akvis sketch user guide

AKVIS Sketch AKVIS Sketch converts photos into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings.

Now you do not need to handle a pencil to feel like an artist. All you need to create your original work of art is good taste and AKVIS Sketch.

Our efficient method creates realistic color and B&W drawings that imitate the technique of graphite and color pencil, charcoal and watercolor painting.

In contrast to standard filters (like the built-in filters in Photoshop or PSP) that offer an approximate sketch, AKVIS Sketch comes very close to the hand-drawn works of a human artist. Getting a similar result with the standard tools would require expertise in image editing and extensive manipulation with layers, masks, brushes and applying filters.

AKVIS Sketch can add background effects to the resulting pencil drawing. Create a blend of a drawing and a photo; imitate motion or add a “time machine effect” by swirling the background. Put an accent to certain parts of the image by blurring the rest of it in an artistic way. It proves especially useful when the final drawing contains too many details on the background that divert attention.

You can personalize your work of art by adding an inscription (a signature or a greeting) to your pencil drawing. Also, the parameters on the Canvas let you add a rough surface to your image, as if it had been drawn on canvas, corrugated paper, brick wall, etc.

AKVIS Sketch has a neat interface with a few sliders. At first you can process the image with the default settings and then touch up the photo adding color, or trying different techniques - from pencil to charcoal or watercolor. You can make the hatching denser or finer and change the pitch angle of strokes, or add/remove the original colors.

Home users will be delighted by the neat result of the photo-to-sketch conversion. Using AKVIS Sketch can be a lot of fun. Make a pencil portrait as a gift for your relatives and friends, a watercolor drawing obtained from your last nature shooting can decorate your room, or you can convert any photo to an original drawing to print on a T-Shirt.

The program can be helpful to designers who need to quickly bring images to one style for a web-site or an advertisement booklet. On the whole it's a wonderful tool for those who have always wanted to draw but didn't know how.

This photo to sketch software is available in two versions – as an independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor.

The plugin version is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro etc. Refer to Check the compatibility page for more details.

The plug-in version of Sketch offers Batch Processing support that allows you to automatically convert a series of images. Just create an Action in Photoshop or a Script in Corel Paint Shop Pro and apply the plug-in with the same settings to a folder full of images. You can even create comics from home videos in this way!

Convert a Photo to a Pencil Sketch

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Convert a Photo to a Pencil Sketch Before installing AKVIS Sketch Plug-in, please make sure that the photo editor, where you want to install the plug-in, is closed.

AKVIS Sketch converts photos into pencil sketches and watercolor paintings.

Now you do not need to handle a pencil to feel like an artist. All you need to create your original work of art is good taste and AKVIS Sketch.

Our efficient method creates realistic color and B&W drawings that imitate the technique of graphite and color pencil, charcoal and watercolor painting.

In contrast to standard filters (like the built-in filters in Photoshop or PSP) that offer an approximate sketch, AKVIS Sketch comes very close to the hand-drawn works of a human artist. Getting a similar result with the standard tools would require expertise in image editing and extensive manipulation with layers, masks, brushes and applying filters.

AKVIS Sketch can add background effects to the resulting pencil drawing. Create a blend of a drawing and a photo; imitate motion or add a “time machine effect” by swirling the background. Put an accent to certain parts of the image by blurring the rest of it in an artistic way. It proves especially useful when the final drawing contains too many details on the background that divert attention.

You can personalize your work of art by adding an inscription (a signature or a greeting) to your pencil drawing. Also, the parameters on the Canvas let you add a rough surface to your image, as if it had been drawn on canvas, corrugated paper, brick wall, etc.

AKVIS Sketch has a neat interface with a few sliders. At first you can process the image with the default settings and then touch up the photo adding color, or trying different techniques - from pencil to charcoal or watercolor. You can make the hatching denser or finer and change the pitch angle of strokes, or add/remove the original colors.

Home users will be delighted by the neat result of the photo-to-sketch conversion. Using AKVIS Sketch can be a lot of fun. Make a pencil portrait as a gift for your relatives and friends, a watercolor drawing obtained from your last nature shooting can decorate your room, or you can convert any photo to an original drawing to print on a T-Shirt.

The program can be helpful to designers who need to quickly bring images to one style for a web-site or an advertisement booklet. On the whole it's a wonderful tool for those who have always wanted to draw but didn't know how.

This photo to sketch software is available in two versions – as an independent program (standalone) and as a plugin to a photo editor.

The plugin version is compatible with Adobe Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Paint Shop Pro etc. Refer to Check the compatibility page for more details.

The plug-in version of Sketch offers Batch Processing support that allows you to automatically convert a series of images. Just create an Action in Photoshop or a Script in Corel Paint Shop Pro and apply the plug-in with the same settings to a folder full of images. You can even create comics from home videos in this way!

Installation under Windows

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Installation under Windows Attention! You must have administrator rights to install the program on your computer.

Please follow the instructions to install the software:

• Start the setup file akvis-sketch-setup.exe. • Select your language and press the OK button to launch the installation process. • To continue the installation process you have to read and accept the License

Agreement. Activate the check box "I accept the terms in the license agreement", and press Next (Pic. 1).

• To install the Plugin version you should select your photo editor(s) from the list. If your photo editor is not in the list, activate the component Custom Plugins Directory and choose the folder where you keep all plugins and filters, for example, C:\My Plugins. In this case you should set this folder as the plugins folder in the settings of your photo editor. To install the Standalone version, make sure that the check-box Standalone is activated. To create a shortcut for the program on desktop, activate the component Shortcut on Desktop. Press the button Next (Pic. 2).

Pic. 1. Pic. 2.

Installation under Windows

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• Press the button Install (Pic. 3).

• The installation is in progress (Pic. 4).

• The installation is completed. You can subscribe to the AKVIS Newsletter. Enter your e-mail address. Press Finish to exit Setup (Pic. 5).

After installation of the standalone version of Sketch, you will see a new line in the Start menu: AKVIS - Sketch and a shortcut on desktop, if during installation the component Shortcut on Desktop was enabled.

After installation of the plugin version Sketch you will see a new item in the Filters (Effects) menu of your photo editor. For example in Photoshop: Filter -> AKVIS –> Sketch. Please use this command to launch the plugin in the editor.

