Bucket Bender Update: Pixel Sorting Arrives + UI & Gradient Overhaul! ✨

Hey Glitch Artists & Color Manglers!

Get ready to bend those buckets even harder! This is a pretty substantial update to Bucket Bender, bringing a much-requested feature, significant improvements to gradient generation, UI tweaks, and animation export enhancements.

Let's dive into what's new:

📐 Pixel Sorting is HERE! (Advanced Mode)

I’ve added a brand new Pixel Sorting section (available in Advanced Mode):

• Sort by Angle: Forget fixed directions! Use the new Angle Slider (or type in a value from 0-359°) to sort pixels along any axis.
• Sorting Criteria: Choose what value to sort by: Luminance, Hue, Saturation, Lightness, Red, Green, Blue, Integer (RGBA value), or Angle (hue-like).
• <span class="ng-star-inserted" <threshold="" control:<="" span=""></span>>span class="ng-star-inserted"> Isolate your sorting! Use the checkboxes and slider to only sort pixels above or below a specific threshold value (based on your chosen criteria). Sort the brights, the darks, or everything but the mid-tones!
• Preview & Apply: See the effect instantly with the Preview Sort button before committing with Apply Sort. Previewing complex sorts on large images might take a moment!

This opens up a whole new dimension for textural effects and controlled chaos!

🎨 Gradient Generation Overhaul (Intermediate/Advanced Modes)

We've supercharged the built-in gradient generator:

• Global Saturation & Brightness: Two new sliders in the Gradient Options give you direct control over the overall vibrancy (saturation) and brightness of generated gradients (for both Base and Pattern). Brightness also subtly influences the blend modes chosen during generation!
• Subtle Morphing: Generated gradients now have a slight morphing/warping effect applied, tied to the Complexity slider. Higher complexity = more subtle distortion for organic textures.
• Smarter Blending: Internal logic for layering generated gradients is improved, often favouring more dynamic blend modes based on the complexity and brightness settings.

🤏 UI & Workflow Improvements

• Drag-and-Drop Sections!(Intermediate/Advanced) You can now reorderthe main collapsible sections (Gradients, Interaction, Fill Options, Pixel Sorting) to customize your workflow. Just click and drag the section header!
• Simplified Pattern Loading:
  • The manual "Number of Patterns" input is gone. Intermediate/Advanced modes now default to 3 slots, but the app dynamically handles patterns based on what you load.
  • <span class="ng-star-inserted" <the <="" span="">>strong class="ng-star-inserted">Load Pattern button is now accessible right at the top in Beginner Mode, making it easier to get started with a single custom pattern. (In Intermediate/Advanced, use "Load Multiple" or the specific "Generate/Load Pattern" buttons inside Gradient Options). </span>
• Cleaner Layouts: Some sliders (like Tolerance/Feathering, Gradient Sat/Bright) are now arranged in neater two-column grids.

🎞️ Animation Export Enhancements (Advanced Mode)

• Safer Export: The export process is now more robust. It snapshots your settings when you click Export and temporarily disables relevant UI controls to prevent accidental changes during the (potentially long) render process.
• Live Animation Pausing: If you export while the live gradient preview is running, the preview will now pause silently during export and attempt to restore the canvas state afterward.
• Bug Fix: Corrected the blend calculation for the 'Soft Light' mode when used within performFloodFillForAnimation.

This update involved a lot of internal refactoring alongside the new features, aiming for better stability and paving the way for future additions.

Go try it out! I’m especially excited to see what you create with the new Pixel Sorting tools. As always, your feedback is invaluable – drop a comment below and let us know what you think or if you encounter any issues. Feel free to tag me on any social media to share your creations, I’m @Letsglitchit everywhere!