About this help file

Welcome to the Satori help system. Use the Contents tab to navigate the system or press F1 when you need help.

Separate sections cover each of the Satori menus on which the majority of tools and controls are located:

The Paint menu

The Geometry menu

The Text menu

The Layer menu

The Masking menu

The Filters menu

The Picture menu

The colours menu

Layer List palette

The Colour/Zoom menu


Importing images

You can import images in .TIF, Targa graphics and other formats. You can fully convert images into .rir (resolution-independent rasters) files or open them quickly

Preprocessing images

To import an image into Satori you can:

Use the preprocessing program prep.exe to batch process file.

Use the Convert to RIR command on the File menu to preprocess a raster directly within Satori.

Direct import

You can also import a raster directly into Satori without preprocessing it using the Quick open command.


Working with Satori

This section describes the Satori working environment. You can set this up to suit your needs, switching toolbars and palettes on and off as required.

The Satori working window contains menus to access the tools you need, and selectors and scratchpads for working with colour and zooming to the view you want.

Menus

Tool bar

Working area

Tools menus and selector

Status bar

The Colour/Zoom menu

Zoom manager


Menus

Most file management operations can be accessed from the menus.

File menu:

New canvas

Open canvas

Open canvas browser

Open raster to destination

Quick open raster

Close

Save canvas

Save canvas as

Save bitmap as

Convert to RIR

Convert from RIR

Exit

Edit

Undo brushing

View

Toolbar

Status bar

Colour/Zoom menu

VTR button bar

Grid bar

All toolbars on

All toolbars off

No constraints

Constrain vertical

Constrain horizontal

Display grid

Grid snap

Plugins

There are no commands currently enabled on the Plugins menu.

Information

System

Picture

Preferences

Window

New zoom

Cascade

Tile

Arrange icons

Help

Index

Using help

About Satori

There are also keyboard short cuts for most menu items.

See:

Keyboard short cuts


Tool bar

The tool bar also provides quick access buttons for performing file operations. Turn the tool bar off using the View menu (Alt-V-T to toggle on and off).

See:

Opening a new canvas


New canvas

Click this button to create a new canvas.


Open button

Click this button to re-open an existing canvas document.


Save button

Click this button to save your canvas as a .CVS document.


Save bitmap button

Click here to save a bitmap of your canvas. Note that this output procedure can take a long time and you will lose all the editing information held in the .CVS canvas file.


Information button

Click this button for details about Satori.


Working area

The working area of your canvas is shown in the main window.

The size of your canvas is shown in the window title.

If this is a zoom window, the magnification and the coordinates of the area shown also appear in the window title.

Rulers show the size of the image, either in pixels, inches or centimetres.

The area of your canvas is shown by a cross-hatch pattern on a white background. This shows through any transparent areas within the image.

Rulers

Horizontal and vertical rulers show you where you are in the canvas and the scale at which you are viewing it.

Set the ruler measurement when you open a new canvas. See:

Opening a new canvas

Cursor

The position of the cursor, whatever tool is being used, is shown by markers on the ruler.

  See also:


Tools palettes and selector
Tools menus and selector

Most of the tools you use when working with Satori are found on the tool menus at the bottom of the screen. A selector bar contains buttons to switch between these menus.

Menus are:

The Paint menu

Geometry

Text

The Picture menu

Layer

The colours menu

The Filters menu

The Masking menu

Layer List palette

Rotoscoping

The Colour/Zoom menu

Each menu contains a group of tools which perform related tasks. Some tasks, such as adding a new layer, can be accessed from more than one menu.

  See also:


Status bar

The status bar at the bottom of the screen includes help messages, shows the current layer and the measurements of the current object.

Turn the status bar off by:

•	Deselecting it from the View menu (Alt-V-S toggles the status bar on and off).

•	Choosing Full or Large displays from the tools palette selector bar.

  See also:


Opening a new canvas

To open a new blank canvas:

1	Click on the New file button, or choose New from the File menu.

2	The Picture Properties dialogue box will appear.

3	Click on the Pixels, Inches or Centimetres button. This sets the ruler measurements for the file in the Satori window.

4	Enter the size of the image in the chosen measurement. Several standard sizes are suggested: choose one of these or enter your own.

5	Click OK. The new file will be opened and a blank working window displayed.

  See also:


Importing a raster

You can import rasters from the following formats:

.rir

TIFF

Targa

Other formats may be supported.

To import a raster:

Use the Open raster to destination command on the File menu for .rir format files, or the Convert to .rir command for other formats. This uses the preprocessor prep.exe to import the file.

You can also use prep.exe outside Satori to batch convert files.

  See also:


Keyboard short cuts

Keyboard short cuts are available for some file operations.

•	New file 	Ctrl-N

•	Open file 	Ctrl-O

•	Save file 	Ctrl-S

There are also keyboard short cuts for some menu entries.

Press Alt, then the underlined letter in the menu name, then the underlined letter in the menu entry. For example, pressing Alt-F-X chooses Exit from the File menu.

See:

Menus


Outputting your work

Once you have completed work on a canvas in Satori you will need to convert it to a raster format for export. This enables files to be output as bitmaps for printing on paper, film or other formats.

You can do this within Satori or using the utility rip.exe.

See:

Saving rasters

File/Save canvas as bitmap

Save bitmap as command


Layers

Layers are a powerful and flexible feature of Satori. They contain the work you do, images you import.

Keeping different parts of your image on separate layers greatly increases the options available for editing your work. Layers can be moved to reposition parts of an image, or re-ordered. Layers can contain masks, and be used to transform other layers with brightness, opacity and transparency effects.

See:

Working with layers

Layer features


About masks

A mask is an area of a layer which is marked as transparent, so instead of the masked image you see the contents of the layers beneath. However, the masked layer still contains the image information which is hidden by the mask, which can be revealed again by using the Unmask tool.


Layer

Layers are parts of a document which appear on top of each other. They contain image and masking information. Use layers to combine images in one document or to make a complex image easier to edit and work with.


Canvas

The image document on which you work with Satori. Canvas files have a .CVS extension.

Any work you add to the canvas, such as brushstrokes or geometric shapes, will be resolution-independent. Imported images will be subject to their original resolution.


About box

Gives version number, serial number and copyright information about Satori.

Includes contact information for Spaceward Graphics.

Click OK or press Return to close.


Text font


Text effect


New layer

Type the name of the new layer here. By default, layers are assigned numbers in the order of their creation, but you can give a layer any name you like up to 30 characters in length.

However, because only the first 15 characters or so of these characters are likely to be visible in the Layer list palette, you should try to keep layer names below this length.

1	Enter a layer name

2	Click OK to create a layer with the name shown.

3	Click Cancel to abandon the operation without creating a new layer.


New Picture sizing

This tab of the Picture Properties dialog sets the size of the new canvas.

1	Select the unit of measurement in Pixels, Inches or Centimetres.

2	Enter the required size, with Width in the X box and Height in the Y box. Several standard sizes are suggested:

 if you choose inches or centimetres, A paper sizes are listed.

 if you choose pixels, several standard frame sizes are suggested.

3	Tick Preserve Aspect to preserve the aspect ratio of the source image.

4	Enter the dots per inch required.

5	Tick 1:1 Picture to Pixels to load the source image in non-resolution independent mode. You will not be able to resolve the display of the image beyond a 1:1 ratio of screen to picture pixels..

6	Click OK to close the dialog and open the new canvas, or click the Information tab.


Picture comment

Use this area to store information about the canvas.

Type the name of the artist in the Artist field.

Enter any free text comments in the Comment box.

Click OK to close the Picture Properties dialog.


Clear layer

This dialog gives you two options for clearing a layer. Opt for:

Transparent. The layer will be cleared revealing the grid or cross-hatch pattern if one is used.

Colour. The layer will be cleared to the colour specified in the Layers menu.

Click OK to confirm the clearing of the layer.

  Related topics


Status

This dialog gives background information on your computer including storage, memory and display.

The Display group shows the resolution and colour depth of your current display mode.

The Memory group shows the amount of physical RAM in your computer, the amount of memory which is free and the Load on your system resources in percentage terms.

The Disk group gives details of the disk drives attached to your computer.

