BCC+ Color Link

The BCC+ Color Link filter is a 32 bit hardware accelerated effect applied to a foreground layer, which is then colorized by the averaged color from a sampled background layer directly beneath it in the timeline. Consider a title over a live action shot filtered by the Color Link effect - in this case, the color of the title is averaged from the live action shot for a more balanced composite. It could also be used to color match shots used in a PIP effect or with keyed composites.

The effect includes several different user selectable ways to average the sampled color values from the background source and includes an array of more than 20 different apply modes, which can be used to blend the sampled color with the color of the filtered clip.

Color values can be sampled either from the entire frame or from a user defined point within the frame with an adjustable radius around the selected point. 

Color can either be live-sampled dynamically frame-by-frame, which continuously pulls color from the background source, or statically, where a user selects a single frame from the sampled clip for a non-animating color match result.

Also included is the pixelchooser mask and matte option, a multi-stage film glow, a set of color correction tools and an integrated drop shadow effect for use with title graphic treatments.

And as is the case with all Continuum effects, the built-in Compare Mode makes it easy to simultaneously view in a side-by-side arrangement the foreground and background shots, or the original and filtered result, while working on the effect setup to dial in just the right look.

Presets and the FX Editor

The FX Editor provides a convenient way to store and retrieve factory installed and/or user generated filter presets. To select a preset, open the FX Editor interface and pick one from the Presets panel. Click the apply button in the FX Editor to return to the host user interface.

To save a custom preset, click the “Create Custom Preset” icon in the top right corner of the parameter list, next to the filter name, set a name for the new custom preset in the dialog that appears and click done.

Filter Parameters

Mocha Mask and Track provides a way for the user to select and track which pixels in the filtered source are actually going to be affected by the filter, via the generation of image based mattes, gradient mattes and vector shape masks. Mocha planar tracking and vector shape masking options are included in the PixelChooser, which allows for the generation of motion-tracked mask shapes as a hold-back mask.

For more information on the Mocha Masking and Tracking, Click Here.

Compare Mode

The BCC Compare Mode provides a convenient mechanism to compare the effect result with the original source layer. It provides several variations on basic split-screen views with the filtered clip placed next to the unedited original.

For more information on the Compare Mode,Click Here.

Allow Resizing: Only available in Adobe After Effects, this checkbox allows for AE based resizing, allowing the full image to be displayed and moved within AE’s composition panel.

View: Toggles the render view

• Output: Displays the final filtered output
• Sample Layer: Displays the layer used for the color link sample
• Over Sample: Displays the filtered effect over the sample layer.

The Sample Group

The Sample Layer Pop Up: Used to Select the Layer used for the color link sample.

Sample Method: Used to select the color channel used in the effect.

• Average: the mean of each color channel in a region.
• Median: the median approximation of each color channel in a region.
• Brightest: the highest luminance value in a region.
• Darkest: the lowest luminance value in a region.
• Max rgb: the highest value of each color channel in a region.
• Min rgb: the lowest value of each color channel in a region.
• Diffuse color: a blurred overlay of the full source frame.

Sample Type: Used to determine how the color link sample is used in the effect.

• Dynamic: Samples the color at every frame dynamically, allowing the effect to match the sample layer as the color changes throughout the clip.
• Static: Samples the color at a single predetermined frame and maintains that color throught the clip.

Sample Frame: Only available when the Sample Type is set to Static. Allows for the manual selection of a specific frame in the clip upon which the color link is based.

Sample Region: Used to select the region in the sample layer that is used for the color link.

• Full Frame: Selects the color or luminance values across the full frame of the sample image.
• Point Radius: Selects the color or luminance values based on a user defined region.

Center X/Y: Only available when Point Radius is selected. Used to select the X/Y position of the sample area.

Radius: Only available when Point Radius is selected. Used to determin the radius of the sample area. Higher values will result in a larger sample area.

Blur: Used to blur the source layer. Only available when the sample method is set to Diffuse Color.

Flip Sample: Used to invert the sample image along the X/Y Axis. Only available when the sample method is set to Difuse Color. Note: This function only affects how the color link samples the pixels. It does not change the orientation of the source layer.

• Off: Disables the flip sample feature. The sample layer is not inverted.
• Flip X: Flips the sample layer 180 degrees along the X axis.
• Flip Y: Flips the sample layer 180 degrees along the Y axis.
• Flip X + Y: Flips the sample layer 180 degrees along both the X and Y axis.

Opacity: Used to adjust the overall opacity of the color link effect. Higher values will result in a more opaque effect, utilizing the full range of the sample layer pixels. Lower values will result in a more transparent effect.

Blend Mode: Used to blend the filtered output to the source image. Blend Modes control the blending of the two images, giving the effects many additional creative possibilities.

For more information on Blend and Apply Modes click here.

The Film Glow Group

Enable Checkbox: Enables/Disables the Film Glow Parameter Group

Intensity: Use to control the intensity of the glow result. Higher values yield a stronger glow across the image while lower values restrict the glow intensity.

Color: Used to set the color of the glow. In it’s default state the glow is white. By selecting a color with the color chip, the glow can be set to any RGB value. With the eyedropper, the glow color can be selected directly from the image pixels.

Radius: Used to set the radius over which the glow spreads to surrounding regions. Higher values will result in a larger, more diffuse glow, while lower values will create a more restricted glow.

