the variation code that appears in the top of the
window (usually 3 letters, such as EAW) and using
that to render the script (highlighted in yellow in
Figures G and H).
If you want to get perfect alpha-channel transparency around the image so you can layer it easily
in Photoshop or other compositing programs, just
add this line to the top after the initial startshape line
(Figure I):
startshape TENDRILS
background { a - 1 }
rule TENDRILS {
ARM { }
ARM { flip 90 }
}
I
rule ARM 98 {
CIRCLE { }
CIRCLE { size 0.9 brightness 1 }
ARM { y 0.2 size 0.99 rotate 3 }
}
9. ADD TRUNKS TO THE SHAPE
rule ARM 2 {
CIRCLE { }
CIRCLE { size 0.9 brightness 1 }
To create two main trunks of the shape, modify the
ARM { y 0.2 size 0.99 flip 90 }
TENDRILS rule to add a second, flipped ARM (Figure F):
ARM { y 0.2 size 0.6 brightness 0.2 }
}
startshape TENDRILS
rule TENDRILS {
ARM { }
ARM { flip 90 }
}
rule ARM 98 {
CIRCLE { }
CIRCLE { size 0.9 brightness 1 }
ARM { y 0.2 size 0.99 rotate 3 }
}
rule ARM 2 {
CIRCLE { }
CIRCLE { size 0.9 brightness 1 }
ARM { y 0.2 size 0.99 flip 90 }
ARM { y 0.2 size 0.6 brightness 0.2 }
}
11. GOING FURTHER
You can even output your work as an animation, by
choosing Render ⇒ Save Movie and then adjusting
the output settings. It’s quite trance-inducing to
watch your shape build itself over time.
This is just a tiny fraction of what you can do
with this powerful design tool. Other techniques
include tiling, color, complex transformation ordering, shearing, expressions, and path operations.
Check out the gallery and forums on the Context
Free website to see fantastic examples and to learn
more.
10. RENDER A HIGH-RES COPY
For a high-resolution version of your image, select
Render ⇒ Render to Size, choose your dimensions, then select Render ⇒ Save Image. You can
reproduce an exact variation by making note of
Check out some CF art by other users at
contextfreeart.org/gallery.
John Edgar Park ( jp@jpixl.net) is a character mechanic at
Walt Disney Animation Studios and the host of the Maker
Workshop on Make: television.
Make: 89