Click the drop-down arrow and choose the disk whose details you want to view. For each disk the type of drive, total space, free space and used space are shown.

Click OK to close the System status dialog.


Load picture object

The Load picture object dialog enables you to select a resolution-independent raster .rir file to load into Satori.

1	Choose the .rir to load in the File group:

type in the file and path name

click Browse to open the open dialog

click Minipic to open the Minipicture Browser. This enables you to browse thumbnails of files stored in each directory.

2	Choose the destination in the Destination group, one of:

New layer. Adds a new layer to the canvas and loads the picture into that.

Current layer. Loads the picture into the current layer of the canvas.

3	Click 1:1 to load the picture at one picture pixel to one screen pixel.

4	Choose an option for the Current layer:

Keep resolution loads the picture at its true size regardless of the size of the destination layer.

Fit to layer scales the picture to fit the current layer. Choose Keep aspect ratio or Ignore aspect ratio as required.

5	Click OK to load the picture or Cancel to abandon the process.


Save Canvas as Bitmap

Use this dialog to set options for saving a canvas file or a selection from a canvas file as a bitmap.

1	Enter a filename in the Filename box. Click Browse to open the Save as dialog to choose a name if required.

2	Tick Use Compression if available. If you choose a format which allows compression, it will be used if you tick this option.

3	Set the output dimensions.

4	Choose one of Use Whole Canvas or Use Crop Area to specify which to output.

5	Enter the dimensions and unit of measurement. These will be taken from the canvas by default but you can specify changes if required. Tick Lock aspect if you want to retain the aspect ratio when changing the size of the output.

6	Specify the number of dots per inch. This should match the resolution of the output device you plan to use, such as a printer.

7	Click OK to output the file or Cancel to abandon the operation.


Draw preferences

The Pen Cursor group lets you set defaults for the pen cursor.

Choose Cross hair or Airbrush to select the cursor used when painting.

Tick the brush outline option to display the extent of the current brush as a circle around the cursor.

Click Apply to confirm your settings or OK to close the dialog.


Colour preferences

Use the options here to set the default tolerance of the chroma picker and the colour picker.

Click Apply to confirm your settings or OK to close the dialog.


Canvas Preferences

Set the default Save Compression Options.

None produces a large, uncompressed file but is the quickest option.

Medium is the default

High produces small files but the saving process takes longer.

Click Apply to confirm your settings or OK to close the dialog.


Copy layer

This dialog enables you to copy layers between and within canvases.

1	In the Source grouping, choose the source canvas from which the layer will be copied and the layer to copy. Click the drop-down arrows to display lists to choose from. The current canvas and layer will be selected by default.

2	In the Destination grouping, choose the canvas to copy the layer to. If only two canvases are open, the correct canvas should be shown.

3	Click OK to confirm the copying or Cancel to abandon the process.


Minipic browser

Use the Minipic browser to view the contents of image files without loading them.

You can use the Minipic browser to view both canvas (.cvs) and raster (.rir) files.

1	Choose the required drive, directory and file type.

2	Any images found will be displayed as thumbnails in the scrolling list.

3	Click on an image to select it and click OK to load it.


Picture Information

Current picture information gives information on the current picture, including its name, requested resolution, whether it was loaded 1:1, and the number of layers.

Click OK to close the dialog.


Set View pixel levels

The Set View pixel levels dialog enables you to switch between resolution-independent and non-resolution independent editing modes for the current canvas.

Tick 1:1 to disable resolution-independent editing

Clear 1:1 to enable resolution-independent editing.

Enter a lower resolution to fix the size at which maximum zoom will be reached at a lower point.

Click OK or Cancel.


Rotoscoping input

This dialog enables you to select a series of files for rotoscoping.

Files must be named with the same alphabetical characters followed by numbers in sequence.


Rotoscoping output

This dialog enables you to name the output from rotoscoping automatically.

Files must be named with the same alphabetical characters followed by numbers in sequence.

The output file numbers will be incremented automatically.


Maximum Zoom reached

If you have selected the Display Pixel levels mode in the Set View Pixel Levels dialog, you will be unable to zoom in further than the point where picture pixels become larger than screen pixels and this dialog will be displayed.

Click Hi-Res to perform a high-resolution operation on the image. This will enable you to display the image at the highest possible resolution.

Click Disable Display Pixel Levels to disable the settings in the Set View Pixel Levels dialog. This enables you to view the image in resolution-independent mode where there are no constraints on view levels or pixel size.


Information/system

Opens the System status dialog which gives information about the display, memory and storage capabilities of your computer.


Information/picture

Click this button toopen the Picture information dialog which gives information about the current canvas.


File/Save canvas as bitmap

Click this button to open the Save canvas as bitmap dialog. This enables you to save a canvas file as a raster/bitmap in a variety of formats.


File/Open canvas

Click this button to open the Open dialog from which you can choose an existing canvas file to open, browsing your discs as required.


File/Open raster to destination

Opens the Load picture object dialog, which enables you to import a .rir  file into an existing or new canvas.


Save canvas

Click this button to open the Save dialog, enabling you to save your canvas as a .cvs file in the specified directory. Once a file has been named and saved choosing this command resaves it in the same location


Save canvas as

Click this button to open the Save as dialog, enabling you to save your canvas as a .cvs file in a different location or with a different name from that under which it was first saved.


Browse open raster

Click this button to open the minipic browser to enable you to select a raster file to open by viewing thumbnails of suitable files.


Information/Preferences

Click this button to open the Preferences dialog which enables you to set some defaults for working with Satori.


View/colour zoom menu

Click this button to display or hides the Colour/Zoom menu.


File/ open canvas browser

Click this button to open the Minipic browser, enabling you to choose a canvas file to open by viewing thumbnail images.


View/Constrain none

Click this button to stop constraining cursor movement on either axis.


View/Constrain horizontal

Click this button to constrain cursor movement along the x axis so that you can draw straight vertical lines.


View/Constrain vertical

Click this button to constrain cursor movement along the y axis so that you can draw straight horizontoal lines.


Visible grid

Click this button to display a visible grid as a background to canvases.


Grid snap

Click this button to enable snap to grid. Corners and control points of geometric shapes will be attracted to the grid points.


Rotoscoping save and back

Click this button to save the current frame and load the previous frame in the sequence.


Rotoscope back

Click this button to load the previous frame in the sequence without saving the current frame.


Rotoscope reload

Click this button to reload the current frame.


Rotoscope save forward

Click this button to save the current frame and load the next frame in the sequence.


Rotoscope forward

Click this button to load the next frame in the sequence without saving the current frame.


View rotoscope bar

Click this button to toggle the Rotoscope tool bar. Choose it to display or hide the rotoscope controls


New canvas command

This command creates a new canvas at the size you enter in the New Picture sizing  dialog.


Open canvas command

This command opens the Open dialog for you to select an existing canvas to open.


Open canvas browser command

This command opens the Minipic browser for you to select an existing canvas to open using the thumbnail images..


Open raster to destination command

This command loads a raster (.rir) file into a new canvas or an open canvas


Quick open raster command

This command loads a raster.


Close

This command closes the current canvas file. You will be prompted to save any changes.


Save canvas command

This command opens the Save dialog to save your work as a .cvs file.


Save canvas as command

This command opens the Save as dialog to save your work as a .cvs file with a different name or location.


Save bitmap as command

This command opens the Save canvas as bitmap dialog enabling you to export a canvas to a raster format.


Convert to RIR command

This command opens the specified raster file using the preprocessor to convert it to a resolution-independent raster before loading it into a canvas.


Convert from RIR command

This command exports files from Satori using the renderer to save files in a variety of raster formats.


Exit command

This command exits Satori and closes any open canvas files. You will be prompted to save your changes.


Undo brushing command

This command undoes the most recent brushstrokes.


Toolbar command

This command toggles display of the toolbar which contains buttons for common file opeations.


Status bar command

This command toggles display of the status bar at the bottom of the screen, which give information about Satori activity.


Colour/Zoom menu command

This command toggles display of the colour/zoom menu which provides controls for working with colour and zoom views of documents.


VTR button bar command

This command toggles display of the VTR button bar which contains buttons for rotoscoping operations.


Grid bar command

This command toggles display of the grid button bar which contains buttons for the constrain and grid display buttons.


