BCC+ FX Editor

Category: Common Controls

Effect Name: BCC+ FX Editor

The BCC+ FX Editor interface provides intuitive viewing, selecting and editing of effects and presets. This feature, part of the BCC+ class of filters, is opened by selecting the FX Editor button in the hosts's effects panel. There are 4 main components:

• Viewer: Displays the source image, and allows for editing and manipulation.
• Presets: Selects from existing filter presets.
• Parameters: Displays the current filter’s parameters. Adjusting the parameters will update and change the image in the Viewer.
• Color Management: The FX Editor uses the OpenColorIO standard originally developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks for its color management.

The Viewer

The Viewer is where images are viewed, edited and manipulated.

• Zoom In: Zooms the image in.
• Zoom Level: Displays the zoom level as a percentage.
• Zoom Out: Zooms the image out.
• Zoom to Fit: Fits the entire image inside the Viewer.
• Zoom: Select the Zoom Region icon and drag select a square region in the Viewer to zoom in on that area.
• Pan: Pans the image left, right, up and down.

Viewer Keyboard Shortcuts

• Middle-mouse drag: Pans the image
• Space Bar + drag: Pans the image
• I Key: Zooms the image in
• O Key: Zooms the image out
• Zoom icon + Drag a square: Zooms into the defined area
• Scroll wheel over image: Zooms the image in and out
• Middle-mouse double click: Fits the image to the window
• F: Fits the image to the window
• H: Opens the Histogram window

Compare

Compare modes compare images using Side-by-Side, Vertical Split, Horizontal Split or A/B comparison modes. By default, the current filter and original image are selected for comparison. Choose one of the comparison modes using the icons above the Viewer.

• Side-by-Side Comparison: Compares images side by side in the Viewer.
• Vertical Split Comparison: Compares images using a vertical split. When the cursor is moved to the image area over the split line it changes to a double-arrow. Click and drag to move the split. Depending on the filter used, the split line may not be obvious, so triangular sashes on the outside of the image help locating it. If the sash is dragged all the way around, it will swap directions.
• Horizontal Split Comparison: Compares images using a horizontal split. Click and drag to move the split. Depending on the filter used, the split line may not be obvious, so triangular sashes on the outside of the image help locating it. If the sash is dragged all the way around, it will swap directions.
• A/B Comparison: When the A/B Comparison button is selected, a Show Other View icon appears. Clicking it cycles through the images.

Histogram

The histogram is a specialized graph that plots the number of pixels at each color intensity level. It displays how an image’s pixels are distributed.

Time Bar

A Time Bar is located below the Viewer which controls which image in the sequence is loaded into the Viewer. The frame can be changed by dragging the slider, manually entering a new number, or using the up/down arrows to cycle through frames.

Presets and Parameters

Presets

The Presets window allows the selection of presets from a sekection of pre-defined options. Presets for most filters have been created to allow for easy cycling through the various choices.

Most filters contain multiple preset groups which are selectable at the top of the window.

Clicking once on a preset modifies the image in the Viewer. As different presets are selected the image in the Viewer will update.

Preset Searching

Presets can be searched for by entering text in the search field located at the top of the Presets window. The pattern remains in effect when the filters are switched, but it will clear automatically when a new layer in the Effect window is selected, or a new presets is applied. Clear the search text to return the Presets window to it’s normal state.

Favorites

Presets can be tagged as a favorite allowing them to be sorted separately in the Presets window. To tag a preset as a favorite select the preset and press the Toggle Favorite icon located at the top right of the Presets window.

• Presets tagged as a favorite display a yellow star at the top right of the preset.
• To sort the Presets window by Favorites, select Favorites in the Presets pop- up menu.

Presets Right-Click Menu

Right-click over a preset to open Preset options.

• Rename: Allows the preset to be renamed.
• Delete: Deletes the preset.
• Make Default: The default preset is the one that is applied to the image when a filter is selected and the one shown in the Filter window. Changing the default will take effect the next time the BCC FX Editor is launched.
• Restore Default Presets: Restores the Default preset for each filter. The restore happens the next time the filter is selected.
• Restore Deleted Presets: Restores deleted presets.
• Restore Renamed Presets: Restores renamed presets. The restore happens the next time the filter is selected.
• Restore To Factory Default: Restores all presets to the default factory settings.

Parameters

The Parameters window displays the current filter’s parameters. Adjusting the parameters will update and change the image in the Viewer.

• Create Custom Preset: Creates a custom preset in the Presets window based on the current parameter settings. The preset must be named prior to creating it by using the name field to the left of the Add Preset icon.
• Reset to Defaults: Resets all of the parameters for the currently selected preset to the built-in defaults.

Sashes

By clicking and dragging the sashes, dividing lines between areas of the screen, the FX Editor interface can be adjusted.

Tool Tips

Hovering the cursor over an icon will pop up a tool tip that displays its function.

Value Field Length

The Value field size can be adjusted by clicking and dragging the dividing line between Parameter and Value at the top of the Parameters window. This is useful if the Parameter names are getting cut off.

Parameter Groups

Parameter groups in the Parameters window can be expanded and collapsed using the plus and minus icons located to the left of the group.

Slider Precision

You can adjust any slider with finer precision by pressing Ctrl(Win)/Cmd(Mac)while dragging the slider.

Variations

The Variations window allows you to create a filter variations that becomes visible when a parameter name is selected in the Parameters window.

