Jonathan Roberts' tutorial and GIMP Script-Fu Layer Effects

[halfred]

Hi, folks,

I hope someone can help me understand what I might be missing as I try to follow Jonathan Robert's mini-tutorials that he's been posting on Fantastic Maps and Google+.

I was able to use several of the Layer Effect scripts succesfully, specifically Stroke and Inner Glow. However, I couldn't get the Outer Glow or Drop Shadow scripts to do what I think they should. The both created a layer that darkened all the walls in addition to creating a glow or shadow effect. I was able to create a similar effect manually, but I wonder if there's something I'm missing about how these scripts function. Any suggestions?

I created a really simple example to reproduce the problem I'm seeing. I've attached the GIMP .xcf file that includes the "broken" layers as well as my work-arounds. Thanks for any suggestions. And many thanks to Jonathan for posting such great info.

FM-Tutorial.png

FM-Tutorial.zip

[Thesslian]

That sounds like what they are supposed to do to me. If you have a square and want a shadowy outline around it on the outside you can use an outer glow. If you want it on the inside you use an inner glow. You might try applying the effect to either layer to see if you get what you want. Drop shadows create a more precise shadow that can be moved away from the object you are shadowing. I would use it more to place shadows from an object up high or a more complex shape, like say if you were looking at an airplane from above, but wanted to place its shadow some distance away on the ground to show the direction of the light. Drop shadows show light directionality and shape where as a glow will just create a general fuzzy outline around what you are shading. The picture you posted looks like what should happen when applying an inner glow on the floor layer or an outer glow on the wall layer.

[jfrazierjr]

Honestly, I have played with the Layerfx plugin(Python version) and for the most am baffled as to how each function should work. Most of the time, regardless of layer, selection, etc, nothing seems to happen, so I would love if someone who DID know how to use them could do some simple breakdown of what is required to use each "tool".

[RobA]

meh. I tend not to use those scripts for simple inner and outer shadows

For either...
- make a selection of the room shapes
- create a new layer, white for outer, or black for inner
- fill the selection, black for outer, or white for inner
- add a layer mask from selection, invert for outer (going from memory - that might be backward)
- selection none, then click on the layer to make it (not the layer mask) active.
- gaussian blur to 2x the size you want the shading
- optionally adjust the levels, opacity, or layer mode.

-RobA>

[jfrazierjr]

Rob, have you seen anywhere some type of explanation of how to use each of these tools in detail? For me playing, it's hit or miss doing something.. sometimes I get something and sometimes nothing different appears on my screen at all. I am particularly interested in the Bevel stuff and what the various options do, but as I said, half the time nothing happens!

[RobA]

Rob, have you seen anywhere some type of explanation of how to use each of these tools in detail? For me playing, it's hit or miss doing something.. sometimes I get something and sometimes nothing different appears on my screen at all. I am particularly interested in the Bevel stuff and what the various options do, but as I said, half the time nothing happens!

Here is a video I found a while ago:


There are a few examples of use at around the half way mark.

-Rob A>

[halfred]

Thanks, Rob. That's more or less what I ended up doing. I had found the GIMPTricks tutorial; I find her videos pretty helpful. I'll have to do a little more experimentation, or get better at the manual process.

[jazzon]

Halfred and JF-
i've also been playing with those same scripts. My discoveries so far:
1) Most require the layer to be RGB or RGBA.
2) Most require the layer to be worked on to be active AND select all
3) Almost all of them will fail if the active layer (the one targeted for the function) is layer size = image size.
I have discovered that changing the canvas size to be +100 x +100 (as in 100 px added to each dimesion) and then running the script, allows the scripts to function. Most of them work great out of the box, but fail miserably if that size difference isn't there.

[halfred]

Thanks, jazzon. I'll give that a try.