So for a long time now, a few Aviary users have been working really hard on helping document Peacock. They did this of their own initiative in a desire to help everyone else that uses Aviary improve and figure things out.
They are finally ready to take the lid off of the work and open it up to the world, starting with the Peacock forum, so here it goes:
It's the Aviary Peacock User Wiki !
http://www.aviary.com/userwiki/peacock
This is a comprehensive (under-development) website that intends to help with every element and facet of peacock. I know there have been countless questions about various functions within peacock.
This documentation has your answer. A direct link has been added to the website as well, under the Help Section.
Finally, a HUGE thanks to mpeutz , Lyxs and copper (and anyone else involved directly or indirectly) for this phenomenal accomplishment. Know that it's going to help countless others create beautiful works of art going forwards... You made that happen and that is priceless. Kudos!
Peacock underwent some exciting updates over the last few weeks and I wanted to highlight one of the most exciting ones here: terrain generation. That's right: you can now render 3D natural scenes in your browser using Flash.
We'll be discussing all the changes over the next few blog posts.
The terrain generator node gives you control over everything from the shadow and light intensity, angle and height of the light source, and even the 3D angle the terrain is viewed from. In short, Peacock just got a hell of a lot more powerful!
Here is a quick tutorial file showing how terrain can be generated in Peacock (just open the file in Peacock to view the tutorial).
Tip: To pan through the document, hold down spacebar and mouse button at the same time, as you move your mouse.
The terrain generator is very simple: You pass in a black and white height texture map and a skin texture map that overlays the 3D terrain. The white areas in the height map represent peaks, the dark areas represent valleys. By adjusting the height map, you can make all different types of 3D terrain (and even non-terrain objects).
Because the computer does all the work for you in the background, you can create very realistic effects just by adjusting options as in the randomized terrain shown above. You can personally replicate this effect by adjusting the random seed option of the top Perlin Noise node in this tutorial file.
Here are some example images showing the terrain generator put to great use: Click on the images, then open them up in the Peacock editor to get a sense for how they were made! 
Icebergs under the Aurora by a handsome devil
Simulated micro-photography of trees in the fall by Mpeutz
Windows XP inspired wallpaper by Robotguy4, bassp and yours truly.
Abstract 3D boxes using the terrain generator and new autopainter node (more on that later) by Mpeutz
Landscape with clouds by Mpeutz
Space Invaders by Mpeutz and Mario
Alien Fossil by davidjensen
Folded Fabric by Redstar
Repeating waves patterns by Mario
Earth-like land mass generator by Mpeutz
Between the Sheets by Mario
When we first envisioned Peacock (our "pattern generator"), we only saw it as a tool to create tilable patterns out of graphics for printing on merchandise. However, as it developed we realized there was potential for so much more. We now see that users can not only use it to make incredible patterns, they can also make photo-realistic illustrations and pictures. Most exciting, is that they can also use it to build reusable filters that will work in other applications like Phoenix, our image editor. Oh yeah, and this is entirely browser-based.
This time around Aviary superstar Meowza shows how to build a comic-book-a-lizer filter. He uses it to convert standard stock footage of a woman screaming for her life, into a cheery comic book illustration of a woman screaming for her life. And then performs the same courtesy on the damsel's gunman.
View the sources and full node composition
Sources:
This filter made heavy use of threshold, masking, simple shapes and melting nodes.
Our plan is to allow users to create and sell their filters to other users. So if you make something really cool - like a neon glow filter, you can charge whatever you like and compile your filter so the canvas composition stays transparent to the buyer. Your filter would then be available to them to use in other Aviary apps!
Example galleries of Peacock artwork after the jump...
Continue reading full post ...
One of the reasons we feel our software suite is so different than anything created to date is because these online flash applications work together. Here is the first video of this concept in action. This shows Peacock, the pattern generator being used to create "microplanets," which are then laid out and blended into a peaceful sky seen in Phoenix, Aviary's flash image editor.
Meowza is responsible for creating this surreal scene:
Just to explain what you're seeing in the first part of the video: It's a special object nicknamed microplanets, being created using Peacock's node-based filter system.
Microplanets is a new pattern filter just added to Peacock, in which a scene can be wrapped around a sphere. For example, this image:
becomes this:
For those of you without access to Aviary yet, you can sign up for the beta invitations to try out both Phoenix and Peacock at http://a.viary.com. If you're already in the beta, just leave a note in the Peacock thread to gain access.
Here's a quick video tutorial demonstrating how to use Peacock, Aviary's flash-based pattern generator:
http://a.viary.com/images/blog/peacock.swf
Warning: The movie size is a bit too large for small monitors - we'll make another shortly.
