This update brings some big improvements when it comes to working with seamless patterns, in the form of the new tiling repetition preview and the new seamless repeater node. The tiling preview option allows you to see a tiled preview of the artboard, so you can see what a pattern looks like repeated. And the seamless repeater node makes it easier to make seamless patterns by automatically repeating elements that extend outside the artboard edge on the opposing side to make the layer tile seamlessly.
In addition to these new pattern-related features this update also, and perhaps more importantly, contains a large number of bugfixes and smaller improvements that will hopefully make Paragraphic easier to work with, regardless of what you do with it.
One of these changes applies to the random value input node, where incremental random ranges (like integers 1-5) and now changed to be inclusive, (meaning 1-5 will sometimes return 5, and not just 1-4). This I think will be more in line with expectations and make more sense, but unfortunately it will mean designs generated with previous versions will now generate slightly different random outputs.
Changes and improvements
– Seamless repeater node, allowing you to easily make seamlessly tiling designs by automatically repeating elements that extend outside the artboard edges.
– Tiling repetitions display option, making it easy to preview and work with seamless tiling designs.
– Added secondary change to Group Randomize node, so you can now apply linked randomization to two aspects, like scale and color, at once.
– Changed Random Value input node incremental mode to use the value range as inclusive, now possibly returning the range max value as expected. NOTE: This might change generation of random value based designs.
– Display settings (like the new tiling repetitions and previous selection overlay settings) are now saved per document instead of globally.
– Downloading of new updates is now done in Paragraphic instead of by opening a web browser with the download link.
– Added support for clickable links in the update check version change log.
– Make it easier to select handles and path control points when zoomed out.
– Changed selection highlight outlines to only highlight the primary element when editing the initial generator node.
– Using the middle mouse button to click and drag to pan no longer cycles selection tools, it still cycles tools if you click without dragging.
– Some changes to node sequence preview rendering.
– Adjusted some parameter label names and layout.
Bug fixes
– Fix not being able to drag new connection from layer parameters to artboard parameters via the layers list.
– Fix overlay outline highlights not updating correctly to show elements affected by nodes edited by dragging handles.
– Fix star shape inner radius field not updating on outer radius change with relative Inner Radius option enabled.
– Fix issue where drawing a new shape layer would sometimes result in a 0x0 layer.
– Fix issue with sometimes not grabbing the repeater tool start handle correctly.
– Fix a potential crash related to using modifier keys with some tools in specific situations.
– Fix issue with modifier key state sometimes not updating correctly after deactivating/activating application.
– Fix connection overlay not updating when deselecting layer without selecting a new one.
– Fix selection overlay element index numbers scaling with viewport zoom.
– Fix random 2d value input node always using the X value range for both X and Y values.
– Fix default custom pivot offset value fields not showing for Group layers.
– Fix clipped rendering of layers with custom present pivot offsets.
You can check for updates and download the latest version from within Paragraphic if you have it installed, or you download it from paragraphic.design
For a slightly more in-depth example of how you can use the new seamless repeater node and tiling preview when making pattern you can check out this youtube video: