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Getting Started with FilterMeister

Step 2 - A Short Tour of the Interface

Create or open a test image in RGB mode.  Invoke FilterMeister for this image by choosing Filter / FilterMeister / FilterMeister 0.4.x... from the main menu.
 

**PSP** In Paint Shop Pro, invoke FilterMeister by choosing Effects / Plug-in Filters / FilterMeister / FilterMeister 0.4.x... from the menu.

**TIP** Other graphics applications usually place Filter Meister on their Effect, Effects, Filter, Image or other a similar named menu. Just hunt down your menus and you will certainly be able to locate it.

You should see a dialog box with a scaled preview of your test image on the left and a collection of pushbuttons and the FilterMeister logo on the right.  Beneath the preview is a progress bar, a Zoom In button (+) and a Zoom Out button (-).




**TIP** When the preview is zoomed in so that the test image more than fills the preview window, you can drag the visible portion of the preview with the mouse to select the portion of the image you want to examine.

Beneath the zoom buttons is a text box that displays the name of the host application (or FilterMeister's best guess).

There are three push buttons in the bottom right portion of the dialog box.  The  button applies the filter to the image and exits from FilterMeister.  The  button exits FilterMeister without modifying the target image.  The  button expands the dialog box to reveal the source editing window and controls.

Go ahead and click the  button.  You are now in "Edit Mode." The source edit window is a simple text editor similar in function and operation to Windows® Notepad editor.  Right-click anywhere in this window to pop up a short menu of editing functions such as Cut, Paste, and Undo.

Immediately above the source edit window is a series of push buttons.

The  and  buttons bring up dialogs for loading and saving filter source files.

The  button activates the FM compiler to translate your filter source code into executable machine code.

**NYI** The  button, which brings up a dialog for searching the text in the source edit window, is not implemented in this beta release.
**NYI** The  button, which brings up a dialog for creating a stand-alone version of your custom filter, is not implemented in this beta release.
**NYI** The  button, which invokes the on-line help facility, is not implemented in this beta release.

Finally, the  button causes FilterMeister to enter "Advanced Edit Mode."  The filter dialog expands once again to reveal additional windows and controls.  These features are used primarily for debugging FilterMeister, and will not be described in this lesson. Advanced Edit Mode is available only in beta releases of FM, and will not be present in the retail versions.

**WARN** Fiddling with the Advanced Edit Mode controls can cause unpredictable and possibly harmful results.  Now that you've seen it, beat a hasty retreat to the simple Edit Mode by pressing the  button.
 

Go to Step 3 - Creating A Filter
 

 

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