As a special bonus, here are 2 more fantastic examples of works created entirely in Peacock by Mario Klingemann:
Tesla spark 
Mirror, mirror on the wall
UPDATE Our video link appears to have busted because of bandwidth limits. Please try this updated link instead:
http://a.viary.com/images/blog/peacock.swf
Computational artisan and Peacock incubator Mario Klingemann has posted this beautiful set on Flickr, showing off some example works of art he created in Peacock, Aviary's pattern generator. These are obviously tremendous steps up from some of my own previously posted examples.
You can really get a sense for just how powerful Peacock really is from his examples.
Here's one of my own as well:
Anyone remember those Trapper Keeper notebooks from the 1980's that this draws inspiration from? I'm getting old.
Here's a quick glimpse at one of the cooler user interface experiments going on at Aviary. Peacock, the Flex based pattern generator, is a tool that is already a great deal of fun to play with. With our new node-based UI, it's about to get even more fun!
The concept is very simple: Pattern objects follow a path to eventual generation on the canvas. Depending on the different points along the path, the generated patterns can be filtered, blended with other patterns and masked.
Using it is easy. You can drop as many nodes onto the canvas as you like. 
Then it's simply a matter of drawing a line between the node connectors to link them, ultimately linking the Canvas node. From there Peacock can automatically work it's magic!
You can add new filter nodes to the path quite easily, which changes the outcome of the final project.
Nodes can be easily repositioned by dragging with your mouse. The linked paths will automatically curve to help maintain their visibility when you move the nodes.
Pattern paths can be infinitely complex, depending on how many nodes you want to add. In case you need more room for a very complex graph, you have the ability to zoom out and pan around your path. These paths can be saved so that you can resume your work on them at a later date.
You can see an example of a semi-complex pattern path below. 
Editing the individual nodes is easy: Just select the particular node you want to make changes to and change its settings in the properties panel. It's really incredible to watch the pattern change immediately as you tweak the settings.
I really can't wait for this particular tool to be released! To try it out, sign up for an Early Bird Invitation on our home page and choose Pattern Generation from the drop down list.
Happy Thanksgiving from everyone at Aviary!
Peacock was originally conceived as an Adobe Flex-based helper tool for Phoenix and Hummingbird which would allow users to easily create new tilable textures and patterns to paint with or to layout on 3D meshes. We quickly realized that the tool was so innately limitless in potential that it deserved a full spot in our tool suite.
In my first time playing with the alpha I was able to make a stitched weave pattern (useful if you're creating a photorealistic couch), and a few patterns that I'd love to have on a tie. Here are some tie examples (admittedly my taste is probably awful).
So how does Peacock work?
Essentially, it's a math based creation tool, which means that you don't need any innate skill to create new effects and works... just some patience to play with the settings and sliders and watch all the cool effects and patterns it can generate. Peacock acts a lot like a stack of effects: Each item in the effect stack alters the contents of the canvas (created by previous items in the stack).
What kinds of patterns can Peacock make?
- Organic patterns, such as wood, marble, electricity, clouds, water and fire.
- Tiling patterns, such as kaleidoscoped images and artwork.
- Artificial patterns such as plaid, pinstripes, drapes, weaves, sewing, bricks and mason work.
- Trippy patterns like waveforms, plasma effects and fireworks.
- Honestly... it's essentially unlimited.
So what kinds of uses will Peacock have?
- Users will be able to paint with custom brush patterns and texture meshes that can be used in other Aviary tools.
- Users will be able to create tilable wallpaper.
- Users will be able to create custom fabric patterns (i.e. creating your own tie fabric and custom clothing) through our marketplace.
Finally, some more examples of the fun I had while writing up this post. :)
Funky tie pattern
Red drapes
Persian rug pattern
Edit: Peacock is currently under development and is only available for private alpha testing. To see it live in action, please sign up for a beta invitation - set your interest as pattern generation
We've just upgraded a terrain generation filter for Phoenix into it's own application. We realized that it just made sense to be able to keep it fully separate in order for it to be able to contain a rich set of features and options.
So now I introduce you to Tern, our Terrain Generator:
Tern will allow you to not just generate random natural scenes (of all different types), but also to have full control over the appearance of all scenes. If you want to generate a scene of a volcano on an island, no problem. If you want to generate a scene of an alien landscape, no problem. If you want to recreate the shape of Australia and show it from high overhead, no problem.
Tern will include the ability to fully control and generate high resolution realistic scenes including land, water, fog, clouds, sunsets and plants, all right in your browser.
And of course, like all our tools, the works produced within it will be rights and royalties managed.
Update We've now consolidated Tern into a plugin for Peacock, the filter factory of the entire Aviary suite.
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