Gradient Flare effect reminds the effect you get when you take a photograph of a blinding light source, with a halo and radiations around the source. The Gradient Flare image has three components: Glow which is the big central fireball, Rays and Second Flares
The Settings tab allows you to set manually the parameters while the Selector tab let you choose presets in a list.
- Preview
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When Auto update preview is checked, parameter setting results are interactively displayed in preview without modifying the image until you click on OK button.
- Center
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You can set X and Y (pixels) coordinates of glint using the input box or by clicking into the preview. The coordinate origin is at the upper left corner.
- Parameters
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- Radius
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The radius of the effect. The slider limits the range of possible values, but using the input box you can enter greater values.
- Rotation
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Turn the effect.
- Hue rotation
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Change the tint (color) of the effect.
- Vector angle
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Turn the Second flares.
- Vector length
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Vary the distance applied for the Second flares.
- Adaptive supersampling
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Settings of the anti-aliasing following parameters like Depth and Threshold. (See also Supersampling .)
The Selector tab allows you to select a Gradient Flare pattern, to change it and save it.
- New
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When you click on this button, you create a new Gradient Flare pattern. Give it a name of your choice.
- Edit
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This button brings up the Gradient Flare Editor (see below).
- Copy
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This button allows you to duplicate selected Gradient Flare pattern. You can edit the copy without altering the original.
- Delete
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This button deletes the selected Gradient Flare pattern.
The Gradient Flare Editor is also organized in tabs:
- Glow Paint Options
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- Opacity
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Slider and input box allows you to reduce glow opacity (0-100).
- Paint mode
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You can choose between four modes:
- Normal
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In this mode, the glow covers the image without taking into account what is beneath.
- Addition
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Pixel RGB values of glow are added to RGB values of the corresponding pixels in the image. Colors get lighter and white areas may appear.
- Overlay
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Light/Dark areas of glow enhance corresponding light/dark areas of image.
- Screen
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Dark areas of image are enlightened by corresponding light areas of glow. Imagine two slides projected onto the same screen.
- Rays Paint Options
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Options are the same as for Glow Paint Options.
- Second Flare Paint Options
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Options are the same as for Glow Paint Options.
- Gradients
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By clicking on the rectangular buttons, you can develop a long list of gradients. “%” gradients belong to the Editor.
- Radial gradient
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The selected gradient is drawn radially, from center to edge.
- Angular gradient
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The selected gradient develops around center, counter-clockwise, starting from three o'clock if the Rotation parameter is set to 0. Radial and angular gradients are combined according to the Multiply mode: light areas are enhanced and colors are mixed according to CMYK color system (that of your printer).
- Angular size gradient
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This is a gradient of radius size which develops angularly. Radius is controlled according to gradient Luminosity: if luminosity is zero (black), the radius is 0%. If luminosity is 100% (white), the radius is also 100%.
- Parameters
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- Size (%)
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Sets size of glow in percent (0-200).
- Rotation
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Sets the origin of the angular gradient (-180 +180).
- Hue rotation
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Sets glow color, according to the HSV color wheel (-180 +180). (Cf. The triangle color selector.)
- Gradients
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The options are the same as for Glow.
- Parameters
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Options are the same as in Glow.
- Shape of Second Flares
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Second flares, these satellites of the main flare, may have two shapes: Circle and Polygon. You can set the Number polygon sides. The option accepts 1 side (!), not 2.
- Random seed, New Seed
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This option controls the randomness of the filter. The Random seed box lets you manually enter a seed for the randomization algorithm used. You can also generate a random seed by pressing the button. If the same random seed is used in the same situation, the filter produces exactly the same results. A different random seed produces different results.
- Randomize
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When you click on this button, you produce a random seed that will be used by the random generator. It is each time different.
