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
SpiceMaster's Border have three adjustable control points that can create a wide variety of border looks. The checkered edges below represent semitransparent to transparent
areas.
To alter the color or opacity of a single control point (thus only part of the border width), choose a color or drag
the Alpha slider (or enter a values in the text box, from 0.0 to 1.0).
Note you can Position the three control points to further fine-tune the border. Moving a control
point closer to the outside edge of the border 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 from one control
point to an adjacent point, click the point's Eyedropper then click in the adjacent's point color box.
How
to Change the Border Color
SpiceMaster's initial default border color is white, but any color
is possible, such as one that is already in your scene.
To match the border color to a color in your scene, click the Eyedropper , then click in the After Effects
preview (as shown below) -- or anywhere else on your monitor!
To create a multicolor gradient border, first click the Color control for one 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, move (via Position control) one or both outer control
points inward (or outward). To further soften the look, you can also decrease
the opacity of that control point.
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.
Go to a desired frame that you want to set a value for and drag the slider. To add more keyframes, repeat as desired.
To keyframe Color over time, first click on the stopwatch icon next
to the Color control.
Go to a desired frame that you want to set a value for, then use the Color control to set the qualities
of the new keyframe. To add more keyframes, repeat as desired.
Tips
To access useful presets, click the Section Presets manu at the top 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!
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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