All toolbars on

This command turns all the toolbars on.


All toolbars off

This command turns all the toolbars off.


No constraints

This option indicates that there are no drawing constraints, so lines can be drawn in any direction.


Constrain vertical

This option enables constraint so that the cursor can only be moved in a vertical direction to draw straight lines


Constrain horizontal

This option enables constraint so that the cursor can only be moved in a horizontal direction to draw straight lines


Display grid

This command toggles the display of the visible grid. When it is selected the image area will contain a visible grid to help precise drawing.


Grid snap command

This command toggles the snap to grid facility. When it is selected the corners and control points of geometric shapes and the start and end of lines will snap automatically to positions on the grid.


System command

Opens the System status dialog box.


Picture command

Opens the Picture information dialog box.


Preferences command

Opens the Preferences dialog which lets you control default settings for Draw preferences ,Colour preferences  andCanvas Preferences .


New zoom command

Opens a new zoom window at twice the magnification of the current window.


Cascade command

Organises open windows so that they are cascaded down the screen and the title bar of each is visible.


Tile command

Tiles open windows so that each is allocated equal screen space.


Arrange icons command

Organises the icons of any minimised canvas windows.


Index command

Opens the Satori help index.


Using help command

Opens instructions for using the help system.


About Satori command

Opens the About box which contains details about Satori and Spaceward Graphics.


Working with imported images

When you import an image into Satori it retains its original resolution. Satori cannot create additional pixels where there were none.

Work you add to the imported image will be fully resolution-independent.

The behaviour of imported images can be altered by changing the resolution and settings in the Set View pixel levels  dialog.


Resolution-independence

This is a key concept for working with Satori. It enables you to work quickly whatever the view you have of an image. Satori only calculates for display the level of detail needed for your current view of the document, but when you zoom in you can see a greater level of detail.

When you zoom into an image you will see that the brushstrokes you have applied start to look blocky. Applying the HiRez command forces Satori to redraw the canvas to show the full detail of brushing at the current zoom level.


1 to 1 pixel loading

This is a non-resolution independent editing mode. You can turn this on:

when creating a new canvas

when importing an image

using the Set View pixel levels dialog.


Opening an existing canvas

To open an existing canvas:

1	Choose Open from the File menu or click the Open button on the tool bar.

2	The Open dialog will be displayed.

3	Choose the drive and directory in which the file you want is stored.

4	Select the required canvas from the list

5	Click OK to open the canvas.

You can also use the Minipic browser to open a canvas from a selection of thumbnail images.


Saving canvases

While you continue to work on a file it is best to store it in Satori’s native canvas (.cvs) format.

When you have completed your work you will probably want to convert it to a raster format for output.

To save canvases, use the Save canvas or Save canvas as  commands on the File menu.

  Related topics


Saving rasters

You can export canvas files in raster formats, using either:

Satori’s resolution-independent raster format. To use this format choose Save Canvas as Bitmap from the File menu and complete the dialog which appears.

Other raster formats such as .TIF or Targa graphics. To do this, use the Convert to RIR which can be used to batch process large numbers of canvases.


Rotoscoping

The Rotoscoping facility enables you to load series of images such as frames from video or animation for editing and to save them easily using sequential filenames.

To set Rotoscoping options choose the Rotoscoping menu.

You can also display the Rotoscoping controls as a tool bar: see Tool bar  and View rotoscope bar

To choose files to load for Rotoscoping, see:

Rotoscoping input

To choose filenames for Rotoscoping output, see:

Rotoscoping output


Geometry tools

Use the geometry tools to:

•	draw regular shapes including squares, circles, stars and polygons

•	draw irregular polygons

•	draw freehand shapes and Beziér curves or splines

Shapes can be filled or outlines, and opaque or transparent. Lines and outlines are based on the current paintbrush.

Access the Geometry tools via the Geometry menu.

Click on each tool for instructions on how to use it.


The Geometry menu

The Geometry menu gives you access to the geometry drawing and editing tools as well as their controls.

Click on the tool icons to select a tool.

You can also control the settings for each tool with the following options:

Geometry layer options

Shape opacity

The following operations can be performed on new or edited shapes:

Colour and shading style

Special fills

Opacity

Rotation

Shear

Z-order/ top and bottom

Mapping

Tint

Blur

Lighten

Darken

Shade

Number of sides

Star and inner radius

You can also use the options on the Layer, Filters and Masking menus to apply other effects to the layer as a whole.


Editing shapes

To edit a shape once it has been drawn:

1	Click the Edit shape button in the Geometry menu.

2	Selection handles will appear on the most recently drawn shape. If you want to edit a different shape, click the Previous button till the shape you want is selected.

3	Edit the shape on the canvas by dragging the selection handles.

Move the shape to another location on the layer.

You can also use the controls on the various tabs of the Geometry menu to edit the shape. See [image] for more details.

You can change the colour using the colour selection tools.

4	When you have finished making changes, click the Finish Edit button on the Geometry menu. To discard the changes you made, click Abort Edit.


Square tool

The square tool draws a square.

1	Select the Square tool. If the colour, mapping or shadow settings are not what you required, change them using the appropriate tab in the Geometry menu. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush hsape, size and colour from the Paint menu.

2	Start at a point where you want one corner of the square.

3	Drag till the square is the required size and position. If you move to the left or above the starting point the square will flip to that position.

  Other tools:


Rectangle tool

The rectangle tool draws a rectangle.

1	Select the rectangle tool. If the colour, mapping or shadow settings are not what you required, change them using the appropriate tab in the Geometry menu. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	Start at a point where you want one corner of the rectangle.

3	Drag till the rectangle is the required size and position. If you move to the left or above the starting point the rectangle will flip to that position then let go. The shape will be drawn and coloured as requested.

  Other tools:


Circle tool

The circle tool draws a circle centred on the starting point.

1	Select the Circle tool. If the colour, mapping or shadow settings are not what you required, change them using the appropriate tab in the Geometry menu. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	Start at a point where you want the centre of the circle.

3	Drag till the circle is the required size and position then let go. The shape will be drawn and coloured as requested.

  Other tools:


Ellipse tool

The ellipse tool draws an ellipse.

1	Select the Ellipse tool. If the colour, mapping or shadow settings are not what you required, change them using the appropriate tab in the Geometry menu. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	Start at a point where you want the centre of the ellipse. Drag vertically or horizontally to flatten the ellipse or diagonally to make it rounder.

3	Drag till the ellipse is the required size and position then let go. The shape will be drawn and coloured as requested.

  Other tools:


Line tool

The line tool draws a straight line using the current paint brush.

1	Use the Paint menu to set up the required paint brush and size.

2	Select a colour for the brush

3	Select the Line tool and draw the line by dragging from the start point to the end point. You can reposition the end point until you let go.

4	When you stop drawing the line will be drawn and coloured.

  See also:


Connected line tool

The connected line tool draws a series of connected straight lines using the current paintbrush setting.

To draw connected lines:

1	Choose the required paintbrush and size, then choose the Connected line tool from the Geometry menu.

2	Start drawing at the required point on the canvas.

3	Click to start a new line where required.

4	Choose Render from the pointer menu to complete the line.

  See also:


Regular polygon tool

The regular polygon tool lets you draw shapes with three to 12 vertices and either straight sides or a star shape.

1	Choose the Regular polygon tool and select the colour, layer and geometry settings you require for the shape using the controls on the Geometry menu. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	To change the number of sides or the configuration of the shape, click the right mouse button/pen button and choose the required option from the menu which is displayed. Choose Star to produce a star rather than a flat-sided shape. You can also use the Setup tab of the Geometry menu to specify additional settings such as the internal radius of star shapes.

3	Start at the position which would be the centre of the shape and drag the shape out to the required size.

4	Rotate the polygon by dragging its outline round.

5	You can change the number of sides or their configuration by displaying the menu again and choosing new options.

6	Let go of the pen or mouse button to complete and render the shape.

   See also:


Irregular polygon tool

Use the irregular polygon tool to draw irregular shapes (polygons with unequal sides or angles)

To draw an irregular polygon:

1	Choose the Irregular polygon tool and the settings you require. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	Click or start drawing where you want a corner (vertex).

