SpiceMaster's powerful Border controls can create multicolor gradient borders
that can seamlessly change width, color, softness, opacity, and position over
time. The intuitive control shows a cross-section of the border, making fine adjustments
easy. Adding a border can:
visually separate transitioning scenes clearly when desired;
more strongly define animated effect regions in an image;
frame PIP (picture-in-picture) effects;
create flowing motion-graphic effects within your editing software (see images below);
create stunning abstract looks.
More
examples
More about Border techniques are below:
How to Apply a Border and Adjust Thickness
How to Modify the Entire Border or a Point
How to Change the Border Color
How to Alter the Border Softness/Opacity
How to Alter the Border Position
How to Vary the Border During the Effect
Tips
How
to Apply a Border and Adjust Thickness
To
apply a border, drag the Type 1 or Type
2 slider in the Border section of SpiceMaster's Edge pane until you have the desired border thickness.
Or enter a percentage (from 0 to 100%) in the slider's text box.
Use Type 1 to border
all edges in an effect -- active (moving) and inactive -- see the examples
below.
with a consistent thickness in any spice geometry.
thickly in a more rounded/blurred style than Type
2.
beyond a PIP's boundary.
Use Type 2 to border
only the active (moving) edge of an effect.
while retaining the smallest edge details in SpiceMaster's organic effects.
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Type
1 border |
Type
2 border |
How
to Modify the Entire Border or a Point
The
checkered Color/Opacity indicator represents the
border in cross-section. The checkered edges represent semitransparent to transparent
areas. Above it are three adjustable control points that can create a wide variety of border looks. The active control
point of the three is outlined in red, as shown below.
To alter the color or opacity of a single control point (thus only part of the border width), first click on the point to activate
it. It will then be outlined in red. Then choose a color or drag
the Opacity box left/right (or enter a value in the Opacity
text box, from 0 to 255).
To alter the color or opacity of the entire border, Alt-click in the color palette or with the eyedropper.
To change just the opacity of the entire border, Alt-drag the Opacity box.
Note you can drag the three control points left
or right to further fine-tune the border. Moving a control
point closer to the outside edge of the indicator will produce a harder
edged border. Moving outer control points toward
the center will increase the border's softness. Moving two control
points closer that have different colors or
opacities will create a sharper gradation of values.
To quickly transfer color/opacity from an active control
point to an adjacent point, click either red triangle ("Transfer" triangles above) at the side of
the control.
How
to Change the Border Color
SpiceMaster's initial default border color is white (you can change
the default in the Prefs pane), but any color
is possible, such as one that is already in your scene. SpiceMaster provides two
ways to change the color.
To match the border color to a color in your scene, click the Eyedropper in the Color control, then click in the SpiceMaster
preview (as shown below) -- or anywhere else on your monitor! To apply the
color to the entire border width (not just an
active control point), Alt-click the eyedropper.
To choose a color in the standard Windows color picker, click the Color
palette, which includes an Other button for
custom colors (see below). To apply a color to the entire border width (not just a selected control point), Alt-click
the color palette.
To create a multicolor gradient border, first click a control point, choose
a color, then repeat for other points as desired.
How to Alter the Border Softness/Opacity
The chosen color will initially appear in the border with slight softness (thus
less opacity along the edges). To
increase (or decrease) the border's softness, drag one or both outer control
points inward (or outward). To further soften the look, you can also decrease
the opacity of that control point. In the example below, both steps have been
done for the left control point, leading to a softer look in the top of the organic
effect's border.
To alter the entire border's opacity, Alt-drag
the Opacity box.
How to Alter the Border Position
By
default, the border you create will extend along BOTH sides of the effect's edge. To have a border appear only inside or outside of the effect's edge, choose Inside Edge or Outside Edge in the Border > Position submenu. Note this is the
only Border setting that cannot change (i.e. be keyframed)
during the effect.
Depending on other settings, choosing Inside Edge or Outside Edge may roughen the border along one
side. To smooth that edge, apply some Softness.
How
to Vary the Border During the Effect
For further creative flexibility, you can smoothly vary the border over time.
By keyframing the Type 1 or Type
2 amount, for example, you can "vibrate" borders to a beat. Or keyframe
the border color to evolve it during the effect. To
vary border width over time, click the stopwatch icon next to the Type
1 or Type 2 control.
The keyframe graph for the above control will then 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 it where desired
(higher is more border width). To add more keyframes, repeat as desired.
To keyframe Color/Opacity over time, first click on the stopwatch icon next
to the Color control.
The keyframe graph for the above control will then appear. Click on the keyframe
line to add a new keyframe, dragging it right or left until it is at the desired
frame (it will not drag up or down). Then use the Border >
Color and/or > Opacity control to set the qualities
of the new keyframe. To add more keyframes, repeat as desired.
Tips
To access useful presets, click the FX folder icon at the
right edge of the Border section.
To see how to add an animated border ALONE without otherwise changing a
clip, see "Cool Tips" section. Instant flowing energy wave!
While the SpiceMaster preview plays, you can adjust Border settings interactively.
Border
Examples
View
movie at our web site
A multicolor border to an OrganicFX spice becomes much of the effect during the
transition, forming a simulated blast ray outward from the eye that fades away
toward the end of the transition. Note that the effect is also slowly tracking
leftward with the eye as the statue pans left.
View
movie at our web site
To accentuate the liquid-like geometry of the OrganicFX spice and theme, a soft,
semitransparent white border radiates outward and grows stronger until the next
clip is revealed.
View
movie at our web site
In this organic-shaped animated PIP (picture-in-picture) scene, the purple/white
multicolor border (with a shadow) pulses into different colors during the PIP.
This further defines and accentuates the PIP's animated action.
View
movie at our web site
A fire-like multicolor border effect in SpiceMaster burns away the first clip
to organically reveal the second clip.
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