mystical lighting manual

8/4/2019 Mystical Lighting Manual

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M y s t i c a l™

L i g h t i n gD i g i t a l L i g h t i n g a n d S h a d i n g E f f e c t s



M i l L i h i O i M l



M em o r y M anagem en t o n t h e M acM a k i n g S u r e T h e r e i s E n o u g h F r e e Me m o r y

If you are running on earlier versions of the Mac OS you will be required to manage your memory carefully.Graphics applications require a lot of memory. Mystical Lighting is no exception to this rule and due to thedynamic nature of the software, requires more than most. You should provide Mystical Lighting with asmuch available memory as you can to ensure fast and trouble free operations. You may consider runningthis software as a stand-alone version (versus as a plug-in) if you run into memory problems. We highlyrecommend Mac OS X as memory management is superior and our software runs better under the MacOS X system.

When using the application version of Mystical Lighting you should adjust the memory settings as high as

possible. When using the plug-in version of Mystical Lighting you should lower the amount of memory your host application (Adobe Photoshop, for example) is using. This frees up more memory for MysticalLighting. Mystical Lighting uses free RAM that is not being used by any other program.

F r e e i n g U p M em o r y

Here are some ways you can free up memory on the Mac

• Run this software as a stand-alone application instead of as a plug-in• Quit all non-essential applications that are running.

• Reduce the amount of memory that essential applications are using• Reduce the amount of memory Adobe Photoshop is using. Photoshopcan operate efficiently on 50MB of memory while you work in Mystical Lighting

M y s t i c a l ™ L i g h t i n g O p e r a t i o n s M a n u a l

If you are new to the Mac, here is how you

find out how much memory is being used byyour computer. Go to the Apple menu in theupper left corner of the monitor and choosethe About This Computer menu item.

Once the About This Computer window appears you can see how muchRAM each program is using. You can also see how much free RAM thereis by looking at the Largest Unused Block . In the example above there is127.1 MB of free RAM available.

Later versions of the Mac OS allow you to double click on the applicationname shown in the About This Computer Windows. This will open up theInfo window for the application and will let you adjust the memory. Earlier

versions require you to go to the finder and locate the application thenpress Command I to open the Info window to set the memory parameters.Unless you are working with very large images you can keep Photoshop’sPreferred Size memory to a setting that leaves a lot of Free Ram for other applications such as Mystical Lighting.



F i l e M en uD i f f e r e n c e s B e t w e e n t h e S t a n d A l o n e

a n d P l u g - i n V e r s i o n F i l e M en u

• Both the stand alone and plug-in versions of Mystical Lighting allow you to save your artwork to disk• Both the stand alone and plug-in versions of Mystical Lighting allow you to load a mask that will beused as the selected area for an effect

• Choosing Exit while in the plug-in version cancels the plug-in and returns you to the hostapplication without changing your image. Choosing Exit while working in the application versionwill quit the program.

• The application version allows you to open files while the plug-in version does not as it relieson the host application to provide the image information

S a v i n g C o p i e s o f Y o u r W o r k

While you are working on a project it may be helpful to save out copies of your work in progress.Go to the File > Save menu option and save your work using any of the following formats:

• .bmp : Bitmap File Format: Basic graphic file format for Windows• .psd : Photoshop Native File Format: Includes full transparency layer support• .tif : Saves a standard Tagged Image File Format (TIFF)• .jpg : Saves images to a default Best Quality JPG setting• .png : PNG24: Includes transparency mask support and lossless compression

M y s t i c a l L i g h t i n g O p e r a t i o n s M a n u a l

Application Version File Menu

Plug-in Version File Menu




M y s t i c a l L i g h t i n g O p e r a t i o n s M a n u a l

E d i t M e n u

B r i n g t o F r o n t / S en d t o B a c k

Effects that allow you to clone onscreen objects also allow you to reorder the new objectsfrom front to back. Clicking on an object that is in the front and selecting Edit > Send toBack will place the object behind all other objects in the preview. If you choose Bring toFront the selected object will be ontop of any other object in the preview.

Shortcut Keys Mac WindowsBring to Front Command F Control F

Send to Back Command B Control B

P r e f e r e n c e s D i a l o gThe Preferences dialog is activated by selecting the Edit > Preferences menu option. ThePreferences dialog allows you to customize the way Mystical Lighting looks and works.

G e n e r a l

The General tab lets you control rendering and proxy options.

Show Alert WarningWhen activated various alert warnings will be displayed. If you have already seen thewarnings in the past and do not wish to see them in the future then you may turn this off.

Show Filename PaletteThe stand-alone application version will display asmall palette at the top of the window that shows

the name of the file you are working with. Use thisoption to turn this feature on or off as desired.

Show Information PaletteThis palette shows information such as the currentzoom level and the width and height of the file. Tocontrol the width and height display dimensionschange the menu below this control option to displayeither Pixels or Inches.

Render ButtonWhen the Render Button option is selected the Mystical Lighting software will wait for youto make as many changes as you desire and will only update the preview when youpress the render button. After you select the Render Button option a Render button willappear on the control bar area. After you have changed the effect settings press theRender button and the effect will update to the new settings.



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V i e w M e n u

P r e v i e w S i z e a n d Z o o m i n g C o n t r o l sFit in Window: Resizes the preview to fit the maximum dimensions of your screenBrowser Dimensions: Resizes the preview to show actual pixels (1:1) as seen in a browser

Zoom In: Magnifies the preview in by one levelZoom Out: Reduces the preview out by one level

V i ew i n g S el e c t i o n L i n e s A r o u n d Y o u r E f f e c tSelection lines are hidden when they are first brought into Mystical Lighting.

To turn selection line previews on or off use this menu control.

Show /Hide Selection Lines: This menu item toggles the selection line preview on or off

P r e v i ew i n g W i t h D i f f e r e n t B a c k g r o u n d s

There are times when you will want to preview your effect with a different background to see how it willlook once it is layered ontop of a color. Use these menu controls to try different background styles.

View Transparent Background: Displays a transparent background behind the selected artwork

View White Background: Displays a white background behind the selected artworkView Black Background: Displays a black background behind the selected artworkView Color Background: Displays the currently selected color behind the selected artwork.

Select View Color: Activates the color picker so you can set the View Color used in the ViewColor Background menu option.

Shortcut Keys Mac WindowsDimension (1:1) Cmd 0 (zero) Ctrl 0 (zero)

Zoom In Cmd Spacebar Ctrl Spacebar Zoom Out: Option Spacebar Alt Spacebar

Selection Lines Cmd H Ctrl H



L a y e r P r e s e t sL a y e r P r e s e t s C a p t u r e a n d R e p l a y A l l L a y e r s

Regular presets capture and replay a single effect. Layer presets work much in the same way except theycapture entire sets of layers and dynamically render them onto the currently open file. Alayer preset can

recreate complex visual effects allowing you to save time and reapply creative solutions to different images.

L a y e r P r e s e t s A r e R e s o l u t i o n

I n d e p e n d e n t

As our presets are resolution independent you can applyeffects on smaller ‘comp’ images and then reapply themto larger images at a later date. This dynamic resolution

independent feature also lets you work with differentsized files and reapply effects.

Q u i c k M a s k s A r e S av e d W i t h P r e s e t s

When you save a Layer Preset all information for your document is saved and loaded with it. This includesthe QuickMask selections you have made. As it is easy to replace one QuickMask with another one youcan save out Layer Presets that create effects using a masked subject you like and want to use again ondifferent images. If you have a portrait shot you have setup with a specific set of effects, you can save thisas a Layer Preset and the QuickMask is saved. Load up a different image and replace the QuickMask andthe new subject in your photos is rendered with the new mask and all your favorite layer settings. This is avery powerful asset for anyone that does repetitive and creative photo editing work.

Appendi ng Presets To Layers

Whenever you use the Load Layer Preset option it replaces all effect layers and applies them to the file youcurrently have open. There are times when you simply want to add layer presets ontop of an existing layer.If you have a layer preset that adds Mist and Light Caster and want to add this to a document with someexisting layers, simply choose the Append Layers option, select the Layer Preset from the Layer Presetdialog window and all the layers will be added ontop of the currently highlighted layer. This powerful featurelets you load in effects created with several layers and control settings and add them to existing layer sets.

