BCC+ Pixel Chooser

Category: BCC Key and Blend

Effect Name: BCC+ Pixel Chooser

The BCC+ Pixel Chooser filter, part of the BCC Key and Blend category, is a matte/mask generator and is available as a standalone filter and as an option integrated into almost every filter in the Continuum package.

The integrated version provides a way to select which pixels in the filtered source will be affected by a Continuum filter, via the generation of image based mattes, gradient mattes, vector/object masks, and depth maps. Mocha planar tracking, vector shape masking, and ML object matte options are included in the Pixel Chooser, which allows for the generation of motion-tracked mask shapes as a hold-back mask.

The standalone version of the Pixel Chooser includes all of the same features that are in the integrated version and can be used to generate a track matte for use with a host image layer for seamless composites. It can be used to generate an alpha channel for an RGB image source layer and also includes options to augment an existing alpha channel in an RGBA image source.

Working with the Filter

FX Editor and Presets

• Use the FX Editor to load or save presets for reuse.
• To load a preset: Open the FX Editor, select a preset from the Presets panel, and click Apply to return to the host application.
• To save a custom preset: While in the FX Editor, click the Create Custom Preset icon in the parameter list, enter a preset name, and click Done. Additionally, a custom preset can be saved from the main menu bar by selecting File->Save Preset.
• To import custom presets from another drive: While in the FX Editor, select File->Import Preset from the main menu bar.

Effect Controls

Compare Mode

The Compare Mode is used to view the filtered result alongside the original source layer. Several split-screen and side-by-side display options are available.

For more information, see Compare Mode.

• Output: Used to set the final render from the Pixel Chooser.
• B-W Matte: Displays a black and white matte of the image.
• Alpha Channel: Displays any alpha channel information.
• Multiply Alpha: Displays the alpha with a multiply blend effect.
• Screen Alpha: Displays the alpha channel with a screen blend effect.
• Stencil Alpha: Displays the alpha channel cut out from the opaque pixels.
• Mask Unchosen Pixels: Displays a red overlay on all pixels not selected with the pixelchooser.
• Mocha Mask: Launches the Mocha user interface. 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 maskr

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

Pixel Chooser Group

• View Mask/Matte: Used to enable to see the generated mask/matte from the Pixel Chooser, which is useful while tuning the matte.
• Intensity: Used to adjust the intensity of the mask. A value of zero will generate a pure white matte and have no effect. Values lower than 0 will cause the matte result to be inverted, values higher than 100 will overdrive the matte result.

Mask Group

This sub group contains specific parameters to generate and tune Pixel Chooser masks.

• Shape: Used to set the mask type for the Pixel Chooser. Available shapes include:

• Off: Disables the pixel chooser shape mask.
• Circle: Creates a round, circular mask.
• Ellipse: Creates an elliptical mask.
• Rectangle: Creates a rectangular mask.
• Rounded Rectangle: Creates a rectangular mask with rounded edges.
• Mocha Spline: Used to enable mocha splines.
• AE Host Mask (After Effects Only): Allows the use of AE generated masks inside the pixel chooser.

• Opacity: Used to control the overall opacity / intensity of the mask
• Dilation Quality: Determines the overall quality of the global contraction and expansion of the mask shape

• Fast: Uses lower resolution dilation to improve render times.
• Best: Uses higher resolution dilation, which may slow down render times while producing a better result.

• Dilation: Used to adjust the global contraction and expansion of the mask shape.
• Invert Mask: Inverts the mask when enabled.
• Mask Feather: Used to soften or feather the edges of the mask shape
• Roundness: Used to set the roundness of the selected mask shape
• Use AE Host Mask: Provides options for using Adobe After Effects native host mask shapes

• Use All: uses all mask shapes in the selected PixelChooser layer
• Use Single: allows the user to select a single AE native mask shape.
• Choose by Name: allows the user to select mask shapes based on their naming convention.

