Effect Chaining: Apply effects to effects before blending with source

"Where is Feature X? I need Feature X! How can you not have Feature X?"
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subpixel
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Effect Chaining: Apply effects to effects before blending with source

Post by subpixel »

Being able to create a stack of effects is a great feature, however sometimes I want to create compound effects that currently require using Layer Routers and extra layers to control the compositing.

What if, instead of blending the result of an effect with the source (Clip, Layer, Group or Composition), the result of the effect is "chained" to the next effect?

Proposal: add a new option in the "Blend Mode" drop-down called "Chain" (name up for debate!). When this option is selected, the output of the effect is passed as the input to the next effect instead of being blended with the current frame.

Maybe if there is no following effect then the result is the same as though Alpha was selected.

Example effect stack:
  1. Invert RGB. Blend Mode: Chain.
  2. Polkadot. Blend Mode: Chain.
  3. Colorize (Red). Blend Mode: Alpha.
Perhaps a common use would be chaining a Bright.Contrast effect after pretty much anything to adjust the intensity of whatever effect is being applied.

Preview of the example effect stack applied before blending with the source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uI98CDuTTkc

Preview of the example effect stack applied by blending each effect with the source before applying the next effect:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h1QMC0fmOww

Not as cool!

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