3	Add further vertices as required. You will see the outline of the shape as you add vertices.

4	Display the shape menu by clicking the pen or right mouse button and choose Join to complete the shape.

5	Choose Render to draw the shape.

  See also:


Drawing closed splines

To draw smooth-sided shapes based on Beziér curves.

1	Choose the Closed spline tool and the settings you require. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	Click or start drawing where you want a control point (vertex).

3	Add further points as required. You will see the outline of the shape as you add points.

4	Display the shape menu by clicking the pen or right mouse button and choose Join to complete the shape outline.

5	Choose Use handles from the shape menu to adjust the control points as required. Drag the control handles to create the shape you want

6	Choose Render to draw the shape.

  See also:


Open splines

To draw smooth Beziér curves.

1	Choose the Beziér curve tool and the settings you require. Choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	Click or start drawing where you want a control point (vertex).

3	Add further points as required.

4	Choose Use handles from the shape menu to adjust the control points as required. Drag the control handles to create the shape you want

5	Choose Render to draw the shape.

  Other tools:


Drawing freehand shapes

The freehand shape tool draws a shape based on sampling the position of the pen or mouse and placing straight lines between each sampling point.

To draw freehand shapes:

1	Choose the Freehand shape tool and the settings you require. If you select Outline, choose the appropriate brush shape and size from the Paint menu.

2	Click or start drawing until you have drawn the required shape.

3	Display the shape menu by clicking the pen or right mouse button and choose Join to complete the shape outline.

4	Choose Render to draw the shape.

Note that the number of points is based on a sampling process: the more slowly you draw, the closer together the points will be (down to a minimum of a pixel) and the smoother the appearance of the finished shape will be.

  Other tools:


Geometry layer options

You can apply shapes to a layer as colour, mask or unmask options.

If no mask layer exists for the current layer, you will be prompted to add a mask layer before drawing with the Mask option selected.

Click on the option you require.

Shapes can be filled or outline.

Outline draws the shape using the last paint brush to be selected and the colour settings in the Colour tab.

Filled draws a solid shape using the colour settings in the Colour tab of the Geometry menu.

  See also:


Shape opacity

You can set the transparency level of each shape you draw.

To set transparency:

Click the up or down arrows in the Opacity box or type in the required value.

100 is opaque and 0 is invisible.

Note that shapes based on paint brushes may have a degree of transparency due to the selected brush profile.


Geometry parameters

The options on the Parameter tab help you select shapes for editing and perform some editing operations on selected shapes.

Rotate shows the current rotation of the shape in degrees. Click the Rotate button to load the rotation tool. Rotate shapes by dragging a vertex or control point.

Shear shows the current shear applied to the shape. Click the Shear button to load the shear tool and  shear shapes by dragging a vertex or control point.

Z-order shows the position of the shape in the Z-order of the layer. This is the order in which objects are displayed from top to bottom.

Click Top to bring an object to the top

Click Bottom to send it the bottom of the layer, that is hide it behind any other objects in the layer.

Click the up/down arrows to move the selected object through the stack of objects one step at a time.

Setup is currently greyed out.


Geometry colour

This Tab of the Geometry menu lets you specify the shading style of filled objects drawn with the Geometry tools.

To apply colour to a new shape, set the colour options before drawing or rendering it.

To apply a new colour or shading to an existing shape, choose Edit shape, select the shape then change the shading style.

There are several shading styles:

Flat

Radial

Gradient

Box corner

Flat applies the current colour to the whole shape.

Radial is not yet implemented

Gradient is not yet implemented.

Ellipse is not yet implemented.

Box corner applies the selected colours to the corner of each object and blends them towards the middle of each object.

To select colours for a box corner:

1	Select the required colour using the colour selection tools.

2	Point to the corner of the box corner icon to which you want to apply the colour.

3	Click in the corner. The chosen colour will be dropped on to the icon and the preview of the box corner blend will be updated.

You can also colour a shape by mapping another image to it. See Mapping  for more details.


Mapping

Mapping applies an existing image file to a geometric shape. Files to be mapped must be in .rir format so should be preprocessed by choosing Convert to RIR from the File menu before use.

To map an image to an object:

1	Choose Edit shape and select the required object.

2	Open the Mapping tab of the Geometry menu.

3	Click Use mapping and the Browse button: the Minipic browser will be displayed.

4	Choose the required image from the Minipic browser or type its file name directly into the Name: field on the Mapping tab.

5	Click Window to view the image through the object as if it were a window. If you choose this option, you can use the buttons in the Edit group to edit the view of the object: click Move to view a different part of the mapped image or Scale to scale it to fit the shape it is mapped to.

6	Click Warp to warp the mapped image to the shape of the object.


Geometry effects

The Effects tab enables you to apply paint effects the layer using geometric shapes.

Tint applies a tint of the selected colour to the layer. To choose the tint colour:

Select the required colour with the colour selection tools

Drop the chosen colour on the tint selection box.

Use the slider to specify the percentage of the tint.

Blur applies a blur effect to the layer. Use the slider to specify the degree of blurring.

Lighten lightens the layer by the specified percentage.

Darken darkens the layer by the specified percentage.

Shade shades the layer by the specified percentage.

Each of these options stays in force till you click the button again to turn them off.


Geometry Setup

The Geometry Setup tab lets you define settings for certain of the Geometry tools when drawing or editing shapes.

Regular polygons

Specify the number of sides up to a maximum of 50.

Tick the box to draw a star rather than a straight-sided polygon.

Specify the inner radius of the star as a percentage of the full radius. The default setting is 50%.


The Paint menu

The paint menu helps you set up brushes and select them for use.

You can:

Set up new brushes

Adjust the size of brushes with the on-screen controls

Add a new layer

Mix colours with the Colour palette

Specify whether to apply brushstrokes as paint or mask.

  See also:%!Alink(Brush profile;Brush shape;Brush styles;Brushes;Brushes , , , )


Painting quick start

To paint with Satori

1	Open a canvas or create a new one.

2	Click Paint on the Satori menu.

3	Add a new layer if required by clicking New layer.

4	Select a brush by clicking on its entry in the brush list.

5	Size the brush using the Size control sliders.

6	Select the required colour using the Colour menu or the Colour palette.

7	Start painting on the canvas.


Storing brushes

Brushes are stored in a sub-directory of the directory where the main Satori.exe program is stored. Brushes are stored as .sbd (Satori brush definition) files. When you name a new brush a .sbd file is automatically created and saved with that name.

Satori will display in the brush list any brushes which it finds in this directory, unless it is instructed not to display them in the menu.

You can hide brushes using the tick option in the Library tab  of the Brush setup dialog.


Painting

You can paint by:

applying colour to a layer. The selected colour is applied to the layer according to the design of the chosen brush.

applying a mask to a layer. This reveals the underlying layers, if any, using the brush strokes you paint. If a layer mask has not already been added to the layer you will be prompted to add on before you can paint a mask.

unmasking a layer. Any masking on the current layer mask will be removed by your brush strokes.

When a paintbrush is the selected tool the cursor over the canvas is an airbrush. To see the extent of the brush on the canvas, choose Brush outline from the pointer menu. An outline will show you where your brush stroke will fall on the canvas.


Adjusting brush size

The on-screen control lets you set the size of the brush in canvas units.

Move the vertical slider down to set the size in single canvas units

Move the horizontal slider to the right to set the size in hundreds of canvas units.

Double-click the brush image to load the Brush Setup dialog to edit the current brush or create a new one.

You can also change the brush size quickly by clicking the Brush size icons on the Colour menu.


Creating and editing brushes

Creating a new brush can be as simple or as complex as you choose to make it. You may edit aspects of the brush including:

the brush profile

pressure response

brush style

display settings

To create a new brush:

1	Click Setup in the Paint menu or double-click the Brush size control icon.

2	Click New in any tab of the Brush Setup dialog.

3	Type a name for the new brush in the New brush dialog. While you can give a brush a name up to 32 characters in length, in practice anything longer than 8 to10 characters will not display in full on the Paint menu buttons

4	Adjust the settings in the Brush Setup dialog as required. Your changes are saved automatically as you make them.

5	When you have finished, click OK.

To edit an existing brush:

1	Select the brush in the Paint menu and click the Setup button. The Brush Setup dialog will load with the chosen brush already selected.