• Select Mask: Used to select AE mask shape(s) from the filtered source
• Mask Name Starts With: Enables the selection of an AE native mask shape by name

• Anything: selects all masks regardless of the name)
• A Through I: only masks beginning with the chosen letter are selected
• Mask: all masks shapes that are named Mask are selected

• Mask Center: Used to reposition the mask
• Mask Rotation: Used to rotate the mask
• Scale Mask: Used to increase or decrease the size of the mask uniformly
• Scale Mask X: Used to scale the mask along the x axis only
• Scale Mask Y: Used to scale the mask along the y axis only

Gradient Group

• Gradient Type: Selects the type of gradient ramp that is being generated
• Off
• Circular
• Linear
• Strip
• Opacity: Used to control the overall opacity / intensity of the gradient mask
• Center: Used to reposition the mask shape along the x/y axis
• Aspect: Used to stretch or squish the gradient along the x / y axis
• Central Radius: Used to set the size of the circular gradient
• Falloff Radius: Used to set the length of the circular gradient ramp
• Falloff: bias control for the gradient falloff
• Size: Used to control the length of the linear or strip gradients
• Angle: Used to set the angle of the linear or strip gradients
• Invert Gradient: Used to invert the gradient

Matte Group

• Channel: Used to select a channel for the PixelChooser source clip for the matte
• None: no pixels from the input source are used
• Luma: only values from the luma channel are used
• Red: only values from the red channel are used
• Green: only values from the green channel are used
• Blue: only values from the blue channel are used
• Alpha: only values from the alpha channel are used
• Key: only pixels that fall into the range set by the color swatches are used
• Opacity: Used to control the overall opacity / intensity of the generated matte
• Matte Layer: Used to select a source layer for the matte section of the PixelChooser
• Matte Type: Used to select an operator which can modify pixels in the selected channel
• Levels: matte is based on user determined black and white levels
• Threshold: matte is based on a user defined midpoint
• Range: matte is based on user defined start and end points
• Slice: matte is based on the range width and position.
• Pre Smoothing Amount: Used to control upstream edge-aware smoothing which can generate smoother masks without softening important image detail
• Preserve Contrast: Used in conjunction with the pre smoothing option to preserve contrast in the matte
• Black Level: Used to control the shadow areas of the matte when using levels
• White Level: Used to control the highlight areas of the matte when using levels
• Threshold: Used to set the threshold for the black/white regions of the matte
• Range From: Used to set the start point (highlight) for a range based matte
• Range To: Used to set the end point (shadow) for a range based matte
• Softness: Used to expand or contract a threshold or range based matte
• Slice Center: Used to set the range position of pixels to be included in the matte.
• Slice Width: Used to set the width of the range of pixels to be included in the matte.
• Softness: Used to soften the result of the threshold and range mattes.
• Key Color A: Used to set color for keyer
• Key Color B: Used to set color for keyer
• Hue Softness: Used to expand or contract the hue values used by the keyer
• Saturation Softness: Used to expand or contract the saturation values used by the keyer
• Luma Softness: Used to expand or contract the luma values used by the keyer
• Clip Black: Used to control the shadow region of mattes generated by the keyer
• Clip White: Used to control the highlight region of mattes generated by the keyer
• Gamma: Used to adjust the gamma of mattes generated by the keyer
• Choke: Used to shrink/spread the generated matte
• Dilation Quality: Determines the overall quality of the global contraction and expansion of the matte.
• Fast: Uses lower resolution dilation to improve render times.
• High: Uses higher resolution dilation, which may slow down render times while producing a better result.
• Dilation: Used to adjust the global contraction and expansion of the matte.
• Blur: Used to post soften or blur the generated matte
• Invert Matte: Used to invert the generated matte