Attention! If the plugin does not appear in the Filters, copy the 8bf file from the AKVIS folder (C:\Program Files\AKVIS\Sketch\Sketch.8bf) into the Plugins folder of your image editor. Consult the tips on how to install plug-ins into Photoshop (read the installation troubleshooting guide), or into Paint Shop Pro Photo, or PhotoImpact. Read how to work with our plugins in GIMP or Xara Xtreme. If you still have problems, please write to our support team.

Pic. 3.

Pic. 4. Pic. 5.

Installation under Macintosh

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Installation under Macintosh Attention! You must have administrator rights to install the program on your computer.

Before installing AKVIS Sketch Plug-in, please make sure that the photo editor, where you want to install the plug-in, is closed. If the photo editor was open during the installation, you should re-launch it.

Please follow the instructions to install the software:

• Open the virtual disk dmg: - akvis-sketch-plugin.dmg if you use Photoshop CS3-CS4 or Photoshop

Elements 6-8; - akvis-sketch-legacy.dmg for older versions of Photoshop and

Photoshop Elements or other compatible image editors; - akvis-sketch-app.dmg to install the standalone version of AKVIS

Sketch. You will see a dialog box with the License Agreement (Pic. 1).

• Read the License Agreement and press Agree, if you agree with the conditions. Pic. 1.

Installation under Macintosh

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• Finder will open with AKVIS Sketch application or the folder AKVIS Sketch

PlugIn inside (Pic. 2, Pic. 3). • To install the standalone version just drag the AKVIS Sketch application into the

folder Applications (or any other place you like). To install the plugin version drag the entire AKVIS Sketch PlugIn folder into the Plug-Ins folder of your graphic editor. For example, if you use Photoshop CS3 you should move the folder AKVIS Sketch Plugin into: Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS3/Plug-Ins (Pic. 4).

After installation of the Sketch plugin, you will see a new tab in the Filters (Effects) menu of your photo editor: AKVIS –> Sketch. The standalone version is run by double-click on the application.

Pic. 2.

Pic. 3. Pic. 4.

Program registration

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Program registration To buy a license you should fill in the form on the product buy-page and order the software using a secure payment system. We offer a number of payment options (credit card, bank transfer, etc). When the form is filled in and the payment is made, the serial number will be sent to you within minutes.

Having received the serial number you can proceed to the program registration.

Attention! During the activation process your computer must be connected to Internet. If it is not possible, we offer you an alternative way (see below for Offline Activation).

Follow the steps below to register the program:

1. Open the window About the program of AKVIS Sketch (Pic. 1). This window appears when you launch AKVIS Sketch. You can also see this window by pressing the

button in the program. Also, Adobe Photoshop lets you call the About the program window right from its menu Help -> About Plug-In -> Sketch (Photoshop -> About Plug-In -> Sketch in Macintosh).

Note that the functionality of the program depends on the license type. During the test period you can try all options and choose the license you like. For this select in the window About the program one of the offered functionality types: Home, Deluxe or Business (below these is a brief descripton of the features of the license types). Your choice of license will affect which features are available in AKVIS Sketch.

The button Buy redirects you to the order page, where one can continue to choose a program or proceed to registration. If you have a license you can improve it (for example, upgrade Home to Business) any time by paying the price difference. The process is begun by pressing the Upgrade button (it appears instead of Buy if the program is registered).

Please consult the comparison table for more details about license types and versions of the program.

Pic. 1.


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2. Click on Activate in the window About the program to start the process of activation.

3. Enter your name (the program will be registered to this name) and your serial number (Pic. 2).

4. Choose the method of activation — either direct connection to the activation server or by mail. We recommend activating the program using direct connection, as it is the easiest way. At this step your computer must be connected to Internet.

If you choose activation via email please put the .lic-file into the folder AKVIS in Users' Shared (Public) Documents, and the program will be registered.

5. Press the button Activate. The registration is completed (Pic. 3). You can start working with the photo editing software and building your unique photo collection.

Pic. 2.

Pic. 3.


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Note: In case you have chosen activation by mail, you should put the file Sketch.lic (that you will receive enclosed in the e-mail) into the folder "AKVIS" in Users' Shared (Public) Documents:

• For Windows XP, Windows 2000:

Documents and Settings\All Users\Documents\AKVIS

• For Windows Vista, Windows 7:

Users\Public\Documents\AKVIS

• For Mac OS X:

Users/Shared/AKVIS or your Home Directory (user's folder - with your username)

If your computer can not be connected to Internet, follow the instruction below:

• Choose the option Send a request via e-mail as a method of activation. Your mailing program will create an activation letter with all necessary information.

• Save the message to a USB stick and transfer to the computer connected to Internet.

• Send the letter without changes.

• You will receive a reply with a .lic-file attached (Sketch.lic).

• Save the file to a USB stick and move it to your computer.

Put the file in the corresponding folder (see above).

Workspace

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Workspace AKVIS Sketch can work independently as a standalone program as well as a plug-in to a photo editor. To call the AKVIS Sketch plugin you should open an image in your photo editor and select the plug-in from the list of effects. For this purpose use the command Filter –> AKVIS –> Sketch in Adobe Photoshop; the menu item Effects –> Plugins –> AKVIS –> Sketch if you work with Paint Shop Pro; or Effects –> AKVIS –> Sketch if you use Corel PHOTO-PAINT.

To launch the standalone version of AKVIS Sketch follow the instructions:

• On a Windows computer:

- In the main menu: press the button Start and select from the pop-up menu the command AKVIS – Sketch; - Using the program's shortcut on the Desktop: put the cursor on the icon of the program AKVIS Sketch and double-click it with the left mouse button.

• On a Macintosh computer:

- Using Finder: select the folder Applications on the side bar of the Finder window, select the application AKVIS Sketch and double-click it.

Pic. 1 shows the interface of AKVIS Sketch under Windows. Pic. 1.

Workspace

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Parts of the program’s window:

The left part of the program's window is taken by the Image Window with two tabs - Before and After. The Before tab shows the original image, the After tab shows the resulting pencil sketch. To switch between the tabs and compare the original and the resulting images, just left-click on any point of the image.

In the upper part of the program's window you can see the Control Panel and the following controls:

• The button (only in the standalone version) opens an image for processing.

• The button (only in the standalone version) saves image to the disk.

• The button (only in the standalone version) prints the image.