2	Alternatively, open the Brush Setup dialog with any brush selected and click the drop-down arrow. Choose the required brush from the list.

3	Make your changes and click OK.


Brush profile

This tab determines the profile of the brush being edited, controlling the intensity of paint application across the width of the brush stroke.

1	Click the drop-down arrow and choose the brush to set up from the scrolling list, or click New to create a new brush and type its name in the dialog which opens.

The sample window shows the profile generated by the current setting.

The left side of the graph is the edge of the brush and the right side is the centre.

The top edge is maximum intensity and the bottom edge is minimum intensity.

2	Drag the control handle to create the effect you want.

3	Create additional control points by clicking on the line.

Remove additional control points by dragging them on top of another control point.

4	Click Default to return to the default settings, or Save to save your settings, or Reload to reload the original brush settings.

  See also:


Pressure Response

Settings in the Pressure Response tab determine the way paint is applied to the canvas in response to the input from your stylus. The most suitable settings depend on the particular stylus in use and the way you draw: you may wish to experiment to create the best settings for your style of working.

1	Click the drop-down arrow to choose the brush to set up, or click New to create a new brush and type its name in the dialog which opens.

2	Choose values for Maximum and Minimum pressure between 0 and 255.

3	Tick Smooth response to ensure a smooth response to input, or use the box and control points to set pressure response.

4	Set the brush application distance as a percentage of brush size.

5	Set the Brush paint run out distance. If you leave this set to 0 the brush will not run out.

6	Click Save to save your settings, or Reload to reload the original brush settings.

  See also:


Brush styles

The Brush styles tab of the Brush setup dialog determines the style of the brush. You can combine several of the options in your brushes.

1	Click the drop-down arrow to choose the brush to set up, if the correct brush is not already shown, or click New to create a new brush and type its name in the dialog which opens.

2	Tick the options required and enter percentage values if relevant. Note that some options have the effect of cancelling each other out: see the detailed notes on each brush.

3	Once you have chosen the required options click OK.

The following brush style options are available:

Chalk is a chalk brush. Use the percentage setting to determine the thickness of application.

Watercolour mixes the current colour with existing colour on the canvas as if painting with watercolours.

Tint overlays the tint on the existing colours.

Shade darkens or lightens the existing colour.

Replace replaces existing colour but not transparent areas.

Push  moves pixels in the direction of the brush stroke.

Lighten lightens colours on the canvas.

Darken darkens colours on the canvas.

No buildup restricts the amount of paint from the brush which can be applied to the paper and is useful for some effects, notably chalk.

Limiter limits the effect of some brushes by the given percentage.

Felt tip effect combines colours ina way similar to working with felt tip markers.

Luminous virtually inverts the felt tip effect.

Invert inverts each of the RGB components of the colour.

Preserve Red preserves the red component of the colour.

Preserve Green preserves the green component of the colour.

Preserve Blue preserves the blue component of the colour.


Library

This tab of the Brush setup dialogue box lists all the brushes which are contained in the brushes subdirectory.

To prevent a brush from being listed in the Paint menu:

1	Select it in the Library tab of the Brush setup dialog.

2	Deselect the Display on Menu option

3	Choose Save settings within the tab, then OK to close the Brush setup dialog.


Chalk

The chalk effect simulates the effect of drawing with chalk onto a rough surface. Random holes appear in the brush strokes.

A percentage of the amount of chalk refers to the chance of holes appearing in the chalk brush as it is applied.

To create a more realistic chalk effect it is recommended that No buildup is selected along with the chalk option.


Watercolour

When painting with watercolours in real life, the water in the paint will smudge with surrounding colours already on the surface, depending on the amount of water in the paint.

In Satori this effect is simulated by calculating what would happen given a perfect watercolour paint which would smudge with all the colours on the paper under the brush stroke.

The "perfect colour" of the watercolour is then reduced according to the percentage of watercolour selected in the menu.


Tint

Tint adds a tint of the currently selected colour to the canvas while preserving the brightness of the colours you draw over. In technical terms it replaces the chrominance of the existing canvas but retains its luminance. The effect is intensified by repeated applications.

Tint is typically used with a white or neutral colour to reduce the image towards monochrome, or with other colours to apply a special colour cast, such as a reflection from a coloured surface.

Note that a brush with both tint and shade selected has no real meaning. Satori ignores the shade parameter and does a tint.


Shade

The shade brush does the reverse of the Tint brush. The chrominance of the canvas is protected and the luminance of the brush is applied to the luminance of the canvas. Use it with white to create highlights or dark colours to create shadows. The effect is intensified by repeated applications.

Note that a brush with both tint and shade selected has no real meaning. Satori ignores the shade parameter and does a tint.


Replace

The replace parameter to a brush restricts the application of paint to parts of the layer which already contain information. If the layer is transparent, then no paint is applied.

This allows objects on the layer to be "painted", for example drawing a rectangle then painting it with a Replace brush will allow the rectangle to be painted a different colour.


Push

The push effect will push colours on the layer in the direction of the stroke of the brush. The amount of "pushing" depends on the pressure applied to the pen.


Lighten

Lighten increases the luminance of colours already on the layer. Since increasing the luminance will eventually result in white, the best results are obtained by combining this with the Limiter effect .


Darken

Darken decreases the luminance of colours already on the layer. Since decreasing the luminance will eventually result in black, the best results are obtained by combining this with the Limiter effect.


No Buildup

No Buildup stops the brush being reapplied while the pen is pressed but is not moving. The pen has to move by the Brush application distance set up in the Pressure Response tab of the Brush setup dialog.

Using this brush can result in much faster "HiRes" times and final output rendering times because it limits the amount of redundant brushing done by normal painting. It also improves the effect of the Chalk brush and any brushes designed with an uneven or stepped profile.


Limiter

The limit brush fixes a limit to the amount of paint effect allowed along a single brush stroke of the pen.


Felt tip

This option applies colour as a felt tip pen would. Colours negate each other: when red green and blue are mixed, the result is black.

Normally on a computer the user is ‘painting with light’, so mixing red, green and blue would result in white. Brushing in Satori without Felt tip effect selected will eventually replace the colour being drawn onto with the new colour being drawn with. With Felt tip effect the underlying colour is always present but is subtracted from.


Luminous

This effect is similar to a negative felt-tip effect.


Invert

The colour of the brush is used to invert the colour on the layer. For example, a green brush will invert the green components on the layer.

Painting with a white Invert brush will invert all red, green and blue on the layer. You can use this effect to create a colour negative version of the image.


Protect red

Protects the red components of a layer while brushing. The selected colours won't change on the layer.


Protect green

Protects the green component of a layer while brushing. The selected colours won't change on the layer.


Protect blue

Protects the blue components of a layer while brushing. The selected colours won't change on the layer.


The Colour/Zoom menu

The Colour zoom menu is displayed at the right hand edge of the screen so that it can be kept open as much as possible. If you are left-handed, you can drag it to the left edge of the screen and display it there.

This menu combines controls for selecting and working with colours with controls for controlling your view of the canvas by zooming in and out.

It contains:

Colour scratchpad

Colour swatches

Last sixteen colours

Colour picker

Colour palette

Brush size selector

Zoom manager


Colour swatches

At the top of the Colour/zoom menu are the main colour selection tools.

Two hexagon swatches provide a simple colour selection tool with the corners representing RGB and CMY and the centres showing white and black.

To select a colour from the swatches simply point at it and click. The chosen colour will be displayed in the Current colour bar beneath the colour scratchpad.


Base colour buttons

The eight colour boxes below the colour swatches are the base colours black, blue, green, red, yellow, cyan, magenta and white.

To select a base colour as the current colour click on the required colour button.


Colour scratchpad

To experiment with colours and effects you can use the small scratchpad beneath the colour swatches. Pick a colour and a paint brush and try it out here rather than on your main canvas.

You can clear the scratchpad by clicking the clear button. The scratchpad will be cleared to the colour shown next to the Clear button.

To set the scratchpad clear colour, choose the required colour and hold down the pointer in the Clear colour box. When the box changes to the required colour, click Clear.


Last sixteen colours

The colour buttons represent the last 16 colours which have been used.

