Tutorial #2 Page 2

1. Add a layer and change the gradient to the following:

Gradient-Fractal1,Layer1 {
; Simple grayscale gradient.
gradient:
title="Gradient - Fractal1, Layer 1" smooth=yes rotation=124
index=416 color=12648144 index=515 color=5994106 index=142
color=751939 index=198 color=14733790 index=357 color=2229858
opacity:
smooth=no index=0 opacity=255
}

Simply hightlight all the code for the gradient and push Ctrl C (or right-click and copy), and then click on your gradient for this new layer and puch Ctrl V, (or right-click and paste).

2. Change the Noise Function to Circles, Flavor 1 to Sharp, and Flavor 2 to Soft I.. Right-click on the Noise F. parameters and explore to see the difference this makes. Do the same for the Flavor 1 parameters and the Flavor 2 parameters. Scroll down to Pattern Size and change it to 1.2. To get the settings I ended up with, highlight the following code and push Ctrl C. Then go to the little down arrow below the question mark on the Outside tab. Click on it, and you will get a little box with options: Copy, Paste, and Reset Parameters. Click on paste, and you should have my settings. Your layer should look like the picture below the code. Notice that I have also changed the Transfer function to Log.

S.F.B.M.II {
outside:
transfer=log filename="sam.ucl" entry="SFBMII" p_noise=Circles
p_noisep=0.082977/0.713396 p_f1=Sharp p_fp1=1.495628/-0.261581
p_f2="Soft I" p_fp2=2.307907/-0.351069 p_mode=Normal p_beta=1.0
p_power=2.0 p_power2=1.0 p_pp=0/1 p_pptype=Cartesian p_ppp=1/1
p_size=1.2 p_rot=28.0 p_mstep=1.0 p_fmm=40/1 p_interp=Logarithmic
p_cc=0.0 p_cbl=1.0 p_ctl=0.0 p_cbr=0.0 p_ctr=0.0 p_eps=0.006
}

3. Now, we are going to make a simple gradient mask. Duplicate the Background layer. Rename this layer Mask 1, and click the visible icon on Layer 1 and the Background layer to hide them so we can concentrate on this mask layer. Push F4 to pull up the gradient. Right-click in the Opacity window and add a color control point by selecting Insert. Place the color point in the blue color region and then with the left mouse button held down, move it all the way down until the Opacity value is 0, and you see a checkerboard pattern appear. It should look like this:

4. Since we want the blue and white areas to totally transparent, add another control point near the border of the blue/red region Leave it there with the opacity at 255. Go back to the blue control point (with opacity of 0) and move it to the left until it is almost right below the new control point you just added. Your gradient should now look like this:

5. There is still some blue and white showing in these ribbons that we need to take out to make this area fully transparent. Add another control point at the white/yellow border. Leave it at an opacity of 255. Add another control point just to the left of it and pull it down until the opacity is 0. Your gradient should look like this:

6. These ribbons will now be totally transparent. When we use this layer as a mask, the ribbons will remain the blue and white color and not be affected by Layer 1. The surrounding red and yellow areas are opaque and thus will be affected by Layer 1. Turn Layer 1 and the background layers back on and change the merge mode of Layer 1 to Difference. Click on the layer labled Mask 1 and then click on the icon to the right that says Use as Mask when you mouse over it. You will notice that when you look at the gradient now, it is black and white. This is what a gradient mask looks like. The white areas will be opaque and the black areas will be transparent.