Show HN: Silly Faces

[juliushuijnk]

Tap on the canvas to create silly faces.

Discover new brushes by combining them on the canvas.

Used to be a React Native app from the pre-AI ages. Recently ported with AI to be just a wordpress plugin.

[juliushuijnk]

In case it looks AI generated and that bothers people, here's the 3 year old video of the app: https://youtu.be/BbgxvNRfq0k

[juliushuijnk]

Update: I made the canvas smaller, made an export feature, so you can get a cut-out template to fold and make a character.

the old wide canvas is avaiable at /silly-wide

[juliushuijnk]

Update 12 March:

- Added share url, where query parameter holds the info of the face

- Undo, redo

- Some improvements to the export image for printing

- Added small animation to mouth, and extra 'spotted eye' brush

[juliushuijnk]

Reply on gus_massa

Fixed the pink highlight on long press.

> I could trigger it in a pc. I'm not sure if it's useful.

I made this long-press rectangle selection, because the whole silly face app, was an experiment actually for a UX tool (https://www.producthunt.com/products/tinyux) from a couple years back. It makes more sense in that context.

I removed it from Google Play. May end up making a web version out of it.

> [Hi from Argentina!]

Hi, from Netherlands

> * In the main screen, the grey rectangle is not aligned with the other rectangles.

Very unclear on my part, but if you draw on the grey part (an eye for instance) it will 'hang on it'. So it's like background. I wanted to have some background in there from the start so people could discover it. Presumably that is what you are referring to? Tap multiple times on the brush next to the '?' to toggle foreground/background.

Or there is visual bug.

> The white rectangle cleans the eyes/noses/whatever/ but it does not clean the skin color.

Ah, yes, that was an experiment from just this morning. The idea is that empty cells 'grow' this skin based on the neihbors. So you can't clean empty skin. I'd like to have more things like that, so it more 'grows' and less draws. But could also be annoying feature.

> Also, perhaps the grey rectangle probably should cycle like: nothing->grey->red->dark->pink->nothing->grey->... Or skip the "nothing" color in the list, but make the white rectangle delete the color.

Perhaps so. I'll think about it.

> When I use the grey rectangle tool over an eye or something, it may change to another eye. I prefer that they change only when I use the eye tool over and eye. I expect the grey rectangle tool only to change the color, not the shape.

It's like a background. Try some brushes around the edges..

> I don't like that the nose rotate when it's grey and some of the nearby squares are aso grey. It's too unpredictable. I'd prefer that using a nose on a nose will sometimes change the shape and other times rotate it, so I can click on it until I get the shape I want.

I guess it's about control versus a game where you discover stuff. I made it with more of game/toy perspective (and a technical prototype for the UX tool). So you discover new brushes, and I wanted the interface also to be easy to start, but you could get 'good at it'.

I could then show you a silly face image, and it would be somewhat of a challenge, like a show-off "Look how good I can play with this", where you see the face wear a crown, etc.

for instance there are many brushes to discover by combining them. round-ear with mouth will get you flower. Tap mouth again, you'll get a different flower, etc.

For now I'll keep this approach. But in the UX tool I ended up making sub-menus so you could simply select what you wanted. Much simpler haha :D

[juliushuijnk]

Thanks for the feedback btw, got to do some things, may take a while before I reply again.

[gus_massa]

>> When I use the grey rectangle tool over an eye or something, it may change to another eye. I prefer that they change only when I use the eye tool over and eye. I expect the grey rectangle tool only to change the color, not the shape.

> It's like a background. Try some brushes around the edges..

OK, it's a feature not a bug. It's your project, so it's totally fine for me if you like it.

---

>> In the main screen, the grey rectangle is not aligned with the other rectangles.

> Very unclear on my part,

Sorry for my confusing explanation. I made a screenshot: https://imgur.com/a/Ele6JdA

[juliushuijnk]

I see. Thanks for the feedback. I'll probably fix it tomorrow :)

[blourvim]

reminds me of those 2010's flash games, absolutely amazing

[juliushuijnk]

Thanks!

[gus_massa]

Can I reverse the ear?

[juliushuijnk]

ah, not yet. Let me add that, one moment..

[juliushuijnk]

now you can. Double tap the small ear.

[gus_massa]

:)

In the info part (with the question thing) I don't understand the last two rules:

"eye + time = eye": I think the correct rule is "eye + time = closed-eye"

"eye + eye-down-right = four eyes": If I add two eyes in a special positions, does the web page add two more to complete the square? I count's trigger that rule.

[juliushuijnk]

Ah, yes, this worked in the app, not really on the web version yet.

It meant to say: long press will allow you to paint in a rectangle. So long press one corner, then press another corner.

I'll look into if I can fix that.

Btw, my goal was to have zero language in the app, so I wouldn't have to make any translations, and it would just work for kids of any age. Hence the somewhat weird '?' popup.

Might turn this into a thing where you can download a PDF of the image, and you can print and can cut it out and fold it into a brick shaped character. As in; top half face, bottom half rest of body.

Update: I adding a 'eyes spotted' (round nose + eye) and a 'skin effect' when empty cells are near some things, they change too. Spots or scales for now.

[gus_massa]

> It meant to say: long press will allow you to paint in a rectangle. So long press one corner, then press another corner.

OK, after reading this explanation I could trigger it in a pc. I'm not sure if it's useful.

> Btw, my goal was to have zero language in the app, so I wouldn't have to make any translations, and it would just work for kids of any age. Hence the somewhat weird '?' popup.

I think it's fine. [Hi from Argentina!]

Before more details, I want to say that I like the idea of the multiple shapes and combinations.

Some bug reports/ feature requests:

* In the main screen, the grey rectangle is not aligned with the other rectangles.

* The white rectangle cleans the eyes/noses/whatever/ but it does not clean the skin color.

* Also, perhaps the grey rectangle probably shoud cycle like: nothing->grey->red->dark->pink->nothing->grey->... Or skip the "nothing" color in the list, but make the white rectangle delete the color.

* When I use the grey rectangle tool over an eye or something, it may change to another eye. I prefer that they change only when I use the eye tool over and eye. I expect the grey rectangle tool only to change the color, not the shape.

* I don't like that the nose rotate when it's grey and some of the nearby squares are aso grey. It's too unpredictable. I'd prefer that using a nose on a nose will sometimes change the shape and other times rotate it, so I can click on it until I get the shape I want.