34 replies to this topic

[Toli]

Please take a brief look at my thread "About a "Selective blur / average" Plugin"

While developing the plugin, I changed the concept a little, so now the plugin has no UI and works like that:
1. You select an area of similar color (with the Magic Wand for best results)
2. Click Effects.Blurs.Smooth
That's all!
The Selected Area is Smoothed internally, as if there were no surroundings.
This is especially useful in my opinion when doing sprites.

Example:
Let's consider this sprite:

Some smoothing seems appropriate. If we try Blur...

The gray and red interfere with each other.
If we move the gray area to another layer, it will blend with the transparency around it.

Its grey areas would need some smoothing. The red area needs it too. Only separately.
So, select the grey areas, click Smooth, then select the red area and click Smooth again. Done!

You can get this and other plugins plus the source code from HERE
Toli Cuturicu

[Toli]

So, using my Plugin, the result looks like that:

This Effect is similar with Ed's "Surface Blur". However, browsing through his code, I realised that the implementation has nothing in common with it. Moreover, my Plugin does not "look" outside the Selection and it is a two-click operation: Click to select, then click to Smooth!

[Rubrica]

:shock: I. Love. You. This is brilliant! Even better, the n00bs should stop nagging us for it now! Well done! :shock:

[Toli]

Thank you.
Is there anything else which:
1. noobs want
2. can be actually done
3. but would be appreciated if simpler?

[Ash]

(I really don't know how to create a link. Maybe someone could tell me)

I edited the link in for you.
Click on edit button to see how it's done.

[Toli]

Thanks. I see that it is somehow like html (url tag instead of a href)

[TheVoid]

Its kind of converting <b> to [b]. Anyway, nice plugin.

[Blooper]

Yes! Thank you!

[Toli]

Sorry, "Yes" to what question?

[Bob]

Sorry, "Yes" to what question?

I think "Yes!" as in 'Yahoo!', 'Wipeeya!' or 'Scoobidoobidooooo'.
He's happy you made this plugin. Me too , thanks

[Fisherman's Friend]

Thank you.
Is there anything else which:
1. noobs want
2. can be actually done
3. but would be appreciated if simpler?

I would actually like to see something like a "soft glow" which smooths the image a bit and makes it slightly glowing. I've seen some images (maybe done in Photoshop) and tried to reproduce it in PDN with the built in glowing effect but didn't get the desired results. Sadly I have no such picture available.

Maybe you should add a slider to your Smooth plugin to adjust the intensity of the blur.

And thanks for sharing, I really like it.

[Bob]

You know what would be truly amazing?
Take the GREYCstoration hacky stuff and made it a REAL plugin.
I hope it's not too difficult, it's what I would tend to do once I've finally time to learn a bit more about C#.

[I Like Pi]

Your effect seems to shift the image a little to the right. Upon examination of your code I found

for (int j = y - 1; (j <= y + 1); j++)
	for (int i = x - 1; **(i < x + 1)**; i++)

which I think should be (i <= x + 1).
It would also be nice if you added a slider for the radius (which in your code is the +/-1).

[Toli]

> I would actually like to see something like a "soft glow" which smooths the image a bit and makes it slightly glowing
> I've seen some images (maybe done in Photoshop) and tried to reproduce it in PDN with the built in glowing effect
> but didn't get the desired results. Sadly I have no such picture available.
Well, I can't imagine what you are talking about. Of course I must see the original and the glowed one, or to get some data (what ColorBrga fields should be changed in what respect)
Without any more information, I surely cannot do anything. Sorry

Maybe you should add a slider to your Smooth plugin to adjust the intensity of the blur.
It is easy to add. Whoever wants may add it. However, I thought that a heavier blur would rarely be appropriate in such small selections and that way, the operation is done in only one click.

And thanks for sharing, I really like it.

[Toli]

> You know what would be truly amazing?
> Take the GREYCstoration hacky stuff and made it a REAL plugin.
> I hope it's not too difficult, it's what I would tend to do once I've finally time to learn a bit more about C#.

Sorry, I don't know what you are talking about.
If you send me the drafts and / or requirements, I shall look upon it. If I find it interesting enough, of course.

[Toli]

> Your effect seems to shift the image a little to the right. Upon examination of your code I found
> ...
> which I think should be (i <= x + 1).

Of course! Congrats! And Thanks!
This is one major benefit in sharing code. If there are more than two eyes looking at it, surely someone will spot the mistake.
(I hope that you realize that it was a slip (like a typo) and not that I wouldn't know how to correctly do it.)
I will correct it right away and put the new version on the site.

>It would also be nice if you added a slider for the radius (which in your code is the +/-1).

Maybe, but please read my previous posts, where I tried to explain it.
Anyway, if the users call for it, I will add it. (of course, 1 will be the default)

[Toli]

I tried to blur more heavily (radius > 1)
It is simply not feasible. My Effect does not do a real Blur, but a Smooth / Average pixels instead.
It looks awful if more pixels are averaged. I can't submit such a disgrace. Use the plugin for what it was intended: to smooth some colors, not to blur an image. There are plenty of blurs available.
Mine is different and suitable only for the adjacent pixels.

[Toli]

> You know what would be truly amazing?
> Take the GREYCstoration hacky stuff and made it a REAL plugin.
> I hope it's not too difficult, it's what I would tend to do once I've finally time to learn a bit more about C#.

I did have a look at the source code. It is beyond my programming skills and it is in c++, not c#.

[Fisherman's Friend]

> I would actually like to see something like a "soft glow" which smooths the image a bit and makes it slightly glowing
> I've seen some images (maybe done in Photoshop) and tried to reproduce it in PDN with the built in glowing effect
> but didn't get the desired results. Sadly I have no such picture available.
Well, I can't imagine what you are talking about. Of course I must see the original and the glowed one, or to get some data (what ColorBrga fields should be changed in what respect)
Without any more information, I surely cannot do anything. Sorry

I searched deviant.art for an example, but haven't found one at the moment, so I'll have a look on my HDD if there is any one.

For the moment, the effect I want is something what is similar to an effect called glamor blur for Photoshop. You may visit this website and scroll down to "glamour blur".

They give the following description:

"After flattening the image, it blurs skin tone but, by finding edges, keeps details such as hair in place."

Demo (Note: After putting the cursor on the pic, you have to wait a bit until the edited image is loaded)

This is similar to what I want, the glow that I spoke of can be added manually after running this effect.

BTW, on the mentioned site are quite a bunch of effects that may be interesting for Paint.Net users. If you have enought time and knowledge, you will find a lot of inspirations and ideas for new plugins, and I think all of them would be really usesful.

Another issue that's in my mind is a thing called smart sharpening, which is available for GIMP. I often work with drawings, and this effects sharpens the image "only around the edges. This way noise in the sky (for example) doesn't increase when sharpening."

I have not to add that this would be useful, I think.

[Toli]

I would very much appreciate if somebody could make an icon for this plugin, since I'm not an artist.
Thank you.