Vectoraster is a graphics design app for creating custom vector halftones, stipple designs or animated raster effects based on imported images or dynamic elements like gradients, text or noise fields.
The halftone patterns and point shapes can be changed and varied across the pattern to produce many different styles. The resulting effect is always shown, with the preview updating in real time as you change parameters. The result can then easily be exported as vectors to SVG, PDF or EPS files, as images to JPEG, PNG or TIFF, or simply copied and pasted into most graphics software.
With Vectoraster 8 you can now also animate all these effects to create transitions, video backgrounds or other effects to use in your motion design projects. The result can be exported either as GIF, MOV or MPEG4 video files or a sequence of frame pdf or image files.
Inspiration
There is a collection of projects that could work as inspiration for what you could use Vectoraster for here on Behance:
"To sum it all up, Vectoraster is a highly customizable OS X application that helps you create vector-based raster patterns with just a couple of mouse clicks."
A new update of Vectoraster 8 has now been released. This adds some new functionality with support for complaxe unicode characters in text rasters (like SF symbols and ligatures) and some new point index options where you can chose to vary raster parameters based on the row or columns in the raster pattern for some new interesting effects.
Changes and improvements
Added new point Row, Column or Row+Column index source options, letting you base parameters on the row or column of the point.
Added support for complex multi-byte unicode characters like SF symbols and ligatures in text rasters.
Added Lost Minds Mastodon link to Help menu.
Added some more helpful information to error messages when failing to load files.
Bugfixes
Fix issue with importing vector graphics with very large sizes causing memory issues.
A smaller patch of Vectoraster 8 has now been released. This updates some legacy components for future compatibility and fixes some issues introduced in the 8.5.0 update.
Changes and improvements
Updates components for future compatibility, raising minimum required macOS version to 10.15.
Fixes a bug where animation exports would not correctly apply a scaled export size.
Fixes using the animation export panel size slider while the height or width field is active.
Vectoraster 8 now requires macOS 10.15 or later to run.
A new bigger update of Vectoraster 8 has now been released. The new version brings support for multiple custom point shapes, something that has been requested for a long time. So now you can use a set of different imported shapes or images for the points, and use them in sequence, at random or based on your sources. Along with this the backend has also been rebuilt a little to make rendering and generation more responsive along with a bunch of other improvements and fixes.
Vectoraster 8.5.0 Changes and improvements
Multiple custom shape support use different imported point shapes based on sources, index or at random.
Improved generation/rendering with better performance, responsiveness and stability.
Source opacity point removal with a new alpha threshold parameter. Makes it easy to remove points regardless of size where the source image is transparent.
Animated GIF import support for Video source layers.
Point fill opacity can now be applied to bitmap custom shapes as well.
Bug fixes
Fixed a bug with Multi-scale where clicking Apply button while typing in a value would not apply the scale.
Fixed an issue with quicktime video exports dropping frames if the encoder was busy.
Fixed a bug where animation export panel size fields would show the wrong values.
Fixed a bug where some settings would reset when re-opening the settings panel.
Another small update of Vectoraster 8 has been released today. This update fixes a couple of issues with bitmap based format exports and makes the animation timeline a little easier to work with.
Bug fixes
Fixes a bug with jpg export pixel aspect.
Fixes an export dialogue bug whith bitmap format height/width would not be displayed correctly.
Clicking in the animation timeline now deselects any selected value field, so you can use spacebar to play/pause.
A small update of Vectoraster 8 has been released today. This update is just a bug fix to a bundle validation issue that caused an error message when trying to start v8.4.9 on some systems.
A new update of Vectoraster 8 has now been released. This update updates SVG support, fixes some bugs and adds a nice new convenience feature to re-center source layers when updating the document size.
8.4.9 Changes and improvements
Improved SVG image mode imports/rendering (Upgrade to IJSVG 3.0 framework).
Added an option to re-center centered source layers on document size change, making it easier to resize a document to a new source image.
Added link to user Discord channel in Help menu.
Bug fixes
Fixed being able to select the source measurement channel parent item in the parameter sources menu and not just the items.
Removed a tooltip in the sources menu that was interfering with selecting items in submenus.
A new update of Vectoraster 8 has now been released. This update makes a number of small improvements and fixes a lot of issues related to converting/importing more complex projects from Vectoraster 7.
8.4.8 Changes and improvements
Optimized Randomization distortion.
Improved generation and rendering progress updates for long processes.
Updated manual and bundled sample files.
Improved conversion of legacy source measurement exponent parameters when importing Vectoraster 7 files.
Bug fixes
Fixes a bug with dynamic distortion strength parameters in rasters with raster offset.
Fixes initial loading preview image incorrect aspect for zoomed in rasters.
Fixes source color/light filterers not being applied when the document legacy blur setting was enabled.
Fixes an issue with converting some dynamic distrortion strength settings from legacy Vectoraster 7 files.
Fixes an issue with importing legacy Vectoraster 7 files with invalid incremental step parameters.
Fixes an issue with importing use source color mix parameters from legacy Vectoraster 7 files.
Fixes an issue with converting separate Y spacing in alternating grid legacy Vectoraster 7 files.
Some users have started a Discord channel for users of Vectoraster and Patternodes.
So if you're interested in discussing the apps, looking for help or want to connect with other users with check it out: Vectoraster and Patternodes discord
Purchase process
The online purchase process is handled quickly and securely by Paddle.com.
After you complete your purchase you will immediately be given access to your license codes and information on how to unlock the full version of your software. You will also be sent two e-mails from Paddle to the address you've specified. One receipt for your records and one titled "Your <Product> Paddle.com Order" containing your license code and unlocking information.
