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This is the Main group — the base look. Order matters: get Input clean, pick a Symbol language, then size it in Layout. Everything else in RXXR styles what you build here.
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Controls how the source image is read before it becomes symbols.
Input Channel — what drives symbol placement: Luma, Red, Green, Blue, Alpha. Luma is the safe default.Edge Detect — trace source contours before symbolizing.
Edge Mode: Edges Only replaces the image with bright contours; Dark Outline overlays a dark outline on the image.Edge Strength (0–200, default 100) — contour intensity.Edge Width (1–16, default 1) — contour line thickness.Input Threshold (0–200, default 150) — how much of the source becomes active. Raise it for a fuller render, lower it for a sparser one.Smoothing (0–100%) — softens noisy stepping before symbolization.Brightness (−100–100) and Contrast (0–200) — reshape the source. Push contrast to separate subject from background.Invert — flips tonal logic (light ↔ dark drives symbols).<aside> 💡
When to use Edge Detect: for line-art / blueprint / outline looks, or to feed clean contours into ASCII so glyphs follow shapes instead of flat tone.
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Breaks smooth tone into stepped patterns so banding becomes texture.
Dither Mode: Off, Bayer, Blue Noise, Atkinson, Clustered / Halftone.Dither Size: 2x2, 4x4, 8x8, 16x16, 32x32 (default 4x4) — pattern scale.Dither Strength (0–100%, default 100) — how strongly dither affects the render.Dither Only — render just the dither breakup pattern, with no symbols. Works as a standalone look (pure dithered texture), not only as a preview.<aside> 💡
Dither-only look: for the cleanest standalone result — lower Cell Size for a finer pattern, set Color & Opacity > Color Mode = Gradient, and switch Output > Output Mode = Only Effect.
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The drawing language.
Step Count (1–12, default 12) — number of tonal bands mapped to symbols.