[steiza_]

For those looking to create patterns like these in real life, I've had some success describing aperiodic tiling expansion rules in PostScript: https://github.com/steiza/postscript_fractals

From there you can send it to a laser cutter (see link for pictures), vinyl cutter, plasma cutter, CNC machine, etc.

PostScript is particularly great because it's a stack based language, and aperiodic tilings are often defined by expansion rules that are basically recursive algorithms. Just don't go too deep or you'll blow the stack!

[specialist]

Nicely done. I envy your etched windows.

I've long fantasized about using penrose tiling for my bathroom. Alas, my craftsmanship is terrible and I can barely manage subway style tiling.

I think someones could make some side money doing these one-offs for local builders, remodelers. Every service bureau I've ever met with their own laser (CNC, 3D printer) has spare capacity.

I've also long wanted to have client-side procedurally generated backgrounds for web pages, and user interfaces in general. Wood grain, marbling, penrose tiling, fractals... I got something kinda working using applets with Sun's HotJava browser, once upon a time.

I just saw that CSS now has a paint image hook. Made me think it's time to rescratch that itch. Unless someone beats me to it... :)

[miluge]

It really isn't that hard to make custom shape tiles by hand using the average Joe tools but it's a long, precise and tedious process. I kinda miss doing it with my step father blasting Chris Rhea on the stereo and slapping my head whenever I was "unattentive" and had a 1mm difference from the model, it isn't a huge difference but add it up to all the tiles and you can get a pretty messy job in the end...I miss those days.