to “heddle” and “tablet” tools.

In the «Load, Save, Export» left menu, there is now a button to save your patterns on your computer.

The saved patterns appear at the bottom of the pattern page

Don’t forget to share some patterns from time to time to show your work.

A few improvements

First, I was asked to add a some keyboard shorcuts to the grid tool. It’s now much more efficient if you use a lot the selection tools.

 

I also added some visual helps to the realistic tool.

On the left threading description, a red line show the middle of the band.

 

In the display panel, there are two new options.

 

First the ability to show row numbers. 

In fact, this option not only show row numbers but also heddle thread number.

With the «vertical guide» option you can add vertical lines to you pattern display. You can choose between no line, just a line on the middle or a red line on the middle and a blue line every 4 thread.

 

Last modification, on the weaving ruler you now have information of the picks, drops and dual colors of the previous row.

Here :

  • the dual color is used for heddle threads 2,3, 11, 21, 29 and 30
  • on the previous row, it was the open threads 3, 4, 7, 11 etc
  • the thread between heddle threads 5 and 6 is picked up
  • the heddle thread 7 was picked up during the previous row.
  • …

Sharing patterns

Hi

Following some recent exchanges, it seems important to me to clarify certain points concerning the registration of patterns with Seizenn.

The different tools work in much the same way, what is explained here is as valid for realistic patterns, grid patterns, card weaving patterns or heddle.

Share a pattern

In the “Load, Save, Export” menu there is the button   (or depending on your choice). Until now the accompanying text was “save”. Following a few misuse, I decided to rename it to “share” which better corresponds to its objective.

This button save your pattern on my personal database that I make available so that weavers can present their work, make it available to others. It’s a service that I offer, but storage is not infinite and has a cost. If I want to keep service free, I can’t afford to everyone to save every draft. And it appears that I unfortunately have to monitor a little what is saved.

By default, any shared model appears on the page https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/#/list 

From the list of your patterns you have the possibility of not displaying a pattern in the public list (‘restrict’) and of no longer displaying it in your list (‘delete’).

Attention, in all cases your model remains accessible via its short code. It is not deleted from the database. Only its visibility in the list page is modified. (If you need to do a specific action on one of your pattern, ask me.)

The patterns you saved remain yours. If not deleted, your name and recording date appear next to the thumbnail  .

 

An attribution problem

Nothing prevents a user from opening one of your patterns (that’s the goal of Seizenn !!!) and sharing it in turn (it’s a misuse). In this case, the same pattern therefore appears twice in the list, with two different authors.

That’s what happened when an undoubtedly well-meaning user recorded all the patterns (s)he liked. That is to say almost all of them. Not only does it take up space on the server for no benefit, but it can also give the impression that this user is appropriating the work of others. And ultimately discourage other weavers from sharing their work.

I had to email this user and remove the duplicate patterns.

I also added a confirmation screen before sharing to disambiguate:

As there was obviously a real need that I hadn’t thought of initially, I added a “like it” button which allows you to build a list of the models you like.

This list is only saved on your computer, it has no impact on the server.

Local pattern saving

It can be particularly interesting to publish very close versions of the same pattern in order to discuss the preferences of other users, to gradually improve a pattern with several people via network sharing. When you look at Annie MacHale’s work, the quality of a band can be tied to a very small detail (see for example http://aspinnerweaver.blogspot.com/2014/02/design-elements-take-good- design-and.html).

But when building a pickup-type model, it is not useful to use the button at each stage of the work.

With the new version, the model you are working on is automatically saved in your browser. This is what makes it possible to have a function for undoing the last actions.

If you shut down your computer and then open Seizenn again with the same web-browser you should see your pattern.

No need to upload your draft before it’s finished.

In some cases you may wish to avoid using the button. For example when you are in a place without a network but want to save your work. Or you consider that you are taking too big a risk by hosting your work on my server (if you use Seizenn to write a book, don’t forget to contact me please). In those cases, you can find your pattern description in the “load, save” menu on the left.

Copy the content of the textarea (“m=…”) somewhere to keep track of your pattern. You can send it by mail etc. To load your pattern back, just paste the text in the textarea and click the button.

Other technical solutions would be possible with more work and if there is a clear need.

EDIT 04/01/2022

There is now a button to save your pattern on your computer.

The saved patterns appear at the bottom of the pattern page

I hope these details will be useful to you.

A few improvements for this new year

Hi

For this new year I present to you some small improvements for Seizenn.

Lists of patterns

When you save a pattern, it is by default visible for everyone in the public list. It’s now possible to make it private using the “restrict” button in you private list.

Loom colors

You can have colors in your «loom palette» that are not used in your pattern. Now those colors are bordered with brown like this :

Rigid heddle pattern

In loom editor you can load default pattern for some popular rigid heddle

You then get

New tools

Seizenn was first designed for plain weave or baltik bands. I then added a grid tool. I recently wanted to explore some other weaving technics.

Now you have two new tools.

The first one to draw heddle loom patterns

https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/#/heddle

A second one to draw tablet patterns

https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/#/tablet

Those tools are very simple, I mainly created them to undestand how those kinds of pattern work. They reuse main principles of seizenn, and I just added a few new things like right-click menu in tablet tool.

I could improve them if they would be useful for someone.

Jeff

Extract colors from a picture

Hi

In Celebration of plain weave (page 27) Annie MacHale explains how to extract colors from a picture to create a color palette.

I tried to add a basic function like this in Seizenn. (https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/).

