Apply ChromaWarp to a clip in your timeline, like any built-in video effect. (Don't know how? Click here to see how to apply and use CreativEase effects.)
After the ChromaWarp interface appears, either:
Choose a pre-made effect. Choose a saved setting or one or more section presets to INSTANTLY form a particular look.
Saved Settings
|
|
Section Presets
|
| Click the 'load' button at the top of our plugin to select a saved
setting, which will instantly configure ALL CONTROLS into a cool effect.Several
subfolders are included, organized by style. Single-click any saved
setting to quickly preview and compare it with others. Double-click your final choice. |
. |
Click any section's Section Presets button, which will instantly configure controls ONLY
IN THAT SECTION into a powerful combination. Presets are a great way to QUICKLY build USEFUL effects from scratch, or to modify a saved setting. Try a few -- THOUSANDS of combinations are provided! |
OR create a custom effect by manually adjusting. For
this latter approach, generally the power of ChromaWarp is most easily accessed
in four steps:
STEP
1. Find
a desired color combination. ChromaWarp's creative nature encourages experimentation,
but to form a particular color distortion, start by gradually adjusting one or
more Warp sliders from their 1.0 RGB default. The Multiplier slider multiplies the value of the three sliders above, giving you a quick way
to change the strength of all channels at once.
If necessary, select other color spaces at the bottom of the Main pane to find a desired color combo. Below are but a few examples of endless color
possibilities -- from subtle to strong. Note that they are NOT the typical uniform
tints and color changes produced by most other color effects. ChromaWarp instead
adds beautiful color gradients and mixes.
• To slightly change the image's hue, work in HSV or HLS color space, then adjust H and S sliders. (For subtle looks, be sure to set
the Output slider to 'return' the processing to the
original color space, such as Input > RGB
to HSV and Output > HSV
to RGB.) Note that ChromaWarp preserves highlights and shadows better than
most built-in color/tint effects.
•
To create VERY wild color effects, experiment with the Channel Shift sliders.
These sliders alter the color results per channel, without changing the intensity
of the ChromaWarp effect. Any whole number value, such as 0.0 or 1.0, does not
change the image. In between values, though, can alter the effect significantly.
The Multiplier slider multiplies the value of the
three sliders above, giving you a quick way to shift all channels at once.
STEP 2. Add blurring and blending (if desired). In
the Extras pane, increase the value of Blur if you desire beautifully smooth color gradations -- adding an interesting, more
abstract look to the scene, from subtle to psychedelic. Then use the Blend menu and Amount slider to selectively return details to the scene. Nine compositing options are
available and are similar to blend modes in programs such as Adobe Photoshop. For example, to make the ChromaWarp effect more subtle, choose Blend > Normal.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Initial effect |
w/ Blur |
Initial effect |
w/ Blur (more) |
Blend >
Normal |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Initial effect |
Blend >
Normal |
> Lighten |
> Darken |
> Add |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| > Screen |
> Hard
Light |
> Vivid
Light |
> Linear
Light |
> Color
Dodge |
•
To colorize text/logos in creative ways, apply ChromaWarp
to an imported GRAYSCALE logo/text image file or to title clips created from a built-in titler in your video editing program. Set Text/Alpha FX to RGB or RGBA blur, then set the Blur and desired Warps and Channel
Shift.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Original
bitmap |
Example
effects -- just a few from many creative possibilities |
STEP 3. Keyframe
to vary the color effect over time (if desired). Keyframing the Warp sliders from their default value can make
a color distortion gradually appear and/or recede. Keyframing the Blur slider can lead to interesting abstract defocusing color looks. Keyframing the Channel Shift sliders can form unusual color-cycling
effects. The variability of a ChromaWarp effect is one of its most unique qualities,
so be sure to try our easy keyframing -- it can open up a whole new realm of creative
possibilities for you!
STEP 4. Limit or animate the effect area
with a Pixelan spice. ChromaWarp utilizes the soft/organic power of Pixelan spices (derived from our popular SpiceMASTER plug-in) to geometrically
mask where the effect (created from other ChromaWarp controls) will appear within
the frame. Untwirl the Spice Effect tab to reveal
spice controls to be used together with the Choose Spice File button and related settings. The Spice FX menu under the Spice tab provides several
choices: Effect Mask, Warp, Channel Shift, and Both.
With Effect Mask selected, you could have the ChromaWarp effect appear only where your subject is rather
than over the entire image, for example, or keep the ChromaWarp effect in outer
areas to colorfully frame your subject. By keyframing the Position control, you can even have the effect area track your subject's movement. By keyframing
the Progress slider with an Iris spice, you could have the color effect flow from your subject organically outward to
the frame edge. Or wash the blur effect across the screen. (If you are familiar
with our SpiceMASTER plug-in, Progress is just like
Completion in SpiceMASTER.)
Other SpiceFX menu choices provide
different looks than Effect Mask. Warp uses the chosen spice file to control
where Warp will appear most intense. Channel
Shift sets where Channel Shift will be most intense. Both activates both of the
above options -- Warp and Channel
Shift. For more info about these options, please see the next page.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Elliptic
spice |
In soft area
only |
Animate >
Warp |
Animate >
Both |
Mixer applied |
To use the
clip's luminance (instead of a spice file's luminance) to limit where the ChromaWarp
effect appears within the image, set the Mixer slider
to 100% at the bottom of the Spice section. To mix
the spice geometry AND your clip's luminance, adjust
the Mixer to an intermediate value, such as 50%.
Experiment -- the Mixer is one of ChromaWarp's most
unique and powerful controls. As shown in the image example above, the Mixer can be used to limit your effect only on your subject (or any other part of the
scene). Last but not least, keyframing the Mixer slider can lead to INCREDIBLE color flows within your clip!
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
| Original
image |
Start of
effect... |
Flowing... |
Flowing... |
Full frame |
|
