16.9. Chip Away

16.9. Chip Away
	16. Alpha to Logo Filters

16.9.1. Overview

Figure 17.389. Example for the “Chip Away” filter

The “Chip Away” filter

The “Chip Away” logo

This filter adds a chipped woodcarving effect to the alpha channel of the active layer. Optionally it adds a drop shadow to the image. The content of the active layer doesn't matter, only the shape of its alpha channel does.

	Warning
	The image will always be resized to the active layer's size.

The filter is derived from the “Chip Away” Script-Fu script (File → Create → Logos → Chip Away), which creates a text logo with the effect shown above.

16.9.2. Activate the filter

This filter is found in the image window menu under Filters → Alpha to Logo → Chip Away….

16.9.3. Options

Figure 17.390. “Chip Away” options

Chip amount

This option lets you vary the size of chipping area. But note that “Chip amount” is not the size of this area in pixels. It is used as the maximum amount pixels are randomly spread by the Spread filter applied to the bump map. Valid range is 0-200.

Figure 17.391. “Chip amount” examples

0

30

60

90

Blur amount

The specified value will be passed as “Radius” option to the Gaussian blur filter, which will blur the bump layer by this amount.

Invert

If checked, the bump map will be inverted and will create hollows instead of bumps, which makes the image looking carved.

Figure 17.392. “Chip Away” inverted example

Inverted, (without drop shadow)

Drop shadow

If checked, a Drop shadow will be added to the image in a new layer below the active layer.

Keep bump layer

By default, the bump map used to create the chipping effect will be removed after applying the filter. When this option is checked, the bump map will be kept as an invisible layer.

Fill BG with pattern

If checked, the background layer (added by the filter) will be filled with the specified Pattern. Otherwise, it will be filled with white.

Keep background

Whether or not to remove the background layer. This option is checked by default. You can, of course, remove this layer (or toggle its visibility) later in the Layers dialog.

Pattern

This option consists of a preview area, which will produce a popup preview when you click on it and hold down the mouse button, and a Browse button. The button will popup a dialog where you can select patterns.

The default pattern is “Burlwood”. Apart from that one, the plug-in author suggests the patterns “Dried mud”, “3D Green”, and “Slate”:

Figure 17.393. Suggested “Chip Away” patterns

Dried mud

3D Green

Slate

16.9.4. Filter details

To achieve a chipping effect, the filter...

...creates a selection from the alpha channel in a new layer,
fills the selection with white,
spreads the pixels,
and applies a Gaussian blur to the layer.
Then it uses this layer as a Bump map, creating a 3D effect.