Attached Link: http://www.aartika.co.uk

This has turned out to be an interesting discussion - thank you for all your replies.

Dave - I was thinking about what you said about incorporating more image processing tools into UF - I think the reality is that they are probably already there in form or another, if you know where to find them. Pigs are already flying ;-)

There are the obvious one like layering, masking, adjusting gradients etc, but also many of the existing algorithms in the database are very similar to the filters etc found in PSpro.

For example many transforms such as ripple, waves, turbulence etc mimic some of the effects and deformations - in fact there are almost certainly many more available, with many more variables and in a reproducible form, than in a program like paint shop pro; many ucls include all sorts of different texturing effects; it's possible to make shapes, shadows, frames etc with a little effort.

The one major thing that seems to be missing is the ability to paste in an imported image layer, such as a photo or other artwork - now that would be a very cool tool to have :-)

I've also found it very difficult to make embossing effects in UF - but Kerry's images are certainly a testament to the fact that they are possible.

Overall, for me personally, like Andreas, the advantages of being able to exactly reproduce at any scale, rework an image, and save it all as a very small text file outweighs most of the advantages of using p-p to radically change an image, unless I want to combine, say, a fractal and a photo.

It'll be interesting to see what developments there are in UF v3.

Tina

aartika! fractal art by Tina Oloyede :  http://www.aartika.co.uk