Outline effect

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Raster Image - Outline

The Outline operation is available in RealWorld Designer tools since version 2011.1. It can be used to add a contour to any shape. The Outline effect works well if it is used as a layer style.

rsrc/outline-sample.png image
Red outline added to the drawn orange shape.

The outline effect detects edge shapes by analyzing the transparency information. It will not work with fully opaque or fully transparent images (layers). Images with large semi-transparent areas may cause problems as well, because semitransparent pixels are always considered part of an outline.

rsrc/outline-effect-config.png image
Configuration panel of the Outline effect.

The operation has 4 parameters:

  • Position controls where to draw the outline. It may be placed inside the existing shape, thus maintaining the overall shape, but covering some of it. On the other hand, it may be placed outside of the shape - in this case, the existing shape is not occluded and the outline is placed in the previously empty region. The third option - centered - places half of the outline inside the shape and the other half outside.
  • Width is the thickness of the drawn outline. It may be a fractional number and you may set it to any value (even greater than the slider allows you to).
  • Color is the color of the drawn outline. It may be opaque or semitransparent.
  • Blending controls how it is the outline combined with the original shape. If it is set to Outline only, the shape is deleted and only the outline remains. The Replace outline differs from Blend transparent outline only if the used color is semitransparent and if the position is not set to outside. Replace outline will erase the covered part of the original shape before drawing the outline.

Internals

The outline operation can be used from scripts.

GUID: BC29F53A-6940-4C6D-ABC9-EBE5536D07ED

Parameter nameTypeDefaultValueNote
Widthfloat2.0pixels
Positionint10=inside, 1=centered, 2=outside
Colorcolorblack
BlendingModeint10=outline only, 1=replace, 2=blend

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