Filter Forge on Holiday Sale

**angelize** · 17 December 2012, 12:59 AM

Hi Mike, see my post #4 for instructions on how use the filter editor to tweak a filter to apply it to a shape or text

**wizard509** · 17 December 2012, 01:33 AM

Mike some of the filters do what you are describing, and some fill the shape. I'm still trying to come to terms with it myself and don't know how to tell the difference, but there is one. I was messing around with one and changed something, gave a unique name and saved it, but that particular filter I created would only create a rectangular area and would no longer fill a shape. I for one need to spend more time with it and figure it out. From what I have seen the tutorials Frances did are among the best.

**angelize** · 17 December 2012, 01:59 AM

Thanks Larry, By the way you can mess around with filters in the editor to your hearts content and save your resulting derivation and the original filter from the program or the Library is still there untouched. Only the filters you create either from scratch or by editing a pre made filter will be saved in the My Filters section. The filters that come with the program and those you download from the library will be in the upper two sections.

**Tomahawk Kid** · 18 December 2012, 01:59 AM

Larry/Frances,

Thanks for trying to help but I just don't "get it" yet. I've randomly chosen 8 filters and all I get is the rectangular box and not just the fill within the vector shape that I'm after. I've looked in the components tab and can see nothing that would describe "switching" the fill to within the selected vector shape. It all looks rather complicated and feels more like a physics text book than a plugin to my eyes. I'd like to persevere with this but any extra help or guidance would be welcome.

The UI for EyeCandy 7 is so simple and slick but stability issues with XDPX rather limit it's appeal. Gawd, it's so frustrating but I suppose anything worthwhile requires a bit of persistence.

Mike

**angelize** · 18 December 2012, 06:18 AM

I'll tell you what Mike, if you can bear with it for a couple of days I'll put together a video tut, but I need to deal with some real world stuff first

**Tomahawk Kid** · 18 December 2012, 03:15 PM

Frances,

That would be brilliant. I really appreciate your offer.

If I could get to grips with it and find out what it can do for me I still have time to get FF3 at the discounted price before year end!

I'll keep checking in to keep an eye out for your tutorial.

Thanks again,

Mike

**angelize** · 18 December 2012, 04:30 PM

In the meantime, Mike have you had a look at any of the previous videos I've done on Xara plus Filter Forge? There are links to them through out this forum or if you click the youtube link in my signature you'll find them (and a bunch more Xara videos)

I'm hoping to have time by maybe wed, at this point though I'm not sure it seems Mother Nature has decided to add shovelling snow to the list of things I have to do today!

**Tomahawk Kid** · 18 December 2012, 06:04 PM

Frances,

I've watched tutorials 1 to 4, (the Bling one twice). I watch them again though.

BTW with some of the EyeCandy plugins, such as fur, you can designate for the fur to spill over the vector edge giving a much more realistic effect. If you use the "intersect shapes" method of cutting a shape from a bitmap fill background the edges usually look too regular. Whilst this looks OK for chrome etc it's not too effective on organic type fills imo.
Can FF3 give the random/spilling over the vector edge effect like EC fur?

Mike

**angelize** · 19 December 2012, 11:31 PM

Ok here it is, Thanks for being so patient

In the video as well as showing you how to edit a filter to make it apply to a vector shape, I also did a quick bit about using filter forge as a stand alone to create a seamless tiling pattern that can be used as a fill.

**Tomahawk Kid** · 21 December 2012, 11:26 AM

Frances,

What a great, clear and concise explanation - fantastic.

I think I was right with the physics text book analogy - it is fairly complex but you do get infinite control over the effects. You broke it down into "bite size" pieces though and made the process
easily understandable. I strongly recommend others that may be interested in using FF3 with XaraDPX to watch the tutorials.

I probably pushing my luck here.... but is there a way to make the effect "spill over" the vector shape so that the edges aren't so clean cut ant regular? I'm thinking along the lines of EyeCandy's "fur" filter where you can specify how much fur spills over the edges of the vector shape it's being applied to?

Gratefully,

Mike