Tutorial Objective

In this tutorial we'll introduce you to the basic concepts of applying effects to your photos, how to stack effects using the layer palette and how to remove effects you no longer want.

Open the Software

If you're using the software as a plug-in under Photoshop, open a photo then go to the Filter menu and look at the bottom for the Auto FX Software menu. Select Mystical 2.0 and your photo will then open up in the software. If you're using the stand-alone application launch the program and then go to the File > Open menu and select the photo you want to open up.

Select the First Effect

Effects are categorized based on what functions they perform. In this tutorial we'll be applying two effects to the image. Go to the Select Effect Menu (A).

Choose the Glamour Glow effect from the effect menu (A).

New Effect Added to Photo

As soon as you select the effect from the menu it will be applied to your photo and a set of controls (A) will appear on your screen. These controls allow you to adjust the settings for the effect. A set of tools that apply the effect are attached to the controls. You will also see that an effect has been added to the Layer Palette (B). The Layer Palette allows you to turn effect on / off and change the opacity for the effect as needed. You can also use the Layer Palette to reorder effects and to remove them from the effect if you don't like the results.

Use the Brush-Off Tool

Now that we've added a Glamour Glow effect to the photo we want to use the Brush-Off tool (A) to selectively remove the effect from part of the photo (B). Brush over the subject and hold the mouse down. When you lift the mouse button Mystical removes the effect from the area you have brushed over.

Apply Soft Focus Effect

Now we'll apply a second effect. Select the Soft Focus effect (A).

Soft Focus Effect

The Soft Focus effect controls will now appear on the interface (A) and the Soft Focus effect is added to the Layer Palette and is highlighted yellow (B). Click to change the currently active tool to be the Lasso-Off tool (C). This tool is used to draw a lasso around an area so you can define it.

To use the Lasso-Off tool click and hold down the mouse and drag around the subject in your photo and the areas you want to remove the effect (A).

When you lift the mouse the effect regenerates and Mystical removes the Soft Focus from the areas you have drawn around using the Lasso-Off tool (A).

Change the Opacity Using the Layer Palette

Many times you will want to reduce the strength of an effect. You can do this easily by clicking on the effect on the Layer Palette then changing the Opacity settings (A). In the example below we're reducing the opacity to 80% to blend the effect into the original photo.

Turn Effects Off and On

When you have more than one effect on a photo you will frequently want to turn one or more effects off to see how the changes look. To do this click on the Green check next to the effect name on the Layer Palette. The check mark will then turn to an X indicating the effect is off (A).

Reorder Effect Layers

The order in which effects render onto the photo often-times affects the look you get. The effects render from the bottom of the stack upward so that the bottom effect is applied first and then it goes in sequence to the top effect which is rendered last. In the example below we have changed the order of the effects to put the Glamour Glow (A) above the Soft Focus effect so that Soft Focus applies first then Glamour Glow applies to the photo that has the soft focus on it. To reorder a layer simply click and drag it up or down on the Layer Palette and drop it in the new location.

View Original Photo

While applying the effect you will frequently want to view the original photo to see what has changed. To view the original photo click and hold down the Original (A) button at the top of the interface.

Summary

In this tutorial you've learned how to apply effects and stack them together to enhance your photos. You've learned how to turn off effects and change the stacking order by moving them on the layer palette. In the next tutorial we'll learn about how to apply the effect to the photo using tools.