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    .8BF filters

    Page 00
    technical: On a windoze system a .8bf file is considered being an executable. So malicious things could be hidden in it.

    At this moment, there are two different kinds of .8bf files.
    The basic one is rendered with a fixed syntax, ending up in a filesize of 57.344 bytes.
    (the 'Filter Factory' format)
    Then came the next developments with embedded lists of presets and customized GUI.
    Which of course takes many more bytes.

    In the IrfanView environment this division also is made by using two different commands to get to the .8bf filters.
    'K' and 'Ctrl-K'. Associated with Filter Factory and Adobe. Both with their own ini-files in the root of IV.
    And both with their own kind of dialog.
    But before going into such details, there's one major difference between the two IV functions :
    The FFactory dialog ('K') only can read the 'basic' size, while the Adobe dialog ('Ctrl-K') can read both categories.

    So the first reaction could be : skip the whole FFactory thing, because the other one takes care of it all.
    This would be careless however, because in the case of a 'basic' filter, FFactory has a better GUI, due to IrfanView.
    The dialog if a basic plugin is opened with Ctrl-K :
    While the K dialog is a bit more sophisticated :
    Also because it's possible to click on the slider knob and set the value precisely with the L/R arrows of the KB.

    More about the dialogs of both IV and the filters themselves still to come. Plus how to edit custom plugins.
    Last edited by Sam_Zen; 07.11.2007, 03:11 AM.
    0.6180339887
    Rest In Peace, Sam!

    #2
    Filter function

    Page 01
    Another aspect of properties of .8bf filters is, that they can have two different functions to get a result.
    It can be a modulator, so changing existing material, or be a generator, making something out of nothing.
    Like 'CD Shader' of the Unplugged package, after opening a New, empty file with a white background:


    Or this one from Harry's filters 3:


    There are even filters with complete fractal generators around.
    Last edited by Sam_Zen; 18.02.2008, 02:36 AM. Reason: other format
    0.6180339887
    Rest In Peace, Sam!

    Comment


      #3
      Page 02

      Plugin Commander is one of the editors to compile or convert to a .8BF file.
      Some tutorials can be found here
      Last edited by Sam_Zen; 18.02.2008, 02:39 AM. Reason: other format
      0.6180339887
      Rest In Peace, Sam!

      Comment


        #4
        Another tutorial what online can be read: Plugin Commander Tutorial. I think that's it. I do it this way.

        To avoid malware problems, these files ought to be downloaded from wellknown, secure pages and at once be scanned with an (for example free) Antivirus as all other downloads too.

        Looking forward to learn more about 8BF Plugins
        Anleitung zur Anwendung von Adobe 8BF Filter Plugins in IrfanView

        Comment


          #5
          Me too.
          ( As far as security is concerned, I warned already for the fact that 8BF files are executables. But just be aware, never trust totally on a virus-scanner, because it's per definition running behind the facts, when a new one is introduced.)
          Nice tutorial-page there.
          So PiCo can be used as converter to 8BF from FFL library files.
          One can find an example of such a file here.
          This file contains four Andrew's filters : Moving Circle - Live Wire - Mezzo Burst - Mixup
          A FFL file is a simple ASCII one, starting in the header with : "FFL1.0".
          This is a library of multiple files.
          The single ones can have the extension FFP. (File header starts with "%FFP") Like this one:

          Code:
          %FFP
          
          Category   :"Sam's filters"
          Title      :"white spotlight"
          Copyright  :"studio Denkraam"
          Author     :"Greg"
          Filename   :"spotlite2s.8bf"
          Description:"spotje"
          Version    :"1.0"
          
          // Control definitions:
          
          ctl(0):"X - axis  L<-->R",val=128
          ctl(1):"Y - axis  U<-->D",val=128
          ctl(2):"Spotsize",val=10
          ctl(3):"Spotfocus",val=238
          ctl(4):"Inside ampl",val=208
          ctl(5):"Outside ampl",val=71
          
          R:put(c2m(x-val(0,0,X),y-val(1,0,Y)),0),put(val(2,0,M),1),put(get(1)+val(3,M,0),2),put(get(0)>get(2)?ctl(5):get(0)<get(1)?ctl(4):scl(get(0),get(1),get(2),ctl(4),ctl(5)),6),r*get(6)/128
          
          G:g*get(6)/128
          
          B:b*get(6)/128
          
          A:a
          I edited this one, because I was not happy with the default positions and values.

          Another single source is the .AFS format, related to the Filter Formula concept. (file header : "%RGB-1.0")
          Also simple ASCII. This can be handled by FilterMeister to convert to the FFP format.
          So the Sid Norton Fractal Magic 2 from AFS to FFP
          0.6180339887
          Rest In Peace, Sam!

          Comment


            #6
            File types

            Plugin files can have different performance when installed on the system.
            Sometimes a file is just is a single effect file.
            Sometimes it's a package with more than one 8BF files in a folder.
            Sometimes it's one filter dialog, but with a pull-down menu of several presets.
            These presets often are placed in a sub-folder, with an own app-extension, like ,hfp or .lfp.
            Some .8BF files can have their own .INI files, or extra DLL.
            0.6180339887
            Rest In Peace, Sam!

            Comment


              #7
              Filter Formula compiler

              One can use the full version of Filter Formula now, after a registration via mail.
              To get an impression, here's an offline HTML help-file about it.
              Last edited by Sam_Zen; 18.02.2008, 02:48 AM. Reason: other format
              0.6180339887
              Rest In Peace, Sam!

              Comment


                #8
                thank you very much for linking that tutorial, helped me very much.
                great work guys
                LMT

                Comment


                  #9
                  NB : A correction is needed of the first post here.
                  It appears that both the 'K' and 'Ctrl+K' dialogs can't add each others format to the pluginlist.
                  0.6180339887
                  Rest In Peace, Sam!

                  Comment

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