The Settings tab in Filter Controls displays filter-specific controls (created by control components), global parameters (Size, Variation and Seamless Tiling) and the Randomizer:
Filter-Specific Controls
The first section (above the separator) shows the filter controls which are specific to the current filter. These controls are created in the Filter Editor using the control components. The order of these controls in the list can be modified in the Order of Controls dialog.
Color Swatches
A filter may have a color control shown as a small color swatch. Clicking the swatch will open the color picker allowing you to select a color.
If the corresponding control component allows external images the filter control on the Settings tab will have a triangle to the right. Clicking it will open a popup menu that allows you to load a built-in or an external image, gives access to the list or recently opened images, allows you to unload an image or reload it, and fine-tine the image placement on the canvas. For more information, see Multiple Source Images.
Curve Thumbnails
A filter may have a curve control shown as a small curve thumbnail. Clicking it will open the Curve Editor allowing you to manually define the curve shape.
Global Parameters
The second section (below the separator) shows global parameters which are common for all filters:
- Size – scales the entire filter output
- Variation – produces random variations of the filter look
- Seamless Tiling – makes the resulting image tileable without visible seams
In certain situations, some of these parameters may be unavailable – for example, if a filter uses no randomizable components, the Variation slider will be disabled. Similarly, the Size slider is disabled for filters that don't have any measurable distances, and the Seamless Tiling checkbox is disabled for filters that use non-seamless components. Additionally, any of these three parameters may be disabled if a filter overrides their default automatic behavior..
The Randomizer
The last section is called the Randomizer. It allows you to randomize some or all of the controls in the two previous groups and on the Lighting tab. When using the Randomizer, you may also reduce the preview size by choosing View > Preview Size > Reduced from the menu to get the results quicker. For more information, see Randomization.