The first parameter selected will be the dominant parameter – it’ll go across the top of the Variations tab. Different results can be created depending on the order in which the parameters are selected. Click on a selected parameter to toggle it back off again.

• Maximum Number of Variations: Sets the number of variations.
• Parameter Value Spread: Determines the difference from one variation to another.
• Auto Generate: Variations are constantly being generated every time a parameter is selected.
• Generate: When Auto Generate is off, the Generate icon must be selected to update the variations after new parameters are selected.

The File Menu

Setups

A Setup takes a snapshot of the filter’s parameters. Setups can be saved and loaded and are independent of the image they were originally applied to. If a Setup is loaded containing multiple filters that were saved from the standalone or photo plug-in versions, only the filter currently being used is modified by the settings contained in the Setup.

• Open Setup: Opens a previously saved Setup.
• Save Setup: Takes a snapshot of the filter’s parameters and saves it as a Setup file. This Setup file can later be loaded to the same or a different image.

Preferences

Preferences allow customization of default settings.

• Thumbnail Size: Determines whether the FX Editor interface uses either a small or large thumbnail sizes. Medium thumbnails are the default.

• Small: Small thumbnails are used in the FX Editor interface.
• Medium: Medium thumbnails are used in the FX Editor interface.
• Large: Large thumbnails are used in the FX Editor interface.

Preview Size

The BCC FX Editor works at a maximum resolution as defined by the Preview Size–the default being 2048 by 2048 pixels. When an image is saved, the FX Editor always processes at the resolution of the original image.

• 1024: The FX Editor works at a maximum resolution of 1024 x 1024 pixels.
• 2048: The FX Editor works at a maximum resolution of 2048 x 2048 pixels.
• 4096: The FX Editor works at a maximum resolution of 4096 x 4096 pixels.

Downsampling

At large preview sizes, interaction may slow down when adjusting filter parameters. To maintain fast processing during adjustments, enable Downsampling.

• Adaptive: Automatically downsamples the image if required.
• 2:1: Automatically downsamples the image by a factor of 2.
• 4:1: Automatically downsamples the image by a factor of 4.
• 8:1: Automatically downsamples the image by a factor of 8.

Preview Scaling

• Point: Uses a lower quality scaling method when displaying the image in the Viewer. Point is more accurate when applying filters such as grain and sharpen, but when zooming in, the image will display “chunky” artifacts.
• Bicubic: Uses a smooth scaling method when displaying the image in the Viewer. Bicubic can mask the effect of grain and sharpen filters because of its inherent smoothing, but doesn’t suffer from the Point methods chunkiness when zooming in.
• GPU Rendering: Enables or disables GPU rendering.

The Edit Menu

• Undo/Redo: Undo or redo operations.
• Undo/Redo History: Jump to any item in the history by picking it from the menu.

The View Menu

Window

The BCC FX Editor user interface is broken up into individual windows which can be opened or closed by selecting or

• Color Management: Opens or close the Color Management window.
• Color Wheels: Open or closes the Color Correct Wheels window.
• Console: Displays diagnostic information.
• Copy to Clipboard: Copies the contents of the Console to the Clipboard.
• Options: OpenGLDisplays the OpenGL version information.
• Rendering Statistics: Displays rendering times.
• Histogram: Opens or closes the Histogram window.
• Parameters: Opens or closes the Parameters window.
• Presets: Opens or closes the Presets window.
• Variations: Opens or closes the Variations window.
• Reset: Resets the window layout the next time the FX Editor is started. This is useful if you have tweaked your windows beyond recognition.
• Zoom In: Zooms the image in.
• Zoom Out: Zooms the image out.
• Fit Image to Window: Fits the image to the window.

Layouts

There are 4 preset layouts that automatically arrange the interface windows into different configurations.

• Default Layout: The interface is configured with the default BCC FX Editor layout where all windows are shown.
• Edit Layout: The Edit Layout shows the Viewer, Presets and Parameters windows.
• View Layout: The View Layout shows only the Viewer.
• Dual Monitor Layout: The Dual Monitor Layout shows the Viewer on the left monitor and all other windows on the right monitor.

Layout Shortcuts

• F2: Selects the Default Layout
• F3: Selects the Edit Layout
• F4: Selects the View Layout
• F5: Selects the Dual Monitor Layout

Color Management

The BCC FX Editor uses the OpenColorIO standard originally developed by Sony Pictures Imageworks for its color management. OCIO is compatible with the Academy Color Encoding Specification (ACES) and is LUT-format agnostic, supporting many popular formats. In the FX Editor, this is used when loading custom color configuration files, applying color space conversions, as well as using other controls for fine tuning.

For a more detailed explanation of OpenColorIO, including generating LUT’s and suggested workflows, please visit OpenColorIO.Org.

Accessing OpenColorIO

Select View > Window > Color Management to open the Color Management window in the FX Editor user interface.

Config

The BCC FX Editor includes a default OCIO configuration. To load a custom OCIO configuration, click the load icon to the right of the Config field.

For instance, Aces OCIO config file may be downloaded and used here.

• Colorspace: Sets the input colorspace of the scene.
• View: Select a colorspace transform to apply to the scene.
• Exposure: Adjusts the brightness of the image in F-stops. Exposure is applied before the display transform.
• Gamma: Adjusts the gamma of the image. Gamma is applied after the display transform.

The Help Menu

• User Guide: Opens the BCC FX Editor User Guide.
• What’s New: Provides information on updates, release notes and available downloads.
• About: Shows the BCC FX Editor version number. This is useful information to provide to support should issues be encountered.