Question about Gimp technique

from WinCustomize Forums
I wonder if someone could point me in the right direction: With Gimp, I want to create a flag. I already have the flat flag image, but I'd like to create the illusion that it is flapping in the wind. I've tried playing with the filter > distort > curvebend tool, and it doesn't seem to do the trick. Any plugins or techniques to try, or tutorial websites?

Thanks for your help!
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Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
http://gimp-savvy.com/BOOK/

I am new to Gimp myself, so thought I would send you this link. I have been spending alot of time here, has just about everything.
Good Luck!
Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top
hmmm a try playing with the distortion map filter. I'm not too sure but that might do it...

And yes Gimp-savvy is a very good place to start. Also try http://manual.gimp.org/
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Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Here's a photoshop tutorial for making a flag: http://robouk.mchost.com/tuts/tutorial.php?tutorial=flag

You'd be surp[rised how easily photshop tutorials adat to Gimp tutorials.... Main hints for conversion:

-- when they talk about Ctrl-clicking a layer, it's the equivalent of the Gimp's Image->Layers->Alpha to selection
-- When they talk about Ctrl-D, it's the equivalent of Gimp's Image->Select->nothing.

Don;t forget you can assign any keyboard shortcut to any Gimp menu function by hovering over that menu function and then pressing the desired sortcut keys. If you get stuck with that tutorial, yell and I'll see what I can do.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Another tip: A lot of photshopss functions appear to popup when tools are selected, for the Gimp, double click on the tool in the toolbox to see a full list of options which will generally correspond to the photoshop ones.

Ah and when I said 'Image->etc' above, I mean 'right-click on the active image...'

Hope all this helps.
Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK two quick additions to the hints for this tutorial:

When it comes to the gradient in step 2 - set the gradient tool options to:

Blend - FG to transparent
Gradient - Bi linear
Repeat - Triangular Wave

Then draw a small horixzontal line about a quarter of the width acrooss your flag and the gradient will appear as he's got there...

When he talks about the liquify filter and the Warp tool, I'd use the ripple filter and the iwarp filter... You'll probably need to set the radius of the iwarp filter a bit higher than normal, depending on the size of your flag... and with the ripple filter, set the period settiung higher.

You could get away with using only one of those two filters if you wanted... have a play.

/me considers wrting this up as a proper tutorial
You can then draw a small porton
Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top
OK I whipped up a quick and dirty conversion of the whole tutorial for ya: http://www.moppy.co.uk/tutorial.htm check it out and let me know what i missed out!