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Picture layer

Choose Layer > Add Layer > Add Picture Layer... to create a new Picture layer.

After choosing this menu item, the new Picture layer is visible in the Layers listbox. You can use this listbox to switch between layers.

Use the picture layer to add a picture or photo to your animation.

Transparency

Picture layers are rendered transparent. Transparent textures can be loaded with 32 bit TGA or PNG files. An alpha channel can also be imported with a separate "_alpha" file. For example when your picture is called bix.png, BluffTitler searches for a file called bix_alpha.png. When this file exists, BluffTitler automatically imports it as its alpha channel.

images/manual/picture_texture

Textures

The picture layer supports the following formats: .BMP, .JPG, .PNG, .TGA, .DDS and .DIB.. Most people will use the picture layer only to place a photo fullscreen in the background, but if you want you can have your photo translated, rotated or even projected on a cylinder, sphere, donut or heart.


images/manual/picture_morph

Shapes

With the first layer listbox you set the shape of the object the picture is projected on.

This example uses the Donut effect.


images/manual/picture_fullscreen

3D Mode

With the second layer listbox you set the 3D mode.

This example uses the 2D Fullscreen effect.


images/manual/picture_foreground

Other 3D Modes

This example uses the 2D Fullscreen effect for the space picture, the 3D in 3D Space effect for the painting and the 3D in Foreground effect for the alien.


images/manual/picture_cloth

Cloth Simulation

With the Cloth effect that you can select with the first layer listbox you can simulate effects like cloth, waving flags and stretching rubber.


images/manual/picture_particle

Attached particles

Choose Layer > Attach Particle to active Layer... to attach a particle effect.

This example uses the Sparkle preset.


images/manual/picture_fx

Effects

With the menu item Effect / Change Effect... you can can select another effect.

This example uses Filters/Charcoal.fx.


Shapes

The shape the picture is projected on can be one of the following shapes.

Plane

Rounded

Abgeeckt

Circle

Heart

Star

Cube

Cyclinder

Sphere

Donut

Cloth

You can use the Flexibility property to set the flexibility of the cloth effect.

3D Modes

2D Fullscreen

In this mode the picture is rendered fullscreen in the background.

3D in Background

In this mode the picture is always rendered in the background.

3D in 3D Space

In this mode the picture can intersect other layers.

3D in Foreground

In this mode the picture is drawn in front of all other layers.

Bevel Styles

Single Sided

Flat

Solid

Straight Bevel

Round Bevel

Inside Flat

Inside

Outline Flat

Outline, No Bevel

Outline, Straight Bevel

Outline, Round Bevel

For more information take a look at the descriptions of the bevel styles of the text layer.

Properties

Position

The position of the plane the picture is projected on.

Rotation

The rotation of the plane.

Size

You can scale the picture in all three dimensions.

Colour

The colour of the picture.

Transparency

This determines the transparency level of the picture. 0 is completely opaque, 1 is completely transparent.

Specularity

This determines the size of the glancing highlights. Real artists use this effect very subtle, but the real BluffTitler animator happily highlights everything to the max!

Texture Repeat

The number of times the texture is repeated on the same model.

Model Repeat

The number of times the model is repeated.

Flexibility

This property is only used in the Cloth mode that you can select with the first layer listbox. The first slider controls the flexibility. In analogy with the property of the same name of the text layer, the first slider controls the delay in seconds of the most flexible part of the picture. The second slider controls the horizontal position of the pickup point (0 means the left side, 0.5 the centre and 1 the right side). The third slider controls the vertical position of the pickup point (0 means the bottom, 1 the top)

Filmstrip Number of Frames

A filmstrip is a single picture that contains all frames of an animation. The frames are placed next to each other. For example, you can store a 10 frame animation with a resolution of 100 x 200 pixels in a filmstrip of 1000 x 200 pixels. The picture layer can play filmstrips and this property sets the number of frames.

Filmstrip Frames per Second

The frames per second of the filmstrip.

Radius

This property is only used in the Rounded and Abgeeckt modes.

Explosion

The first slider controls the translation, the second the rotation.

Bounds

This property controls the maximum size. If the picture is bigger it will be scaled to fit. This is very useful when using the show as a template or for dynamic content.