TOKYO (MacHouse) – Several days ago, I was looking at several screenshots shown at this Japanese web site, which introduces iOS applications. And I thought to myself “That’s what I need for the iOS application that I’m currently developing.” The application introduced there has a pink solid-color background filled with lots of small, translucent circles. I tried to find a web site to download a free desktop picture like it except that I couldn’t find any. So I had another thought. Hmm… Maybe, I can just develop a desktop application that allows the user to fill a rectangular image with a shape of their selection. That’s how I’ve ended up with MiPatterns, which I submitted to Mac App Store several hours ago.

Source: Tom Bluewater

Source: Tom Bluewater

MiPatterns is a desktop application that you can use to create an image full of simple figures. It comes with a built-in library of nearly four dozen code-generated shapes including circle, triangle, star, heart, diamond. Select one, and you can repeat it over a rectangular solid-color sheet they define.  

Available at Mac App Store

Features

1. Choose one of nearly four dozen shapes to repeat in order to create a pattern.
2. Insert two, three or any number of patterns to the same view sheet.
3. With Pattern List open, drag and move the selected shape to change layer places.
4. With Pattern List open, remove patterns from the view sheet.
5. Use Mini View to see the entire picture.
6. Save current progress as application’s document file. Double-click on a document file to recover progress with one or more patterns inserted to the view sheet.
7. Save your settings for laying out the document and creating a pattern with a click of a button. Click on Load to load saved settings at any time.
8. Save the current view sheet as a picture your disk.
9. Select a file name over application’s status menu to reveal the very file.
10. The application does not support the fullScreen mode. (It will be supported with V. 1.1.0 or higher.)
11. The application supports the retina screen. (tested with 2014 2.6 GHz 13″ MacBook Pro)
12. Languages: English only.
13. Application file size: 11.7 MB.
14. The application comes with a built-in 14-page user guide. Choose Show Quick Tour under MiPatterns whenever you need to see it.

System requirements

1. 10.8 (not tested), 10.9 (not tested), 10.10 (tested with 10.10.5), 10.11 (tested with 10.11.1)
2. 64-bit system

Limitations

1. For the moment, you cannot use your own image to repeat in order to create a pattern. This feature will be available with Version 1.1.0.
2. The document size must be at least 128 points x 128 points.

Version history

Version 1.1.0 (Released on January 21, 2016)

1. Fix: When the user clicked on Save while laying out the document or making a pattern, the application did not save the alpha value.
2. The user can now use their own picture to create a pattern.
3. Three additional pages (#14, #15, #16) have been added to Quick Tour.
4. Numerous other minor changes and fixes are done.

Version 1.0.2 (Released on January 16, 2016)

1. A new page is added to Quick Tour to explain the purpose of using the push button with a left-looking arrow over Pattern List.
2. Changes are made to the composition of the application document file.

Trial/Demo version

Click here to download a trial version. This trial version will remain fully functional for 7 days, starting from the very moment you first launch it. Note that you cannot use the Mac App Store version to open a document created with a trial version since changes have been made to the composition of the application document.






Video tutorial

There is no video tutorial at this time.






MiPatterns is a product of Tom Bluewater.
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