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A.viary. Software and 3D Graphics. Blog. Aviary is a platform ecosystem for people who create. It is organized around a suite of rich internet applications geared for artists of all genres.
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It's been a very busy past few weeks for us. In addition to the new team addition, we've also been furiously working on improving all currently released tools AND gearing up for the alpha release of 2 new birds (Some users are already seeing access to them in their accounts, but more on those later). Welcome to Aviary's newest family member!
A few hours ago, my wife and I welcomed a new beautiful baby boy into the world. He's 7 lb 12 oz with a full head of curly blonde hair and blue eyes (subject to change). His feathers haven't grown in yet. Great method actors like Emma Watson (of Harry Potter fame) will embed themselves so deeply in a role that they will look, dress and act in part non-stop for the duration of filming, even when the cameras aren't rolling.
We have joined the Deck, the premiere advertising network for reaching creative, web and design professionals. We've been extremely fortunate to surround ourselves with team members, advisers and partners of the highest caliber in terms of their experience, reputation and accomplishments. Our new adviser, Patrick Lor is no different, having been the first employee at the very successful iStockPhoto.com in 2001, where he served as EVP and director until its sale in 2006. Together with founder Bruce Livingstone, he turned a community of photographers into an innovative and disruptive business model where the community could profit together with the company. 2008 Webware 100 Awards winner!
We're super excited to announce that we are winners in CNet's 2008 Webware 100 Awards in the Publishing and Photography category! The 2008 Webware 100 Awards recognize the best Web 2.0 sites, services, and applications on the Web today. After receiving more than 5,000 nominations for inclusion in the Webware 100, our editors selected 300 finalists. But the Web's users decided the final cut, voting nearly two million times to select the 100 top products--10 each in of 10 categories--from our list of 300 finalists. So we really have our awesome user base at Aviary and Worth1000 to thank for helping us go all the way! One of the most fantastic things about building a suite of tools around a community, instead of the other way around, is that users are always willing to pitch in and help out others with tutorials and forum assistance. It's our plan to build our applications with a very deep set of community tools, built around forums, wiki-documentation, chat, user-made tutorials and sharable workspaces.
Aviary is excited to announce the launch of its newest application, Dodo, the web-based time machine. Dodo is incredibly simple to use: Just upload an input picture, choose between different settings that might affect the aging process (i.e. amounts of alcohol and tobacco consumed), set a year and hit generate. Obviously results will vary, but under strenuous laboratory analysis we have found a margin of error of only +-11% (unprecedented performance for time machines in general, let alone web-apps). Editor's Note: with the launch of Adobe Photoshop Express, came a flurry of concerned emails from friends and family asking "Have you seen this? Are you concerned for Aviary?" My response each time was 'no - they cater to different markets.' They serve red-eye reducer consumers. We serve more advanced hobbyist creators. Making reusable filters in Peacock
When we first envisioned Peacock (our "pattern generator"), we only saw it as a tool to create tilable patterns out of graphics for printing on merchandise. However, as it developed we realized there was potential for so much more. We now see that users can not only use it to make incredible patterns, they can also make photo-realistic illustrations and pictures. Most exciting, is that they can also use it to build reusable filters that will work in other applications like Phoenix, our image editor. Oh yeah, and this is entirely browser-based.
Massive upgrades to Phoenix
Let's start this off with some new feature enhancements to our image editor, Phoenix! In our next post we'll touch on some of the amazing new features added to Peacock, our visual laboratory (for creating complex patterns and filters).
Right-Clicking on the canvas to choose a specific layer
Now you can find and select any layer automatically by rightclicking anywhere on the canvas. A list of the layers directly below your mouse will appear. Clicking on the name in that list will select the corresponding layer in the Layers panel on the right hand side and allow you to immediately begin working on it.
Layer can be converted to a selection
If you have a layer with transparencies in it, you can now automatically trace the solid areas and turn it into a selection. To use this feature just go to the menu bar at the top and choose Select > Selection from Layer.
Rulers and Guides!
