# @(#)ECLIPSEMASK	2.1 10/7/93
#
# Copyright (c) 1993 Alias Research Inc. All rights reserved.
# This is unpublished proprietary source code of Alias Research 
# Inc.
# The copyright notice does not evidence any actual or intended
# publication of such source code.  Alias Research Inc. cannot 
# be held responsible for any inaccuracies contained herein.
#


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Mask Menu

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The Mask menu contains commands that you use to work in the mask layer of an image. When you select a Mask menu command, Alias Eclipse automatically selects the Apply S button to turn on the mask layer. You should also select the Use Mask push button in the status area. To see the mask as you work, select the View S push button.


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Clear:

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Use Clear to clear the entire mask or to make the mask empty. If you are viewing a cleared mask through the Mask (S) layer only, the image window appears empty because the mask is blank. To use the command, simply select Clear from the Mask menu. Alias Eclipse displays a status prompt as it clears the mask.


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Invert:

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The Invert command inverts the entire mask. All opaque portions of the mask become transparent, and all transparent portions become opaque. To use the command, simply select Invert from the Mask menu. Alias Eclipse displays a status prompt as it inverts the mask.


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Sharpen:

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Use the Sharpen command to sharpen a mask. This process is similar to sharpening a paint layer in an image.


1. Select Sharpen from the Mask menu.


Alias Eclipse displays a dialog box that contains a slider, a text box, and an Apply button.


2. Drag the slider to choose the amount of noise, or type a value (from 0 to 100) in the text box.


3. Select the Apply button to apply the effect. To cancel the effect, select the control menu at the upper left corner of the dialog box, then click Close.


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Smooth:

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Use the Smooth command to smooth a mask. This process is similar to smoothing a paint layer in an image.


1. Select Smooth from the Effects menu.


Alias Eclipse displays a dialog box that contains a slider, a text box, and an Apply button.


2. Drag the slider to choose the amount of noise, or type a value (from 0 to 100) in the text box.


3. Select the Apply button to apply the effect. To cancel the effect, select the control menu at the upper left corner of the dialog box, then click Close.


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AutoMask:

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Use the AutoMask command to create a mask based on a selected range of colors. You can specify the color range by typing values or by picking colors from the image.


The sections below show you how to create a mask by building a color range and by picking colors from the image.


Building Color Ranges


To create a mask by building a color range, follow these steps:


1. Select AutoMask from the Mask menu.


Alias Eclipse displays the AutoMask window.


2. Select the push button for each color you want to use to create the mask. If you don't select a color, Alias Eclipse won't use it to create the mask.


3. Establish the range for each color by specifying a maximum and minimum color value. Click and drag the sliders to set the color values, or type values in the text boxes next to the sliders The top slider/box is the maximum value; the bottom slider/box is the minimum. 


4. If you decide you don't like what you've done, or you want to start over, select the Reset button in the tool window.


5. After you've built the color ranges for the mask, select the Apply button to apply the mask to the image.


Alias Eclipse displays a warning box asking if you really want to apply the mask.


6. Click Yes to apply the mask, or click No to cancel the operation. The AutoMask window remains open no matter which option you select.


Picking Color Ranges from the Image


To create a mask by picking colors from an image, follow these steps:


1. Select AutoMask from the Mask menu.


Alias Eclipse displays the AutoMask window.


2. Select the Pick push button.


3. Move to the image window and click MB1 in the image area to select colors.


4. To pick a range of colors, press and hold MB1 and drag through the image area. When you release MB1, Alias Eclipse displays the values of the selected colors in the AutoMask window.


5. To remove colors from the mask, move to the image window and use MB2 to select the colors you want to remove. Click on the colors, or click and drag MB2 through a range of colors.


6. If you decide you don't like what you've done, or you want to start over, select the Reset button in the tool window.


7. After you've picked the colors for the mask, select the Apply button to apply the mask to the image.


Alias Eclipse displays a warning box asking if you really want to apply the mask.


8. Click Yes to apply the mask, or click No to cancel the operation. The AutoMask window remains open no matter which option you select.


AutoMask Buttons and Options


Apply


Use the Apply button to apply an AutoMask to the mask layer of an image. When you select Apply, Alias Eclipse displays a dialog box asking whether you really want to apply the mask. Until you select Apply, you are actually just previewing the mask. If you close the AutoMask window before Applying the mask, Alias Eclipse restores the mask to its previous state.


Reset


The Reset button resets the mask colors to their default values. Alias Eclipse selects all the color push buttons and resets all the sliders and text boxes to 0.


Invert


Select the Invert check box to invert, or reverse, the mask color ranges. This procedure is similar to selecting Invert from the Mask menu after you apply the mask, but you can see the effect before you apply the mask.


Pick


Select the Pick button when you want to create a mask by selecting colors from your image. Select the button, and press and hold MB1, and drag the cursor through the image.


Smooth


Use Smooth to smooth the edges of a mask. Either drag the Smooth slider or type a value in the text box. The slider and text box work in tandem. A Smooth value of 0 means that there is no transition between the clear (0) mask areas and the opaque (100) mask areas.


When you use Smooth, Alias Eclipse builds a transition from the mask area out to the clear areas. The higher the Smooth value, the softer and larger the transition area; Alias Eclipse uses more transparency levels (it has 256 available) and shrinks the clear areas. A Smooth level of 100 creates a maximum transition and replaces the clear areas with transparent mask values.


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AutoMaskHSL:

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Use AutoMaskHSL to create a mask using Hue, Saturation, and Lightness color properties rather than ranges of CMYK or RGB colors. The AutoMaskHSL tool window looks and functions just like the AutoMask window, and you use it the same way. The only difference is that you select HSL ranges rather than selecting colors.
