User Manual

Common Controls
Settings Tab
The Settings tab in the Inspector is also duplicated in other Blur nodes. These common controls
are described in detail at the end of this chapter in “The Common Controls” section.
Vari Blur [VBL]
The VariBlur node
Vari Blur Node Introduction
The Vari Blur node gives a true per-pixel variable blur, using a second image to control the
amount of blur for each pixel. It is somewhat similar in effect to the Depth Blur node but uses a
different approach for frequently cleaner results.
Inputs
There are two inputs on the Vari Blur node for the primary image: the blur map image, and an
effect mask.
–
Input: The gold image input is a required connection for the primary image you wish
to blur.
–
Blur Image: The green input is also required, but it can accept a spline shape, text
object, still image, or movie file as the blur map image. Once connected, you can
choose red, green, blue, Alpha, or luminance channel to create the shape of the blur.
–
Effect Mask: The optional blue effect mask input expects a mask shape created
by polylines, basic primitive shapes, paint strokes, or bitmaps from other tools.
Connecting a mask to this input limits the Vari Blur to only those pixels within the
mask. An effect mask is applied to the tool after it is processed.
Basic Node Setup
The Vari Blur node receives a 2D image like the MediaIn1 shown below. A gradient Background
tool connects to the Blur image input to control the areas affected by the blur. The output
continues the node tree by connecting to another 2D image-processing node or a Merge node.
A Vari Blur node applied to a MediaIn1 node and a
gradient background directing the blurred regions
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