To reuse any of these colours, click on their button.


Colour picker

You can pick a colour direct from your canvas using the Colour picker.

To pick a colour:

1	Click the Pick button on the Colour/zoom menu.

2	Click on the required colour in your canvas.

3	The colour will be selected as the current colour and displayed in the current colour box.

To see a preview of the colour to be picked, click in the Colour swatches before dragging the colour picker tool across the canvas. If you do this, each colour that you pass over is shown in the Current colour box. When you see the colour you want, click to select it.

Note that to use this option accurately you should zoom into complex areas of your canvas.


Colour palette

For more detailed colour mixing and selection you can use the colour palette. This is available both from the Colour/zoom menu and the Paint menu.

The colour palette includes the following :

Palette box mixing two specified colours from white at the top right to black at the bottom left.

Boxes showing the base colours black, blue, green, red, yellow, cyan, magenta and white.

Boxes showing the last 16 Current colours

Boxes for 24 Permanent colours. These colours are stored here and reloaded whenever you reopen Satori. To add the current colour to the permanent colours, click on a box and hold the button down till the colour of the box changes to the current colour. To save your permanent colours, close the Colour Palette dialog by clicking OK.

Current colour box showing the current colour

Colour value boxes. These show the numeric values of the current colour according to the chosen colour mode. You can type new values into these boxes or use the arrows to increase or decrease the values. These changes will change the current colour and you will see the colour in the Current colour box change.

Colour mode selector. Choose RGB, CMY or CMYK. Your choice is reflected in the colour value boxes which are displayed.


Brush size selector

As a quick shortcut to changing brush size, click on on the brush size selector buttons. These are set to the following proportions of the largest dimension of the canvas size in pixels:

3.125%, 6.25%, 12.5%, 25%, 50%.

So, for a 720 by 576 canvas the buttons will represent 11, 22, 45, 90, 180, 360.

  Related topics


Zoom manager

Zoom into areas of your image using the zoom tools to see the image in more detail or to edit it more finely. You can zoom in to as great a depth as you like, and also create as many separate zoom windows as you need.

The zoom manager area of the window shows any current zoom areas and provides buttons for controlling zooms.

  See also:See also:


Zoom in and zoom out

To zoom in or out click the Zoom in or Zoom out buttons.

  Related topics


Zoom area

To zoom in on a specific area of your image:

1	Click the Zoom area button. As you move the pointer back over the main working area, it turns to a magnifying glass.

2	Mark the area you want to zoom into by dragging the zoom cursor across it to draw a rectangle.

3	The zoom will be displayed in a new window.

You will also see that the Zoom manager window shows the outline of the zoom area.

You can also create a zoom window by choosing New zoom from the Window menu.


Adding more zoom areas

You may create more than one zoom area in your document. Each zoom opens a new window.

1	Make sure that the current window is the main window, not a zoom window.

2	Click the Zoom area button again.

A further window on the document will be opened and a further zoom outline will be shown in the zoom manager window.

  Related topics


Changing the zoom area

To zoom in further on some particular detail:

1	Click the Zoom area button.

2	Drag a new zoom area in the main window.

The new zoom view will be displayed. You can also click Zoom in to zoom into the center of the current zoom area.

  Related topics


Deleting zoom areas

To delete a zoom area:

Close the zoom window. The zoom area will be closed and removed from the Zoom manager thumbnail.

  Related topics


Moving the zoom area

To change the part of the image shown in a zoom window:

Drag the zoom area outline around the Zoom manager window.

The area of the image shown in the main working window will be changed as you move around.

  Related topics


Pixel

The Pixel button opens the Set View Pixel Levels dialog.

This enables you to turn off 1:1 pixel loading, if it is switched on, or to set a lower zoom resolution limit.

Reasons for doing this include:

Zooming in to larger than 1:1 pixels on a bitmap image for detailed editing work.

See also:

Set View pixel levels

HiRez

  Related topics


HiRez

The Zoom commands are based on the screen resolution of the window from which you started the zoom process. Inevitably this means that as you zoom into an image increasing pixellation occurs. For resolution independent raster files, this gives a misleading view of the image.

The HiRez command redraws your document at the current zoom level using information from the raster file to produce the smoother outline which may exist behind the pixellated, magnified zoom image.

Eventually you will reach the true limits of any imported source image at which stage pixellation cannot be avoided. Brush strokes and geometry shapes created in Satori can always be resolved to a higher resolution.

  Related topics


The Text menu

The Text menu lets you add text to your canvas, using any TrueType fonts on your computer.

Any text must be entered in the Text box either by typing or by pasting it from another program.

See:

Choosing fonts

Importing text


Choosing fonts

To choose the font for the text:

1	Click the Font drop-down arrow. A list of available TrueType typefaces will be displayed. Pick the required typeface.

2	Click the Size drop-down arrow to pick a size from the list or type in a size directly. Text is sized in points.

3	Tick Italic and/or Bold to use Italic, Bold or Bold Italic versions of fonts where they are available.


Typing text

You can type text directly into the Text box or paste it in from another program.

Text can include new paragraphs and carriage returns.

You can edit text in the box by:

typing new characters

deleting characters

selecting blocks of text

cutting, copying and pasting text

  Related topics


Importing text

To paste text into Satori:

1	Copy the text from the source document using the copy command.

2	Open the Satori text menu.

3	Display the pointer menu inside the text box.

4	Choose Paste.

The text will be displayed in the box.


Placing text on the canvas

It is recommended that you add text to a new layer. This enables you to move it around the image after it has been rendered which is otherwise impossible, or to replace it with edited text.

To place your text on the canvas:

1	Move the pointer to the canvas. You will see an outline of the text.

2	When the text outline is correctly placed, press the pen or click the left mouse button to drop the text on the canvas.

3	Click the pen or right mouse button to display the pointer menu. Choose Render text. The text will be rendered in the chosen colour or effect.

  Related topics


Text colours and effects

The colour and appearance of text can be set via the Geometry menu. If you do not set up a colour, image map or effect the current colour will be used and the text rendered as a flat colour. You can:

use a coloured fill via the controls on the Colour tab

map an image to the text using the Mapping tab

apply the text as an effect using the Effects tab.

  Related topics


The Picture menu

The Picture menu lets you:

crop your canvas

set up the background for displaying blank areas of canvas.

See also:

Draw preferences

Colour preferences

Canvas Preferences


Cropping pictures

Cropping pictures opens a new window containing the selected part of the canvas.

To crop your picture:

1	Click the Define crop button in the Picture menu to load the crop tool.

2	Drag the crop tool across the area you want. An outline will show you the area which will be grabbed.

3	When you let go of the mouse button or release the pressure, the area will be cropped and a new window open showing the grabbed area along with its pixel co-ordinates.

To throw away the crop, click Reset crop. The crop window will be closed.

  Related topics


Background setup

The Background setup options let you choose how to display your canvas background. This is the background which is not part of the image file but which marks transparent areas on the canvas.

Choose between:

A crosshatch pattern. Choose Use crosshatch.

A colour. Choose Use colour and drop the required colour on to the selection box by making it the current colour then clicking in the box and holding the pointer there till the colour changes.

To apply your choice to the canvas click Apply to Current.

  Related topics


The Masking menu

The Masking Menu contains tools for constructing masks based on the colour and brightness of the contents of the layer. Further controls for working with masks are found on the Masks tab of the Layers menu.

Masks are associated with layers. A mask filters display of the coloured areas on its own layer, revealing underlying layers.

You can display the mask using the Visible mask option. You can also display masks in the Layer list palette.

  Related topics


Mask construction

The mask construction section includes the command buttons for setting the type of mask and making the mask.

You can also create a mask and unmask sections of mask using the painting and geometry tools by drawing on the mask layer. See Drawing a mask .

Make mask constructs a mask according to the settings. Before clicking Make mask you should click one of Chroma, Luma or Random to set the type of mask to make.

Clear mask clears the mask layer, removing any mask information.

The AutoMask option is not currently available.

Chroma

A chroma mask masks according to the colour values selected. Areas of the colours which match those included in the include or exclude list will be included or excluded from the mask respectively.