• The button exports presets (user settings for the image processing). You can save any number of presets to a separate file with the ending .sketch.

• The button imports a list of presets (from the .sketch file).

• The button / shows/hides the guiding lines and the effect area outlines drawn with the tools.

• The button cancels the last operation made with lines (guiding lines and background outlines). It is possible to cancel several operations in a row. The hotkey for the command is Ctrl+Z ( +Z on Macintosh).

• The button returns the last cancelled operation. It is possible to return several operations in a row. The hotkey for the command is Ctrl+Y ( +Y on Macintosh).

• The button starts conversion of the original image into a pencil sketch with the current parameter settings.

• The button (only in the plugin version) applies the result to the image and closes the program window of AKVIS Sketch.

• The button calls information about the program.

• The button calls the Help files of the program.

• The button calls the Preferences dialog box for changing the program's options.

Workspace

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Тo the left of the Image Window there is a Toolbar with the following buttons:

• The button switches on/off the Preview Window.

• The button activates the guiding lines drawing tool Stroke Direction (available in Home Deluxe and Business versions only).

• The , and tools are used to outline areas for background effects. The tools are visible and active only when using either Sketch&Photo or Sketch&Blur mode.

• The button activates the Eraser tool used to erase the guiding lines and the effect areas outlines.

When one of these tools is selected its parameters will appear in the Settings Panel or in a window that pops up after right clicking on the tool.

Navigate and scale the image using the Navigation window (Pic. 2). In the Navigation window you can see the reduced copy of the image. The red frame shows the part of the image that is now visible in the Image Window; the areas outside the frame will be shaded. Drag the frame to make other parts of the image visible. To move the frame, bring the cursor inside the frame, press the left mouse button and, keeping it pressed, move the frame in the Navigation window.

Additionally, you can move the image in the Image Window with the scroll bars or by holding down the space bar, then holding down the left mouse button while moving the mouse. The mouse's scroll wheel can move the image up and down, and holding Ctrl ( in Macintosh) – while using the scroll wheel will move the image left and right. Holding Alt (Option in Macintosh) will scale the image. Right-click on the scroll bar to activate the quick navigation menu.

Use the slider or the buttons and to scale the image in the Image Window. When you click on the button or move the slider to the right, the image scale increases. When you click on the

button or move the slider to the left, the image scale reduces.

You can also change the image scale by entering a new coefficient into the scale field and pressing the button Enter (Return in Macintosh). Frequently used scale coefficients can be found in a drop-down menu.

You can use hot-keys to change the image scale + and Ctrl++ ( ++ in Macintosh) to increase the image scale and - and Ctrl+- ( +- in Macintosh) to reduce the scale.

Pic. 2.

Workspace

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Under the Navigation window there is a Settings Panel with tabs: Sketch, Background, Text and Canvas.

On the Sketch tab you can adjust the settings for photo-to-sketch conversion.

On the Background tab you can define the area of the picture that should be blurred, or the areas that should remain in their original state.

On the Text tab you can add an inscription to your painting.

On the Canvas tab you can adjust the settings for the canvas, to which the resulting sketch is applied.

In the Presets field you can save the current settings as a preset to use them in the future. The current settings can be saved, edited, deleted. When you launch the program, it uses the settings of the last used preset.

Attention! The presets save only information about the settings in the Sketch, Text and Canvas tabs.

Under the Settings Panel you can see hints: a brief description of AKVIS Sketch (the first time you launch it) or the description of the parameter that was used last.

How It Works

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How It Works AKVIS Sketch can work independently as a standalone program and as a plug-in to a photo editor.

In order to turn a photo into a pencil sketch with AKVIS Sketch follow the instructions:

1. Run the standalone edition of AKVIS Sketch or open your photo editor (if you work with the plugin version of AKVIS Sketch).

2. Open an image (Pic. 1).

- If you work with the plugin:

Open an image in your photo editor by calling the command File -> Open or using the key combination Ctrl+О (or +O on Macintosh).

- If you work with the standalone edition:

The dialog box Select file to open appears if you double-click on the empty workspace of the

program or if you click on the button on the Control Panel. You can also drag the required image into the workspace of the program. The Standalone edition of AKVIS Sketch supports BMP, JPEG, PNG and TIFF file formats.

Pic. 1.

How It Works

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3. In plug-in version only: call the AKVIS Sketch plugin select the menu item Filter

-> AKVIS –> Sketch in Adobe Photoshop; in Paint Shop Pro select the menu item Effects –> Plugins -> AKVIS –> Sketch; in Corel PHOTO-PAINT select the menu item Effects –> AKVIS –> Sketch.

4. Once the program is open, the part of the image will be automatically converted to a pencil drawing with the last used settings or with the settings of the AKVIS Default preset (depending on the program preferences). The conversion result will be shown in the Before tab in the Preview Window. The quick preview area takes settings only of the Sketch and Canvas tabs.

The Preview Window is a square frame outlined with a dotted line ("marching ants"). Drag the square to the required position or draw it anew on any part of the image (double click with the left mouse) to analyse the corresponding area. The preview window disappears after image processing starts and appears again when a parameter in the Settings panel is changed (Pic. 2). To compare the converted sample with the original photo, left-click on the image in the preview area.

To convert the whole image, click on or on the After tab. After processing it is possible to switch between tabs by pressing the left mouse button on any point of the image (Pic. 3).

Pic. 2.

Pic. 3.

How It Works

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5. Adjust the parameters for the photo-to-sketch conversion.

6. Press the button to convert the original photo into a pencil drawing with the new settings. You can observe the processing in real-time. To interrupt the process, press the Esc key or click on the button Stop right to the Progress bar. Adjust the settings and start the processing again.

7. In Home Deluxe and Business versions of Sketch there is a function that defines the direction of the applied strokes. To edit the

"guiding lines" use the buttons and (remove/restore the last drawn line) and the following tools:

• Stroke Direction . Draw with the tool over the image to define the "guiding lines", along which the strokes will be drawn. The

changes will be shown in the Preview Window. To process the whole image, click on the button . Parameters of the tool can be ajusted on the Settings Panel in the Direction tab.

• Eraser . Use this tool to erase the lines. The size of the tool can be adjusted with the parameter Brush Size (1-300) on the Settings Panel.

