* Image Processing Image Filter Effect
* Intel Plugin for Lightwave 3D 5.0 and 5.5
* Code and Design (C) Copyright 1998 by Kevin Phillips,
                                        T42 Creative Designs

Introduction:
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Image Processor is a plugin that allows you to apply image filter effects to your final rendered image in Lightwave 3D. This plugin is fun, and some cool effects can be done with some experimentation!


Installing the Plugin:
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Installing the plugin is a piece of cake!  Simply select the OPTIONS button at the top of the screen, and click on the button ADD PLUGIN.

Find and select the file IMPROC.P and click OK.  Lightwave should tell you that 2 plugins were successfully installed.

Load up your animation scene.

Select the EFFECTS button, then the IMAGE PROCESSING Tab.  In the Image Filter selection list, look for the filter name T42_IMAGEPROC and select it.



Setting up the Plugin:
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Click on the OPTIONS button next to the plugin to set up the parameters for the plugin.

The processor works on a 'Convolusion' Filter approach - That is, its uses mathematical multiplication of the surrounding pixels to determine the final outcome of the middle pixel.

Don't Panic!  You don't have to be a Filter Guru to make use of this plugin - I've supplied 9 predefined filters as well.

Setting up the Filter is done in two ways:

The EASY Way:
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From the Drop-down list at the top of the panel, just select one of the predefined filters.  Click OK and you're done!

The Filters are as follows:

	Soften	:	Provides a soft-blurred look to the image
	Sharpen :	Enhances the sharpness of the image
	Emboss	:	Creates an Emboss effect on the image
			(Note: Looks great with greyscaled images)
	Hor.Edge:	Boosts up the Horizontal edges in the image
	Ver.Edge:	Boosts up the Vertical edges in the image
	Lighten	:	Brightens the image
	Darken	:	Darkens the image
	All Edge:	Traces all the edges in the image
	Median	:	Experimental - Not really a median filter, more
			a 'Jitter' effect - Produces a 'painted' look
			on your image... Sorta cool really! ;-)


The HARD Way:
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Create your own Filter!  Simply make sure that you select 'USE MATRIX' from the drop down list at the top of the menu and enter your details in the 3x3 matrix.  The pixel the filter will be affecting is always the middle one.

Creating filters is not that hard - The basic theory behind this filter is that the pixel RGB values in the 3x3 matrix are multiplied by the values in the filter, and then all these RGB values are added together.

The last value - MATRIX DIVIDE VALUE - Takes this overall value from the filter and divides it by a value to get the final RGB values for the middle pixel.

A quick example:
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To create a 'soften' filter, the idea would be to take the values of all the surrounding pixels and take the average to get a suitable colour.  To do this, the matrix settings are pretty basic:

	1.0	1.0	1.0
	1.0	1.0	1.0
	1.0	1.0	1.0

This would create the sum of all the R,G,B values.  Then, the Divide value would simply be the number of pixels - 9 of course!

Viola!  Instant Soften Filter!


Disclaimer:
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improc.p is a freeware plugin.  Freeware implies that you may use this plugin freely for personal use, but ownership and copyright of the plugin remains that of the Author.  You are granted unlimited use for personal work by the Author.  If you plan to use this plugin for Commercial work, please ensure that you credit the Author somewhere in the work for which the plugin is being used.

This plugin has been fully tested with Lightwave 3D 5.5 and should work with Version 5.0 as well, though please be aware that you may not hold the Author responsible for any error, damage or monetary loss caused by the use of this software.

You use this plugin at your own risk.