The Image component provides access to the external image which is currently loaded into Filter Forge. When Filter Forge is running as a plugin, Image provides the picture currently opened in the host application (such as Adobe Photoshop, Corel PhotoPaint etc.). When Filter Forge is running in the standalone mode, Image provides either the default image (the coffee cup), the image opened via Image > Open Image, or the image created via Image > Blank. To view the currently loaded image, use the Show Original command. Image is a map component, it can be located in the External category on the Components Bar. This component can output HDR colors.
Unlike other components, the Image component is not affected by the global parameter Size in Filter Controls. However, when this component is used in the subtree of the Height input of the Result component, the value of the Size slider affects the direction of the resulting surface normals, which in turn affects the lighting and the perceived height of the rendered surface. You should keep this in mind when designing filters that use the Image component in the height map.
Note: when Image is used in the subtree for the Particle input of the Bomber Plus component or of the Particle 1–Particle 5 inputs of the Bomber component, you need to route this connection through Particle Adapter to achieve optimal results.
A filter can have multiple Image components, but all of them will output the same image (for more information, see Multiple Source Images).
Any filter that includes the Image component is automatically classed as an Effect Filter. For more information, see Filter Classes.
The presence of the Image component in a filter influences the way the final image rendered by the filter is combined with the original image loaded into Filter Forge. For more information, see Blending of Result with Original Image.