When you Append Presets the new layers that are built will be addedabove the currently selected layer when you activate the Append .

Layer Presets show a visual preset catalog just like normal presets do.The preview shows the captured result of all the layers being appliedtogether to create the new look.




Z o o m T o o lU s i n g t h e Z o o m T o o l

The zoom tool enables you to see your effect work close up. The zoom tool supports twotypes of zooming. The first type of zooming is the basic type. Click over the area of the imageand the preview gets bigger. This works with zooming out as well.

The second type of zooming involves dragging the zoom cursor over the preview to create amarquee area. Whatever is inside this marquee when the mouse button is released will beshown in the preview window. This type of zooming is the most efficient as it places exactlythe area of interest in the preview window.

Shortcut Keys Mac WindowsZoom In Control + Spacebar Control + Spacebar Zoom Out: Option + Spacebar Alt + Spacebar

M em o r y D o t sU s i n g t h e M em o r y D o t C o n t r o l

The Memory Dot control allows you to take a snapshot of your work while you are exploringdifferent visual options. When you click on a Memory Dot, Mystical Lighting remembers theexact way the effect looks, where all elements are positioned and will return you to this point if you click back on the dot.

Memory Dots are easy to use. Click on a dot to take a snapshot and the dot turns gold. Clickon a gold dot and the Memory Dot loads back in the exact look from memory. After reloadinga Memory Dot it is cleared for reuse again.

P a n P r e v i e wU s i n g t h e P an P r e v i e w T o o l

This tool enables you to adjust the visible areas of the preview when you are zoomed in.With this tool active you hold down on the mouse button and drag to pull the preview around.

Shortcut Keys Mac WindowsPan Tool Spacebar Spacebar

With the zoom tool active click down themouse and then drag to create a zoomarea. Release the mouse and the areainside the marquee is magnified.

Zoom Tool

Pan Preview Tool

Memory Dots Control




E l l i p s e C o n t r o l s

H o w t o u s e t h e E l l i p s e C o n t r o l sMany of the Mystical Lighting effects use onscreen Ellipse paths to control the way the effect is appliedto the artwork. This section of the operations manual will describe how to control the Ellipse paths.

Scale: Use the double sided arrows toscale or reshape the ellipse. Hold theShift key down to constrain the aspect

ratio to a perfect circle.

Constrain Shape:Resizes keeping thecurrent shape in a constrained aspectratio.

Rotate:Allows you to rotate the ellipsein any direction.

Move:Allows you to reposition the

ellipse on the preview or desktop.

As with all bezier based tools inMystical Lighting, you may extend theellipse past the document canvas ontothe desktop. This is useful for shaping

the effect in specific ways or in havingonly part of an effect go onto the canvasfrom the desktop.

The active ellipse control is always black. Inactive controls are blue. In someeffects you can layer the ellipse controls ontop or behind each other using theEdit > Bring to Front or Send to Back commands.




O b j e c t T r a n s f o r m a t i o n T o o l sO b j e c t T r an s f o r m T o o l s

The Object Transformation tool allows you to Select, Move, Scale, Stretch andRotate effects and photos that are inside effects. There are two types of BitmapTransform tools in Mystical Lighting: Transform Effect and Transform Photo.Both work in essentially the same way. When the Transform tool is active you movethe cursor around the transformation handles and you will be presented with controloptions like scale, stretch, rotate and move.

S e l e c t t h e I t e m T o B e T r a n s f o r m e d

Click on the Transform tool to make it the active tool. The currentlyselected effect (or the default effect if there is only one effectonscreen) or photo will now have transformation handles around it. If your documenthas multiple effects click on the desired effect or photo with the respectivetransformation tool to make it active.

M o v e t h e I t e m

To Move an item click to select it and then place the cursor on the inside of transformation handles. The cursor will change into a four sidedmove arrow. Click and drag to move the item to the desiredposition.

S c a l e t h e I t e m

To Scale place the cursor on one of the corners of thetransformation box and it will change to an angled double sided

arrow - click and drag to scale. Hold the shift key down to constrainthe scale to proportional dimensions.

S t r e t c h t h e I t e m

To Stretch an effect move the cursor over the box sides and adouble sided arrow will appear. Click and drag to stretch the effect in the desireddirection and proportion.

R o t a t e t h e I t e m

To Rotate place the cursor outside of any of the box corner handles and the cursor will display a curved arrow - click and drag the box to the desired angle and releasethe mouse.

Rotate Stretch

Move

Scaleor Stretch

Transform Photo control options

Select Item

Move Item

Scale Item

Stretch Item

Rotate Item

Transform Photo

Stretch

Rotate Stretch

Move

Scale or Stretch

Transform Effect control options

Transform Effect

Stretch




B e z i e r Co n t r o l s

H o w t o u s e t h e B e z i er C o n t r o l sMany of the Mystical Lighting effects use onscreen Bezier paths to control the way the effect is appliedto the artwork. This section of the operations manual will describe how to control the Bezier paths.Not all effects have a complete set of Bezier tools. Some effects allow you to only draw a freehandbezier path. This basic freehand tool may only allow you to adjust the points to reshape or transform.Other effects will include a complete set of bezier tools that allow you to edit the path by adding anddeleting points.

Draw Path: When the path tool is active you will be able todraw new paths with this cursor.

Add / Delete Point: The Add / Delete Point Bezier Tool allowsyou to add new points to a path or delete existing points. Whenthe cursor is over the path it changes to an Add Point cursor.When the cursor is over an existing point it changes to a DeletePoint cursor.

Convert Curve Point to Anchor Point: When you select theAnchor Point Tool you will see this cursor onscreen. When youclick this cursor on a curve point it converts both sides of thepoint into straight paths.

Move Path, Point or Adjust Handle: When you move the Bezier Pen cursor over a path, point or point handle you will see itchange into the adjust cursor. Drag the desired path, point or handle to the new location.

Transform Path: When you have the Bezier Pen Tool activeand the cursor at the end of or next to the path you are able totransform the path to stretch it or angle it as desired.

As with all bezier based path controlsin Mystical Lighting, you may extendthe bezier path past the documentcanvas onto the desktop. This is useful

for shaping the effect in specific waysor in having only part of an effect goonto the canvas from the desktop.

The active bezier path is always black. Inactive paths are blue.Draw Path Tools Move Handle Convert to Corner

Add Point Delete Point Transform Path



R e n a m e L a y e r sAfter you have created a layer it is easy to organize the layers by renaming

them to fit your needs. Layers are automatically named based on their

effect or function name. To rename a layer double click on the layer and a

layer name palette comes onscreen. Type in the new name and close thepalette. Your layer is now renamed.

L a y e r T y p e sThere are six types of layers in Mystical Lighting. Four of which you cancontrol and two that are reserved for the application and cannot be

changed.

Background Image (reserved)Selection Mask (reserved)Photo LayersEffect LayersMasking LayersCorrection Layers

B a c k g r o u n d I m ag eWhen you first open up an image in Mystical Lighting (or launch the plug-inand the host image passes Mystical Lighting the image) it is always thebottom or ‘first’ layer in the palette. You are not allowed to change this basephoto layer. The application version names the Background Image layer thefilename. The plug-in version names it Background Image.

S e l e c t i o n M a s kASelection Mask is created from any selections or transparent maskinginformation in the image you open up using this software. Photoshop .psd

files, layer transparency and PNG documents that contain transparency allgenerate a Selection Mask when opened. The Selection Mask cannot bechanged by you.

P h o t o L a y e r sYou can add photos into your document by clicking on the Add Layer iconand choosing Photo Layer from the menu. Anew Photo Layer will becreated. When this layer is highlighted you can see the Photo Layer controls and can load in a new image.

Create Using AddMasking Layer Icon

Create Using AddNew Layer Icon

Effect layers are createdwhen you select them fromthe Special Effects menu

Filename of imageyou opened

Automatically created mask if file you open containstransparent areas or aselection




E f f e c t L a y e r sEffect layers are automatically added to your document above the currentlyselected layer. When you select an effect from the Special Effects menu anew layer is generated containing the effect. The effect will apply to alllayers beneath it. Effects only change layers below and not above.