One of the most requested features to date is the addition of rulers and guides. Now users can get pixel-level accuracy as they draw. To create a new guide, just click and hold on the ruler (horizontal or vertical) and drag onto the canvas. A guide will automatically appear. To move a guide once it's created, click on the Move/Transform tool, then click and drag the guide to the desired location.
As you work with the selection and move tools, your cursor will snap to the guides (see the picture below). We'll be adding more support for other tools in upcoming releases.
Dodge and Burn tool
Another highly requested feature. We've added a Dodge/Burn tool which allows you to selectively lighten and darken different areas of a picture. We'll be splitting these into two separate tools in a future release, but for now they are available as functions within the same tool.
Saving now includes tags, permissions and description
Now you can automatically save your changes directly from within the interface. Previously you needed to first save your work, then adjust your permissions, tags and description on the website. You can still use the website to adjust your changes in these areas as well.
Brushes and fonts are now larger
This was an easy, but important one. Brushes can now be up to 300 pixels in size (from 100). Fonts can be up to 288 pixels in size (from 72).
Input level control over zoom
You can now type in the zoom level you'd like to go to. Spacebar control over panning is coming in the next release.
New & improved Color Picker panel
The colorpicker is now reorganized and a lot quicker. The same interface is also available in all Aviary applications (including Toucan and Peacock). Additionally, you can now adjust alpha transparency directly in the interface. In upcoming releases we'll be adding additional color settings (like CMYK) which are currently only available in Toucan.
Gradient improvements
Gradient now has some new methods (pad, reflect and repeat), which lead to greater control over what types of patterns the tool can be used to create.
Access to Flickr, Picasa and Facebook images
You can now access your Flickr, Picasa and Facebook images from within the Resource Browser (within all tools). One note is that this currently doesn't work if you have a Popup blocker installed (which is used when authenticating at these sites. We'll be addressing that problem and adding additional sites in upcoming releases. 
Every single bug is now fixed and the software is flawless
Just kidding. But we've made pretty good headway. We have solved countless bugs, too numerous to list. Thank you so much to all our beta testers for helping us to make our tools that much better by reporting every thing.
Are there any features you'd like to see in Phoenix? Please comment below. Highest on my wishlist? Paths.
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I'll get some pics up as soon as I get a spare second. Please forgive any lack of responsiveness on my part over the next few days as we get mommy and baby settled in.
Any name suggestions?
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Emma Watson gets a sex change in Aviary
Now as Emma Watson prepares for her most challenging role to date, 57-year-old male truck driver Roscuro in the upcoming film, The Tale of Despereaux, she asked Aviary's resident plastic surgeon Meowza to perform the emergency sexandectomy. 
View the sources and full layered file
It's every Harry Potter fan fic writers dream come true! Here's a video of the operation:
This work made heavy use of distorting, blend modes and smoothing.
Sources:
Kudos to Aerosmith for providing the background vocals!
Standard disclaimer: For those of you new to this blog, this was not created in Photoshop. It was created in Aviary, a suite of online web applications. You can sign up for the current beta at http://a.viary.com.
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The Deck advertisements only appear on Aviary's blog sections (both product blog and idea blog), not within the Aviary website (or applications as you work).
We are not a big fan of relying on advertising as a business model in the current economy. However, we do view partnering with the Deck as a wonderful synergy: We really like the network of 29 sites and blogs that are a part of the Deck, the ideology behind how they run ads and who they partner with.
The rules are: they only run ads from products that they personally use; 1 inobtrusive ad per page at a time; advertisers pay Cost Per Influence, instead of for page views or clicks. (meaning, if you advertise on The Deck but for the perceived influence the networks' viewers have), and they are very selective about which publishers can join.
Other sites in the Deck are:
37signals
A Brief Message
Airbag
A List Apart
Clusterflock
Colour Lovers
Computerlove
Coudal
Daring Fireball
Design Observer
ffffound
Fortuitous
Fray
Good Is Dead
Helvetica: The Film
IconBuffet
Kottke.org
The Morning News
SimpleBits
swissmiss
Textism
Twitterrific
Veerle's Blog
Vitamin
Waxy.org
YayHooray!
