First, not sure if this is the correct thread to post in, as I actually have 2 questions.
1. I've been searching this site, trying to find any tuts, instructions or links on how to create my own filter (I know how and where to save a filter, just not how to create one of my own, and not by just using the filter editor, if that's possible).

2. Is there an advanced way of searching on here? I put in '+create_filter' and it didn't give me any results that included both words together, in fact it removed the underscore.

thx
dee

flamingolady wrote:First, not sure if this is the correct thread to post in, as I actually have 2 questions.
1. I've been searching this site, trying to find any tuts, instructions or links on how to create my own filter (I know how and where to save a filter, just not how to create one of my own, and not by just using the filter editor, if that's possible).

You want to know how the filters are defined in svg and how to write one ?

http://commons.oreilly.com/wiki/index.p ... ls/Filters
http://pilat.free.fr/english/filters/etude.htm

Or do you want to write a reusable filter for inkscape (more like an extension with a popup that will ask for some parameters) ?

flamingolady wrote:2. Is there an advanced way of searching on here?

advanced search under the search button ?

flamingolady wrote: I put in '+create_filter' and it didn't give me any results that included both words together, in fact it removed the underscore.

underscore that's a bit weird for the "and" operator, no ? where does this syntax come from ?

V1nce,
thx for those links. I wasn't expecting it to be as complicated as it is. I haven't done programming since the 70's so I'll leave that alone, lol. I am re-thinking things, and I guess I do want to use the Filter Editor to create custom/namable/reusable filters. Guess I'm having problems in figuring out how to use it, I can't even get the tinee tiny screen to enlarge when I click on one of the triangles to connect the effects and such, and the manual doesn't help much in explaining how to use it.
I checked You Tube and didn't see anything useful there either.

And thx for the tip on the advanced search, I know I looked for for it, not sure how I missed it right under my eyes (blushing like an idiot)!

Hi dee,
I've been quite frustrated learning how to make filters. I haven't found much....well, I haven't found any info about it that is not really technical. I can tweak existing filters sometimes. But making my own from scratch is still a mystery. There's some info in the manual, and there's some in the FLOSS manual. And I think I have another one too, but I'd have so look around (I don't remember where I put the link).

I've figured out....sort of the middle part of the process, i.e. applying and using the filter primitives. But how to start and how to finish a filter, I still don't understand very well.

Maybe we could communicate privately, and work on it together? Once we have the basics, maybe we could write a tutorial in simple language? Would you be interested in doing something like that?

Yeah, I don't think I'd use phpBB forums, if I were to start my own. There IS an Advanced Search, that v1nce mentioned, but it's not very good. Some words, which I consider important, can't be used because they're too common, or whatever. And you can't restrict a search by date at all. I agree with v1nce about using the +. I'd leave it out, and just use the words. But I don't think you'll find much in the forum. I've searched for the same thing myself, and come up dry.

brynn wrote:Maybe we could communicate privately, and work on it together? Once we have the basics, maybe we could write a tutorial in simple language? Would you be interested in doing something like that?

I am planning on covering filters at some point in my tutorials for Full Circle Magazine, but given that they are monthly articles which start at a beginner level, a filters instalment probably won't see the light of day for a year or two! In the meantime I am happy to help with creating a tutorial as a community project, if you want. I can't dedicate much time to it (busy drawing comics and writing FCM articles), but if I can be of any help then just ask.

Unfortunately the filter editor doesn't present the best UI for its job. It's functional and works, but I would imagine that it was designed that way because it's easier to code, rather than because it's a good representation of what the filters are doing.

I haven't had much luck in creating filters from scratch - by which I mean that given an idea of the effect I want to achieve, building up a filter chain to get there isn't always straightforward. For simple things like drop shadows it's not too bad, but I'm sure a lot of the filters we've got in Inkscape now were the result of playing around and discovering a good effect by accident, rather than a directed process. But I understand, at least in principle, what the filter editor is doing, and how that relates to the SVG code, so if you've got any specific questions then ask them here and I'll try to answer as best I can (unless someone beats me to it).

Well at least I don't feel so bad now for being a filter idiot! I was thinking it was just me not understanding how it all works.
I got inspired by a post that Brynne put up the other night, and I followed a link to VSD (Very SImple Designs) site. They have a really nice free filter called Country Shading. I was surprised that all I had to do was upload an svg file to the filter folder, and voila, a new filter; that inspired me, until I started looking around at how to accomplish this. I still don't fully understand how uploading that file makes the filter run without adding actual XML language....

Anyway, Brynne, I'd be happy to work with you on this, just not sure how much I can contribute because I seem to be clueless on this one, lol, but more than happy to give it a stab. I would especially love to figure out how to create a filter to make water and clouds. Sure, pls contact me via PM.
XAV - can't wait to see what you end up with for the articles.

thx
dee

flamingolady wrote:V1nce,
thx for those links. I wasn't expecting it to be as complicated as it is.

It's not that complicated but it is quite verbose.

flamingolady wrote: I haven't done programming since the 70's so I'll leave that alone, lol. I am re-thinking things, and I guess I do want to use the Filter Editor to create custom/namable/reusable filters. Guess I'm having problems in figuring out how to use it

That's because ui is badly designed (and buggy)

This is how it should look like
http://advanced.aviary.com/tools/filter-editor (click peacock)

Until we get a decent ui
http://wiki.inkscape.org/wiki/index.php ... erEditorUI

I suggest you stay away from the filters.
(sad but true)

Hi dee,
I don't know much either. But I was thinking if we could start with the same image, and then experiment trying to achieve some certain effect (even one that already has a filter) then share with each other what we did -- we can sort of learn from each other. You might have resources that I don't have. Sometimes when I search for technical words or phrases, I can't find anything that I can understand. But maybe you do. I was just thinking that with 2 of us, we have a better chance of figuring things out. We may never progress to the point where we can write a tutorial. But we still stand a better chance together, I think, than if we continue on our own separately.

Or maybe we could start just trying to understand the manual! I'll PM you this weekend

V1nce - yep, you're right, I tried reading some of that stuff, my eyes are still crossed over from it, lol!

Brynn,
I'm always up for learning something new. I've been looking at the links given, and it's WAY over my head (creating a new filter), so I think you're on the right track, we can tackle learning how to use what we've got, that will really add to my knowledge. Can't hurt to try. talk to ya soon.