Incredible Human Eye

As usual, lots of things hiding in the back of my mind. One of those things is creating an algorithm for simulating the fibers in the human iris. This is something that has been on my mind for more than a few years.

Of course I can fake eyeballs in Photoshop just fine. Things that are "That'll do, Pig. That'll do." No worries there.

But this kind of gets into organics and the human touch. Organics can be so hard to simulate. Not only that, but algorithms can be so non-organic and require a human touch... which is an organic thing. Can you see the condundrum?

When it comes to algorithms and GUI things, the question is twisted just a tad. How much is left to the algorithm and how much to the human interaction?

Anyways, I came across this awesome sampling of iris photographs:

http://www.amazingincredible.com/show/82-the-incredible-human-eye

Seriously, can you see the patterns and commone denominators? Can you see the chaos and randomness?

The eyes are a big part of how we see each other, both literally and figuratively. I think that makes the point more poignant.

Absolutely beautiful. Truly.
I wish I could do that.

Nice find Abu. Some of the other links are quite interesting too. For example, the 1/100,000,000 of a second photographs of a nuclear detonation by Harold Edgarton. They are a fascinating breakdown of what we perceive as instantaneous. Some of the images almost seem to mimic the patterns seen in the iris photographs if one were to cut a slice into the spherical structure of the blast, bisecting it's center.

Have you tried intersecting sign wave patterns. Imagine extruding these radially to form the intersecting fibrous structures in the eye. They can be quite chaotic, yet simple to produce mathematically, and could be an effective way to simulate iris structures.

I've tried quite a few things over the years. I can see the pattern(s) that I want to bring out, but I can't express. I hate not being able to express. I might have to get sarcastic and build a "biological growth" particle system.

Here is a real basic one for those that have never really played with eyeballs:

Start with something mostly vertical. Filter > Render > Fibers, or Clouds / Difference Clouds + Motion Blur.

On top of your verticals, toss in some Filter > Distort > Wave.

Filter > Distort > Polar Coordinates

Do that on several different layers. Once you have all them Polar Coorded, start playing with blending modes and things. You know, get crazy with the Cheeze Whiz.

Oh yeah, I did have some fun link hopping from there.

shame he only focused on the iris though... vein patterns on eyes can be quite intriguing too... beautiful stuff nonetheless