Blur-Sharpen Effects (After Effects version): Tutorials & Tips
A Blur-Sharpen effects plugin is applied much like any plugin effect in Adobe After Effects (Windows, CS5 or later, including any version of After Effects CC). (NOTE: We currently have no MAC plugins for After Effects, but may soon! Click here to be notified.) All help info is also available offline (for users who do not have Internet-connected editing stations) by clicking the FX Help button shown below.
Here are the basic steps:
1. From the Pixelan folder of the Effects and Presets panel of After Effects, drag BlurBlender Pro, Smart Blur Pro, or Smart Sharpen Pro onto a timeline layer.
2. Within AE's Effect Controls panel, click the Click here to load a preset... custom button at the top of the plugin to open our large visual Effects Browser to compare and choose an effects preset. To quickly re-choose recently used presets, click Recent. To select presets from a fast menu, click Menu. To choose a preset from a file dialog, click Open.
3. Adjust the plugin's controls as desired to customize the look to your needs. (For detailed help per control, see below on this page.) Note that the top of each section of controls has its own Section Presets menu to speed your work. Use the menu to quickly explore and combine settings from different sections.
4. To save your new/modified effect in the Effects Browser for easy future re-use, click the Save button. Done!
For help, click Help to return to this web page, or click FX Help to access off-line detailed help.
The Pixelan Custom Interface Option
Instead of using AE's integrated controls, you can click the
Open Pixelan UI button to access the
Pixelan custom interface (as shown below). Both interfaces are similar, but the Effect Controls panel offers native keyframing of controls and is most convenient for quick tweaking of film looks. The
Pixelan custom interface shows detailed help more visibly.
Blur-Sharpen Effects Presets
For Blur-Sharpen Tools plugins there are THREE ways to access presets -- Effect Browser presets, Section presets, and AE Animation presets.
• Effects Browser presets
This is the most powerful and visual way to access presets and is where hundreds of blur-sharpen effect presets (depending on the Blur-Sharpen Tools plugin) are located. Click the Click here to load a preset... button at the top of the plugin to open a large Effects Browser window to visually choose/compare pre-made effects. The Effects Browser is shown below. To save your own custom presets in the Effects Browser, use the plugin's controls to set up the desired look, then click the Save button.
Time-saving tips to load presets faster:
The Effects Browser is fast, but sometimes you may already know which preset you want to use, such as when you are applying the same preset repeatedly in a project. In that situation, one of the following methods can be faster... To see recently chosen presets, click the Recent button. For a drop-down menu of presets, click Menu. To choose from a file dialog, click Open.
Prefer to use the Pixelan custom interface? Use these shortcuts to load presets faster: To see recently chosen presets, click the Recent button. For a drop-down menu of presets, right-click the Click here to load a preset... button. To choose from a file dialog, Alt-click the Click here to load a preset... button. |
Handy tips while working within the Effects Browser:
• To scroll through presets in a folder while keeping your eye on the top preview image for comparison, hold the mouse pointer over the right panel then use arrow keys or the mouse wheel.
• To increase/decrease the thumbnail image size, use the Size button at the bottom of the Effects Browser.
• To copy a favorite preset into the My Favorites folder located atop the left column of preset folders, right-click any preset image and choose Copy to My Favorites. To copy the preset into a subfolder within that folder (such as if you want to organize presets per project or per client), right-click the preset and choose Copy to My Favorites >> [new subfolder]. You can then name the subfolder as desired. After the subfolder is created, it will also appear in the right-click menu.
• To rename a preset that is in the My Favorites folder, right-click the preset there and choose Rename this preset. To remove a My Favorites preset, right-click and choose Delete this preset.
• To hide any preset, right-click the preset and choose Hide this preset. To show all hidden presets in a folder, right-click any preset in that folder and choose Restore all hidden presets from this folder. To temporarily view the folder's hidden presets, which can be handy if you just want to momentarily browse them, choose Temporarily show hidden presets.
• To toggle between viewing the source file image and the effect preset, click the top large preview image in the Effects Browser. |
• Section presets
Unlike the Effect Browser presets, these change ONLY the controls in ONE section of our plugin. Mixing presets from several sections is a quick and easy way to try hundreds of effect variations. Within any section (aka "twirly") of controls, choose from the Preset menu. (In the Pixelan custom interface, click the blue FX folder icon at the top right side of any section.) To choose a section preset visually instead of from a list, in the After Effects interface click the submenu to activate it, then use your mouse's scroll wheel. In the Pixelan custom interface, simply move your mouse through the choices.
• AE Animation presets
If you prefer, you can save plugin presets as animation presets within After Effects, by selecting the plugin, then choosing Save Animation Preset from the Animation menu in After Effects or from the Effects & Presets panel menu.
Detailed Help on Each Blur-Sharpen Effects Plugin Control
IMPORTANT: To quickly try common settings in any section, use the Section Presets menu at any section's top. To vary a control over time, use After Effect's standard keyframing controls.
Split Preview. Easily compare the effect to your source clip's original look. When you are done comparing, be sure to turn this off to not include the split in your final render.
Blur
Adjust the main BlurBlender controls. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
Blur Type. Choose the Blur type. To turn a standard blur into a linear blur, use the Stretch slider below. To turn a radial blur into a spin or spiral blur, use the Stretch and Angle sliders below.
Size. Sets the blur strength. To create extreme blurs, manually enter a value greater than 100.
Stretch. To stretch a blur into a linear, spin, or radial blur, adjust towards 0% or 100%.
