flaXen Cartoon Tool for VirtualDub
Help File - Covers fxToon v1.0
Last revision: 25-Jul-00
(c) 2000 Dan Flower (flaXen / X-Bios)



Index

DisclaimerLegal disclaimer -- It's not my fault!
IntroductionAn introduction to fxVHS
FeaturesfxVHS's massive feature list
Contact InfoMy Contact info (email & web page)
ParametersDefinitions for all fxVHS Parameters



Disclaimer

      This software is distributed free of charge and is therefore provided "as is" without warranty of any kind, either expressed or implied, including but not limited to, the implied warranty of Merchantability or Fitness For a Particular Purpose. Under no conditions does the Author take responsibility for the results of using this software, direct or indirect, including but not limited to, Damage to Other Software or Hardware Components or Data of Any Type.

      That being said, I'm fairly certain this filter won't blow your computer up, but that's what the disclaimer is there for. ;)
Introduction

      This filter (hereafter fxToon) was designed to sharpen lines in cartoons by finding lines (not just dark areas or edges) with my own home-brewed routine. fxToon operates in the YIQ colorspace so that only the Luma (Y) component is affected. This increases speed and looks just as good as it would if performed to each of the RGB components of the same video source.
Features of fxToon
Contact Info

      Want to email me? You can do that! My email address is: x_bios@hotmail.com
      Homepage?! I don't need no stink'n homepage! Wait! Ya I do: http://flaxen.dynip.com/vdf

      On my VirtualDub filter homepage, you can find example video clips, other video filters of mine, and maybe even the number "4"...



Definition of fxToon Parameters




Scale Base
      fxToon uses a non-linear amplitude table for adjusting line intensity. The Scale Base property allows you to set a "minimum" value for this table. This is done so that noise and non-lines will be excluded from the line detection routine. Higher values make it harder for soft or blurred lines to get included. Too low and it treats things (like edges) as lines when they shouldn't be.

Scale Intensity
      This specifies the strength of line detection table before it's applied to the image. High values produce darker lines while low values have less affect on the image.

Pixel Base
      This value is a threshold for the line detection routine. If the line strength is lower than this value, it'll be excluded. A high value will exclude lines that should be included. A low value may include lines that shouldn't be included.

Show Inverse Map
      This allows you to see the lines the routine has detected. The brighter they are, the more they'll darken the picture. You can adjust the settings and use this to perfect them.
Tips on Tuning Your Settings

      This section will help you adjust fxToon settings for the best results.

      The first step would be to use the fxVHS filter to clean-up the source first. After that, add the fxTool filter. The default settings seem to work well enough for me, but you may need to tweak them for yourself. This is best done by enabling the Show Inverse Map option and examining the clip. Make sure the lines are being detected well enough. They should appear as bright lines (or double-lines) in the output window. If they aren't very bright, try increasing the Scale Intensity. If lines are missing that need enhancement, try lowering the Scale Base and/or Pixel Base values. These values are most sensitive in their lower ranges so don't change them too drasticly. If there are too many lines showing (including edges which you don't want darkened), try increasing Scale Base and/or Pixel Base values.