Active Contour

Description

Active Contour lets you define interactive contour areas on media images. Each polygonal area can be associated with a title & URL, making it easy to build rich visual navigation, diagrams, and interactive image content.

Features

  • Edit contours directly in the Media Library

    • Add, move, and delete points visually
    • Scaled preview with zoom and background options
  • Define attributes per area

    • Each area can include title, href, and custom data
    • Stored as JSON in image meta field
  • Import contours from external tools

    • Paste a JSON object describing one or multiple contours
    • Compatible with AI-generated data or exported data from vector tools
    • Preview and refine the result before saving
  • Gutenberg Block Support

    • Insert an image with interactive contours using the included block (Active Contour)
    • Live preview of the selected image and contour state
  • Shortcode Support

    • Use [active_contour id="123" cid="1,2"] to embed images with specific contours
    • Works anywhere shortcodes are supported (pages, posts, widgets)

Use cases

  • Interactive maps and diagrams
  • Infographics with tooltips or links
  • Product showcases with click/tap areas
  • Educational or documentation content

Keyboard Shortcuts

While editing points in the contour editor, you can use the following keyboard shortcuts for greater control:

  • Delete — Removes the currently selected point from the contour.
    • or Numpad + — Converts the selected segment into a curved arc (or increases arc intensity).
    • or Numpad — — Decreases arc curvature or switches arc back to straight line.
  • Shift (hold) — Activates zoom mode. While holding Shift, a magnifier lens appears under the cursor to help you place points more precisely.

Other behaviors:

  • Click on canvas — Adds a new point in the closest location or selects an existing one if clicked near.
  • Click and drag a point — Moves the selected point with the mouse.

Screenshots

  • Contour editor inside Media Library
  • Contour settings and preview in the Gutenberg block
  • Export tool
  • Creating contour…
  • Using arc interpolation tool
  • Filtering by tags…

Blocks

This plugin provides 1 block.

  • Active Contour Insert Image with active contours.

Installation

  1. Upload the plugin to the /wp-content/plugins/ directory or install via the Plugin Installer.
  2. Activate the plugin.
  3. Open any image in the Media Library and go to the Contours tab.
  4. Add contour points and set properties.
  5. Use the provided block (Active Contour) or shortcode to insert the image.

FAQ

Where is contour data stored?

As a JSON structure in the attachment meta under _active_contours.

Can I style or extend how contours are rendered?

Yes. You can use custom styles via CSS. Block is rendered inside div.active-contour-container element.

Reviews

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Contributors & Developers

“Active Contour” is open source software. The following people have contributed to this plugin.

Contributors

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Interested in development?

Browse the code, check out the SVN repository, or subscribe to the development log by RSS.

Changelog

1.0.0

  • Initial release.