Depth Map ML Group

• Enable: Used to enable/disable the Depth Map ML effect.
• Model: Used to select the desired depth map model.
• Better: a slower but more precise depth map model
• Faster: a faster but less precise depth map model
• Mapping Mode:
• Scale: Available when Scaled mode is selected and used to tune the white scale of the depth map result.
• Min/Max: Automatically rescales the depth map to span the full range from black to white
• Guided: Generates a depth map based on user defined start and end points in the image.
• Guide Far X/Y: Available when Guided mode is selected and used to set the far point for the depth map
• Guide Near X/Y: Available when Guided mode is selected and used to set the near point for the depth map
• Brightness: Used to increase or decrease the brightness in the generated depth map
• Contrast: Used to increase or decrease the contrast in the generated depth map
• Gamma: Used to increase or decrease the gamma in the generated depth map
• Level Far: Used to tune the Far region of the generated depth map
• Level Near: Used to tune the Near region of the generated depth map
• Invert: Used to invert the depth map

Refine Depth Group

• Far Sub Group: Used to tune the far regions in the depth map
• Mid Sub Group: Used to tune the mid regions in the depth map
• Near Sub Group: Used to tune the near regions in the depth map

Matte Tools Group

• Enable: Used to enable / disable the refine matte controls
• Matte Type: Select one option from the list to fine tune the matte
• Levels: Uses depth map levels directly as set by earlier phases
• Threshold: Exposes Threshold and Softness control sliders
• Range: Exposes Range From and Range To matte control sliders
• Slice: Exposes Slice Center, Slice Width and Softness matte control sliders
• Threshold: Used to set the center point for pixels that are either black or white
• Range From: Used to set the starting range of pixels
• Range To: Used to set the end range of pixels
• Slice Center: Used to isolate a range of pixels
• Slice Width: Used to define the width of the Slice range
• Softness: Used to soften the transition
• Choke: Used to choke or spread the matte
• Blur: Used to blur the matte
• Invert Matte: Used to invert the depth map

Face ML Group

• Enable: Enables the Face ML controls.
• Model: Use to select the AI / ML model

The following options determine which facial features will be masked. Selecting All negates all other choices but when All is disabled / unchecked, the remaining options can be used individually or in any combination:

• All: generates a mask for the entire face
• Skin: generates a mask for the skin (only on the face)
• Eyebrow Left: generates a mask for the left eyebrow
• Eyebrow Right: generates a mask for the right eyebrow
• Eye Left: generates a mask for the left eye
• Eye RIght: generates a mask for the right eye
• Lip Top: generates a mask for the top lip
• Lip Bottom: generates a mask for the bottom lip
• Mouth: generates a mask for the mouth interior
• Teeth: generates a mask for the teeth
• Beard: generates a mask for the beard and/or mustache
• Nose: generates a mask for the nose
• Neck: generates a mask for the neck

Matte Tools Group

These parameters control the edge of the returned mask shapes.

• Enable: Use to enable the parameters that are in this group.
• Feather: Use to feather the edge of the mask shapes.
• Feather Bias: Use to set the center point of the feathering along the edge of the mask. A negative value pushes the feather toward the outside of the mask, thereby expanding the mask shape. A positive value pushes the feather toward the inside of the mask shape, causing the mask to contract.
• Choke: Use the Choke parameter to expand or contract the mask. Note that this option will eat into the mask feather.
• Dilation Quality: Use to set the quality of the mask dilation. There are two options in this menu:
• Fast
• High
• Dilation: Use the Dilation parameter to expand or contract the mask while preserving the feathered edge.
• Post Blur: A final optional blur pass for the mask shapes applied after the other matte adjustments.
• Invert Matte: Click to invert the mask shapes.
• GPU Rendering:Specifies how the effect is rendered.
• Default: Uses product-wide default of 16 bit half-float GPU rendering.
• 16 Bit Float: Manually force 16 bit half-float GPU rendering.
• 32 Bit Float: Manually force 32 bit full-float GPU rendering.
• Disabled: Forces CPU rendering.