What effects are available in Storyboard Pro?

This article outlines the different effects in Storyboard Pro, including where to find them, their appearance, and their application.

There are two different types of effects in Storyboard Pro:

• Layer menu effects
• Effect Stack effects

The type you choose will depend on your needs and your preferred workflow.

About layer menu effects

These effects consist of a variety of blurs. When applied, they are committed to the layer and also convert the layer to a bitmap. It is recommended that you duplicate the layer before applying the effect if you are unsure.

Advantages: 

• Compatible with older versions of Storyboard Pro as they have been a feature for some time. 
• Because the effect is committed and flattened onto the layer, this option may be better for certain types of software exports.

Disadvantages:

• Only offers blur effects.
• The application of the effect is final and offers no editing after the fact.
• Cannot be animated.

Where do I find them?

Layer menu effects can be found by right-clicking a layer and going to Apply Effect.

What do they do?

The layer menu effects consist of the Blur, Radial Zoom Blur, and Directional Blur. Click on the name of each blur to see their settings.

Effect	Image
Blur Blurs the layer artwork equally in all areas.
Radial Zoom Blur Creates a blur around a central point with options to specify the appearance and direction of the outside blur.
Directional Blur Blurs artwork in a specific direction to create a feeling of movement.

About Effect Stack effects

These effects are available from Storyboard Pro 25 and up, and consist of a variety of filters. When applied, they act as a non-destructive filter on the layer, allowing for easy editing and even animation. They behave similarly to effects in Harmony.

Advantages: 

• Larger range of effect types.
• Non-destructive. Can be turned off/on and edited at any time.
• Effect values can be animated.

Disadvantages:

• Not compatible with Storyboard Pro versions older than 25.
• Will not have compatibility with certain software exports (except for Harmony).
• Cannot currently be committed to the layer.

Where do I find them?

These effects can be found in the Add Effect menu at the bottom of the Effect Stack view. Opacity and Transformation is added by default.

What do they do?

Below is a list of effects found in the Effect Stack. 

For more about using the Effect Stack and adjusting effect settings, see the following documentation:

• Effect Stack view
• Effect Stack
• Layer Effects

Gaussian Blur:  Applies a gaussian blur to the layer.	Directional Blur: Blurs artwork in a specific direction to create a feeling of movement.

Unsharp Mask: Adjust the sharpness of the artwork.	Contrast: Adjust specific values of the contrast.

Brightness Contrast: Adjust general brightness and contrast values.	Greyscale: Adjust the level of grey in the image.

Transparency: Adjust the transparency of the layer.	Colour Curves: Adjust the colour balance of the artwork using curves.

Colour Levels: Adjust the colours of the artwork using colour values.	Blending Modes: Allows you to apply a blending mode to the layer.