8. If needed, adjust the settings on the Background, Canvas or Text tabs. Click on the button to start processing the image. Note: Only Canvas as well as the Sketch tab lets you see the quick result in the Preview Window. For Background and Text you need to process the whole image to see the effect.

9. It is possible to save the settings you like as a preset and use them in the future. A preset is shared by three tabs (except the Background tab). To save a preset, enter a name for the preset into the Presets field and press the button Save. Now, as you start the program, it will use the settings of this preset. If you change the values of the parameters, you can always come back to the default settings of the preset by pressing the button Reset. To delete a preset, select it from the list and press Delete.

To process an image with the settings of a certain preset, you should select it from the drop-down menu and press the button .

10. In plug-in version only: press the button to apply the result and close the plugin window. The AKVIS Sketch plugin will close and the picture will appear in the workspace of the photo editor.

11. Save the processed image.

- If you work with the plugin:

Call the Save As dialog box using the command File -> Save As, enter a name for the file, choose the format and indicate the target folder.

- If you work with the standalone edition:

Click on the button to open the Save as dialog box. Enter a name for the file, choose the format (TIFF, BMP, JPEG or PNG) and indicate the target folder.

How It Works

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12. The standalone edition of AKVIS Sketch allows printing the image. For this purpose press the button , adjust print settings in the Print dialog box (Pic. 4) and press the button Print. The left part of the Print dialog box is the preview area where the current position of the image on the page is shown. On the right side of the dialog window the following print settings can be adjusted:

• Printer. If your computer is connected to a local network with many printers or if it is connected to many output devices itself, you will need to choose one of the available printers to print your image. Choose the desired print resolution from the Print Resolution drop-down list. The available choices will be based on those available for the printer you have chosen.

• Orientation of the printed image. There are two types of orientation available - Album and Portrait. Album corresponds to the horizontal page orientation (width is greater than height), while Portrait - corresponds to the vertical orientation of the paper.

• Print Size. To change the size of the printed image, adjust the parameters Scale, Width, Height and Fit to Page. These parameters have no effect on the image itself, just on the printed version. You can change the size of the printed image by entering any value in % (any value less than 100% will result in a smaller print size, and any value larger than 100% - will result in a larger print size), or by entering new values in Width and Height. If you want the size of the image to be adjusted to the paper size, then just select Fit to Page.

• Move To. Choose the position of the image on the page by clicking on one of the nine green arrows. The size of the printed image and its orientation can also be selected manually. A frame with markers is displayed around the image in the preview window. To change the size of the image move the cursor to one of the corner markers or to a side (the cursor changes in shape to a double sided arrow) and drag the marker or side. To change the position of the image on the page, bring the cursor over the image, press the left mouse button, and move the cursor.

Clicking the Page Setup button opens a dialog window in which you can choose the size of the paper and its orientation, as well as the print margins.

To print an image with the chosen parameters, press the Print button. To cancel and close the printing dialog window press the Cancel button.

13. Close the program AKVIS.

Pic. 4.

Make a Sketch from a Photo

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Make a Sketch from a Photo In the Sketch tab you can adjust the parameters for the photo-to-sketch conversion. There are four parameter fields: Effects, Strokes, Edges, Direction.

Note: You can see the conversion result immediately, as you move the slider, only

in the Quick Preview window. To convert the whole image, press the button or click on the After tab.

Effects: Watercolor. The Watercolor effect allows creating watercolor drawings. The parameter accepts values between 0 and 50. By default it is set to 0 which corresponds to a pencil drawing. As you move the slider to the right (that is, increase the value of the parameter) the strokes get blurred, contrast and detail get weaker, as if the strokes were drawn on wet paper. The higher the value of the parameter, the stronger the effect.

Watercolor = 10


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Charcoal. The parameter changes the drawing technique from a fine pencil drawing to charcoal. The higher the value of the parameter, the more it looks like the charcoal technique. Coloration. The effect allows adding color to a drawing provided the original image contained color information. By default the value is set to 0, which corresponds to a graphite pencil sketch. As you move the slider to the right, the drawing gets colors from the original image. If at the same time the parameter Watercolor has a value higher than 0, the sketch looks like a water color drawing. The parameter Coloration accepts values between 0 and 100. The default value is 0; it means that the pencil sketch is not mixed with the original image. As you move the slider to the right the drawing acquires colors from the original image.

Charcoal = 7 Coloration = 40


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Strokes tab (including hatching parameters): Color Pencil. When the check-box is enabled, the program imitates a color pencil drawing. When the check-box is disabled, the strokes are black.

When the check-box Color Pencil is enabled, you can change the Saturation of the image by moving the slider to the right of the check-box. As the value of this parameter is increased, the intensity of colors in the image become more intense, and colors of the strokes become more "bright".

The check-box Color Pencil is enabled The check-box Color Pencil is disabled

Saturation = 0 Saturation = 100


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Angle. The parameter Angle sets the pitch angle of the strokes when hatching a uniform area (an area that does not contain edges and intensity swings). By default the strokes in such areas are drawn at a 45 degree angle. The parameter has values between 0 and 180 degrees; the step is 5 degrees.

Size. The parameter sets the stroke size. If you reduce the value of the parameter the strokes on the picture get thinner and harder, if you increase the value the strokes get wider and blurred on edges.

Angle = 45 Angle = 135 Angle = 90

Size = 5 Size = 9


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Min Length/Max Length. The parameter sets a range within which the stroke length can vary. There are two sliders to define the range borders: the left slider sets the minimum length, the right slider sets the maximum length. The resulting sketch will be made up of strokes that fall within this range.

If you reduce the minimum length, the number of strokes and the detail of the image increase. Visually the drawing gets darker. If you increase the value of the minimum length, the number of strokes reduces (the strokes shorter than the set minimum do not get drawn). Visually the image gets lighter and neater. If you increase the maximum length, the hatching gets less uniform. The higher the value of the parameter, the longer strokes can be drawn on the picture. However, a too high value may worsen the precision of the hatching.

Midtones Intensity. The parameter defines the intensity of the midtone strokes, as if drawn with different pressure. As you move the slider to the left, the midtone strokes fade - get dim and blurred. As you move the slider to the right the midtone strokes get thicker and more intensive.

Min Length/Max Length = 1/4 Min Length/Max Length = 8/16

Midtones Intensity = 1 Midtones Intensity = 10


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Midtones Hatching. The parameter defines the level of hatching in the midtone areas. If you want to reduce hatching move the slider to the left.

