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Revision Date: 15 June 2024

Stylize Effects

This sub-menu contains effects that produce stylized looks using edge detection algorithms. The effects can be useful in finding edges for tracing, or producing specialized textures for game development (e.g., bump maps).

Stylize Effects
Stylize Effects

Note

The examples on this page show the effects being applied to an entire image. It is easy to restrict the adjustment to a sub-section of the image simply by making a selection.  If a selection is active when the effect is run, it will only be applied to the selected region. Areas outside of the active selection will remain unchanged.

Tip

The controls shown in the effect dialogs operate in much the same way; drag the indicator left, right or in a circular motion (for an angle control).  Typing in a numeric value in the text box or using the up/down arrows beside the text box also changes the current value.  The keyboard arrow keys can be used to alter the value of a control once it has the focus.
Multiple controls can be used in isolation or combination. If more than one is altered, the cumulative effect will be shown.

Effects Stylize Edge Detect icon Edge Detect

As the name suggests, this effect highlights edges in an image as if a strong light had been shone on it at an acute angle.  The strong light highlights edges in color. Areas not identified as edges will not be highlighted and will be rendered black.

Strength determines the amount or weight of the edge detection.

Blurring describes the amount that detail will be softened or lost through blurring.

Algorithm Prewitt and Sobel (default) algorithms yield slightly different effects.

Overlay Edges when checked, the edges are overlaid over the original image.

Example - Effects > Stylize > Edge Detect

Effects > Stylize > Edge Detect

Effects Stylize Emboss icon Emboss

This effect will generate a black and white image where the edges (areas of high contrast) have been given a three-dimensional highlight similar to physical embossing.  The highlighting uses a light and dark contrast to give the appearance of directional lighting and associated shadowing.

Angle determines the direction of the embossing. The angle indicator will point towards the darkened edges.

Note

Emboss always results in a grayscale image regardless of the source colors and the current Primary and Secondary colors.

Example - Effects > Stylize > Emboss

Effects > Stylize > Emboss

Effects Stylize Outline icon Outline

This effect enhances edges found in an image by tracing around them with an outline of requested radius.  The effect changes areas of color to white leaving just the edges colored. The outline color is sampled from the edges found edges in the image.

Thickness defines the thickness of the outlining. Lower values will result in a thinner outline. Larger values create a blur like effect.

Intensity describes the strength of the effect. Think of this value as the number of pixels which the effect will be applied to.

Quality determines the quality of the output of the effect.

Example - Effects > Stylize > Outline

Effects > Stylize > Outline

Effects Stylize Relief icon Relief

This effect is similar to Edge Detect, except that it blends the result back into the original image.

Like Emboss, the dialog has a single control (Angle) which sets the apparent direction of the illuminating light.

Example - Effects > Stylize > Relief

Effects > Stylize > Relief

Tip

Emboss and Relief can be used to create realistic natural textures by invoking the effect over an area containing the Effects > Render > Clouds effect.

Effects > Render > Clouds + Effects > Stylize > Emboss
Effects > Render > Clouds + Effects > Stylize > Emboss