Glitterize 1 2 3

Creating images that look good using Glitterizer is fast and easy once you learn the process.  Please keep in mind that you must start with a suitable image as per the help file and the information which follows.  While using images that don't have more than 256 colors or gradients is your best bet, you CAN if you want to, glitterize photographic images.

PREPARING YOUR IMAGE::

Those who wish to glitterize a full color image (photograph) successfully need to follow a process in order to maintain an acceptable result.  


Original Image  (Thanks Krissy!!)

Note, that a GIF and GIF animations can only be up to 256 colors. Unless you feed Glitterizer a GIF image which has already locked down your choice of color palette, then  the palette generated might look nothing like what you intended.


This is the result of feeding a JPG image
directly into Glitterizer.  OUCH!!

 

The trick is to create a GIF image of your JPG using a program such as Photoshop, PSP or even something like Snaggit and use a FIXED PALETTE to lock in the palette choices that software designed for such a conversion can choose.  Use the dithering method of your choice to smooth it out a bit.  Creating a dithered, fixed palette GIF is a function of your graphics software and you should consult your help file or manual for details.


This is a 256 color fixed palette gif using
Floyd Steinberg dithering.

Now, when you feed Glitterizer an image that is already converted and locked to a specific palette, it can generate the output that you would expect..


Output from a fixed palette gif original.  You can increase
the tonal quality even more if you use a glitter module which
is closer in color palette to the image than the one shown above,
as merging the image palette with the glitter frames palette
 is a SHARED / BORROWED process.

Experimentation with combinations of photo-gifs
and GL4's will yield a variety of results.

Using the Glitterizer Software is as simple as 1 2 3

Click the interface to open an image load requestor and find the image that you wish to glitterize (A).  Be sure that it's smaller than 500 pixels in any direction.  Click the NEXT button (B)

 

First choose your preview color... that is, the color that will describe the chosen area of your image, to be glitterized (A).  This aids in showing your feedback, as we don't know what color your image is.  Then click your image AT the place which represents the color you wish to replace with glitter (B).  As you do, the software will show you ALL areas of your image that fall into range (adjustable using the Mask Threshold) and that will be replaced with glitter.   NOTE:: That if you want any areas of your anim.gif to be transparent, then these must be 0, 0, 0 in color.  Next select the GL4 animation module you wish to use for the job by clicking the loader button (D) and see the preview of this in the preview box (C)  Proceed to the next step by clicking the NEXT button (E)

 

You're ready to compile your glitterized image.  Tell the software where you want it by clicking the SAVE AS button (A).  If you have something in the text entry field at the top, it will simply save it to whatever path is there (assuming that it is valid).  Otherwise it will open a SAVE AS requestor that is common to Windows.  After you name the file, it will compile out and then automatically display the image for you for instant preview.

Note, that the system will land you back at screen 1, with all settings still in tact.  This is done so that you can quickly make small modifications to your job and recompile them with a minimal of effort.  Simply change ONLY what you need and keep clicking on NEXT.

Enjoy !!

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