Sharpen. The parameter regulates the sharpness of the objects' edges on an image. The lower the parameter, the more edges are defined by hatching rather than by lines. If you want to emphasize the edges, increase the value of the parameter.

Midtones Hatching = 1 Midtones Hatching = 100

Sharpen = 0 Sharpen = 100


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Edges tab:

This tab contains parameters that affect how edges are drawn.

Edge Strength (0-100). This is the main parameter used to control edges, by adjusting the intensity of lines and details. At lower levels there are fewer edges and the level of detail decreases, while at higher values more edges are drawn and more detail is present.

Edge Strength = 0

Edge Strength = 50


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The Edge Tracing check-box is used to detect the additional edges between areas that don't have well-defined transitions in brightness. Its affect can be adjusted further by these two parameters:

Sensitivity. The higher the value of this parameter the more transitions between colors will be retrieved and the more edges will be defined by lines instead of hatching. If you want to emphasize the edges, increase the value of this parameter.

Edge Strength = 100

No Edge Tracing (Edge Strength = 30)

Sensitivity = 10 (Edge Width = 30)

Sensitivity = 80 (Edge Width = 30)


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Edge Width. This parameter defines the thickness of the outlines. At higher values of this parameter the edges will be drawn by thicker lines.

Direction tab:

The parameters under this tab affect hatching when the Stroke Direction tool is used .

The Stroke Direction tool gives you full control over how hatching is drawn on an image. Use this special tool to define the guiding lines, and the program will convert the image into a sketch, directing the hatching to follow them. With this technique you can achieve a truly realistic drawing with patterns and textures going in the right direction.

The tool is not available for the basic Home license; it is active only for advanced licenses like Home Deluxe, Business.

No Edge Tracing (Edge Strength = 30)

Edge Width = 10 (Sensitivity = 70)

Edge Width = 60 (Sensitivity = 70)


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You can use it more effectively by adjusting these parameters:

Zone of Influence - the width of the area affected by stroke guide lines. The higher the value, the more hatching will follow the direction of stroke guide lines.

Preserve Edges check-box. When this check-box is deselected, hatching will be drawn past edges.

Zone of Influence = 0 Zone of Influence = 35

Check-Box Activated Check-Box Deactivated

Background Tab

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Background Tab Use the Background tab to process the converted image further. It is possible to imitate a blend of the original photo and the drawing or to blur some parts of the image.

This tab can be used to put an accent on a certain fragment of the image or to enliven a picture by adding it motion. For example, it is possible to separate the background from the object (a plane or a bird in the sky; a soft toy on a sofa; a vase with fruit, etc.) or to single out one object among several equivalent objects (one person on a group photo, the most beautiful flower on a garden image, etc.) and many other things.

The Background tab offers three modes:

Sketch

In this mode the Background tab has no influence on the image. In other words, it is disabled.

The result of processing in the Sketch tab

Background Tab

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Sketch & Photo

In this mode you can get a blend of a drawing and a picture - only the defined parts of the image will be converted into a drawing.

When this mode is enabled, the following tools appear on the Toolbar, on the left of the Image Window. These tools define, which areas will be converted to a drawing, and which not:

• The Effect Area tool . Use the blue pencil to draw an outline within the areas that will be converted to a drawing in accordance with the parameters of the Sketch tab.

• The No Effect Area tool . Use the red pencil to outline the parts of the image that will remain in their original state.

• The Eraser tool . Use this tool to edit the outlines drawn by the pencils. When Sketch&Photo (or Sketch&Blur) is active, the tool can operate in three different modes:

o Erase all lines (both guiding lines and zone lines of the background effects); o Erase only guiding lines (direction of the strokes); o Erase only zone lines (background effects).

Adjust the size of the pencils and of the Eraser tool using the Brush Size parameter in the Settings Panel.

Drawn strokes The result of processing in the Sketch&Photo tab

Background Tab

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Note: If only blue strokes or no strokes are drawn, the image remains a drawing. If only red strokes are drawn, the image will be restored to its original state (the input image).

Attention! During the processing you will see that the whole image (regardless of the drawn strokes) will be converting into a drawing. Don't worry. It's only one of the processing steps, not an error. In the next step the program will take into consideration the settings of the Background tab.

The Grayscale check-box. When the check-box is enabled, the part of the image, that has been restored to the original state, is converted to grayscale. The check-box does not work, if the Color Pencil check-box is enabled in the Sketch tab.

The Grayscale check-box is disabled

The Grayscale check-box is enabled

Background Tab

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Sketch & Blur

In this mode it is possible to blur the defined parts of the image. In the

Toolbar you will find the following tools: Effect Area , Eraser , and

the Blur Area tool . The latter is used to define the areas that must be blurred.

Select a Blur Method that will be used in image processing and adjust the parameters:

• Gaussian Blur. When this method is selected, the program recalculates the color components (red, blue, and green) for every point of the image, taking into account the corresponding values of the neighbouring points; as a result the points change their colors. The calculation is based on the Gaussian distribution and is named after it. In this way the values of the color components are averaged and the contrast between them weakens. The sharp borders are blurred without general lightening or darkening. The image gets dim, «cloudy».

The Radius parameter allows adjusting the strength of the effect application. It defines to what extent a point influences on the neighbouring points when its color components are being recalculated. At low values only the adjacent points will be changed. Every point will undergo a slight change, but the blurring will be visible. The higher the value of the parameter, the wider is the influence area of every point. The image will get more blurred till it becomes completely indiscernible and looks like one stain (at high values of the parameter).

Gaussian Blur

Radius = 8 Radius = 3

Background Tab

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• The Motion method. This blur method imitates the straight line motion of a camera.

Parameters:

Angle. The parameter sets the inclination angle of the line, along which the effect will expand to the image. The values of the parameter vary between 0 and 180 degrees. At exactly these values the blurring will be horizontal. At value = 90 the blurring will be vertical.

Reach. The parameter defines the zone of effect application in pixels (relative to every point of the image).

Motion Blur

Angle = 45, Reach = 20

Angle = 135, Reach = 20

Reach = 10, Angle = 135

Reach = 30, Angle = 135

Background Tab

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• Radial Blur. This method imitates motion, too. There are two kinds of motion:

Spin. This mode imitates the effect of a camera rotating around the central point of the image, which results in circular blurring.

