Chapter 18: Supplemental Patterns

   



How to View the Files

Since you will not be able to view all the SVG documents on the entire CD-ROM in a single day, it's important to go through them in a systematic manner that will assist you in keeping track of the samples that you want to study in detail. One common approach for this type of task involves creating a single directory where you can place copies of your selected SVG documents. Unfortunately, this technique does not keep track of the location of the original file. A better approach involves creating a subdirectory under the directory containing the file of interest. For example, you could name the sub-directory something like LIST_0827, which records the date (in this case, it represents August 27th) that you browsed through the contents of its parent directory. This approach has another advantage: at any point in time (days, weeks, or months later) you can list all the files that you viewed on a given day. Choose a technique that you are comfortable with and that will help you keep track of the name and location of your selected files.

A good starting point is the set of files contained in the directory corePatterns under the Supplemental\polarEquations directory on the CD-ROM. The samples in this directory are based on polar equations that are used in many of the other sub-directories containing polar equations. After you have finished with this directory, you will probably have formulated an opinion regarding the type of images that are more appealing to you. For example, some people really like images that are based on Archimedean spirals and conchoids; other people prefer images that are based on Lituus curves and cochleoids.

Please remember that some of the samples are quite CPU-intensive and the rendering time can be affected by the available RAM. In general, the more complex the pattern, the longer the execution time. The vast majority of the samples are rendered in less than 10 seconds on a 2 gigahertz Pentium 4; the exceptions involve dynamically created Bezier curves and/or elliptic arcs, the Steiner-based examples, and most of the recursion-based examples that are in Chapter 16. SVG documents with the string CB contain checkerboard patterns that can also require longer execution times because they usually involve the dynamic creation of many SVG elements. If you decide that it takes too much time to render a particular SVG document, try viewing it on a faster machine.

Do you prefer rectilinear shapes with symmetric geometric patterns, or do you like curvilinear shapes co-mingled with sharp edges? In the former case, you will probably like the samples in the corePatterns folder; in the latter case, you will probably like samples in the sub-directories containing elliptic arcs. Given the variability of taste and preferences, it's impossible to create a single list of sample files that will appeal to everyone. However, after you've looked at all the samples in the corePatterns folder, you can check for similarly named files in other folders. This approach is systematic and enables you to make the most efficient use of your time. (Keep in mind, though, that you might be surprised by the other samples.)

Another consideration to keep in mind is that different patterns will appeal to you at different times. For instance, you might find that the Bezier-based samples involving Archimedean curves become the focus of your interest, and that you want to view only those samples in order to explore the possible ways that you can make your own enhancements. Follow your instincts and you will maximize your viewing pleasure!



   



Fundamentals of SVG Programming. Concepts to Source Code
Fundamentals of SVG Programming: Concepts to Source Code (Graphics Series)
ISBN: 1584502983
EAN: 2147483647
Year: 2003
Pages: 362

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