The image above was created using a MSG preset that generates an IFS chaotic attractor as a MSG Live Source Brush. What this means is that the MSG preset is used to generate the source brush dynamically as you paint. This is a new feature in Studio Artist 4.
Note that this is different than the previous post on painting with pickover chaotic attractors. In those examples we showed how to use a MSG preset to create a movie brush with embedded alpha and then paint with that movie brush. So in that example the chaotic attractor images created from the MSG preset are initially generated and then stored in a movie brush. In this example the MSG preset generates the paint synthesizer source brush dynamically on the fly as you paint.
An advantage of the live approach is that you can interactively modulate different MSG processor parameters using things like pen pressure, tilt, orientation, etc. You can also use temporal generators (TG) to dynamically modulate MSG processor parameters. So you can generate a dynamic paint brush based on the MSG preset that can either modulate under your interactive control or proceduraly vary over time or both. So the brush shape can always be unique and different with each paint stroke.
The IFS chaotic attractor was generated using the simple MSG preset shown below.
Some of the IFSGen2’s adjustable parameters were modulated by the pen pressure and tilt orientation, others were modulated with procedural temporal generators. Because of this modulation each pen nib is dynamically generated from the MSG preset and has a unique shape as seen below.
The Source Brush control panel was configured to use the new MSG Live source brush.
The MSG TG Option parameters is set to path-random so that the temporal generators in the MSG preset modulate as the path advances (as opposed to modulating with increasing frame time). This and the interactive pen modulation is what drives the unique shapes generated for each paint nib.
Of course there’s a lot more you can do with MSG Live Source Brushes besides painting with chaotic attractors. There’s really unlimited potential for creating custom paint brush effects depending on how you configure the over 500 MSG processors in your MSG live source brush.
