[scribus-dev] Soft shadows -- Partial implementation

Leonard Rosenthol lrosenth at adobe.com
Thu Mar 15 15:27:32 UTC 2012


For an Image, that's true - the SMask key points to a 1bit DeviceGray image.

HOWEVER, in the ExtGState, the SMask key points to a Soft Mask Dictionary (ISO 32000-1:2008, 11.6.5.2) which then points to a Transparency Group XObject for defining the mask's shape and/or opacity values (based on the AIS key value).

That's how you can do some really cool things like using a smooth shading pattern as your SMask for a nice "fade out"...

Leonard

-----Original Message-----
From: Benjamin Dumke-von der Ehe [mailto:scribus at benjamin-dumke.de] 
Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012 11:22 AM
To: Scribus Development Mailing List
Subject: Re: [scribus-dev] Soft shadows -- Partial implementation

Not sure what you're saying -- the actual mask *has* to be an image, thus it can't be resolution independent.

Am 15.03.2012 15:25, schrieb Leonard Rosenthol:
> Agreed, it's more PDF objects to write.  Other than the obvious 
> resolution independence improvements, it also makes it easier for you 
> to handle other types of shadows in the future - different widths, 
> colors, etc.
> 
> Leonard
> 
> -----Original Message----- From: Benjamin Dumke-von der Ehe 
> [mailto:scribus at benjamin-dumke.de] Sent: Thursday, March 15, 2012
> 10:03 AM To: Scribus Development Mailing List Subject: Re:
> [scribus-dev] Soft shadows -- Partial implementation
> 
> I'm honestly not sure anymore if there was an actual technical reason 
> or if I just did it this way for simplicity (an image XObject with a 
> /SMask entry is what comes closest to the idea of an image with an 
> alpha channel; adding a soft mask dictionary to the graphics state 
> makes you jump through more mental hoops).
> 
> 
> Am 15.03.2012 14:36, schrieb Leonard Rosenthol:
>> Why use an image instead of an actual vector line?
>> 
>> Leonard
>> 
> 
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