Ze Frank
Zeldman
Editor's note: Our next blog post will be a product update. :)
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iStockPhoto.com co-founder joins Aviary advisor board
And a successful model it is. In 2006, iStockPhoto sold to Getty Images for $50 million. Last year, iStockPhoto had $72 million in revenue, sharing $20.9 million of that with its community. Amazing. It's exactly that kind of cooperative partnership with the artistic community that we're attracted to.
Oh and in case you are wondering: Patrick is the caricature circled in red from our About page:
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I've got to admit that the idea of bragging about winning an intangible award makes us feel a little weird, especially as I'm not normally a fan of online awards sites (and no, the irony of my founding Worth1000 isn't lost on me). But we really respect the way that Rafe and everyone at CNet run the entire process. Sites don't have to pay to be included in the nomination process, there is some professional editorial preselection and the rest is up to the Internet. Very Cool.
Here's a partial snippet of the email we received from CNet that explains how we were chosen:
Congratulations to all the finalists and winners - we were in amazingly good company.
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16 awesome Aviary tutorials
Aviary super star Meowza has already begun paving the way with more than a dozen "photo-phixing" tutorials for other users of Phoenix. Got a specific question on how to make a technique in Phoenix? Ask and ye shall receive.
Unzipping a Kitty
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Chocolatizing a Statue
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Cyborg Frog
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Smoking Woman
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Alien Overlords
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Correct Shadow Perspective
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Aging a Photograph
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Making a Snow Storm
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Popping Elements with Dodge and Burn
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Aging a Boy (or How we Faked Dodo)
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Genetic Cross-Breeding
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
How to Precision Select Custom Shapes
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Another tutorial on the same topic
Masking fur by Ziaphra
View the full tutorial | Full layered file
Using Blend Modes; Having Fun with Liquify and Mating Celebrities
Read the full 3-in-one tutorial!
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We've been working feverishly around the clock on this new tool which will allow you to age and de-age people, places and things from any browser with Flash 9 enabled.
Here's a video of Dodo in action:
Dodo automatically detects the subject matter (noting the difference between people places and things) and chooses how to age it, using the Astley-Zonday time displacement theorem with accurate results.
Dodo can also be used on scenery. For example, Dodo changed this scene from an ordinary spring landscape to winter, using Dodo's built-in database of geographically accurate weather history.
Additionally, Dodo is not limited to animate objects, and scenes; It works equally well on inanimate objects, predicting what they might look like at specified dates in the past (and future).
We see market opportunity for Dodo across several mediums, not just graphic design. We imagine it will be useful in everything from tracking down long missing children, to determining if a girlfriend will end up looking like her mother, to deceiving potential dates in the personals section of Craigslist.
To access Dodo, sign up for an Aviary account at http://a.viary.com. If you already have an account, please log out and back in to see it appear in your tool list.
Update April 2nd, 2008: This was an April Fools joke. Dodo doesn't exist. Now can you please stop e-mailing us asking for access to it? :)
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Aviary, Photoshop Express and other image editors compared
But pictures are worth one thousand words, so we asked Aviary superstar Meowza to do an actual comparison against some of the more well known Flash web apps (Photoshop Express, Picnik, Splashup, Fotoflexer and Aviary) to see whether or not he could recreate one of his fantastic Aviary creations.
Although this is obviously biased in that it was written by an Aviary employee, we asked Meowza to do a comparison from the point of view of an unaffiliated artist. The opinions expressed in this post are entirely his own. Now please stop mailing us, Mom. /Note
By now, I'm sure you've heard enough how much Aviary rocks. And if you haven't... Aviary rocks! But I'll bet you're asking how it holds up against some of the other online photo editors out there.
It's funny you should ask. Why, just today we decided to put some of these programs through a rigorous gauntlet of image editing challenges for a direct comparison: Tests that would let us compare some simple, but key, elements in photo manipulation: simple copy and pasting, masking, cloning, and blending to see what was really possible to do in each.