M a s k i n g L a y e r sMasking layers allow you to control what areas of the document are to bechanged. You can have as many Masking Layers in a document as youlike. The Masking Layer is applied based on position on the layer heirarchy.Amask affects anything above it but never anything below it in the layer order.

C o r r e c t i o n L a y er s

Correction layers allow you basic color correction and alteration featuresthat can be applied to the Background Image / Photo Layers and to certaineffects. Create a Masking Layer to restrict the changes to a limited area of interest.




P h o t o L a y e r Photo Layers allow you to add multiple photos to your document and keep them separated usinglayers. Effects apply to photos that are beneath them and not to photos that are above them on

the layer palette.

Transform the images to fit the design you need.Stack multiple images ontop of each other and use

masking layers to merge photos into shapes.



M y s t i c a l ™



C o r r e c t i o n L a y e r

ACorrection Layer is created by clicking on the Add Layer icon on the Layers palette and

choosing Correction Layer from the menu you are shown. ACorrection Layer is then generatedabove the currently selected layer. The Correction Layer is used to adjust basic aspects of your image’s color.

Correction Layers only affect anything beneath them. Layers above the Correction Layer are notaffected. The Correction Layer support Masking Layers and will adjust just those areas that youmask using the Masking Layer.

A d j u s t I m a g e s a n d E f f e c t s

Use Correction Layers to adjust the original image you bring into this software, Photo Layers andeven some effects that render content. Effects such as Mottled Background support CorrectionLayers. In the example below you can see the original effect has a blue background and using aCorrection Layer above the Mottled Background with hue, contrast and saturation adjustments theblue is shifted to a vibrant and darker purple.

Original effect colors are blue.

Using the Selection:Background mode the Correction Layer only adjusts theBackground area while leaving the Foreground (woman) alone.




C o r r e c t i o n L a y e r A d d b a s i c c o l o r a n d i m a g e ad j u s t m e n t s t o p h o t o s

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S e l e c t i o n

The Selection Menu alows you to apply the Correction Layer changes to either the foreground or the background image incases where you are working with a Masking Layer to separatepart of your image. You may also select the Both mode thatapplies the changes to both the foreground and background so

that the entire image is affected.R e d

The Red control slider adjusts the red attributes of the imageby increasing or decreasing the amount of influence the Redchannel has on the composite image.

G r e e n

The Green control slider adjusts the green attributes of theimage by increasing or decreasing the amount of influence the

Green channel has on the composite image.

B l u e

The Blue control slider adjusts the blue attributes of the imageby increasing or decreasing the amount of influence the Bluechannel has on the composite image.

B r i g h t n e s s

The Brightness slider globally increases or decreases the

brightness levels of your image. Reducing this slider will causethe image to darken on an even global basis. Increasing thisslider will lighten the image on a global basis.

C o n t r a s t

The Contrast slider works to broaden or reduce the differencesbetween light and dark areas in an image. Use this control tomake general contrast differences in your image.

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1 H u e

The Hue slider will carefully shift the compressed range of colors in your image across a color spectrum. Minor adjustments to this control can help shift the colors in an imagein the right direction or can be used to create visual effects athigher settings. The Hue range has been limited to work within

practical boundaries so over shifting of colors is prevented.S a t u r a t i o n

The Saturation slider makes the image colors become morevibrant and colorful by increasing the color intensity. Unlikeother saturation methods used by many image editingprograms, Mystical Lighting uses a carefully constructed set of algorithms to help prevent over saturation and color burningthat can result from too much vibrancy. As you adjust colorscertain stop points are reached and will not be exceeded to

prevent oversaturation of the image.

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Sometimes it is important to make quick and simple adjustments to your image color, brightness, contrast or saturation after you have placed an effect on it. Correction Layers allow you to make these changes easily.



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M y s t i c a l ™ L i g h t i n g

D i g i t a l L i g h t i n g a n d S h ad i n g E f f e c t s

E d g e Hi g h l i g h t s - Et h e r e a l - Fa i r y D u s t - F l a r e - L i g h t B r u s h - L i g h t C a s t e r - M i s t - Mo t t l e d B a c k g r o u n d

R a d i a l L i g h t C a s t e r - Ra i n b o w - S h a d e r - Sh a d i n g B r u s h - S h ad o w P l a y - S p o t l i g h t - S u r f a c e L i g h t - W i s p y M i s t

M y s t i c a l L i g h t i n g ™ O p e r a t i o n s M a n u a l

B e f o r e



E t h e r e a l A d d a d i f f u s e d a n d d r e a m y l o o k t o i m a g e sThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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T r an s f o r m E l l i p s eThe Transform Ellipse tool allows you to Select, Move,Scale, Stretch and Rotate effect ellipses.

E t h e r e a l E l l i p s e

The Ethereal Ellipse places new copies of the Etherealeffect on your image. The new Ethereal effect that iscreated is based on the currently or previously selectedEthereal ellipse.

C a s t

The Cast menu defines the type of Ethereal diffusion thatis applied to your image. Soft Cast provides a smoother blending of tonal diffusion. Light Cast and SoftLight Castboth provide a directional diffusion that is controlled by theCast Direction, and Soften Cast options - SoftLight beinga more blended version of the two. Protect is used toshield an area from diffusion.

C as t C o l o r The Cast Color defines both the color and the opacity of theethereal effect. To lessen the amount of the effect reduce theopacity by lowering the Cast Color settings. To change thecolor of the effect click on the Color Box on this control andchoose a new color from the color palette that appears. Lighter colors work best with this effect.

S o f t n e s s / D i s t a n c e

The Softness/Distance slider controls how far the diffused areais spread and how blended it is. Higher settings yield higher results.

C as t A m o u n t

The Cast Amount slider defines the strength of the ethereallook. Astrong setting increases how diffused and blown out thetonal areas in the image become.

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B

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B e f o r e

A f te r

A

B

If you need to shield or protect an area, create a newellipse using the Clone Effect tool and change the Castto Protect. The region inside the ellipse will be shieldedfrom having the effect applied to it. The Protect ellipseblends in the protected area for a natural looking regionwhere the ethereal effect is not applied.




T o n a l R a n g e

The Tonal Range control defines which area of the image are affected by the etherealdiffusion. This control restricts or widens the range of colors based on their tonal

values and defines whether or not the effect is applied based on these values. Alower setting with this control restricts the effect to applying to only the lighter areas of theimage. Ahigher or ‘wider’ setting of the tonal range will expand the areas affected toinclude darker areas.

S o f t e n C a s t

The Soften Cast control is only available when the Cast menu has either the Light or SoftLight cast modes selected. The Soften Cast control softens the ethereal diffusionthat is cast in a direction by either of these two modes. Ahigher setting yields a softer more blended result.

C as t D i r e c t i o n

The Cast Direction control defines the direction from which the light source is traveling.Think of the thumb on this control to be a light and your photo on the other side of it.

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Cast: Light Cast mode is used with a medium Soften Cast setting and a Cast

Direction set at a NW point to stream the diffusion in from the window. Notice how thediffusion takes light points in the image and gently streaks them in the Cast Direction.Increasing the Tonal Range would make more areas streak. In this example a lower Cast Color (opacity) with a white color was used to keep the effect subtle.


E d H i h l i h tB e f o r e



E d g e H i g h l i g h t s A d d s u b t l e h i g h l i g h t s t o y o u r m a s k ed i m a g e sThis effect requires a selection or a Masking Layer to work.

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L i g h t M i x

The Light Mix menu defines how the light is applied to theedges of the masked image. We recommend using theIntensity setting with a medium to low set of color / glowand softness settings to achieve a realistic look.

C o l o r M i x

Color Mix defines the opacity of the effect and howstrongly it applies to the image. When a Light Mix settingis chosen that uses a Color the color box defines thecolor. Lower this control to lessen the intensity of theeffect.

I n n e r G l o w

The Inner Glow slider defines how far the highlight travelsinto the masked area of the photo.

S o f t n e s s

The Softness slider feathers and fades in the highlights ina natural blended manner. We recommend always using thesoftness.

C a s t D i r e c t i o n

The Cast Direction control defines the direction from which thelight source is traveling. Think of the thumb on this control tobe a light and your photo on the other side of it.