Luma

A luma mask masks according to the brightness (luminescence) values selected. Areas of the image brighter or darker than the selected upper values will be masked.

Random

A random mask covers the mask layer with a random pattern

  Related topics


Luma controls

The Luma tab lets you set values for creating luma masks based on the luminescence (brightness) of each pixel.

Set the luma values you want to base your mask on using the spin controls or typing in values.

Values are shown as a percentage of luminance where 0 is black and 100 is white.

If the upper value is the greater number, values greater than it will be masked and values lower than the lower number will not be included in the mask: values in between will be masked at a graded transparency.

If the upper value is the smaller number, values lower than it will be masked and values greater than the lower number will not be included in the mask: values in between will be masked at a graded transparency.

  Related topics


Chroma controls

The Chroma tab includes controls for adjusting the precision of chroma masking operations enabling you to fine tune the process to suit the images you are working on.

The Mask range value sets the colour range for picking up colour values based on the colours explicitly selected in the Include tab.

The Exclude range value value sets the colour range for picking up colour values to exclude from the mask based on the colours explicitly selected in the Exclude  tab.

The Feather Range value sets the number of pixels to feather the mask by at the edge of masked areas. This is useful for picking up fringe areas of an object you want to mask where the colour values are different to the main area because of shadows.

The Max transparency value sets the maximum transparency of the mask. 255 is completely masked and 0 is not masked.

Click Default to return all these settings to their defaults.

  Related topics


Include colours

Choose the colours to include in the mask here. Any colours shown will be included in the mask: that is, the mask you generate will mask that colour from display.

When you select the Include tab the cursor changes to a colour picker tool. Grab the colours you want to include in the mask.

The pick range specifies additional colours to include in the mask. For each colour shown in the Include list, the pick range number of adjacent tones will be added to the Include list. Increasing the value makes a less precise mask but will pick up more shades in an area of mixed colours and shades.

To clear colours from the Exclude tab, click Clear Exclude.

To clear colours from both Include and Exclude tabs, click Clear Both.

  Related topics


Exclude colours

Choose the colours to exclude from the mask here. Any colours shown will be excluded from the mask: that is, the mask you generate will not cover them.

When you select the Exclude tab the cursor changes to a colour picker tool. Grab the colours you want to exclude from the mask. The colours grabbed are shown on the tab.

The pick range specifies additional colours to exclude from the mask. For each colour shown in the Exclude list, the pick range number of adjacent tones will be added to the Exclude list. Increasing the value makes a less precise mask but will pick up more shades in an area of mixed colours and shades.

To clear colours from the Exclude tab, click Clear Exclude.

To clear colours from both Include and Exclude tabs, click Clear Both.

  Related topics


The Layer menu

The Layer menu contains controls for working with layers.

Layers are a powerful feature of Satori which can help you to work more effectively and flexibly. By building up your canvas with layers you can retain much greater editing control over each separate component of the image. You can move layers along their x and y axes and also change the Z-order in which layers are displayed.


Working with layers

All work you do in Satori is attached to a layer. When you open a new document, it contains a single layer. If you import an image, that becomes a single layer. To get the best out of Satori you should aim to place parts of your image on separate layers.

You may add layers, move layers around, re-order layers, delete layers and use them to create masks.

  See also:

See the sections on:

Adding layers

Moving layers

Re-ordering layers

Selecting layers

Clearing layers

Deleting layers

Layer List palette


Adding layers

To add a new layer:

1	Click the Layer button to display the Layer tools menu, which contains the new layer button. There is also a New layer button in the Text and Geometry tool palettes.

2	Click the New layer button. The New Layer dialogue box will appear. Each layer must have a name. The name Layer n is suggested, though you can call layers by any name as long as it is unique within the image file (and less than 30 characters in length).

3	Click OK to confirm the creation of the new layer.

The new layer will now be the current layer, and any work you now do will be stored on that layer.

The number of layers within a document is unlimited except by storage and memory considerations.

For each layer, an entry appears in the Layer List palette .

  Related topics


Selecting layers

Any work you do is applied to the current layer. You should make sure that you are working in the correct layer. If you know the name or number of the layer you want, check on the status line where the name is shown.

The Layer list palette shows a thumbnail of each layer and any masks they contain, along with their names. The current layer is highlighted and its name appears in red.

To select the layer you want click on its entry in the Layer list. Any work you now do will be applied to this layer.

  See also:


Moving layers

You can reposition elements of your picture if they are contained on separate layers.

To reposition a layer:

1	Make sure the layer you want to move is the current layer, shown on the status line at the bottom of the screen.

2	Click the Move Layer button in Layer operations. When you move to the image area, you will see that the Move layer tool is selected.

3	Drag the layer to the new position. Use the rulers to guide you. The current position of the pointer is always shown.

When you finish dragging, the layer will be redrawn in its new position and the painting tool will reappear.

To return a layer to its original position, click the Reset origin button in the Layer tools menu.

See: Layer List palette

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Deleting layers

Remove parts of an image by deleting the layer containing them.

To delete a layer:

1	Make sure that the layer you want to delete is the current layer, shown on the status line at the bottom of the screen, or check using the Layer list window.

2	Choose Delete layer from the Layer operations menu.

3	The Delete layer dialogue box will appear. Click Yes to confirm deletion of the layer.

When you delete a layer, the new current layer is shown in the status bar.

  See also:


Re-ordering layers

To re-order the layers in a document:

1	Display the Layer list palette.

Point at the layer you want to move.

Drag it to the position you want in the list. The topmost entry appears at the front of the drawing.

  See also:


Copying layers

You can copy layers within and between canvases using the Copy layer dialog.

Click the Copy layer button on the Layers menu. If more than one canvas is open, the Copy layer dialog will appear so that you can choose the source and destination canvases for the copy operation.

  See also:


Layer features

A layer can contain much more information than RGB values. These options make layers into powerful tools for managing and editing your image.

See:

Masks

Unmask

Opacity

Composition

  See also:


Opacity

You can reduce the opacity of a layer to allow layers beneath it to show through.

To set layer opacity:

1	Select the layer you want to change.

2	In the Layer tools palette, enter the percentage of opacity you want by clicking the arrows or typing in a value. 100 is completely opaque and 0 completely transparent.

3	Click the Set button.

The layer will be redisplayed with the new level of opacity.

You can also set layer opacity by selecting the layer in the Layer list palette and dragging the opacity slider there.

  See also:


Layer composition

Change the composition of the layer to introduce one of these special effects: this option is not currently available.

The default setting for layers is Normal.


Transformations

The Transformations tab applies a geometric effect to the whole layer.

You can choose between Shear, Rotate and Scale operations.

When you have clicked one of the buttons the Transformation tool is loaded and a grid will be displayed on the layer.

You can switch tools without returning to the Transformation tab using the Transform menu by pressing the right mouse or pen button.


Transform menu

The Transform menu assists your use of the Transformation tool.

Click the right mouse or the pen button when the transformation tool or grid are displayed. The ticked options are currently selected.

Choose:

Scale to perform a scale operation or to flip images: display the Transform Values dialog to enter values

Rotate to perform a rotation

Shear to perform a shear

Lock aspect maintains the aspect ratio of the layer when it is scaled.

Set Values opens the Transform values dialog

Reset undoes any transform operation or change in settings.

Apply settings applies the chosen settings to the layer.


Transform Values dialog

The Transform Values dialog lets you set precise values for scale, rotation and shear operations.

To access the dialog:

1	Select the Transformation tool by clicking Scale, Rotate or Shear on the Transformation tab of the Layers menu.

2	Move the pointer on to the canvas.

3	Choose Set values from the pointer menu.

Enter the required values:

Scale X scales width. Enter a value of -1 to flip the image.

Scale Y scales height. Enter a value of -1 to invert the image.

Selecting Lock Aspect forces both axes to the same scale value to maintain Aspect ratio.

Rotation can be entered in degrees, positive or negative.

Shear should be expressed as ???

When you have entered the settings you require, click OK. Your settings will be applied when you choose Apply settings from the Transformation tool pointer menu.


Warp

The Warp tab lets you choose warp operations to distort the entire layer.

Quad distortion

This warp applies the layer to a quadrilateral shape by pinning the corners of the layer to the corners of the shape drawn on the canvas.

