GENERAL
The Fill is the actual image that is placed on a Layer. The Fill/Matte menu controls how the image is positioned on the Canvas.
Each Layer has two parts: the Front and the Matte. The Front is the image that is visible on-screen. The Matte is a separate image that controls what part of the Fill image will be visible on-screen and how it will be blended with the other layers. On the left of the menu a proxy image of the Front (top) and Matte (bottom) is visible. By selecting the Front or Matte tab at the top of the menu, the controls for the element become visible - although the controls are next to identical. Use the +Matte / +Fill Transform buttons to link the controls of both elements and adjust both in one go.
LOADING THE FILL IMAGE
By default, the base image is used as the Front, and the Matte image is blank. You can modify these defaults in several ways.
FETCH
For a source shot to be used as a fill, it must first be loaded into a Construct in the current Project. When you click on the Fetch button at the bottom of the main Matrix menu on the left, the View Port will show the current Construct. You can drag and drop a shot into the Front or Matte thumbnail section. When dropping a shot into the Front or Matte section, the View Port will automatically return to the Player view.
Alternatively you can pick up shots from the current shot's Staging area in the corresponding stack. When you pick up a shot from the Staging Area to be used as Front/Matte - a reference to that shot is used. In all other circumstances a copy of the shot is made before using it as fill.
EFFECTS
The Effects button will open the Plug-in browser from where you can select an item to apply as Front or Matte. If a Front or Matte is already present, it is replaced with the new selected plug-in and set as input of that plug-in.
LOAD SCALABLE VECTOR GRAPHICS
By using the generic Load function in the Matrix and selecting to Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) format, you can use an svg file as texture for the selected Layer. If no Layer is selected a new one is automatically created when loading an SVG file.
MODIFYING THE FILL IMAGE
When a shot is loaded as a Front or Matte you can control how that shot behaves in relation to the base clip with a number of control.
IMAGE MAPPING
Map Projected
When Map Projected is set, the image stays in a constant location within the working resolution of the Construct. In essence, the image is projected onto the Construct working frame, and will not be affected by the orientation of the Canvas.
Map On Canvas
With Map On Canvas set, the image is mapped onto the Canvas surface. This means it is affected by any change in orientation of the Canvas. This is the equivalent of the fill image being ‘painted’ onto the Canvas. If the Canvas is rotated, the image rotates as well.
Pinned
Mode for Bicubic shapes; the fill is mapped directly onto the Bicubic (deformed) surface.
FRAME SLIP
The Frame Slip allows you to offset the relationship between the current base frame and the frame being used for the Fill or Matte. You can use the Frame Slip to align the timing of several shots so that all elements are synchronized.
Note: Frame Slip is only active when an alternate image has been loaded. It is not possible to slip the default image.
IN, OUT
The IN and OUT controls allow you to further synchronize the relation of the base shot and the shot used for the Fill or Matte by setting the in- and out-points of that shot.
LOOP MODE
The LOOP MODE controls how the shot that is used for the Fill or Matte behaves if that shot is shorter than the base shot.
Once
The shot clip plays normally until the OUT point is reached. After that point, the final image is held as a freeze frame until the end of the base shot.
Loop
The shot plays normally until the OUT point is reached. After that point, the shot loops back to the IN point, and continues looping in this way until the end of the base shot.
Bounce
The shot plays normally until the OUT point is reached. After that point, the shot plays in reverse until the IN point is reached. The source clip continues to ‘bounce’ in this way until the end of the base shot.
Reverse
The shot plays in reverse, beginning at the OUT point and playing backward until the IN point is reached. After that point, the IN point image are held as a freeze frame until the end of the base shot. This is essentially the same as the ONCE mode, but in reverse.
COLOR CHANNELS
You can control which color channels (Red, Green, Blue and Alpha) are used for the Fill and Matte by activating the individual color channel buttons. The I button inverts the selected channels.
Note: When individual color channels are selected, they are represented as a gray-scale image.
RECURSIVE (GRADE)
This option toggle the Recursive state of the Layer which determines how the Layer interacts with other layers (as described earlier in this chapter).
BLENDING MODES
The blending mode determines how the Layer interact with other layers (as described earlier in this chapter).
TRANS X, TRANS Y
The Trans X and Trans Y parameters determine how the Fill or Matte image is positioned on the Canvas. You can adjust the positioning by entering new values for these parameters. They can also be animated using the SCRATCH animation tools.
SCALE X, SCALE Y
Scale X and Scale Y determine the scaling of the Fill or Matte image onto the Canvas. This allows you to resize an image being used as a fill. The Scale values can be animated using the SCRATCH Animation tools.
ROTATE
Rotate determines the rotation of the Fill or Matte image onto the Canvas.
BLUR
Each Front and Matte has its own independent Blur setting. By enabling the D button you make it a directional blur and you can set the angle of the direction with the Angle numeric slate next to it.
MIPMAP FILTER
This option allows for smoother animations of the fill against its background by using MipMap filtering technique.
RESET
Reset all values to their defaults of the Front or Matte.
CLEAR
Remove the current Front or Matte shot, and revert back to the default base shot