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B e f o r e

A f te r

The Edge Highlight effect is a simple but useful way you can enhance the edges of your masked images. In many caseswhen you are compositing a masked photo onto a new background you need to lighten the edges in a natural way in order to have the edges blend into the background. Using the Edge Highlight effect you can achieve this goal with a naturallyblending result that simulates a stronger lighting condition along the edges of your masked image.

In general we recommend using the Light Mix: Intensity mode with a medium Color Mix and a stronger Softness Value.Use the Inner Glow slider to determine how far the effect is rendered from the edge of the masked image to towards themiddle. Use the Cast Direction control to define the direction of the light source.

We have found it to be useful to create a second Cloned copy of this effect and change the Cast Direction to give thisillusion of a second light source highlighting the edges of the image.


F i D t



F a i r y D u s t A d d a f a n t a s y l o o k t o y o u r a r t w o r kThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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A d d / D e l e t e P o i n tThe Add / Delete Point tool will add a point to a path if youmove the tool over a path. Click and it will remove a point if you move the cursor over an existing point and click.

F r e e f o r m P a t h

The Freeform Path tool draws a bezier path that followsalong the cursor as you drag it around onscreen. When youlift the cursor a path is drawn that follows your movements.

Use the onscreen cursors that appear when you move over the path, beside the path and over the points to adjust thepath as desired. When you click on a point using theFreeform Path tool the handles for the path appear allowingyou to make adjustments to either side of the point bymoving the handle.

T a r g e t M e n u

The Target Menu alows you to apply the effect to either theforeground or the background image in cases where you areworking with a Masking Layer to separate part of your image.For images without a Masking Layer select the Backgroundoption.

P a t h S h a p e

There are two stroking passes for each path in Fairy Dust.Path 1 is the primary stroke and Path 2 is the secondarystroke. Each stroke streams in content based on the settings

for that path and flows it along the shape of the path. It ispossible using this method to have Stars on Path 1 andTwinkles on Path 2 and they both follow the same onscreenbezier control you have drawn. If you want both Path 1 andPath 2 to have the same content and settings you need to setboth Path 1 and Path 2 controls to the same settings. You canachieve a nice visual result when you use the same content for both Path 1 and Path 2 but with varied settings for each.

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Easy to use paths let you control the precise placement and shape of the Fairy Dust effect that is applied.



F a i r y D u s t E x a m p l e sS o m e Cr e a t i v e W a y s t o A p p l y F a i r y D u s t

On this page you will find some creative examples of how you can use Fairy Dust.By making the effects subtle and choosing the right softness, opacity and size youcan simulate many different particle based objects like snow, rain and sun sparklesand of course you can easily create fantasy styled effects too.


F l a r e



F l a r e A d d f l a r e s a n d b u r s t s o f l i g h t t o y o u r i m a g e sThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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T r an s f o r m E l l i p s eThe Transform Ellipse tool allows you to Select, Move,Scale, Stretch and Rotate effect ellipse controls.

F l a r e E l l i p s e

The Flare Ellipse places new flares on your document. Theflares are created using the same settings as the currentlyselected or previously selected flare effect.

T a r g e t M e n uThe Target Menu alows you to apply the effect to either theellipse tool or to a mask if a mask is present. When using theFollow Mask option the flare forms itself based on the maskshape so that it follows the general shape of the mask. To havethe flare appear behind the mask check the Apply to Maskcheckbox.

A p p l y t o M a s k

When the Target Menu option is set to ‘Follow Mask’ the flareeffect uses the masking data to form itself. To apply the flarebehind the mask shape when using the Follow Mask option,turn on this checkbox.

S t y l e

The Style menu defines the style of flare that is applied.

A d j u s t T y p e

The Adjust Type menu allows you to load up different sets of

controls that define aspects of the flare. The Adjust Typeoptions are Flare / Streaks / Rays / Glow and Ring. When youchange the Adjust Type menu the controls below this menuchange.

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Easy to use ellipse controls let you shape and resize the flareto fit your design needs.

The Adjust Type menu changes the controls for the lower portion of the UI. The controls for the Adjust Type allowyou to control various aspects of the Flare you arecurrently working with. As there are dozens of different

controls we have created them into sets to help organizethem for your convenience.

The control descriptions for the Adjust Types are listed onthe next few pages of this manual.


H T A d j t t h F l S t t i



H o w T o A d j u s t t h e F l a r e S et t i n g s

The Adjust Type menu allows you to load up different sets of controls that defineaspects of the flare. The Adjust Type options are Flare / Streaks / Rays / Glow andRing. When you change the Adjust Type menu the controls below this menu change.

F l a r eR a d i u s

Radius controls how far the flare expands fromthe center radius.

F r e q u e n c y

Frequency controls how many flare light raysare generated for the flare.

O p a c i t y

The Opacity slider controls how much glowappears around the main flare streaks.

R a n d o m i z e

The Randomize control randomly adjusts thefeathered glow that appears between the flare

lights and how these are generated onscreen.

R o t a t e

The Rotate slider rotates the light rays in aclockwise direction.

T w i r l

The Twirl slider rotates the flare in the middlewhile keeping the light ray outer points fixed sothat a swirl pattern is created.

S o f t n e s s

The Softness slider diffuses and makes thelight rays softer.

V a r i a t i o n

The Variation control randomizes the attributesof the flare.

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S t r e a k sN u m b e r S t r e a k s

The Number Streaks slider defines how manysecondary light streaks are generated for the

flare.

S t r e a k Wi d t h

The Streak Width slider defines how wide thelight streaks are. The wider the streak the morediffused it becomes. The narrower the streaksthe sharper and less diffused it becomes.

S t r e a k S i z e

The Streak Size slider defines how far fromthe center radius the light streaks grow. Thelarger the setting on this control the farther fromthe center of the flare the streaks will shine.

S t ar t i n g A n g l e

The Starting Angle defines at what angle thelight streaks are generated.

S o f t n e s s


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R a y s W i d t h V i t i S o f t n e s s74



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R a y sN u m b e r R a y s

The Number Rays slider defines how many

primary light rays are generated for the flare.R a y Wi d t h

The Ray Width slider defines how wide thelight rays are. The wider the ray the morediffused it becomes. The narrower the ray thesharper and less diffused it becomes.

R a y S i z e

The Ray Size slider defines how far from

the center radius the light ray grow. The larger the setting on this control the farther from thecenter of the flare the rays will shine.

W i d t h V a r i a t i o n

The Width Variation control defines how variedthe widths for the different rays will be. Thehigher the setting the more varied the widthsbecome and the lower the setting the moreuniform the widths become.

S i z e Va r i a t i o n

The Size Variation control defines how variedthe sizes for the different rays will be. The higher the setting the more varied the length and sizeof the rays become. The lower the setting themore uniform they become.

C e n t e r S p r e a d

The Center Spread slider angles the rays froma central axis.

S o f t n e s s


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G l o wG l o w S i z e

The Glow Size defines how far from the center radius of the flare the glow extends.

F e a t h e r

The Feather slider defines how soft the glow isas it blends outward from the radius.

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R i n gR a d i u s

The Radius defines how far from the center of the flare the ring extends. The higher the settingthe farther the ring will appear.

S i z e

The Size slider defines how wide or thick the

ring appears. The higher the setting the thicker the ring appears.

S o f t n e s sThe Softness slider defines how soft andblended the ring appears. We recommend a lowto medium softness value.

O p a c i t y

The Opacity slider defines how opaque or translucent the ring appears. Asemi-translucentappearance is best. The higher the setting the

more opaque the ring becomes. The lower thesetting the more translucent the ring becomes.

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L i g h t B r u s hB e f o r e



L i g h t B r u s hB r u s h o n n a t u r a l l i g h t a n d h i g h l i g h t sThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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L i g h t B r u s hThe Light Brush is used to brush light and highlightsonto your image. Use the Alt (option key on Mac) toremove areas you have brushed on. You may changethe strength of the brush by changing the opacity, sizeand feather qualities to give localized control over thenext brush stroke you apply. Global control over allstrokes is provided by the sliders and affects all brushstrokes created. We recommend using multiple Light

Brush layers to build up the best visual results that usemultiple global settings targeting different Tonal Rangesand with different brush colors and opacity settings.