So naturally, the first image that came to mind was a tooth-filled cherry facing off against a bee in an epic showdown.
I used the following sources:
First, here's the image I created in Aviary's image editor, Phoenix, relying heavily on the Disortion Tool and layer masking.
As you can see, the end result is pretty seamless.
Next, I tried to create the same image in Fotoflexer.
The first thing I noticed was the lack of a layer menu, so it would be difficult to work on an image using multiple sources and keeping them all managed within the program's invisible layer structure.
Their brush and eraser also seems to be missing an option to adjust hardness levels making it very difficult to blend two images together without leaving a noticeable edge around the elements.
This is as close as I got to creating the same image in Fotoflexer:
But the meat of the program runs in its quick and easy-to-use automated features.
A user could run a photo through the program and quickly crop for web, or add a number of effects to their image with the numerous effect filters included (ie. one-click blemish/wrinkle removal).
My favorite of these features are the simple to use distortion tools.
An example is the "Bulge" tool. I was impressed with how quickly I was able to run a photo of a person through the program and within seconds, with just a few clicks, "fatten" them up for fun (or shed a few pounds using the "Pinch" tool!), as in the example below with Tara Reid.
For comparison, I decided to try the same effect in Phoenix. Because Phoenix doesn't incorporate an automated "fattening" feature, we needed to go the manual route. First, by copy and pasting segments of the figure's body onto new layers, then using a combination of the Distortion and Free Transform tools to skew and enlarge her body parts.
Then finishing it off by finely tuning each segment with the Liquify tool, I was able to come pretty close to the one created in fotoflexer.
Despite this particular effect taking a more involved approach in Phoenix, for the in-depth, intensive user, the features within will allow much greater control over every aspect of their image.
But for the casual user who needs a quick and painless way to spruce up a photo, if you can click a mouse, fotoflexer is an extremely easy way to go.
Next up, Splashup.
Upon first impression, it's an impressive looking program with an interface very similar to Photoshop. I was able to recreate the example image very close to the one I put together in Phoenix with just a little smudging apparent, due to the familiarity of the layout and tools.
After using programs like Photoshop, you tend to take for granted all the features that some other graphics programs don't incorporate. Simple things like the ability to sort layers by drag and drop, keyboard shortcuts, and a few of the handy features such as layer masking and the clone stamp also seem to be absent.
For the spoiled artist, the one who lacks any sense of patience (Hey, that's me!), who is too used to the conveniences of the high end image editors out there, the absence of a number of features greatly slows down the working process.
For an online image editor, Splashup is quite impressive and a user should be able to create a wide range of images within it.
A simple, but essential, part of most photo manipulating is the ability to blend multiple images. And the necessary tools included in Slashup makes key image editing elements such as background removal, object swapping, or more importantly, putting Colin Farrell on Tara Reid's body, a simple job.
Comparing off of Splashup's strengths, I needed to see how the same effect could be pulled off in Phoenix.
Because of basic similarities between the two, the process of creating the image in both programs was the same, using the transform tool to adjust and situate the face, then simply softening up the edges and color adjusting to blend with Tara Reid's body. Therefore, the final image created in Phoenix is nearly identical.
The most noticeable difference didn't strike me until I screwed up. And I do that a lot.
Whereas in Splashup, I restarted the image about three times after I'd pull a bonehead move, like cutting off too much of Colin's chin. Admittedly, my own fault and not the fault of Splashup.
Not learning my lesson the first time around, I pulled off the same mistakes when attempting the image in Phoenix. But unlike Splashup, Phoenix' Layer Mask feature allowed me to "draw" back in the areas I had foolishly erased earlier, since layer masks never completely eliminate areas that are masked.
Though absent of a number of convenient features, Splashup seems to have the potential to boast some serious editing power. As it stands compared to it's desktop predecessors, Splashup is still a good, free, online alternative for layer-based image editing duty.
Then, I gave the cherry test a shot in Picnik.
This is as far as I could go:
It's not a fair comparison, as Picnik is not intended for this kind of use. It does not have a layer system and the ability to edit multiple images at once.