Radius X: Used to set the width of the glow along the X axis. Higher values will result in a glow that is stretched horizontally along the X axis, while lower values will restrict the glow horizontally along the X axis.

Radius Y : Used to set the width of the glow along the Y axis. Higher values will result in a glow that is stretched vertically along the Y axis, while lower values will restrict the glow horizontally along the Y axis..

Desaturation: Used to alters the glow result by adjusting the chroma values that are used for the input. At 0 the function has no effect on the result generating a traditional film glow, increasing the value in this parameter yields a result that looks colder and less saturated.

Threshold: Used to set the pixel values that are affected by the glow – a setting of 0 will apply a glow to all of the pixels in the input clip, while a setting of 100 will not apply any glow to the image.

Glow From Alpha: The Glow From Alpha option generates the image glow from the alpha channel instead of or in addition to the color channels. The selection in the Glow From Alpha Mode determines how the alpha glow and the color channel glows are combined.

Boost Alpha: Controls how much the spread of glow pixels caused by the blur boosts the alpha channel of non-­‐opaque pixels.

Glow Under Source: Use this function to control how the glow is composited with alpha source clips – a setting of zero composites the glow on top of the source and disregards the source alpha channel, while a setting of 100 composites the glow behind opaque regions in the source but allowing it to extend out into the transparent regions.

Edge Mode Determines how edges of the filtered frame are handled.

• Transparent: allows the edge of the result to become transparent.
• Repeat: repeats edge pixels to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
• Reflect: reflects pixels back into the result to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.
• Wrap: wraps the pixels to generate opaque pixels along the edge of the result.

RGB Independent: This parameter group controls the independent scaling of the glow dimensions for R, G, and B. parameter group controls the

Red Scale: Used to set the scale of the red glow uniformly. Higher values will increase the scale along the X and Y axis.

Red Scale X: Used to set the scale of the red glow along the horizontal axis. Higher values will increase the scale along the X axis. while lower values will restrict it.

Red Scale Y: Used to set the scale of the red glow along the vertical axis. Higher values will increase the scale along the Y axis. while lower values will restrict it.

Green Scale: Used to set the scale of the green glow uniformly. Higher values will increase the scale along the X and Y axis.

Green Scale X: Used to set the scale of the green glow along the horizontal axis. Higher values will increase the scale along the X axis. while lower values will restrict it. .

Green Scale Y: Used to set the scale of the green glow along the vertical axis. Higher values will increase the scale along the Y axis. while lower values will restrict it.

Blue Scale: Used to set the scale of the blue glow uniformly. Higher values will increase the scale along the X and Y axis.

Blue Scale X: Used to set the scale of the green glow along the horizontal axis. Higher values will increase the scale along the X axis. while lower values will restrict it. .

Blue Scale Y: Used to set the scale of the blue glow along the vertical axis. Higher values will increase the scale along the y axis. while lower values will restrict it.

Glow Matte: Lets you choose an alternate clip or layer from which the matte is derived.

Glow Matte Type: Selects the channel in the source image from which the glow is derived. Pixels with higher values in the selected channel are considered to have higher intensities.

• Color: use the RGBA color channel and multiplies it by the source alpha channel.
• Color Inverted: uses the inverted color channel.
• Luma: uses the luma channel.
• Luma Inverted: uses the inverted luma channel.
• Alpha: use the unmodified Alpha channel.
• Alpha Inverted: use the inverted Alpha channel.

The Color Correction group

The Color Correction group provides  a range of foreground color correction tools for aid in matching foreground and background colors to create a more convincing final composite.  A separate set of correction tools for just the foreground edge is found in the Edge Color Correction group.

Enable Checkbox:  Enables/Disables the color correction parameters.

Hue: Used to control the overall hue of the color link.

Saturation: Used to control the overall saturation of the color link.

Brightness: Used to control the overall brightness of the color link.

Contrast: Used to control the overall contrast of the color link.

Gamma: Used to control the overall gamma of the color link.

Temperature: Control the overall temperature of the foreground.  Moving the Temperature slider to the left (negative values) will yield a cooler result, while moving the slider to the right will warm up the shot.

Cyan/Magenta: Adds either Cyan or Magenta to the image. Dragging the slider to the right makes the image more magenta and dragging the slider to the left makes the image more cyan.

Red: Adds or subtracts red from the image.

Green: Adds or subtracts green from the image.

Blue: Adds or subtracts blue from the image.

The Drop Shadow Group

Enable: Enables/Disables the drop shadow group parameters.

Pre/Post Glow: Determines when the drop shadow is applied to the effect.

• Pre Glow: Applies the drop shadow before the glow effect is applied.
• Post Glow: Applies the drop shadow after the glow effect is applied.

Color: Used to select the color of the drop shadow effect. Color may be sampled from the color chip or through the use of the eye dropper.

Opacity: Used to control the opacity of the drop shadow. Higher values will result in a more opaque shadow, whereas lower values will result in a more transparent effect.

Blur: Used to control the softness of the drop shadow. Higher values will result in a softer edge to the shadow.

Position: Used to set the distance of the drop shadow from the source along the x/y axis.

Mix with Original: Blends the smoothed result back with the unfiltered source clip.

GPU Rendering: This popup allows toggles renderer in use for the filter.

• Default: By default the filter will utilize the installed video card and bases the render on the project settings.
• 16 Bit Float: Sets the render to 16 bit float
• 32 Bit Float: Sets the render to 32 bit float
• Disabled: Disables GPU rendering and switches to software rendering.