B r u s h O p a c i t y

Click on this vertical slider area to access the brushopacity control. As you adjust the opacity control you willbe shown a brush attributes window. The brushattributes window displays the actual size, opacity andfeather attributes of the brush as they will be appliedwhen you brush.

B r u s h S i ze

Click on this small horizontal slider to access the brush sizecontrol. As you adjust the size control you will be shown abrush attributes window. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush as

they will be applied when you brush.

B r u s h F e at h e r

Click on this small vertical slider to access the brush feather control. As you adjust the feather control you will be shown abrush attributeswindow. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush with this tool.

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Light Brush comes with several different Light Mixmodes you can experiment with. We recommend for

most applications that you use the Intensity mixture or the Overlay mixture modes.

A f te r




L i g h t C a s t e r



L i g h t C a s t e r S t r e am i n g n a t u r a l s h a f t s o f l i g h tThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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L i g h t C as t e r The Light Caster tool draws a ‘T’ shaped path onscreen to setthe width and direction of the light being cast onto your image.You may move this control off the preview area to the desktopto have it streaming onto the image area. Increase the width of the path for a wider stream of light and decrease the width of the path for a narrower starting point for the light.

L i g h t B l o c k e r

The Light Blocker brush is used to remove the stream of lightfrom localized areas so that the light fades around the blockedarea naturally. Brush this onscreen to protect areas fromhaving the light applied. To remove the blocking effect holddown the Alt (option on Mac) key and brush over areas youhave blocked and they will become unblocked.


Click on this vertical slider area to access the brush opacitycontrol. As you adjust the opacity control you will be shown abrush attributes window. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush.

B r u s h S i ze

Click on this small horizontal slider to access the brush sizecontrol. As you adjust the size control you will be shown abrush attributes window. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush as

they will be applied when you brush.



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Path based controls let you direct the light streams across your image to form a natural blended look.

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L i g h t B r u s h

The Light Brush allows you to brush over the

C a s t O p ac i t y

The Cast Opacity slider controls the opacity of th t i li ht L i th lid ill

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areas outside the stream of light that havebeen darkened by the Darken Image mode andmake them lighter. This gives you finite controlover lighting conditions around and outside the

stream of light.D a r k e n

The Darken slider deepens the fade out anddarkens the areas outside the stream of light.The higher the setting the darker the imagebecomes outside the light stream. Ahigher setting allows you to fade out all detail in theimage outside the stream of light simulatinglower light conditions.

the streaming light. Lowering the slider willmake the light more translucent and increasingthe slider settings makes the light moreopaque. As the streaming light opacity isreduced the darkened areas will show through.

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When the Light Mix mode is set toDarken Image the following controlsare added to the control bar.

Using the Light Mix: Darken Image mode with you can tone out areas of theimage outside the stream of light. This effect helps focus attention on just theareas in the light. Use the Light Brush to bring out detail and light in areasthat are darkened or dimmed by the Darken Image mode.


M i s t



A d d p h o t o - r e al i s t i c m i s t a n d f o g t o y o u r i m a g esThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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B l o c k M i s tThe Block Mist brush will prevent Mist from beingrendered in an area you draw using this brush. Use theAlt (option on Mac) key to remove the blocked areas toallow mist to flow back into the blocked area.

M i s t B r u s h

The Mist Brush allows you to draw mist onto your imageand control where the mist flows. To remove Mist from an

area use the Alt (option on Mac) key and this removes theMist. Acombination of adding and removing mist isneeded to get a photo-realistic look. Adjust the brushcontrols (opacity / Size / Feather) to have localizedcontrol over the next brush stroke you create and use theglobal control sliders (color / softness / density) to adjustall brush strokes you have already made.


Click on this vertical slider area to access the brush

opacity control. As you adjust the opacity control you willbe shown a brush attributes window. The brush attributeswindow displays the actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush as they will be applied when youbrush.

B r u s h S i ze

Click on this small horizontal slider to access the brushsize control. As you adjust the size control you will be

shown a brush attributes window. The brush attributeswindow displays the actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush as they will be applied when youbrush.


Click on this small vertical slider to access the brushfeather control. As you adjust the feather control you willbe shown a brush attributeswindow. The brush attributeswindow displays the actual size, opacity and feather

attributes of the brush as they will be applied when youbrush with this tool.

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Use the Mist Brush to add and remove mist from your scene. The Mist

brush removes mist when you hold down the Alt (option on Mac) key.Acombination of adding then deleting mist is needed to attain a photo-realistic look. Areas that you want to protect from having any mist over should be protected using the Block Mist brush. Unlike the Mist Brushremove (Alt / Option key) the Block Mist provides a protected region.If you find that your mist is not going into an area it may be alreadyblocked. Use the Block Mist (Alt / Option key) to unblock it. You mayalso try using the Variation control to change the Mist pattern.

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M y s t i c a l L i g h t i n g™

O p e r a t i o n s M a n u a l



C o l o r

The Color control defines the color and opacity for the mist. Ahigher setting makesthe mist more opaque and a lower setting makes it more translucent. Set the color

of the mist by clicking on the color box on this control and defining a color in thecolor palette that appears.

S o f t n e s s

The Softness control defines how feathered and blended the mist is rendered. Ahigher setting makes the mist more translucent as it fades out from the center and alower setting makes the mist more solid overall.

D e n s i t y

The Density control defines how condensed and compact the mist is rendered. A

higher setting makes the mist appear to be more dense and less spread out and alower setting spreads the mist out over a wider area.

V a r i a t i o n

The Variation control randomizes the mist placement and appearance. Changingthis control can give you an infinite number of looks to work with.

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In the example above you can see how Mist can also simulate light fog and blown snow. In theexample below the mist was shaped to give it form to simulate the mist being disturbed by themotion of the horses walking through it.



M o t t l e d B a c k g r o u n d



A d d b a c k d r o p s a n d m o t t l e d c a n v a s b a c k g r o u n d sThis effect requires a selection or a Masking Layer to work for the background to appear behind your subject.

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T r a n s f o r m E l l i p s eThe Transform Ellipse tool allows you to Select, Move, Scale,Stretch and Rotate the effect ellipse.

T o n e E l l i p s e

The Tone Ellipse is used to create a darker or lighter tonedarea onscreen to simulate lighting or shaded areas. Clickonscreen using this tool to add new Tone Ellipses.

T y p e

The Type menu has two modes: Protect and Lighten. Protectshields the background from any ambient light sourcegenerated from the effect and therefore darkens the area under the ellipse. Lighten mode does the opposite and simulatesmore ambient light falling into the area inside the ellipse.

O p a c i t y

The opacity setting defines the translucency of the shading andlightening generated by the ellipse control. Use this to lower or

increase the visibility of this aspect of the effect.

I n v e r t

The Invert control changes the area affected by the ellipse fromthe inside to the outside of the ellipse.

S m o o t h E d g e

The Smooth Edge control blends the Mottled Background withthe edges of the masked image to reduce imperfections in themask and to create a more photo-realistic edge on the image.

V a r i a t i o n

The Variation slider randomizes the textured pattern and how itis applied to the mottled canvas.

A d j u s t

The Adjust menu allows you to make adjustments to the visualelements of the mottled background and how they combine toform the resulting image. Each element is ‘painted’ onto the

canvas to form the mottled appearance. The bottom mosttextures are overlayed by the top most textures and surfaces tomaking changes to them will yield the least amount of results.

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Mottled Background provides different surfaces and lighting conditionsfor the background that allow you to simulate studio qualitybackdrops.

The interface below the Adjust menu will changedepending on the settings you select using the AdjustMenu. The controls are shown on the following page of this manual. The interface shown above is seen when youhave Background as the selected option for the Adjustmenu.



H o w T o U s e Th e A d j u s t M e n u

The Adjust menu defines which of the textured surfaces that comprise the mottlebackground are altered by your changes There are four surfaces: Background



background are altered by your changes. There are four surfaces: Background,Texture 1, Texture 2 and Texture 3. Each is rendered ontop of the other beginning withthe Background then Texture 3, Texture 2 and then Texture 1 is rendered on top.

B a c k g r o u n dB a c k g r o u n d

The Background color control defines theopacity and color attributes for the canvas thatthe mottled background is rendered to. Thedefault color is black and the opacity is set to

100% opaque.T e x t u r e S i z e

The Texture Size control defines how large thesurface texture for the background canvas isrendered. Note: the surface texture for Adjust:Background is very subtle.