Zoom. This mode creates blurring directed away from the center.

Radial Spin Blur Radial Zoom Blur

Background Tab

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The rotation angle in Spin mode and the effect application area in Zoom mode are adjusted with the Amount parameter.

Amount = 20, Spin Blur

Amount = 40, Spin Blur

Amount = 20, Zoom Blur

Amount = 50, Zoom Blur

Background Tab

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In the Sketch & Blur mode you can choose one of the following methods of the result image generation (Blur Order).

• Drawing on Blur. In this mode the blue areas are converted to a drawing in accordance with the settings in the Sketch tab, while the green areas are first blurred in accordance with the settings of the selected Blur Method and only than are converted to a drawing.

Gaussian Blur Motion Blur


Background Tab

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• Blur Photo. In this mode the blue areas are converted to a drawing, while the green areas are only blurred, not converted. The result image is a blend of the original photo and a drawing, but the "original" parts are blurred.

In this mode the Grayscale check-box can be applied.

Gaussian Blur Motion Blur


Background Tab

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• Blur Sketch. In this mode the whole image is converted to a drawing, but the green areas are also blurred.

Gaussian Blur

Motion Blur

Radial Spin Blur

Radial Zoom Blur

Text

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Text Use the Text tab to add an inscription or a signature to your pencil sketch (Pic. 1).

Type the text into the field (max 250 characters). By default the parameters of the tab are disabled; for the inscription to appear on the image, you should enable the check-box Use Text.

There are three groups of parameters:

• Font.

o The fall-down list Family contains a set of system fonts that can be used when typing the text.

o The Size parameter (10-100) sets the size of the characters.

o The Stretch parameter (50%-200%) allows tightening or stretching the text by changing the character interval.

o The buttons I and B apply the italic and bold fonts accordingly.

• Color.

o The current color is shown on the color plate Text. To change the color, click on the plate and select a new color from the Select Color dialog box.

o The outer color of the characters is shown on the Outline color plate. To change the color, click on the plate and select a new color from the Select Color dialog box. To delete a color and clear the color plate, right-click on it.

o The Glow (0-10) parameter sets the glow strength that is the width and the brightness of the outline.

Pic. 1.

Without Glow Glow = 10

Text

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• Location.

o Use the 8 green arrows to define the position of the inscription. You can move the text to any side and align it with the diagonal arrows (Pic. 2).

Pic. 2. An example of inscription.

Imitate Sketch Drawing on a Canvas

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Imitate Sketch Drawing on a Canvas AKVIS Sketch does not only offer photo-to-sketch conversion, but it also allows imitatating a drawing on a canvas or any other uneven surface, such as corrugated paper, brick wall, metallic or ceramic coating, etc.

To use this option, adjust the settings in the Canvas tab.

By default the parameters of the tab are disabled and the sketch comes out as drawn on plain paper. To activate the parameters of the Canvas tab, select the check-box Use Canvas.

The check-box "Use Canvas" is disabled The check-box "Use Canvas" is enabled


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The canvas is generated by reproduction of the chosen texture. There are the following parameters of texture generation and application:

Adjustment of Texture Properties:

• Texture (Pic. 1). Select a texture from the Texture Library. To open the Texture Library, double click with the left mouse button on the square box with a sample texture.

Select a texture with a double-click of the mouse.

It is possible to use your own texture. For this purpose create and save a pattern into a folder on your computer. The pattern can be square or rectangular and must be saved as a JPEG, BMP, TIFF or PNG file.

To load a texture into AKVIS Sketch, open the Texture Library, click on and select a texture in the Select user texture dialog box.

To return to the Settings Panel without selecting any texture click on (Pic. 2).

• Scale. The parameter sets the size of the repetitive pattern. By default the Scale is set to 100%. The higher the value of the parameter, the larger is the pattern.

Scale = 70% Scale = 150%

Pic. 1.

Pic. 2.


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• There are the following options that define the way the canvas is generated:

Repetition. When this option is selected, the canvas is generated by simple repetition of the given pattern.

Reflection. When this option is selected, the canvas is generated by repetition of the given pattern. The difference from the Repetition mode is that the ends of the patterns are joined at mirror reflection.

Reflection Repetition


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The check-box Alignment helps when the initial texture has an uneven pattern. If we apply the texture as it is, we will see texture joins. To avoid it, we should activate the option Alignment.

Adjust the parameters of texture application:

• Light Source (Pic. 2). Use the dagger on the ball to set the probable light source during the shooting. The position of the light source influences the texture wrapping. To change the position of the light source, left-click on the required point of the ball.

Alignment Other option

Pic. 2.


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• Brightness. The parameter allows changing the texture brightness. The values of the parameter vary between 0 and 150. The brightness of the original texture is 90. The higher the value of the parameter, the lighter is the texture. As a result, the output image gets lighter.

• Embossment. The parameter allows embossing the texture. The values of the parameter vary between 0 and 150. At 0, the texture is flat. As you increase the value of the parameter, the texture gets more prominent.

Brightness = 10 Brightness = 90

Embossment = 25 Embossment = 150


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• Reveal Texture. The parameter defines to what extent the texture is shown through the image. The values of the parameter vary between 0 and 40. The higher the value, the more distinct is the texture and the less visible is the original image. The higher value of the parameter also increases the influence of the Brightness parameter and the texture contrast.

• Distortion. The parameter defines the clearness of the resulting image. The values of the parameter vary between 0 and 50. The higher the value of the parameter, the more distorted and blurred is the image.

Reveal Texture = 35Reveal Texture = 20

Distortion = 30Distortion = 0

Working With Presets

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Working With Presets AKVIS Sketch lets you save your favorite settings as a preset and use them in the future.

To save your settings as a preset, go to the Presets list (Pic. 1), enter a name for your preset, and press the Save button.

The next time you start the program it will use the settings of this preset. If you wish to return to the default settings press the Reset button.

To delete a preset, choose it from the drop-down list and press the Delete button.

To process an image using a preset, choose a preset from the list and press .

Attention! The presets save settings only in the Sketch, Canvas and Text tabs.

Settings can be changed individually, or a ready preset from AKVIS, which is stored within the program, can be used. Also, the settings of preset can be changed after it is chosen, to achieve the desired result.

You can export/import preset by pressing the and buttons in the Control Panel.