But like Fotoflexer, Picnik is an excellent editor for quick, single image editing. The best feature in Picnik is the conveniently integrated system where one can upload their images to a number of photo sharing and online community sites such as Flickr, Facebook, Picasa, etc. instantaneously.
And with 40+ automated effects that range from simple red-eye removal, to more of the fun effects such as mimicking a photograph from the 1960s, it makes fixing up that old family photo, cross-processing your favorite portrait, or more importantly, putting Tara Reid amidst a snowstorm, a breeze.
And, of course, I just had to see if I could mimic some of these same effects in our friend, Phoenix, as well. Taking this image of snow falling:
I simply placed it on a new layer over the image of Tara Reid and applied the "Screen" layer blend mode, then bumped up the contrast. And this is what I got:
As in the comparison with Fotoflexer, the simplicity and automation in Picnik allows any user to pull off any of the number of effects featured within in seconds. But again, the features in Phoenix allow for much greater control and potential in the creation of images. It's a tradeoff of simplicity versus control that defines the market each tool caters to.
Finally, I checked out Adobe's newly beta released online editor, Photoshop Express.
As a Photoshop enthusiast, I was very excited at the prospect of Adobe's first foray into the online digital image editing world. Upon first impression, I was very disappointed in the lack of layer system and the inability to merge multiple pictures for composites at once.
So, just as in Picnik, we weren't able to recreate the cherry photo in Photoshop Express as we did earlier. Again, I ended up stuck here:
Of course, it wasn't Adobe's intent to introduce an online application with all the features of Photoshop but rather an alternate solution for quick photo correcting. And in that regard, Photoshop Express does get the job done.
With simple photo correcting features such as White Balance, Exposure, and more, we were able to easily take a photo of, you guessed it, Tara Reid and with a single click of the mouse, remove her unslightly red-eye blemishes.
Again, we were able to do the same adjustments in Phoenix, albeit with a more involved approach playing around with the Hue/Saturation level of the selected pupil areas.
But, red eye removal? Why not, eye removal!
Of course with Phoenix' layering system, the user is able to merge and edit a multitude of photos together to build basically anything within the realm of their imagination.
The biggest difference between Phoenix and the other online editors I tried was that Phoenix was created with the serious artist in mind whereas the others seemed to be geared more towards the casual user, the user who needs a quick image crop/photo processing for web.
And in that regard, applications such as Fotoflexer and Picnik, do excel.
Of course, Phoenix still allows for minor image enhancement features and cropping as in the other programs, but the depth of the features in Phoenix and potential to create in-depth composite art puts it in a separate class more akin to desktop software. Aviary's unparalleled collaboration system, rights management and built-in storage gives the user added incentive to use the program over its desktop predecessors.
But don't take my word for it. Actually, yes. Yes, you may.
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This time around Aviary superstar Meowza shows how to build a comic-book-a-lizer filter. He uses it to convert standard stock footage of a woman screaming for her life, into a cheery comic book illustration of a woman screaming for her life. And then performs the same courtesy on the damsel's gunman.
View the sources and full node composition
Sources:
This filter made heavy use of threshold, masking, simple shapes and melting nodes.
Our plan is to allow users to create and sell their filters to other users. So if you make something really cool - like a neon glow filter, you can charge whatever you like and compile your filter so the canvas composition stays transparent to the buyer. Your filter would then be available to them to use in other Aviary apps!
More Peacock customizable filters
Warholizer
Paper burner
Color tonalizer
Raindrops
And just to whet your appetites for the next post:
Generated Photo realism
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
Mathematical Art
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View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
View the sources and full node composition
Kudos to Black Eyed Peas for the musical accompaniments and to mario, meowza, shadyalaska, pal670, Wniebowziety, madameava, hamstu, oxidus, Nicky666 and Roberto for the example gallery!
Standard disclaimer: For those of you new to this blog, this was created in Aviary, a suite of online web applications. You can sign up for the current beta at http://a.viary.com.
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