The Adjust: Texture 1 mode will yield thehighest degree of change as it is rendered ontop of the Texture 2 and Texture 3 which arethen rendered onto the Background.

T e x t u r e S t r e n g t h

The Texture Strength control defines how muchof the texture is placed on the canvas. The higher the setting the more noticeable the texture

becomes.

T ex t u r e B u t t o n

The Texture Button gives you access to thecatalog of textured surfaces you can apply tothis effect.

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T ex t u r e 1C o l o r 1

The Color 1 slider defines the color and opacityattributes for this surface.

C o l o r 1 Z o o m

The Color 1 Zoom increases the sizes of the

splashes of color used to paint the canvas.

C o l o r 1 S o f t e n

The Color 1 Soften control blends and gentlyfeathers the color into the surface.

C o l o r 1 C o v e r a g e

The Color 1 Coverage control defines how wideof an area the color is spread onto.

T ex t u r e S i z e

The Texture Size control defines how large thesurface texture for this Color is rendered.


The Texture Strength control defines how muchof the texture is placed on the canvas. The higher the setting the more noticeable the texture

becomes.T ex t u r e B u t t o n


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T ex t u r e 2 T e x t u r e S i z e

The Texture Size control defines how large the

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C o l o r 2


C o l o r 2 Z o o mThe Color 2 Zoom increases the sizes of thesplashes of color used to paint the canvas.


The Color 2 Soften control blends and gentlyfeathers the color into the surface.



surface texture for this Color is rendered.


The Texture Strength control defines how much

of the texture is placed on the canvas. The higher the setting the more noticeable the texturebecomes.



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T ex t u r e 3C o l o r 3


C o l o r 3 Z o o m

The Color 3 Zoom increases the sizes of thesplashes of color used to paint the canvas.


The Color 3 Soften control blends and gently

feathers the color into the surface.



T e x t u r e S i z e

The Texture Size control defines how large thesurface texture for this Color is rendered.


The Texture Strength control defines how muchof the texture is placed on the canvas. The higher the setting the more noticeable the texturebecomes.



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M o t t l e d B a c k g r o u n d



Use multiple ellipse controls to define the focal areas.

gS o m e Cr e a t i v e W a y s t o A p p l y M o t t l e d B a c k g r o u n d

There are many studio and product shot applications where you want to control the focus

and tone of the background. By using Mottled Background you can adjust the colors,textures and light to draw attention to areas of your image surrounding the subject.



R ad i a l L i g h t C as t e r S t i R d i l L i h t D i



S t r e am i n g R ad i a l L i g h t D es i g n sThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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T r a n s f o r m E l l i p s eThe Transform Ellipse tool allows you to Select, Move, Scale,Stretch and Rotate the effect ellipse.

L i g h t C as t e r

The Light Caster Ellipse is used to create new Radial LightCaster Ellipses. Anew ellipse is created when you clickonscreen. The settings for the new ellipse are generated fromthe currently selected ellipse. If an ellipse is not selected thelast ellipse to be used will be cloned.


The Light Blocker brush is used to remove the stream of lightfrom localized areas so that the light fades around the blockedarea naturally. Brush this onscreen to protect areas fromhaving the light applied. To remove the blocking effect holddown the Alt (option on Mac) key and brush over areas youhave blocked and they will become unblocked.

B r u s h O p a c i t yClick on this vertical slider area to access the brush opacitycontrol. As you adjust the opacity control you will be shown abrush attributes window. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush.

B r u s h S i ze

Click on this small horizontal slider to access the brush sizecontrol. As you adjust the size control you will be shown abrush attributes window. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush.


Click on this small vertical slider to access the brush feather control. As you adjust the feather control you will be shown abrush attributeswindow. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush as

they will be applied when you brush with this tool.

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Creating a natural high-quality light-through-water effect is easy toaccomplish with Radial Light Caster.

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L i g h t B r u s h

The Light Brush allows you to brush over theareas outside the stream of light that havebeendarkenedbytheDarkenImagemodeand

G r a d i e n t O p a c i t y

The Gradient Opacity slider controls the opacityof the streaming light. Lowering the slider willmakethe lightmore translucentand increasing

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been darkened by the Darken Image mode andmake them lighter. This gives you finite controlover lighting conditions around and outside thestream of light.

D a r k e n

The Darken slider deepens the fade out anddarkens the areas outside the stream of light.The higher the setting the darker the imagebecomes outside the light stream. Ahigher setting allows you to fade out all detail in theimage outside the stream of light simulatinglower light conditions.

make the light more translucent and increasingthe slider settings makes the light moreopaque. As the streaming light opacity isreduced the darkened areas will show through.

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When the Light Mix mode is set toDarken Image the following controlsare added to the control bar.

Using the Light Mix: Darken Image mode with you can tone out areas of theimage outside the stream of light. In the example below the radial light wasapplied to the background with a Masking Layer. Ahalo effect was created

behind the girl which was enhanced as the background was darkened.



U s e Ma s k i n g L a y e r s



C o n t r o l w h e r e t h e l i g h t r a y s t r a v e l

Like many of the effects in Mystical Lighting you can use Masking Layers to control where

and how the light interacts with your image. Radial Light Caster, Light Caster, Spotlight andother light generating effects in this suite can use masking techniques to simulate the lighttraveling across the foreground object and can also be used to highlight along the edges.

In the example above the shark was quickly masked using a Masking Layer

that was placed below the Radial Light Caster effect layer. Notice in the effectscreenshot below how the light seems to highlight across the body and alongthe top of the back where the mask was not applied.

In the strong arm example the arm was looselyMasking Layer that was placed below the RadialLight Caster effect layer. The light rays spill over onto the arm simulating light being reflected or castfrom the background onto the skin. Where there is

no mask the light appears to be flowing over thearm as if the arm were in the light stream.



R a i n b o wA d d c o l o r f u l b l e n d s o f l i g h t t o y o u r i m a g e s



A d d c o l o r f u l b l e n d s o f l i g h t t o y o u r i m a g e sThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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A d d / D e l e t e P o i n tThe Add / Delete Point tool will add a point to a path if youmove the tool over a path and click and it will remove a pointif you move the cursor over an existing point and click.

R a i n b o w P a t h

The Rainbow Path tool draws a bezier path that follows alongthe cursor as you drag it around onscreen. When you lift thecursor a path is drawn that follows your movements. Use theonscreen cursors that appear when you move over the path,beside the path and over the points to adjust the path asdesired. When you click on a point using the Rainbow Pathtool the handles for the path appear allowing you to makeadjustments to either side of the point by moving the handle.

R a i n b o w S h a p e

The Rainbow Shape tool draws a straight path that will form arainbow shape above it.

R a i n b o w T e x t u r e

The Rainbow Texture button provides access to a catalog of colors that are used to generate the colors in the RainbowPath and Rainbow Shapes.

S i z e

The Size slider defines how wide the rainbow appears.

S t a r t F a d e

The Start Fade control defines how gradual the beginning of

the rainbow begins. Alow setting starts the rainbow off withlittle to no fade in. Ahigher setting gently fades the rainbowinto the image for a photo-realistic appearance.

E n d F a d e

The End Fade control defines how gradual the ending of therainbow fades out. Alow setting ends the rainbow with asharper and more defined ending. Ahigher setting gentlyfades the rainbow out at the end of the path.

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Easy to use paths let you control the precise placement andshape of the Rainbow effect that is applied.

Rainbow can create both photo-realistic and fantasy styled rainbowand colorful light for your images.



O p a c i t y

The Opacity slider defines how opaque or translucent the rainbow is. Rainbows look

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eOpac ys de de es o opaqueo a suce e a bo s a bo s oomost realistic as semi-translucent. Ahigher setting with this control makes therainbow more opaque and a lower setting makes it more translucent.

S o f t n e s sThe Softness slider blends and feathers the entire rainbow and fades the colorstogether in a soft manner.

F a d e T o p

The Fade Top control blends and fades out the top area of the rainbow. As you canrotate and transform the rainbow paths and shapes the top may not always be atthe crest of the path.