The button exports presets a file with the .sketch extension. Any number of presets can be saved to one file. To export presets follow these steps:

1. Press the Export Presets button in the Control Panel.

2. In the User Presets dialog window (Pic. 2) choose the presets you want to export. Checking Select All will select all the presets in the list. Unchecking it will deselect all presets in the list.

3. Press the Export button.

4. In the Export Presets dialog window, enter a name for the file, choose a target folder, and press the Save button.

Attention! The AKVIS presets cannot be saved to a file.

Pic. 1.

Pic. 2.

Working With Presets

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The button imports presets from a file. To import presets from a file follow these steps:

1. Press the Import Presets button in the Control Panel.

2. In the Import Presets dialog window choose a file with the .sketch extension and press the Open button.

3. In the User Presets dialog window (Pic. 3) select the desired presets from the list. Checking Select All will select all presets in a list. Unchecking it will deselect all the presets in the list.

4. Check Delete All Before Import, if you want to clear the list of presets in the program before importing others from a file.

Attention! AKVIS presets cannot be deleted from a list.

5. If Delete All Before Import is not checked, choose one of the following methods for importing presets:

Replace - when this option is selected, if the name of a preset in the list matches the name of a preset in the file, then it will be replaced by the preset from the file.

Rename And Add - when this option is selected, presets from a file with matching names are automatically renamed and added to the list of presets in the program.

Presets whose names do not match any presets in the program's list will be added to the bottom of the list.

6. Press the Import button.

If you use and older version of AKVIS Sketch (up to and including Version 8.6) presets saved under that version will appear in the list when the old algorithm is selected. The old algorithm can be selected in the Preferences window.

Presets used with the older algorithm can be exported and imported. When these older presets are imported the program automatically switches to the algorithm.

Pic. 3.

Program Preferences

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Program Preferences The Preferences dialog box looks like this (Pic. 1).

Program Language. Change the language by selecting another from the drop-down list.

The Preview Window size. Choose the desired value of the parameter. The size of Preview Window can have values from 200х200 to 700х700 pixels.

Processing Size Limit. The image processing is a very time-consuming operation. Parameter accelerates image processing by temporary reducing the size of the image to be processed. When the file size (in megapixels) does not exceed the defined value, the image is processed in a usual way. If the loaded file is larger, the program will reduce the image, process it and enlarge again to the initial size.

Pic. 1.

Program Preferences

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Use old Sketch Algorithm. When the check-box is enabled, the image in the Sketch is processed using the algorithm from the early versions of the program (including version 8.6).

Remember Parameters. Selecting the check-box preserves the changes made to the settings every time the program is launched.

Initial Scale. This parameter defines the way the image is scaled in the Image Window after opening. The parameter can take one of two values:

• image scaling Fit to view. The scale adjusts so that the image will be completely visible in the Image Window;

• if the option 100% is checked, image doesn’t scale. Generally, when the scale = 100%, only part of the image will be visible.

To save changes made in the Preferences window press OK.

If you need, click on the button Default to come back the default settings.

Old Algorithm (processing at the default settings)

New Algorithm (processing at the default settings)

Pencil Sketch

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Pencil Sketch For the first illustration of how AKVIS Sketch works we have chosen a simple picture: a flower in the foreground and a blurred background without any clear details (Pic. 1).

Pic. 1.

Original photo Result

Pencil Sketch

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1. Open the image with your photo editor and call the plug-in AKVIS Sketch. Press

the button to process the photo with the default settings. The image will turn into a pencil sketch (Pic. 2).

2. Reduce the value of the parameter Size to make the strokes thinner and harder (Pic. 3).

As you change the value of a parameter press the button to process the photo with the new settings and see what influence the adjusted parameter has on the drawing.

Pic. 2. Pic. 3.

Pencil Sketch

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3. The parameter Angle sets the pitch angle of the strokes when hatching a uniform area. On this picture the background is uniform and we can notice that the strokes are drawn 45 degree to the right. Let's change the pitch angle in such a way that the strokes in the background had the same angle as the tulip. We set the parameter Angle to 135 (Pic. 4).

4. Now reduce the value of the parameter Midtones Intensity to 1 to make the background less bright (Pic. 5).

5. Press the button to apply the conversion result to the image and close the program.

Pic. 4. Pic. 5.

Color Sketch

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Color Sketch By default AKVIS Sketch converts any image into a black and white pencil sketch. But if the original photo is colored, it is possible to add color from the original image to the pencil drawing.

1. Open a color photo in your photo editor (Pic. 1).

2. Call the plug-in AKVIS Sketch. For this purpose in Adobe Photoshop select the menu item Filter –> AKVIS –> Sketch; in Paint Shop Pro select the menu item Effects –> Plugins -> AKVIS –> Sketch; in Corel PHOTO-PAINT select the menu item Effects –> AKVIS –> Sketch.

Pic. 1.


Color Sketch

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3. Press the button to convert the photo into a pencil sketch with the default settings (Pic. 2).

4. Reduce the value of the parameter Size to make the lines thinner and harder. Reduce the value of the parameter Midtones Intensity to reduce the intensity of hatching in the uniform light areas of the picture (i. e. the sky) (Pic. 3).

Pic. 2. Pic. 3.

Color Sketch

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5. Let's add color to our pencil drawing by increasing the value of the parameter

Coloration to 70 (Pic. 4).

6. Press the button to apply the result to the image and close the program.

Pic. 4.

Transformation of a Video into a Cartoon

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Transformation of a Video into a Cartoon Batch processing option in AKVIS Sketch Plugin allows automatic applying of the plug-in to a group of files.

For this purpose you will need to create an action with the help of Automate -> Batch command first, and then apply the action to a folder with images. An action can contain more than one command (AKVIS Sketch) so that you can process a large number of images in one way.

You are asking where this can be needed. How about transforming a video or digital camera film into a cartoon?

Further on we'll show an approximate succession of transformations of a short video into a black and white cartoon. It's possible to make a color cartoon, it's depends on what you want.

We used an AVI video file taken with a digital Canon PowerShot A410 camera as an example.

1. In your hard disk, create two folders: 'frames-original' and 'frames-sketch'. 2. Convert video files to frames and put these frames into 'frames-original' folder.

We use the VirtualDub program. 3. After your video is converted into frames, you can edit the succession and delete

the redundant frames. We decided to delete the first 149 (0-148) frames out of the video and the resulting file had 740-149=591 frames.

