Assistant objects (menu entry: Tools -> Assistant objects).
This tool entry covers various assistant objects (images) related to current image/layer. It’s usually used with background image, but can be used with any layer. Currently, four types of assistant objects/images are supported: mask, contour, stencil and sidekick image. Before we explain each assistant image in detail, here are some common functions applicable to all assistant images.
First one is button “Copy to clipboard” with additional drop-down menu.
- Copy to clipboard: pressing this button copies current assistant object to clipboard.
- Export: exports current assistant object as new image.
- Import: imports selected image from IMA as assistant object (converts image to appropriate pixel format and adjusts it’s size if necessary).
- Import & merge: imports selected image from IMA as assistant object and merges it with previous assistant object.
- Paste from clipboard: imports image from clipboard as assistant object.
Additional options:
- Invert: inverts (creates negative) assistant object.
- Filter: applies various filters on assistant object.
Note: some options (copy to clipboard, export, invert, filter) can be used only when assistant object exists.
Mask
Mask is single channel gray-scale image used when applying action through image mask. Here is a list of mask options:
- Create automask: creates mask from current image (conversion to gray-scale image is performed).
- Create empty mask: creates empty (black) mask.
- Delete mask: deletes/removes current mask.
- Blend only (no mask bumping): if checked, clicking “Apply action through mask” will override current brush bump setting (no bumping).
- Automatically update mask with last shape drawn: if checked, after some shape is drawn, brush/shape mask is merged with assistant mask. Also, when this option is on, another check-box appears: Last shape only (clears mask before update). If checked, brush/shape mask is copied to assistant mask (without merging).
Contour
Contour is single channel gray-scale image similar to mask and is used when applying action through contour:
- Contour type:
- Shen-Castan ISEF: well known contour detecting algorithm with four additional parameters.
- Sobel horizontal: 3×3 and 5×5 kernels.
- Sobel vertical: 3×3 and 5×5 kernels.
- Gauss + Laplace: two consecutive filters are applied with 3×3 or 5×5 kernel.
- Contour 7×7: general contour detection using 7×7 kernel.
- Max – Min: subtraction of two filters. Each can have different radius (kernel size).
- Median + Laplace: two consecutive filters are applied. Laplacian kernel can be 3×3 or 5×5, while median filter radius can be of arbitrary size.
- Blur + HiPass: two consecutive filters are applied. HiPass (high pass filter) can use 3×3 or 5×5 kernel, while blur radius can be of arbitrary size.
- Threshold: if checked, threshold value is used for B/W conversion. Although the resultant contour is B/W (only two levels 0 and 255), contour is internally still single channel 8-bit pixel format image. If unchecked, resultant contour will be full gray-scale image. Note: when some contour type is selected, threshold value is set to optimal/default value.
- Clip to contour: if checked, contour clipping will be performed while drawing. Two additional parameters determines how the stroke will be clipped:
- Clipping threshold: threshold/limit value. When stroke encounters a contour with value above given threshold, it will be clipped (similar to selection clipping).
- Scanning radius: a value used to “scan” for contour. If stroke encounters contour beyond given radius, it will be clipped.
- Create: creates assistant contour.
- Delete: deletes/removes assistant contour.
- Apply to image: applies contour detection to current image (current image is replaced with assistant contour).
Stencil
Stencil is single channel gray-scale image used as…well, stencil: stroke can be drawn only on “cut-out” parts of stencil:
- Browse stencils: when clicked, opens/closes stencils browser. Select and drag desired stencil to “Assistant image” view (big white rectangle in the middle).
- Load mask as stencil: creates stencil from current mask.
- Load contour as stencil: creates stencil from current contour.
- Activate stencil: if checked, stencil is visible and active. When stencil is visible/active, you can move the stencil around using “Pan image/Move stencil” OpMode. When stencil is deactivated, the same OpMode option is used to pan current image.
Sidekick image
Sidekick image is full-color 24-bit image used for blending with original or modified image in IMA. The usual scenario is to load some image in IMA, create autosidekick image, modify image in IMA and then blend it with sidekick image. Also, you can import any other image as sidekick image and it will be resized to fit active IMA image size:
- Create autosidekick: creates a copy of active image/layer as assistant image (sidekick).
- Delete sidekick: deletes/removes assistant sidekick image.
- Bland sidekick and original: a modal form will pop-up enabling the user to choose blending mode and blending value (percentage of sidekick against original).