F a d e B o t t o m

The Fade Bottom control blends and fades out the bottom area of the rainbow. Asyou can rotate and transform the rainbow paths and shapes the bottom may notalways be at the lower side of the path.

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S h a d e r A d d g r a d u a l s h a d i n g t o y o u r i m a g e s



g g y gThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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P e r s p e c t i v e

The Perspective tool allows you to angle and add perspectiveto the effect paths to give the effect the illusion of an angleddepth and dimension.

S h a d e r

The Shader tool creates shading paths that are used to castshading areas across your image. Adjust the path width,direction, length and placement to attain the desired look.Adjust the opacity, radius and other localized controls that are

tied to this path. You may also use this tool to create newShader paths that are based on either the currantly or previously selected effect path.

S h a d e B l o c k e r

The Shade Blocker brush is used to remove the shadingapplied by the Shader path in localized areas. Brush thisonscreen to protect areas from having the shading applied. Toremove the blocking effect hold down the Alt (option on Mac)

key and brush over areas you have blocked and they willbecome unblocked.



B r u s h S i zeClick on this small horizontal slider to access the brush sizecontrol. As you adjust the size control you will be shown abrush attributes window. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush.


Click on this small vertical slider to access the brush feather

control. As you adjust the feather control you will be shown abrush attributeswindow. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush with this tool.

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S h a d e M i x

The Shade Mix menu allows you to experiment with changing the way the shading

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The Strength slider controls how visible the texture pattern is displayed in the

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is applied to your image. Try different modes to find the one that works best toachieve the desired shading result for the image you are working with.

T a r g e t M e n uThe Target Menu alows you to apply the effect to either the foreground or thebackground image in cases where you are working with a Masking Layer toseperate part of your image.

S m o o t h E d g e

The Smooth Edge control blends the streaming light into a masked area of a photoand wraps it around the edges in a natural manner. Using the Smooth Edge slider you have control over how the edges of the mask and the light work together to form

a natural looking blended edge.S h a d e r S t y l e

The Shader Style menu lets you select from two shapes and styles of shadingshapes: Spotlight and Sconce. The Spotlight style is wider, more blended, lessdirected and a quicker to fade off style shader. The Sconce style is a narrower, moredirected shader with a more defined radius ending.

O p a c i t y

The Opacity slider controls the opacity of the shader. Lowering the slider will make

the shader more translucent and increasing the slider settings makes the shader more opaque.

R a d i u s

The Radius control defines how far from the spotlight or sconce shape the blendextends. The farther the radius extends from the edges of the shader the sharper the edges of the spotlight or sconce becomes. Higher settings for this control makethe edges of the spotlight or sconce less blended.

C a s t T ex t u r e

The Cast Texture button provides access to the Cast Texture catalog. The CastTexture catalog allows you to load up different styled textures that form subtlepatterns in the shader that server to break up the even gradient into a varying tonedblend.

S o f t n e s s

The Softness slider blends the texture pattern into the shader by softening theappearance.

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g p p yshader. Ahigher setting for this control makes the texture have more depth andvisibility while a lower setting provides a more subtle appearance.

Adjust the width and length of the tool path to define how wide and how far the shader extends.Adjust the angle and offset the tool path onto the desktop as needed. Zoom out to see moredesktop area and to allow for easier control over longer paths.

The active tool path is always highlighted black. Inactive tool paths are shown as blue.


S h a d i n g B r u s hB r u s h o n s h a d i n g a n d t o n e s t o y o u r i m a g e sThi ff t d t i k l ti b td t thi f ti lit



This effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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S h ad i n g B r u s hThe Shading Brush allows you to brush on shading, tonaldarkness and contrasting. To remove Shading from an areayou have added it to use the Alt (option on Mac) key andthis removes the Shading. Acombination of adding andremoving Shading is needed to get a photo-realistic look.Adjust the brush controls (opacity / Size / Feather) to havelocalized control over the next brush stroke you create anduse the global control sliders (color / softness / density) toadjust all brush strokes you have already made.



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Avery nice effect can be achieved by lowering the saturationof an image and then using Shade Mix: Contrasted to bringup the colors and shading as shown in the example above.More detail is revealed in the shaded area and a blendedcontrast is achieved.

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S h a d e M i x

The Shade Mix menu allows you to experiment with changing the way the shadingisapplied toyour image Trydifferentmodes to find theone thatworksbest to

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is applied to your image. Try different modes to find the one that works best toachieve the desired shading result for the image you are working with.

O p a c i t yThe Opacity slider controls the opacity of the shading. Lowering the slider will makethe shading more translucent and increasing the slider settings makes the shadingmore opaque.

S o f t n e s s

The Softness slider blends and feathers the shading into the image. Higher settingsincrease the blending and lower settings make the shading more defined and thebrushed areas more predominant.

S t r e n g t hThe Strength slider controls how visible shading is displayed on the image. Itincreases the affect of the shading on the image. Ahigher setting for this controlmakes the shading have a stronger appearance and visibility while a lower settingprovides a more subtle appearance.

T o n a l R a n g e

The Tonal Range control requires that the Use Tonal checkbox be active beforeresults are rendered onto your graphic. The Tonal Range control gives you precise

control over widening or narrowing the range of image tones that are affected by thelight mixture. Using the Tonal Range slider on lower settings restricts the lightmixture to affect only lighter areas of the image. Increasing the Tonal Range slider toa higher setting expands and widens the range of tonal values that are affected bythe area you have brushed a light mixture onto.

U s e T o n a l

The Use Tonal checkbox must be turned on before the Tonal Range control willrestrict the light mixture to the Tonal Range settings. Turn this control on to make the

Tonal Range controls work. Turn it off to remove Tonal Range restrictions.

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S h a d o w P l a yC as t r e a l i s t i c s h a d o w s a c r o s s y o u r i m a g e sThis effect does not requireamaskorselectionbutdoessupport this functionality



This effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.

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T r a n s f o r m E f f e c tThe Transform Effect tool allows you to Select, Move,Scale, Stretch and Rotate effect objects.

C l o n e E f f e c t

The Clone Effect tool is used to create new effects thatare based on the currently selected effect or if no effect isselected, from the default effect settings. Click onscreen withthis tool and a copy of the selected effect will be cloned.

P e r s p e c t i v eThe Perspective tool allows you to angle and add perspective to theeffects to give the effect the illusion of an angled depth and dimension.

S h ad o w B l o c k e r

The Shadow Blocker brush is used to remove the shading applied bythe ShadowPlay effect. Brush this onscreen to protect areas fromhaving the shadows applied. To remove the blocking effect hold downthe Alt (option on Mac) key and brush over areas you have blocked and

they will become unblocked.


Click on this vertical slider area to access the brush opacity control. Asyou adjust the opacity control you will be shown a brush attributeswindow. The brush attributes window displays the actual size, opacityand feather attributes of the brush as they will be applied when youbrush.

B r u s h S i ze

Click on this small horizontal slider to access the brush size control. Asyou adjust the size control you will be shown a brush attributes window.The brush attributes window displays the actual size, opacity andfeather attributes of the brush as they will be applied when you brush.


Click on this small vertical slider to access the brush feather control. Asyou adjust the feather control you will be shown a brush attributeswindow. The brush attributes window displays the actual size, opacity

and feather attributes of the brush as they will be applied when youbrush with this tool.

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L i g h t M i x M en u

Th S tli ht t lb i t f h h l tLi htMi D k I



S p o t l i g h t S t y l eThe Spotlight Style menu lets you select fromtwo shapes and styles of light streams:Spotlight and Sconce. The Spotlight style iswider, more blended, less directed and aquicker to fade off style stream. The Sconcestyle is a narrower, more directed stream of light with a more defined radius ending.

C a s t C o l o r The Cast Color slider controls the opacity of thestreaming light. Lowering the slider will makethe light more translucent and increasing theslider settings makes the light more opaque. If the Color Mix mode is set to Normal the color of the light is derived from the color box on thiscontrol. If the Color Mix mode is set to Linear or Distance the color is derived from the GradientControl and only the opacity is set by thiscontrol.

R a d i u sThe Radius control defines how far from thespotlight shape or sconce shape the blendextends. The farther the radius extends fromthe edges of the light stream the sharper theedges of the spotlight or sconce becomes.Higher settings for this control make the edgesof the spotlight or sconce less blended.

