Softness is a simple
but compelling treatment that is creatively useful for many types of SpiceMaster
effects, including directional dissolves, title/effect animation, PIPs and more.
It is also one of SpiceMaster's advantages over most standard video effects. Applying
a spice hard usually doesn't cut it!
 More
examples
More about softness techniques are below:
How to Apply Softness
How to Vary Softness During the Effect
Tips
How
to Apply Softness
To
apply softness, drag the Standard or All
Edges slider in the Softness section of SpiceMaster until you have the desired look. Or enter
a percentage (from 0 to 100%) in the slider's box.
Use Standard softness to…
• Apply super-soft looks (its highest softness exceeds All
Edges' highest).
• Soften only the active (moving) edge of a SpiceMaster effect.
Use All Edges softness to…
• Soften all edges in SpiceMaster effects -- active and inactive (see images
below).
• Create the highest-quality slight or moderate softness.
 |
 |
| Standard softness |
All Edges
softness |
For a wonderfully
blended softness, try applying both types of softness.
How
to Vary Softness During the Effect
For
further creative flexibility, you can smoothly vary softness over time. You can
gradually increase, decrease, or pulse softness during the effect , all of which
create unique looks. To vary softness over time, first click on the stopwatch icon next to the Softness slider you want to
vary.
In the Keyframes area, the keyframe graph for the
above control will appear. Click on the keyframe line -- or click the gray Add Key (+) button at the top right of the graph
-- to add a new keyframe, then drag the keyframe where desired (higher is more
softness).
To add more keyframes, repeat as desired.
Tips
•
To access useful presets, click the blue FX folder icon at the right edge of the Softness section.
• Fine-grained organic spice designs (such as those in the OrganicFX\Burst or OrganicFX\Texture folders of the Library) typically
look best with only a small or moderate amount of softness. High softness can
lose the organic motion detail of such effects.
• The Softness sliders also modify SpiceMaster's Texture and Bevel/Ripple effects.
Separate softness controls are provided for Border and Shadow/Glow effects.
• Softness can smooth curved or angled edges, such as in rotated
or moved spice effects.
• As the SpiceMaster preview plays, you can adjust Softness settings interactively.
Softness
Examples
View
movie at our web site
A SpiceMaster directional dissolve emerges from the upper left corner to softly
reveal the sunset clip, providing a subtle movement and curvature in the dissolve
to match the arm action.
 View
movie at our web site
A very soft SpiceMaster iris effect with a blue glow tracks the falling skier's
movement, while revealing the abstract moving lights clip. Separately, SpiceMaster
has also been applied to the title clip, to add a glow around the letters and
to softly fade the title as it rolls to the left.
 View
movie at our web site
A softened OrganicFX Burst spice subtly adds "soft rays" to reveal the
emerging athlete. The effect's center also is keyframed to move right slightly
with the footage.
 View
movie at our web site
A softened OrganicFX spice is used to position, animate and reveal a filter effect
within a single clip.
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