Links

Patterns are, of course, all pervasive. Out of the multitude of sites dealing with related programs, we present a few which, we hope, will be of interest to you. Some of these are image editors/converters which read png/eps formats; others similar (in a broad-minded way) software. For the most part these are open-source or freeware. Also - for your edutainment - we have some, related, reading material. What else is left to say? Enjoy!

User galleries

You probably know that there's also a Japanese version of Arabeske available. In fact, it is the one you use too. The translation was made by Miyoken, whose Arabeske gallery is really worth seeing.

A second Japanese, Bubu, works on adult oriented pictures, which making process is described in his book. He uses Arabeske for the settings of some pictures.

Another Japanese, Hisao Tagushi uses Arabeske to create settings in his scenes.

...And that's all for now. Do not hesitate to ask me to be featured here.

Tools
GSView : Nagware.Image-converter. GUI using ghostscript (available at the same place) and Pstoedit to convert the eps format to dxf, pdf etc. Dxf , of course, can be used in most CAD/3d programs
GimpWin : Open source image-editor; the Windows version of  Gimp. Can read and edit png files (among many, many other); which can then can be used for material_mapping in programs like Pov-ray, Virtualight etc., and as mask maps in programs like 3dsMax. The linux version - available free with Linux - reads eps - the popular scaleable vector format - too: an added bonus if at all it needed one! A lot of people swear that it's better than Photoshop, atleast for precise work. AND, of course, it's free software.
PaintShop Pro : Shareware. Image editor/converter. Can load png, eps, dxf (2d) for further editing. Unique among the image editors in that it allows vector drawing and vector layers. Not sure if it belongs here since it is 100+ USD (as at Sept 2001), but many people consider it almost as good as PhotoShop in most ways (and better in some other) at a fraction of the price!... Windows only
Irfanview : Freeware. Image reader/converter. Reads png, eps (tiff preview) among others.Very popular. Windows only.
ACDSee : Adware. Another very popular image reader/converter. Reads/converts many image formats including png & eps (tiff preview). Windows only.
Wintopo: Freeware ('basic' version). Converts graphic formats to dxf., which can then be used in most CAD/3d programs.Wndows only.
HyperSnap-DX Pro : Freeware. image reader/converter and screen-capturer. Many formats including eps and mov (movie).  Windows only.
Peak3d :Shareware. Pov-ray based modeler (uses the Pov-ray texture language and exports, though it does not interface with it) At less than 50Euro (as of Sept2001), and decent features like a real-time spline editor, vertex editing, and a Rhino3d-like feel about it, it's worth taking a look at. The program imports obj & dxf among others, while it's 2d editor reads eps files. The demo period is supposedly 21 days, but lasted for more than 2 months for me - enough to take a good long look if needed. Windows only.
Povray . Freeware. (Modified open-source). Home page of one of the world's best - if not THE best - free raytracers. Also has links to hundreds of useful 3d-related programs - many of them open-source/freeware.
With features like raytracing, radiosity, caustics...not to mention quite extraordinary modelling capabilities and macros...and, of course, it's a superb pattern-maker in it's own right - AND an embarrassing wealth of free utilities - you're really missing something if you haven't been to this site. Don't run - fly!
Virtualight : Shareware (free for personal use) Another wonderful renderer. This one is a solo effort by Stephane Marty. Just over a year since it's inception, the program - a fruit of a passion for good affordable 3d - already boasts features which would put many well-established renderers to shame. Raytracing, caustics, global illumination, true displacement mapping...3ds, 3dsmax and Maya converters (the Max and Maya converters works within their respective programs for added control)...you name it and, almost certainly, it's there. Check out it's indexed_mapping for a really cool feature which can be used with Arabeske's patterns. Windows only (A linux version is in the works at the moment of writing)

Software cousins
  Taprats: Freeware. A cousin of Arabeske's, with a wizard-like GUI. Java applet+application. Limiting your visit to Taprats would be a mistake: C. Kaplan's PhD dissertation is a delightful reading whether you undertand the underlying maths or not.
Celtic knots: Freeware. (The english version is here ). Program for making (guess what!) celtic knots. A similar basic reliance - like Arabeske - on geometry and symmetry but the results are quite different! Windows only.
Gordian knots : Freeware. Same as above. Really interesting . Also possesses the added advantage that it exports to Pov-Ray. Unix/Linux only. Link, perhaps, no longer working. Could any kind soul email the right link?
linsys : Freeware.Another GUI for drawing l-systems. A plus point, here, is it's ability to open and use 3d raw format models within it's patterns. Windows only.
Fractint: Freeware.Program for drawing fractals, the wonderful geometric creations which can give so much pleasure - by itself - or in landscape generating programs, like Terragen, Leveller, Bryce...Windows. Versions of this very popular program for other OSes are XFractint (linux) , Macfractint (Mac) etc.
lattice macro: a macro for drawing latticework in Pov-Ray. With 31 different types to choose from it's interesting, to say the least. Though, perhaps, a bit limited in scope as compared to the others here.

Further reading
Wallpaper groups : The 17 symmetries explained in clear and lucid language. Check it out for an indepth (and lucid) explanation of the symmetries.
Patternlanguage.com : The home site of Christopher Alexander - the guru of patterns. From architects to software architects, who hasn't heard of, and been touched by, his philosophy? To most people he needs no introduction.
Using Macros to create patterns in Pov-Ray : Interesting tutorial which demonstrates the use of recursion to create repetetive-patterns based objects directly within Pov-Ray. Short and sweet - a good appetizer. Have a taste
3D Café : A huge site with free 3D ressources, hopefully linking to Arabeske.