T e x t u r eThe Texture button provides access to theTexture catalog. The Texture catalog allows youto load up different styled textures that formsubtle patterns in the stream of light and breakit up so that it has more visible qualities.

S o f t n e s s

The Softness slider blends the texture patterninto the light stream by softening theappearance.

S t r e n g t hThe Strength slider controls how visible thetexture pattern is displayed in the light stream.Ahigher setting for this control makes thetexture have more depth and visibility while alower setting provides a more subtleappearance.

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The Spotlight control bar interface changes when you select Light Mix: Darken Image.The controls for Darken image are described on the previous page of this manual. The

controls for the other Light Mix modes: Color / Contrast / Soft Colors / Overlay andIntensity are described below.


S u r f a c e L i g h tC as t l i g h t a n d s h a d o w s o n t o y o u r i m a g e sThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.



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T r a n s f o r m E l l i p s e

The Transform Ellipse tool allows you to Select, Move,Scale, Stretch and Rotate the effect ellipse.

S u r f a c e L i g h t

The Surface Light tool is used to create new surface lighteffects that are based from the currently or previouslyselected effect.

P e r s p e c t i v e

The Perspective tool allows you to angle and addperspective to the effect paths to give the effect the illusionof an angled depth and dimension.


The Light Blocker brush is used to remove light and shading inlocalized areas. Brush this onscreen to protect areas fromhaving the light applied. To remove the blocking effect holddown the Alt (option on Mac) key and brush over areas you

have blocked and they will become unblocked.B r u s h O p a c i t y


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Using layers you can clone a copy of the surface light placed on theforeground masked image and use the cloned copy to target the

background with a softer appearance and a slightly offset position.This simulates a light source and shadow casting across a near objectand falling onto a far object (the background).

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The interface on the lower half of the controls will change

when you swap from Darken Image to any of the other modes. Control descriptions are provided for the other modes on the following manual pages.


L i g h t M i x

The Light Mix menu allows you to experiment with changing the way the surfacelight and shadow applies to your image. Try different modes to find the one thatworksbest foryouruse TheColormodecasts the light throughanatmospheric

1 S h a p e B u t t o n

The Shape button provides access to the Shapes catalog. Shapes define the patternof light and shadows that are projected onto your image. Each effect control can

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works best for your use. The Color mode casts the light through an atmospherichaze that shows a color to the light. Intensity and Overlay brighten the areas where

the stream of light are cast onto. Darken Image takes areas outside the stream of light and darkens them.

T a r g e t M e n u

The Target Menu alows you to apply the effect to either the foreground or thebackground image in cases where you are working with a Masking Layer toseparate part of your image.

S m o o t h E d g e

The Smooth Edge control blends the streaming light into a masked area of a photoand wraps it around the edges in a natural manner. Using the Smooth Edge slider you have control over how the edges of the mask and the light work together to forma natural looking blended edge.

L i g h t B r u s h

The Light Brush allows you to brush over the areas outside the stream of light thathave been darkened by the Darken Image mode and make them lighter. This givesyou a finite control over subtle lighting conditions around and outside the stream of light.

D a r k e n

The Darken slider deepens the fade out and darkens the areas outside the lightshape that you have loaded. The higher the setting the darker the image becomesoutside the shape. Ahigher setting allows you to fade out all detail in the imageoutside the shape simulating lower light conditions except where the light strikes thesubject.

C a s t O p a c i t y

The Cast Opacity slider controls the opacity of the light and shadows. Lowering theslider will make the light more translucent and increasing the slider settings makesthe light more opaque.

S o f t n e s s

The Softness slider blends the surface light shape into the surrounding image. Thehigher the setting the softer the shape becomes.

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have a single shape loaded into it.

I n v e r tThe Invert checkbox option allows you to invert the shape mask so that it affects theopposite area.

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Surface Light is capable of generating some artistic and graphical looks as well asphoto-realistic styled effects.


C a s t C o l o r

The Cast Color slider controls the opacity of thelight. Lowering the slider will make the lightmore translucent and increasing the slider settings makes the light more opaque Change

I n v e r t

The Invert control reverses the area theSurface Light affects. It essentially inverts thecontent used to create the surface light effect to

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settings makes the light more opaque. Changethe color of the light by clicking on the color box

on this control.S o f t n e s s

The Softness slider blends the texture patterninto the light stream by softening theappearance.

T e x t u r e

The Texture button provides access to theTexture catalog. The Texture catalog allows you

to load up different styled content that is usedto form the Surface Light and correspondingshadows.

content used to create the surface light effect toapply to the opposite areas of the image.

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When the Light Mix mode is set toColor, Contrasted, Soft Colors,Overlay or Intensity the followingcontrols are shown.

Using the Light Mix: Intensity mode with Grayscale content you can achieve areflected photo effect. This image looks as if the person were standing lookingout a window and the photographer took the picture from the outside,capturing a reflection in the glass.


W i s p y M i s t A d d f e a t h e r i n g m i s t a n d h a z e t o y o u r i m a g e sThis effect does not require a mask or selection but does support this functionality.



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T r a n s f o r m E l l i p s e

The Transform Ellipse tool allows you to Select, Move,Scale, Stretch and Rotate the effect ellipse.

W i s p y M i s t

The Wispy Mist tool is used to create new Wispy Misteffects that are based from the currently or previouslyselected effect. Use this tool to generate multiple copies of the mist to feather into different areas of your image.

M i s t B l o c k e r The Mist Blocker brush is used to remove and add back in mistfrom areas you brush over. Using this tool you create the breaksin the mist. Lower opacity and higher feather settings on thebrush controls are recommended. Remove the mist then lightlyadd it back in to give a partial effect. Use the Alt (option on Mac)key to add back in areas you have blocked. Use lower brushopacity settings when you add back mist to achieve a semi-translucent effect.

B r u s h O p a c i t yClick on this vertical slider area to access the brush opacitycontrol. As you adjust the opacity control you will be shown abrush attributes window. The brush attributes window displaysthe actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush.

B r u s h S i ze

Click on this small horizontal slider to access the brush size

control. As you adjust the size control you will be shown a brushattributes window. The brush attributes window displays theactual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush as theywill be applied when you brush.


Click on this small vertical slider to access the brush feather control. As you adjust the feather control you will be shown abrush attributeswindow. The brush attributes window displays

the actual size, opacity and feather attributes of the brush asthey will be applied when you brush with this tool.

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Use the Mist Block brush tool to remove and gently feather back in the mist where it breaks up.

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I n v e r t

The Invert option allows you to make the Wispy Mist affect the area outside theellipse or inside the ellipse, depending on the setting you have chosen.

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1 C o l o r 3 S o f t e n

The Color 3 Soften control affects one of the three colors that are used to render thewispy mist. The Color 3 Soften blends and feathers the Color for this component of the effect as it is rendered

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C o l o r 1

The Color 1 control affects one of the three colors that are used to render the wispymist. The Color 1 control sets both the opacity and the color for this component of the effect. A lower setting on this slider makes the Color more translucent.

C o l o r 1 Z o o m

The Color 1 Zoom control affects one of the three colors that are used to render thewispy mist. The Color 1 Zoom defines how much coverage and how widely spreadthe Color for this component is generated when the effect is rendered.


The Color 1 Soften control affects one of the three colors that are used to render thewispy mist. The Color 1 Soften blends and feathers the Color for this component of the effect as it is rendered.

C o l o r 2

The Color 2 control affects one of the three colors that are used to render the wispymist. The Color 2 control sets both the opacity and the color for this component of the effect. A lower setting on this slider makes the Color more translucent.

C o l o r 2 Z o o m



The Color 2 Soften control affects one of the three colors that are used to render thewispy mist. The Color 1 Soften blends and feathers the Color for this component of the effect as it is rendered.

C o l o r 3The Color 3 control affects one of the three colors that are used to render the wispymist. The Color 3 control sets both the opacity and the color for this component of the effect. A lower setting on this slider makes the Color more translucent.

C o l o r 3 Z o o m


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2 the effect as it is rendered.

V a r i a t i o nThe Variation slider randomizes the wispy mist patterns and changes how thebreaks and streams of mist are generated.

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mystical lighting manual

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