16.10. Chip Away
| 16. Alpha to Logo Filters |

### 16.10. Chip Away

#### 16.10.1. Overview

Figure 16.360. Example for the “Chip Away” filter

“Chip Away” applied

This filter adds a chipped woodcarving effect to the alpha channel of the active layer. Optionally it adds a drop shadow to the image. The content of the active layer doesn't matter, only the shape of its alpha channel does.

| Warning
The image will always be resized to the active layer's size.

The filter is derived from the “Chip Away” Script-Fu script (File → Create → Logos → Chip Away in the image window), which creates a text effect like that:

To achieve a chipping effect, the filter creates a selection from the alpha channel in a new layer, fills the selection with white, spreads the pixels, and applies a Gaussian blur to the layer. Then it uses this layer as a Bump map, creating a 3D effect.

#### 16.10.2. Activate the filter

This filter is found in the image window menu under Filters → Alpha to Logo → Chip Away.

#### 16.10.3. Options

Figure 16.361. “Chip Away” options

Chip amount

  This option lets you vary the size of chipping area. But note that “Chip amount” is not the size of this area in pixels. It is used as the maximum amount pixels are randomly spread by the Spread filter applied to the bump map. Valid range is 0-200.

  Figure 16.362. “Chip amount” examples

  0

  30

  60

  90

Blur amount

  The specified value will be passed as “Radius” option to the Gaussian blur filter, which will blur the bump layer by this amount.

Invert

  If checked, the bump map will be inverted and will create hollows instead of bumps, which makes the image looking carved.

  Figure 16.363. “Chip Away” inverted example

  Inverted, (without drop shadow)

Drop shadow

  If checked, a Drop shadow will be added to the image in a new layer below the active layer.

Keep bump layer

  By default, the bump map used to create the chipping effect will be removed after applying the filter. When this option is checked, the bump map will be kept as an invisible layer.

Fill BG with pattern

  If checked, the background layer (added by the filter) will be filled with the specified Pattern. Otherwise, it will be filled with white.

Keep background

  Whether or not to remove the background layer. This option is checked by default. You can, of course, remove this layer (or toggle its visibility) later in the Layers dialog.

Pattern

  This option consists of a preview area, which will produce a popup preview when you click on it and hold down the mouse button, and a Browse button. The button will popup a dialog where you can select patterns.

  The default pattern is “Burlwood”. Apart from that one, the plug-in author suggests the patterns “Dried mud”, “3D Green”, and “Slate”:

  Figure 16.364. Suggested “Chip Away” patterns

  Dried mud

  3D Green

  Slate

16.9. Chalk |  | 16.11. Chrome