Scott Tartans
How to create your own Tartan Pages
1. Look at the source on my pages to see examples of how the application works. You can do this by using your web browser's menu option which allows you to "View" "Source". In windows, the source code will pop up in notepad, and you can alter the code and save it. Be sure to do this on a copy, instead of on the original. You will want to copy my files to your hard disk.
Download Tartan.class java applet. (C) 1997 Gregory J. Scott
Download Tartan.java java source code. (C) 1997 Gregory J. Scott
2. Play with altering the thread counts of one of the Tartans which I have provided. I provide slots for 20 color bands. Each band has one or more threads, the first parameter, and one color, indicated by a red, blue, and green parameter.
3. Note that my program only does "symmetrical" tartans. Also, each tartan cycles thru the thread count as stated in the parameters, and then backwards. This means that, to get the correct pattern, that you only give half of the number of threads in the first and in the last stripe.
4. It may help to use windows paint, or other more capable software to help you convert your tartan to bitmaps, which can be changed into desktop backgrounds. The idea here is to magnify the tartan so you can cut exactly one repetition of the complete symmetrical thread count cycle.
5. Register my Java Applet by sending me your email address,
This will allow you to use my copyrighted program Tartan.class on your website.
Future versions of the software will be made with more capabilities.
Enhancements which I have in mind are:
A. Scale - ability to magnifiy the thickness of the virtual threads.
B. Weave - Twill, or other common weaves. (It currently does only a twill weave.)
C. Bias - the ablilty to display the tartan at an angle. The tartan bitmap that comes with MS Windows, for example, is on a bias of 45 degrees, whereas mine are all at 0 degrees.
D. Assymetrical tartans - Allow the software to display tartans which do not have a symetrical pattern. There are two symetries, actually. The first is that the tartan cycles through the colors, and then backwards through the same color sequence. Some older tartans do not have this symmetry. The other symmetry is that the colors of the horizontal threads are the same as the vertical threads.
6. Check my home page from time to time to see if I've posted new examples or tutorials on how to do this. It's just that real programmers don't do documentation! The key here is to experiment.
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