Angle. Set the direction of a linear, spiral, or offset blur.
Radial Blur X/Y. Position the radial blur center point.
Radial Blur Bias. Controls where the radial blur power is strongest. Affects only radial blur.
Blur Offset. For linear blurs, the Offset controls can create wind trailing effects. For radial blurs, rays and various spin and zoom effects can be created. See the section presets for examples.
Blur Style
More ways to alter the blur's look. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
Gaussian %. Change the blur's look from Average (0%) to Gaussian (100%).
Cross Style. Cross blurs are available to blur in two perpendicular directions and blend the results, creating various crosshatch textures. For this effect, set the Stretch slider towards 50%.
Text/Alpha FX. For titles and source clips with an alpha channel, this sets the alpha channel processing. "None" affects only RGB channels. "RGB blur within alpha" retains sharp frame edges in clips that are smaller than the project's frame size. "RGBA blur" variations are handy for text blur since the alpha channel is also blurred. "Outer blur" variations can create text glows and related effects.
Blend Mode. To fine-tune the blur, choose a Photoshop-like blend mode. To see these blends, make sure that the Blend/Blur control below is not 0 or 200.
Blend/Blur. Creatively alters the blend mode above. 0-100% sets the blend strength; 101-200% blurs the blend mode. To see results, make sure that the Blend/Blur control above is not 0 or 200. See the section presets for examples. For unusual looks, enter values outside the 0-200% range.
Bias Strength. Increase to limit the blend in dark/light areas. Use together with the Dark/Light Bias control below. See the section presets for examples.
Dark/Light Bias. Increase to shift the blend into lighter areas. Use together with the Bias Strength control above. See the section presets for examples.
Shape Mask
Limit where the blur will appear with an adjustable, movable geometric shape. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
Shape. Choose a shape from several geometries.
Strength. Set the strength of the shape mask.
Size. Set the size of the shape. For Linear or Door mask shapes, this control affects their position.
Edge Softness. Adjust the softness of the edge of the mask.
X/Y Position. Position the shape within the image by dragging the center point. If \"Linear\" is selected, you can adjust its angle by moving the center point. For more precision, enter numerical values.
View the Mask. Turn on to clearly see the mask.
Randomize
Randomize one or more settings over time to create pulsing or variable blur effects. Choose a section preset at right for examples.
Random. Choose a control to randomize. Up to three different plugin controls can be randomized independently by using the additional control sets lower in this section.
Variation. Set how widely the control's strength will vary.
Speed. Set how fast randomness will change.
Density. Set how often random events will occur.
Style. Experiment with variations to the nature of the randomness.
Mix with Original. To alter the effect's overall strength, adjust its transparency with the source image. Positive values increase the source's strength. Negative values can create unusual looks.
Smart Blur Pro / Smart Sharpen Pro |
Split Preview. Easily compare the effect to your source clip's original look. When you are done comparing, be sure to turn this off to not include the split in your final render.
Blur
Adjust the main plugin controls. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
Size. Sets the effect's strength. To create extreme looks, manually enter a value greater than 100.
Smartness. Increase to preserve the main edges within the image.
Details. Increase to preserve more details.
Highlights. Increase to preserve the brightest areas.
Edges. Increase to preserve sharpness of edges (in Smart Sharpen Pro, to slightly return edges back to the source look.)
Shape Mask
Limit where the effect will appear with an adjustable, movable geometric shape. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
Shape. Choose a shape from several geometries.
Strength. Set the strength of the shape mask.
Size. Set the size of the shape. For Linear or Door mask shapes, this control affects their position.
Edge Softness. Adjust the softness of the edge of the mask.
X/Y Position. Position the shape within the image by dragging the center point. If "Linear" is selected, you can adjust its angle by moving the center point. For more precision, enter numerical values.
View the Mask. Turn on to clearly see the mask.
Organic Mask
Limit where the effect will appear based on the color or luminance within your scene. Choose a section preset at right for common settings.
Target. Choose which qualities define the Target area. For example, to preserve the white in a source clip's clouds, click the Target eyedropper in the cloud and select "Target's luminance only". To preserve skin tones, click in the skin and choose "Target's color". In the preview, click the eyedropper on the color area to keep it unchanged. Or use the color swatch to choose a color or luminance.
Strength. Set the strength of the source mask. Negative values will invert the mask.
Range. Positive values preserve additional hue/luminance areas that are similar to the Target.
Falloff. Positive values increase the feathering around preserved colors.
View the Mask. Turn on to clearly see the mask.
Within Shape M. Limits organic masking to within the Shape Mask area set in the section above. Can be handy depending on where your masking intent is.
Mix with Original. To alter the effect's overall strength, adjust its transparency with the source image. Positive values increase the source's strength. Negative values can create unusual looks.
Preferences Settings -- In the Pixelan Custom Interface ONLY
In the Preferences settings of the Pixelan custom interface, you can customize our plugin to your video editing system's power and
your working style. At right are the default Preferences Settings. Three options in particular may be handy for you to change (all shown with an adjacent red triangle):
If you have very fast video editing hardware, consider turning off Drop frames to maintain preview pacing.
If you also have a high-resolution monitor and are editing with HD or larger footage, consider turning ON Use largest available preview which will use the largest preview size that can fit in your monitor while still leaving sufficient room for controls. Note that your choice will appear the next time you open the plugin's window.
After you become more familiar with a plugin, consider turning off Show pop-up text and help text. That will leave more vertical space for the controls and reduce any distraction from the help text.
