The Crackle plug-in is part of the DreamSuite 1 Set. It will add unique depth effects to type and graphics using specialized bevel profiles, surface maps and surface textures.

NOTE: The following tutorial covers just the controls or click on the example below for tips on how I got the effect.

A. Flake Crack
Use this lasso tool to either click over a crack or to draw around a group of cracks to have them flake off. Use the Flake Shows Imprint checkbox option to have a ghost of the image left on the canvas surface from where the crack flaked off.

Crackle Type
This menu allows you to choose from two styles of cracks, Paint and Mud.

Spacing
This slider controls how close together the cracks are generated. Higher settings will create more space between the cracks.

Irregularity
This slider control determines the amount of irregularity in the flake pattern. Higher numbers will produce more irregularity in the way the cracks are formed.

Separation
This slider controls how thick the cracks are as they separate from the canvas.

Crack Opacity
This slider controls the opacity of the cracks. The lower the setting, the less apparent the cracks appear to be.

Crack Depth
This slider control adds a perceived height to the areas generated around the cracks.

Curl Depth
This slider adjusts the amount of depth shading that is rendered across each section of the image between the cracks.

Branching
This slider controls how the cracks grow and branch out as they are generated. Higher settings create more branches.

Canvas Sensitivity
This slider makes the cracks form in a relational pattern to an underlying canvas. The higher the setting on this slider the more sensitive the cracks are to forming in a relational pattern to paint cracking from canvas.

Crack Alignment
This slider makes the cracks align more in a vertical and horizontal pattern. This simulates a painting that has been rolled up and unrolled a number of times.

Shield Transparency
When this is checked, it will only apply to the pixels in the image and not the transparent areas. Checking this will change how DreamSuite applies the effect around a selection or on an artwork layer.

Confine to Selection
When this is checked, it forces the effect to confine changes to the selection. To allow this to apply to the whole image and not just the selection you must uncheck this box. This option is only available if there is a selection.

Flake Shows Imprint
When this is checked, any flakes you draw on your image using the Flake Crack tool will leave a slight ghost image imprinted on the surface.

Variation
This controls the random generator of settings used to create each effect's distinctive patterns. In Crackle the Variation setting is used to generate unique paths followed by the cracks, the undulations of the Curling and the pattern exposed when flaking occurs.

Click on Left arrow below to return to the Effects page.

By Joe Cilinceon, © July 24, 2002