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Title: Laidout Date: 2015-03-05 20:44 Author: Colm Tags: News Slug: laidout Status: published <div id="magicdomid2"> [![laidout-grafik-tools]({filename}/images/uploads/laidout-grafik-tools.png){: .alignnone .size-medium .wp-image-7331 }]({filename}/images/uploads/laidout-grafik-tools.png)<span class="author-a-vsz80zcz89zqz83zanz79zgq9z87zz72zz86z image image_http://www.ludi.be/grafik/laidout-grafik-tools.png url"> </span> </div> <div id="magicdomid4"> <span class="author-a-vsz80zcz89zqz83zanz79zgq9z87zz72zz86z">Tom Lechner</span> =============================================================================== </div> <div id="magicdomid5"> <span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">Our description of</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7"> the</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> first encounter we had with Tom would probably be similar to</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">the one of</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">any of the two hundred people, sitting in the audience of the Libre Graphics Meeting in Brussels, back in May 2010.</span> </div> <div> <span class="author-a-z83z329z65z9nz122z4djz75zz122z8q4">The Libre Graphics Meeting is an annual meeting for users and developers of Free, Libre and Open Source graphic design software.</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">[Looking back at the archive](http://youtu.be/zLKjdUGu02A), ther</span><span class="author-a-z66zuz69zsz80zcz81zz67zkz86zz122zra3kz89z">e</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> is a proper cheer when Tom progressively peeled, like an orange, the image he was stretching over a dodecahedron, demoing the way Laidout could be used to prepare the file to</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7 i">*print*</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> such a shape.</span> </div> <div id="magicdomid6"> <span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">Tom has as many fa</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">cets</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> as he has obsessions for different mathematical geometrical schemes, after two and a half years at Caltech where he spent a lot more time making artwork than finishing homework, he</span><span class="author-a-z66zuz69zsz80zcz81zz67zkz86zz122zra3kz89z">"</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">moved to Portland to attend</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">an</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">art school and then continued on to make artwork and open source computer art tools, narrowly avoiding starving to death in abject misery under the weight of student loans."</span> </div> <div id="magicdomid7"> </div> <div id="magicdomid8"> [<span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">Laidout</span>](http://laidout.org/)<span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> started as an imposition tool used by Tom Lechner to print his comics. Over time more intricate functionalities were added such as the afor</span><span class="author-a-z83z329z65z9nz122z4djz75zz122z8q4">e</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">mentioned possib</span><span class="author-a-z83z329z65z9nz122z4djz75zz122z8q4">i</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">lity to work image imposition onto 3</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">D</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> objects, or the addition of drawing tools. As Tom developed his own Graphical</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">User</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">Interface Toolkit for Laidout</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">,</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> the software comes with a personal</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7"> "</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">voice</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">"</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">.</span> </div> <div> <span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">It feels like a very intimate tool full of hidden menus and shortcuts. With every new version its exciting to see the added features and, how they all come with their own approach and interface. Laidout appears to be like any other tool at first glance, but when you take a closer look, or see one of the screencasts on Youtube, you understand that Laidout has its own approach</span> <span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">—</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">which is really refreshing in a landscape where so many tools</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">are</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> alike.</span> </div> <span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">Engraving Fill Tool</span> ============================================================================================ <span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">The most recent version of Laidout came with an engraving tool, a utility that turns an image into line drawing. For the latest program of [La Balsamine](http://balsamine.be), a Brussels theater for which we've been designing the identity for some years now, the co-directors invited us to work with engraving and engraving patterns.</span> <span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">We decided to experiment</span><span class="author-a-z83z329z65z9nz122z4djz75zz122z8q4">on</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">digital patterns and lines, digging</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> to find</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> different ways to (re)draw images.</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">Last year, at the Leipzig edition of the Libre Graphics Meeting</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">,</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> we were treated to</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> yet another wonderful presentation</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> of</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> Laidout's new tool ([called mesh conceptions](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uCRBAcd2SY)</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z url">[)](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1uCRBAcd2SY,%29)</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">.</span> <span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">W</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">e</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">fa</span><span class="author-a-z66zuz69zsz80zcz81zz67zkz86zz122zra3kz89z">n</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">tasized over</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> a similar tool</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">which</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> could</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">"</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">engrave</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">"</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> images with the same fluidity and magic. A different approach exist</span><span class="author-a-z66zuz69zsz80zcz81zz67zkz86zz122zra3kz89z">s</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> in Inkscape (</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">arguably</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> the main</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> vector editor in the</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> libre</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> graphics world</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z">), but which is more manual and</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">much</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> less granular for what we want</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">ed</span><span class="author-a-mgygz86zz89zyz122zdz68zz79zz81zp3z122zz84z"> to achieve.</span> <span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">Laidout had, by then, most of the building blocks in place for what we wanted to create. This season</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">'</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">s program for</span><span class="author-a-z66zuz69zsz80zcz81zz67zkz86zz122zra3kz89z">l</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">a Balsa was the perfect opportunity to co</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">m</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">mission Tom for this next step in the tool; applying the fill tool over an existing image, a content aware overlay, of sorts.</span> <div id="magicdomid12"> </div> <div id="magicdomid13"> [![out-1\_762-1327]({filename}/images/uploads/out-1_762-1327.gif){: .alignnone .size-medium .wp-image-7331 }]({filename}/images/uploads/out-1_762-1327.gif) </div> <div id="magicdomid14"> <span class="author-a-vsz80zcz89zqz83zanz79zgq9z87zz72zz86z image image_http://www.ludi.be/grafik/out-1_762-1327.gif url"> </span> </div> <div> <span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">It</span><span class="author-a-z83z329z65z9nz122z4djz75zz122z8q4"> i</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">s this relationship that we thought could be interesting to portray here; this ecology</span><span class="author-a-z83z329z65z9nz122z4djz75zz122z8q4"> of exchange</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> between designer and developer</span><span class="author-a-j3z88zz68zz84zmrz65zojpz85zz66zz88zd7">which</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7"> can only really be afforded</span><span class="author-a-z83z329z65z9nz122z4djz75zz122z8q4">in a working model where neither is afraid to open up their sources</span><span class="author-a-z82zz77zxgz66zz89z0kz84zsuz78zz83zz76zw7">. This relation is at the center of our practice, we couldn't really see any other way of working now.</span> </div> <div id="magicdomid26"> <span class="author-a-vsz80zcz89zqz83zanz79zgq9z87zz72zz86z">This article was originally written as a response to a submission request to [Grafik Magazine](https://www.grafik.net/) in the [Screenshot](https://www.grafik.net/category/screenshot/) section. You can view it in it's [intended context here](https://www.grafik.net/category/screenshot/diy-software). the text and embedded images are published under the [Free Art License 1.3](http://artlibre.org/licence/lal/en/) and [CC](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)</span>[<span class="author-a-rz77z37z89zz75zebcecz77zqz89zz70zz82z">-B</span><span class="author-a-vsz80zcz89zqz83zanz79zgq9z87zz72zz86z">Y</span><span class="author-a-rz77z37z89zz75zebcecz77zqz89zz70zz82z">-SA</span>](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0/)<span class="author-a-rz77z37z89zz75zebcecz77zqz89zz70zz82z">.</span> </div>