1	Click the Quad distort button on the Warp tab.

2	A rectangle will be displayed on the canvas and the Warp cursor will be displayed.

3	Drag each of the corner control points to the required position on the canvas.

4	Choose Apply warp from the pointer menu.

The layer will be warped to the shape

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Mask tab

The Mask tab lets you set various options for mask layers. Any layer may contain a mask which obscures the colour values on the layer.

Opacity governs the opacity of a mask. The default value is 100 (opaque): change the value using the spin controls or by typing in a new value.

Visible mask uses the colour shown to mark masked areas. The colour is only used to display the mask area. Change the colour by dropping the current colour on to the box.

Clear clears the mask layer of information so that you can create a new mask.

Invert inverts the mask layer so that masked areas are clear and clear areas are masked.

  Related topics


Drawing a mask

To add a mask using painting or drawing tools:

1	Select the layer you want to contain the mask.

2	Click the Layer Mask button in the Paint tools menu. A warning box will appear. Click Yes to add the mask.

3	You can now start to add the mask.

4	Select the painting or drawing tool you want to create the mask.

5	Draw the mask you want. You will see the underlying layers, or the cross-hatched window background, appear where the mask is drawn.

When you add a layer mask it is shown separately in the Layer List palette. You can turn its display on and off. See

Layer List window

Making the mask visible


Making the mask visible

It may be easier to work with a mask you can see. This helps you place the mask in the correct position and also to distinguish between areas of the layer which contain no information and areas which are masked.

To make your mask visible:

In the Layer tools menu, click the Visible Mask button. The mask will be displayed with the colour shown next to this button.


Changing visible mask colour

The default colour for visible masks is red. If this is unsuitable for your image, you can change this to any colour.

1	Select a colour in the usual way. See Working with colour for details.

2	Drop it on to the colour box.

3	The mask will be redisplayed in the new colour.

If your document contains more than one mask, you can set each to its own colour.


Mask opacity

Reduce the opacity of the mask to see through it to the colour values of the layer.

1	In the Opacity box enter the percentage you require with the spin controls.

2	When you reach the value you want, click the Set button.

The mask will be displayed with reduced opacity.


Visible mask

Click here to display any mask areas in the current layer to the colour in the box so that you can see masked areas on the canvas.


Mask colour

Place the colour you want the visible mask to appear here.


Opacity

Reduce the value then click Set to make the visible mask semi-transparent.


Clearing the mask

You can remove a layer mask in its entirety. This operation removes all mask information from the selected layer.

Select the layer from which you want to remove the mask.

1	Display the Mask tab on the Layers menu.

2	Click the Clear Mask button.

3	A warning box will be displayed.

4	Click Yes to clear the mask from the layer, or No to abandon the operation.

If you choose Yes, the mask will be removed from the layer.

See also:

Mask

Unmask


Unmask

Unmasking

Layer masks can be edited using the Unmask tool. Unmasking simply removes the mask information so that the contents of the layer are displayed.

To unmask:

1	Select the painting or drawing tool you want to use. Make sure that the correct layer is selected and that its mask is switched on. It may be easier to work with a visible mask.

2	Click on the Layer UnMask button in the Paint tools menu.

3	Edit the mask as required. You will see the image contained in the mask’s layer restored to the display.

  See also:


Clearing layers

Clear layers to be transparent or to a specific colour.

1	Select the layer you want to clear.

2	Display the Layer tools menu.

3	If you want to clear the layer to a colour, choose the colour you want and put it in the box next to the Clear button.

4	Click the Clear button. A dialogue box will appear.

5	Click the Transparent or Coloured radio button.

6	Click OK. The layer will be cleared as you requested, and will remain in the document.

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Layer List palette

Click the Layer List button on the Satori menu to display the layer list palette. This contains an entry for each layer, showing thumbnails of the RGB content and mask layer (if any) of the image, and the layer name:

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Current layer

Any layer can be selected as the current layer.

Any work you do is applied to the layer which is selected. The name of the current layer is shown in the status line at the bottom of the Satori window.

The current layer is also highlighted in the Layer list palette with its name shown in red.

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Reordering layers

Layers are shown in their current order, with the topmost layer listed first. To change the order of the layers:

1	Point at the layer you want to move in the layer list palette.

2	Drag it up or down the layer list palette.

3	When the double-headed arrow pointer is at the new position, let go and the layer will be moved.

See also:

Re-ordering layers

Changing layer display

  Related topics


Linking layers

This feature is not currently implemented.

Link layers so that they can be moved together around the image.

Linked layers need not be next to each other in the stack of layers on the layer list palette. If you drag a linked layer using the Move Layer tool, the layers linked to it will move too.

  Related topics


Lightbulb

Click this icon to display or switch off the layer. A warning will be displayed to remind you that even when you turn off the display of a layer, it can still be edited if it is the current layer.


Chain

Click here to add the layer to the list of linked layers.


Mask icon

Click here to display or turn off the mask


Image thumbnail

Contains a preview of the layer’s RGB contents.


Mask thumbnail

Contains a preview of the layer mask if one has been created. If there is none, you will only see grey


Layer name

The name of the layer. The current layer’s name is highlighted in red.


Changing layer display

You can turn the display of layers and masks on and off. Turning layers or masks off may make it easier to work on complex images.

A layer can still be the current layer even if it is not being displayed. If you have more than one layer, make sure that you are working on the one you want. If you attempt to work on a layer which is not being displayed, you will not see the work you do in the main window .

Switching off the display of a layer

To switch a layer off:

Click on the layer’s light bulb icon in the Layer List window.

The layer will not be displayed in the main window or the zoom box, but will still be shown in the Layer List palette.

Switching off the display of a mask

To switch the display of a mask off:

Click the relevant Mask icon in the Layer List window.

The mask will not be displayed. Note that this does not remove the mask

For details on removing masks, see:

Unmask

Clearing masks

  Related topics


Opacity slider

The opacity slider can be used to alter the opacity of the current layer.

Drag the slider to the required setting:

0 is transparent and 100 is opaque.


This is a new secondary document for your project.

Click Topic (Ctrl+T) to add a new Help topic.


The colours menu

The colours menu contains controls for adjusting the colour and brightness balance of an area, layer or entire canvas.

To select the area to work on click the Area, Layer or Canvas buttons.

Use the colour controls to adjust the colour balance of the image.

Use the luma controls to adjust the brightness or contrast of the image.

Use the gamma controls for gamma correction of the image.

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Selecting an area

You can apply the controls on the Colours menu to either of:

an area of the current layer

an entire layer

all layers of the entire canvas


Colour balance

Adjust the colour balance in the selected area by sliding the controls.

Increase the weighting of a particular colour by dragging the slider towards it.

The value at the right shows the RGB weighting as a percentage.

Click Apply to change the canvas or Reset to return to the original values.

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Luma balance

The Luma controls adjust the brightness and contrast of the selected areas.

Drag the sliders to the left to decrease brightness or contrast and to the right to increase brightness or contrast.

Click Apply to change the canvas or Reset to return to the original values.

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Gamma correction

The gamma correction facility compensates for the gamma settings of your monitor.

The default value is 1. Click the spin controls to decrease the gamma value (low gamma) or to increase it (high gamma).

Click Apply to change the canvas or Reset to return to the original values.

  Related topics


The Filters menu

The controls on the Filters menu enable you to apply a wide range of effects to your canvas or to a selected area.

You can apply filters either to the RGB content or to the Mask layer.

A range of filter styles are available:

Blur

Ring

Fuzz

Edge

Glow

Star

Smudge

Emboss

Each filter can be customised using the Setup button.


Applying a filter

To apply a filter:

1	Select the layer or area of the canvas to which you wish to apply the filter. Click Layer for a layer or Rectangular to select an area.

2	Select the part of the image to apply the effect to. Click RGB to apply it to the colour component or Mask to apply it to the layer mask.

3	Click the effect you want to apply.

4	Click Setup to adjust the effect as required.

5	Click Apply now to apply the effect to the selected part of the canvas.

  Related topics


Blur

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics


Ring

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics


Fuzz

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics


Edge

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics


Glow

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics


Star

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics


Smudge

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics


Emboss

This effect is not yet available.

  Related topics