Creating Backgrounds and Skies

[eadams Profile]

Using the select area tool I can define certain default areas (such as Background, Subject or Sky) or I can define an Anything Else area which I can call anything I like.

If I define a Background area and opt to view the Gallery for that selection, I can scroll through 589 pages of effects. However, if I use the search to search for "skies" or "sky" I find nothing. Sometimes I do want to see how a sky background would look, and am very frustrated by not finding any.

If I define a Sky area and opt to view the Gallery for that selection, I can also scroll through 589 pages of effects. Most of the effects displayed on the first few pages are really skies, but not all. If I search for "sky" or "skies" I find many, but I don't think I find all of the available skies.

(If I define an Anything Else area, I do find skies if I search for "sky". This makes it a much more useful option than defining a Background area.)

This behavior is very strange.

Two questions:
1. If a filter author creates a sky replacement effect or a background effect, how does SPE differentiate between the two? Does the filter author tag it somehow?

2. If I painstakingly define a Background area and then decide it should have been defined as a Sky area, can I somehow redefine the selection I made as a Sky selection, or do I really have to start over and recreate the whole selection from scratch?

[admin]

1. The effect is stored under the name of the selection name the author specified.

2. To rename a selection, click on the little drop down arrow next to the selection name in the selection editing screen.

[eadams Profile]

Thanks. How do I find the "selection editing screen"?

[admin]

The selection editing screen is where you adjust selections. You can edit any selection at any time by clicking on the black and white picture of it in the tabs at the top of the software.

Tony

[eadams Profile]

That's what I thought but...

2. To rename a selection, click on the little drop down arrow next to the selection name in the selection editing screen.

I can't find a drop down arrow. Is this where I am supposed to find it? It might be very obvious, but for the life of me, I can't see it.

select area edit.JPG (50.65 KiB) Viewed 10906 times

[DennB Profile]

You are not alone in this, I can't find it either???

[admin]

How strange. It comes up on my computer, in the place where you can see it in the attachment. To see it I just loaded a picture, pressed Select Area and chose an area type, although it should be there for any time you select an area. Is it missing for everyone? Eadams, could you try clicking around that area to see if it's just invisible, or if it's missing? What OS are you running?

Tony

[DennB Profile]

OK, I understand now. It's the little box next to the "Selecting Area". Perhaps your monitor is too contrasty or dark or "theme" you are using Eve. It's a very dark grey on grey and if your screen is too black it might make it difficult to see? It was obvious in Tony's screen shot. It was very faint on my screen til I sat up straight, my screen (older monitor) appears darker when I slouch in my chair.

[Arwin Profile]

I also don't have that dropdownbox..

Windows 7 64bit, SPE 1.20.6 Studio 64bit

[DennB Profile]

Here's my screen shot