BCC+ Magic Sharp

Category: BCC Image Restoration

Effect Name: BCC+ Magic Sharp

The BCC+ Magic Sharp filter, part of the BCC Image Restoration category, is used to enhance image detail while minimizing artifacts associated with traditional sharpening tools. The core sharpening algorithm performs up to four passes labelled Fine, Small, Medium, and Course. Each pass targets physical details that have wider and wider pixel dimensions with each stage focusing on details of roughly twice the pixel dimensions as the previous stage. Additional controls allow fine tuning the amount of sharpening applied to individual color channels and to independent luma ranges along with the ability to suppress noise or grit introduced during the sharpening process.

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

Mocha Mask and Track

Continuum effects include integrated masking and matte tools that allow you to restrict the effect to specific regions of the image.

• Mocha masks: used to create custom spline masks. Mocha also includes Matte Assist ML and Matte Refine ML, which use machine learning to generate and track masks.
• Pixel Chooser: used to generate geometric shapes, gradients, or mattes based on channel, luma, or color-based selections. Additionally, an AI depth map generator, and an AI-powered face detection model allow for precise control of masks and mattes.

For more information, see Mocha and Pixel Chooser.

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.

• Sharpen Amount: Controls the master sharpening amount across all detail levels. Refinements to the amount of sharpening for individual detail sizes can be set in the Detail Tuning parameter group. Adjusting this master sharpening control will scale the amount of sharpening in all detail stages proportionally.
• Sharpen Threshold: Used to limit the amount of sharpening applied to regions that already have sharp, high-contrast edges. This favors only applying the sharpening to lower contrast details where the enhancement is most needed. Setting the Threshold to higher values will sharpen edges that are already quite sharp. When pushed too far it will introduce ring or halo artifacts along edges that already have high contrast – a notorious problem with traditional sharpening tools. The Threshold parameter avoids ringing/halo artifacts by sharpening the right details and avoiding details that don’t need additional contrast enhancement.
• Sharpen Radius: Used to control the master sharpening radius across all detail levels. Choosing larger values will favor the enhancement of details with larger physical dimensions (in pixels). Refinements to the amount of sharpening for individual detail sizes can be set in the Detail Tuning parameter group by enabling or disabling individual passes. Note that increasing radius settings can increase render times.
• Edge Sensitivity: This adjusts the amount of sharpening applied to minor details. This is useful in some clips where you need to reduce image noise. Use sparingly in noisy clips to limit enhancement of noise while still permitting sharpening of genuine image detail.

Detail Tuning Group

The core sharpening algorithm performs up to four passes labelled Fine, Small, Medium, and Course. Each pass targets physical details that have wider and wider pixel dimensions with each stage focusing on details of roughly twice the pixel dimensions as the previous stage. This group allows controlling which of those stages are enabled as well as fine tuning the relative amount of sharpening in each of those stages. Note that enabling the stages for wider image details can increase rendering times.

• Fine Pass: Enable/Disable the sharpening pass for the finest level details.
• Fine Sharpen: Adjust the relative amount of sharpening of Fine details.
• Small Pass: Enable/Disable the sharpening pass for small sized details.
• Small Sharpen: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening of small sized details.
• Medium Pass: Enable/Disable the sharpening pass for medium sized details.
• Medium Sharpen: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening of medium sized details.
• Coarse Pass: Enable/Disable the sharpening pass for the coarsest level details.
• Coarse Sharpen: Adjust the relative amount of sharpening of coarse details.

Channel Tuning Group

Adjust the relative amounts of sharpening in individual color channels, for example to restrict sharpening only to luma without sharpening chroma details.

• Luma: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the luma channel.
• Chroma: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the chroma channel.
• Red: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the red channel.
• Green: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the green channel.
• Blue: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the blue channel.

Range Tuning Group

Adjust the relative amounts of sharpening across different luma ranges, for example to reduce sharpening in noisy shadow regions. Range parameters allow fine tuning which tonal ranges fall into each group. The relative sharpening adjustments change smoothly for regions that fall part way between tonal ranges.

• High/Mid/Shad Sharpen On: Enable/Disable fine tuning of the sharpening amounts across these tonal ranges.
• Range Preview: Controls the preview options for visualizing which regions of the image fall into which tonal ranges.
• Off: Disable the preview modes and view the final effect result.
• Highlights: Displays a ruby mask over non-highlight pixels while highlight regions are displayed in their original color.
• Midtones: Displays a ruby mask over non-midtone pixels while midtone regions are displayed in their original color.
• Shadows: Displays a ruby mask over non-shadow pixels while shadow regions are displayed in their original color.
• Highlight Threshold: Pixels with luma values above this level are treated as fully within the Highlight range. Pixels with values between this level and the Midtone High Range are treated as proportionally belonging to both ranges.
• Midtone High Threshold: Pixels with luma values below this level but above the Midtone Low Range are treated as fully within the Midtone range. Pixels with values between this level and the Highlight Range are treated as proportionally belonging to both ranges.
• Midtone Low Threshold: Pixels with luma values above this level but below the Midtone High Range are treated as fully within the Midtone range. Pixels with values between this level and the Shadow Range are treated as proportionally belonging to both ranges.
• Shadow Threshold: Pixels with luma values below this level are treated as fully within the Shadow range. Pixels with values between this level and the Midtone Low Range are treated as proportionally belonging to both ranges.
• Highlight: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the highlights.
• Midtone: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the midtones.
• Shadow: Used to adjust the relative amount of sharpening in the shadows.
• Mix with Original: Blends the source and filtered images. Use this parameter to animate the effect from the unfiltered to the filtered image without adjusting other settings, or to reduce the effect of the filter by mixing it with the source image.
• 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.