anotherronism

I have. I admit it.

Qsilv

dude... where's the "how" part?
(you're no saint, few of us are, some are nicer than others, some obnoxiouser... your work's distinctive, and your heart generally kind, for whatever that's worth)

anotherronism

My guilt has caught up to me.

I cheated on TD.

My four (remaining) pieces, "Just Straight Lines", "Think", "Smile" and "Peace!" were all created by computer.

Well - that's not true. They were 'created' by me but 'executed' by computer.

I found this piece of software called AutoHotKey. It's pretty cool. It allows you to capture mouse movements and record them as a "macro". But - it also as an associated programming language. You can create these macros from scratch.

So I've used it on my "precision" pieces.

But I still conceived those pieces. And - I wrote the code to make them.

But it was still a "cheat".

And I feel bad...

But I have this idea I want to do... I cannot explain what it is...

But I plan to "cheat" with this program...

(by the way: Watching this program work is so fascinating it's almost worth it... It's like my Roomba vacuum cleaner....)

But if you see a 'precision' piece by me in the very near future - just don't vote on it.

Unless you recognize the idea itself as having merit. Cuz the execution would be impossible otherwise...

anotherronism

Qsilv: You chimed in while I was typing...

Here's the "how"...

This is the start of my next project.

It goes something liek this:

#CommentFlag //

IfWinExist Think Draw - Create and Rate Pictures Online - Microsoft Internet Explorer
{
WinActivate
}


//click on Flowers
MouseClick, left, 179, 275

//wait a bit
Sleep, 1000

//Click on "animals"
MouseClick, left, 179, 503

//wait a bit
Sleep, 1000

//Click on Repeat
MouseClick, left, 405, 489

//wait a bit
Sleep, 1000

//select cow eye
MouseClick, left, 509, 475
MouseClick, left, 509, 475
MouseClick, left, 509, 475

//enlarge cow eye
MouseClick, left, 529, 475
MouseClick, left, 529, 475
MouseClick, left, 529, 475

//select proper eye
MouseClick, left, 595, 665
MouseClick, left, 595, 665
MouseClick, left, 595, 665
MouseClick, left, 595, 665
MouseClick, left, 595, 665

//enlarge eye
MouseClick, left, 614, 666
MouseClick, left, 614, 666
MouseClick, left, 614, 666

ScreenLeft:=555
ScreenTop:=307
ScreenRight:=797
ScreenBottom:=582

ScreenWidth:=Scr eenRight-ScreenLeft
ScreenHeight:=ScreenBottom-ScreenTop

ScreenCenterX:=ScreenLeft+ScreenWi dth/2
ScreenCenterY:=ScreenTop+ScreenHeight/2

//Detail: 1=fine, higher = lower
Detail:=20

Qsilv

pfffff..... (short guffaw here).

Is it cheating if I draw out my idea ahead of time, re-size it in paint-shop-pro to the right number of pixels to exactly fit the draw window (HUGELY zoomed in), then trace the key lines of that onto a stiff piece of acetate, hold that acetate against the monitor screen, and make sure every key point lands where it should (as best one can given the @#$%bits available)?

anotherronism

Oh my gawd... I cheated that way too... Once anyway...

My old drawing "The Kid" was printed on the only piece of acetate I had. I resized it in Photoshop and taped it to my monitor...

But I didn't think of this as a cheat as it hardly helped me... I started to "get in the way" and I eventually removed it.

But I did get the basic form from it.

So what is a cheat?

And what is art?

I have a guest bedroom in my house. I call it the Black-and-White room. Everything in it it is black and white. The bedspread, the headboard and all the art. All art is Ansel Adams....

And I think now of that print of his. The moon rising between the jagged cliffs of the mountain range. I don't recall the name.

But I read an article once about this piece.

Apparently - Ansel wasn't well-liked by his contemporaries. His "methods" in the darkroom were not "shared".

I have this one friend. He's "somewhat" artistic. He takes nice pictures. (But never, ever of people...)

I noticed once that he'll look through that viewfinder for hours before he clicks the shutter.

In the same period I have taken over a thousand pics.

Then I get hom and photoshop and edit til my eyes fall out.

And I have ten better shots than him

But - his shot is still good.

Anyways...

Ansel Adams did not take that famous picture.

He "created" it in his darkroom.

But????????????

Did he cheat?

Oh no. I don't think so.

Any port in a storm... All's fair in love and war...

Art: The result is ALL that matters.

By any means necessary!

Qsilv

Ansel Adams' work has the power to affect our perceptions, our understanding, our feelings. Absolutely he manipulated the light zones with dodging and burning and all that, in the darkroom and during the print stages. That was PART of his art.

To quote someone around here, "Not bothered by it. You?"

(grins... wanders off... leaving behind a couple of nice --but lidless-- acetate containers of sinfully rich cookies whose ingredients include dark chocolate...)

kmkagle

You lost everyone!!!!!!

anotherronism

I am NOT lost. I want a cookie.

And Qsilv. Will YOU marry me?

But know this... I'm not a chocolate guy... I prefer vodka!

Qsilv

...there's this big old brouhaha over whether one can legitimately use machines to create "art"... (yyyaaawwwnnn...)

http://www.verostko.com/archive/reviews/prince-leonardo.html

; >

anotherronism

Oh and, Qsilv... Nice quote!

Qsilv

mmmmmm (more chocolate for moi)... I'll remember to add a couple bottles of Kauffman's to the table for you and marg.

anotherronism

Qsilv... Nice article...

Maybe you're getting my point.

Why did I say "maybe"...

I'm hedging. That's why.

I'm admitting to cheating but seeking absolution... But I'm hesitant to accept that very thing.

So I started this thread. Why?

To seek absolution.

Bull shit!

I just wanted to create some controversy.

How's that for therapy. Found it out all by myself. Jung this!

But I really did cheat a couple of times.

But what IS cheating?

So I used a computer to move my mouse.

I still spent hours and hours learning the programming language.

The computer didn't "make" anything.

I did. With my code.

So - I ask... Did I actually cheat?

Qsilv

"I absolve you... I absolve you... I absolve you all" --Salieri (Patron Saint of Mediocrity)

anotherronism

"Absolve this!" --vodka

anotherronism

Is there a Patron Saint for drunkards (and fools)?

Baldur

St. Silenus, but not really.
He was never embraced by Christianity

five

Hmm. I recall you once asked me if I was human ...

Seriously, it takes creativity and skill to create the code to have it do what you want. Hardly cheating. (Now if you have the code somehow change the pixels of the pieces, that might be cheating TD's limitations:) )

solosater

I just realized I'm to dumb to cheat on ThinkDraw.

I gotta say I like to think of myself as rather intelligent; I’m an idiot with computers.

matthew

...I hate to tell you this... but... it seems to me that were it not for a computer, none of us would be able to make a picture on TD...

...So if using the computer is cheating... hmmmmmmmm