4. Choose one of the frames out of 'frames-original' folder and open it in Adobe Photoshop. We chose the 151 frame (Pic. 1).

Pic. 1.



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5. Open Actions palette and click the Create New Set button. In the appeared window set a name for the new set of actions, for example, Film (Pic. 2).

6. Let us press the Create New Action button in the bottom of the palette. In the appearing window set the action name, for example Sketch film (Pic. 3).

Press Record button, the recording of the action will start (Pic. 4).

7. The video is taken with the photo camera and the quality is much to be desired. Before calling the AKVIS Sketch plug-in, we deleted noise from the image with AKVIS Noise Buster. Call the plug-in and set the noise-reduction settings. Let us

apply filtration results with the chosen settings by pressing .

Pic. 2.

Pic. 3. Pic. 4.


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8. Call AKVIS Sketch and select image settings for a pencil drawing conversion

(Pic. 5). Apply results by pressing .

9. In the File menu choose Save As and save the image into 'frames-sketch' folder.

10. Stop action recording by pressing Stop playing/recording button in the bottom of the Actions palette (Pic. 6).

11. Close the image and delete the file we have just saved into 'frames-sketch' folder.

12. The action is created, we can proceed to batch processing of the video frames. In the File menu of the editor choose Automate -> Batch command.

Pic. 5.

Pic. 6.


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13. In the appearing Batch folder assign all the data and settings (Pic. 7).

• In the Set field choose "Film", and in the Action field - "Sketch film".

• The Source field is used to select the sourse of the image. Choose Folder entry that allows to point a specific folder as a sourse. Press Choose folder and choose 'frames-original' folder.

• As far as we have not recorded the 'file open' command into the action, the Override Action "Open" Commands option should be disabled.

• In the Destination field choose Folder entry, press Choose, and select 'frames-sketch' folder.

• Enable Override Action "Save as" Commands option.

• In the File Naming section, the file naming structure for processed images is set. In order not to change the names choose Document Name in the first field and extension in the second.

14. Press OK button in the Batch window and Photoshop will start processing one frame after another out of the 'frames-original' folder and save them into 'frames-sketch' folder. The processing of one file takes about 18 seconds and the processing of the whole video of 591 frames should take about 3 hours.

15. All we have to do now is to assemble separate cartoon frames back into a video.

You can load and watch the resulted black and white cartoon now.

You can make a color cartoon, it depends on the parameters of AKVIS Sketch!

Pic. 7.

Self-Expression: Sketch In A Minute

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Self-Expression: Sketch In A Minute The author of this tutorial is Valentina Aynagos (Germany).

Often on the street, in a cafe, or at a train station one will often see people with a distinctive style. Sometimes a special style of dress is not simply a fad, but an expression of individuality or a sign of belonging to a particular subculture. Nevertheless, imagination can not only be shown through appearance, but also through creativity. In the following tutorial a photo of anime girls was transformed into an original color drawing in less than a minute. All that is needed is a little imagination and AKVIS Sketch.

1. Open the photo in AKVIS Sketch. Soon afterward the Preview Window will display the result based on the program's default settings (AKVIS Default Preset) (Pic. 1).

Pic. 1.



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2. Leave the preset's settings unchanged and click on the check box next to Color

Pencil in the Settings Panel. Press the button to process the image (Pic. 2). 3. To use a Gaussian blur effect, click on the Background tab, choose Sketch &

Blur mode from the drop-down menu, and the Drawing on Blur processing method.

Use the blue pencil (Effect Area Tool) to mark areas in the image that will

remain unchanged. Use the Green pencil (Blur Area Tool) to indicate the area to be blurred (Pic. 3).

Pic. 2.

Pic. 3.


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4. Process the image again by pressing the button. The sketch begins to be revealed. Processing can be stopped at any time by pressing Esc - this will prevent undesired details from being added to the image (Pic. 4).

5. Press the button and save the result (Pic. 5).

Pic. 4.

Pic. 5.

Shiny Apple: An Artist's Touch

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When creating a high-quality drawing, it is necessary not only to pay attention to lines and details, but also to how textures are represented. The Stroke Direction tool and other features of AKVIS Sketch can convey the structure of an object as if it were drawn by a real artist.

1. Open the image in the graphics editor with the menu command File -> Open (Pic. 1).

Pic. 1.



64

2. Call the plugin Filter -> AKVIS -> Sketch. In the preview window you can see how a part of the photo would be processed with the AKVIS Default

preset. To process the entire image press the button (Pic. 2).

3. Adjust the settings to make strokes clearer and more expressive:

Charcoal = 2;

Min Length/Max Length = 5/13;

Midtones Intensity = 6.

Process the image again (Pic. 3).

Pic. 2. Pic. 3.


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4. The uniform strokes across the image do not look very realistic. To make the

strokes follow the contours of the object, activate the tool and draw a few guiding lines. Change the parameter Zone of Influence to 76, so that more strokes will follow the guiding lines.

Press the button. The result differs from the one received in Step 3:

Pic. 4. Pic. 5.


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5. Note that small defects were formed over the smooth surface of the apple where there were spots.

It's possible to make these defects less noticeable using the features of the program.

The first method: deactivate the Preserve Edges check-box. The strokes reorient themselves in a general direction, but now the image's borders are weaker (Pic. 6).

Before After

Pic. 6.


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The second method: use the blur tools. Usually these are used to create an effect, but here they can be used to correct a defect.

Switch to the Background tab and choose Sketch & Blur from the drop-down menu, the processing method Drawing on Blur, and the Gaussian blurring method.

Use the blue pencil (Effect Area Tool) to indicate the area that will not

be blurred. Use the green pencil (Blur Area Tool) to mark the area with defects - they will be blurred before the photo is converted into a drawing (Pic. 7).

Start processing by pressing the button (Pic. 8).

Pic. 7. Pic. 8.


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6. Press the button, to apply the changes to the image. The plugin's window closes, and the processed image will appear in the graphics editor.

Finally, the image needs to be brighter. To do this, make a copy of the image by choosing Layer -> Duplicate Layer. Apply the Linear Burn blend mode to the top layer in the Layers palette, set the Opacity to 30% and choose the command Layer -> Flatten Image. Result is here (Pic. 9).

Pic. 9.