S_Gradient Makes a smooth color gradient across the screen using given Start and End locations and colors, then optionally combines the gradient with a background clip. Increase Add Noise to reduce banding artifacts in the gradient due to color quantization. In the Sapphire Render effects submenu. Inputs: Background:  The current layer.   The clip to combine the gradient with.

Parameters:

Start:   X & Y,   Default: [360 436],  Range: any.
The starting location of the gradient.

End:   X & Y,   Default: [360 50],  Range: any.
The ending location of the gradient.

Start Color:   Default rgb: [1 1 1].
The color of the gradient at the Start location.

End Color:   Default rgb: [0 0 0].
The color of the gradient at the End location

Brightness:   Default: 1,  Range: 0 or greater.
Scales the brightness of the gradient image (both the Start Color and End Color).

Add Noise:   Default: 0,  Range: 0 or greater.
If positive, this amount of noise is added to the gradient. This can create a grainy effect and eliminate banding in the gradient due to quantization. Set this to 1.0 to enable effective debanding for 8bit results.

Smooth Curve:   Default: 0,  Range: 0 to 1.
If zero, a linear interpolation is used across the screen between the Start and End Color. Increase this value to use a smoother 'S' shaped curve for interpolation which can reduce the visual perception of the gradient's Start and End locations.

Bg Brightness:   Default: 1,  Range: 0 or greater.
Scales the brightness of the background before combining it with the gradient.

Combine:   Popup menu,  Default: Grad Only.
Determines how the gradient is combined with the background.

Grad Only:  gives the gradient image alone with no background.

Mult:  the background is multiplied by the gradient.

Add:  the background is added to the gradient.

Screen:  the background is blended with the gradient using a screen operation.

Difference:  the result is the difference between the background and gradient.

Overlay:  combines gradient and background using an overlay function.

Input Opacity:   Popup menu,  Default: Normal.
Determines the method used for dealing with opacity/transparency.

All Opaque:  Use this option to render slightly faster when the input image is fully opaque with no transparency (alpha=1).

Normal:  Process opacity normally.

As Premult:  Process as if the image is already in premultiplied form (colors have been scaled by opacity). This option also renders slightly faster than Normal mode, but the results will also be in premultiplied form, which is sometimes less correct.

Output Opacity:   Popup menu,  Default: Copy From Input.
Determines the opacity/transparency of the result. This effect does not process the opacity (alpha channel) of its input but it can either copy the opacity from the input, or output a fully opaque result.

All Opaque:  Makes the result fully opaque with no transparency.

Copy From Input:  Copies the opacity/transparency from the current layer given to this effect.

See Also:

WipeLine Sapphire Plug-ins Introduction

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