Open the Palette tool and go down the page to

You first need to load a picture. You can get a random picture from unsplash.com with  or load your own picture with . If you use Seizenn on a smartphone, you can get access to your camera !

For example, with a random picture, you can get :

Then Seizen use two different algorithms to extract colors from this picture :

With the first button, you take all those colors to create a new main palette

But it could be tricky to find yarns with the wanted colors. So instead of getting all the colors in a new color palette, use the second button.

Imagine that you use this main palette (the default one) and that you have all those colors at home

When you click on the “filter” button, Seizenn will try to find de nearest colors in your main palette that will fit the colors from the picture. You then get

(Sometimes, if main palette quite poor, it chooses colors that doesn’t seem to be very relevant)

Clic on “Add colors…” to get those colors in your loom palette and remove colors you don’t want to use.

You are now ready to design a pattern inspired by your picture

Link to the pattern : https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/?sc=Fa8

Maybe not the perfect tool, but a first try to see if it would be useful for someone.

Jeff

 

Seizenn interface evolutions – text buttons

Hi

The first version of seizenn (https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/editor.html) was created to work on desktop computers. When I began v2, I wanted it to work both on desktop and mobile devices and not to limit it to English speakers. I thought icons should help me for that two goals.

I received feedbacks saying the new interface was too disturbing.

As I continue to learn new programming things, I’m now able to adapt the new interface https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/

Now on top right of the screen there is a new menu :

  • the broken chain only appears when you are offline
  • clic on the icon with the profile to log. It’s red when you are not connected.
  • the third one shows if seizenn detect a desktop or a mobile device.
  • with the first checkbox, you choose if you want menu on the left of the screen or at the top
  • with the second checkbox you choose if you want to use icon or text button
  • use the selector to change language.

As an example, with the icon/text checkbox you can choose between

  or

When you open Seizenn on a desktop, the tool uses text button on the left by default. On a mobile device, it uses icons on top. You can change as you want.

You may notice that I now use the new link https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/ for the new version in replacement of https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/v2/. The old version remains available on https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/editor.html

I hope those new evolution will help you.

Jeff

 

A new way to register patterns

Hi

From the start, the method of saving and registering pattern was a bit clumsy.
You had to save the pattern in Seizenn’s screen, get two codes and then go and register it in the blog. It was the only way I had found to be able to assign a pattern to an author with a very simple Seizenn tool and without an authentication system (https://www.raktres.net/blog/2018/10/06/display-your-patterns-in-the-gallery/)

The new version of Seizenn ( https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/) allows me to develop much more efficient functions, for example a new way to save and share patterns.

First you log in the tool.

For that, open the main menu with and choose the  menu.

Type in the username and the password you use on the blog.

When it’s done, a little character appears at the top right of the screen. You are connected.

If you then save a pattern with the    button, you only get the shortcode to your pattern :

Go to the gallery page from the main menu.

The screen is devided into two parts, “List of public patterns” and “List of your patterns”. Click on the title to open the panel you want to open and click on “load” to refresh the list.

Your pattern should now be visible :

I will now work on improving personal page and gallery screen, adding functions, improving the interface.

Do not hesitate to leave a comment if you have any remarks or proposals.

Selection tool for grid patterns

Hi

I keep improving the seizenn tool.

After adding the possibility of making grid patterns, I tried to improve the use on the mobile device. The tool can now be installed on Android or iOS to be used without an internet connection. If you need help with the installation, you can see this article on installing a PWA .

I tested it on iPad, it’s really good.

The latest novelty is the addition of a selection function for grid patterns.

Select the button in the edition menu (the “pencil menu”).

When selected, several buttons appear.

When you click on the grid, the border of the selected cell switch to yellow.

You can select an area by holding down the mouse button.

It is then possible to:

  •   erase the selected area
  •   cut it
  •   swap colors
  •   fill it
  •   invert up-down
  •   invert left-right

 

When you have copied an area with the button, click where you want to paste it (the reference is the up left point), before pressing the button .

This function will facilitate the construction of repeating patterns.

=> => =>

Be careful, if the grid alternates, a paste may not give the expected result because of the offset. (A button might help in this case, please ask for it if needed).

The text box contains the content of the copied selection.

It can be modified, or saved in an external document. It is thus possible to share patterns or to build a library (small development to do if you find this function useful)

Do not hesitate to leave a comment to give your opinion on these new possibilities.

 

Seizenn – update of V2 – improvements and grid patterns

Hi

First of all I would like to thank all those who support me for the creation of this tool. It is with great pleasure that I see that it is being used and that it allows many people to experiment with band patterns. It is very motivating to continue.Annie MacHale three-color pickup for inkle weavers

To celebrate the new book of Annie MacHale, I work back on the next version of the Seizenn pattern editor : https://www.raktres.net/seizenn/

Seizenn band weaving Editor

I took into account the two main feedbacks I received :

  • First an “undo” button, you can now revert for a few steps ;

  • Second an attempt to select the language used in the interface. For the moment you can choose between english, french and spanish. Everything is not translated yet, and as I mainly used an internet translator, I’m not sure everything is fine. If you wish to report mistakes or ask for a new language (danish ?), just leave a comment.

I also tried to extends the instruction page (instruction are not translated into spanish for the moment), mainly to allow users to do the link between the icon buttons and the functions.

An other major improvement is the ability to draw “grid patterns”. The aim and use are a bit different from the traditionnal hexagonal editor.

This tool may not work on old computers. I will therefore make sure to the present version available even when this one would be completely ready.

I hope you will like those improvements and that they will help you for your patterns experiments. Video would be probably needed to show the different functions.

Jeff