# Layer

Table of contents

- Layer
  - Layer
    - Examples
  - Mask
  - ResetMask
  - ColorKeyMask

## Layer

This filter works with yuy2, rgb32

`Layer` (base_clip, overlay_clip, string “op”, int “level”, int “x”, int “y”, int “threshold”, bool “use_chroma”)

This filter can overlay two clips of different sizes (but with the same color format) using different operation modes. For pixel-wise transparency information the 4th color channel of RGB32 (A- or alpha-channel) is used as a mask.

Base_clip: the underlying clip which determines the size and all other video and audio properties of the result.

Overlay_clip: the clip which is merged onto clip. This clip can contain an alpha layer.

op: the performed merge operation, which can be: “add”, “subtract”, “lighten”, “darken”, “fast”, “mul”

level: 0-257, the strength of the performed operation. 0: the base_clip is returned unchanged, 257 (256 for YUY2): the maximal strength is used

x, y: offset position of the overlay_clip

threshold: only implemented for “lighten” and “darken”

use_chroma: use chroma of the overlay_clip, default=true. When false only luma is used.

There are some differences in the behaviour and the allowed parameter depending on the color format and the operation, here are the details:

- There is no mask (alpha-channel) in YUY2, so the alpha-channel is assumed to be fully opaque everywhere.
- in RGB32 the alpha-channel of the overlay_clip is multiplied with level, so the resulting alpha = (alpha_mask * level + 1) / 256. This means for full strength of operation alpha has to be 255 and level has to be 257.

These operators behave equally for RGB32 or YUY2:

    "fast": *use_chroma* must be TRUE, *level* and *threshold* is not used.
            The result is simply the average of *base_clip* and
            *overlay_clip*.

    "add":  *threshold* is not used. The difference between base_clip and
            overlay_clip is multiplied with alpha and added to
            the base_clip.
              alpha=0 -> only base_clip visible,
              alpha=128 -> base and overlay equally blended,
              alpha=255 -> only overlay visible.
        Formula used :-
          RGB32 :: base += ((overlay-base)*(alpha*level+1)>>8)>>8
          YUY2  :: base += ((overlay-base)*level)>>8

    "subtract": the same as add, but the overlay_clip is inverted before.

These operators seem to work correctly only in YUY2:

    "mul": *threshold* is not used. The base_clip is colored
           as overlay_clip, so *use_chroma* should be TRUE.
           alpha=0 -> only base_clip visible, alpha=255 -> approx.
           the same Luminance as Base but with the colors of
           Overlay

    "lighten": *use_chroma* must be TRUE. Performs the same operation
               as "add", but only when the result is BRIGHTER
               than the base the new values are used. With a higher
               *threshold* the operation is more likely, so with
               *threshold*=255 it's the same as "add", with threshold=0
               the base_clip is more likely passed unchanged, depending
               on the difference between base_clip and overlay_clip.

    "darken": the same as "lighten", but it is performed only
              when the result is DARKER than the base.

Also see here for the resulting clip properties.

### Examples

This can be used to combine two captures of different broadcasts for reducing noise. A discussion of this idea can be found in this thread. A sample script (of course you have to ensure that the frames of the two clips match exactly – use DeleteFrame if necessary):

    clip1 = AviSource("F:\shakira-underneath_your_clothes.avi").ConvertToYUY2
    clip2 = AviSource("F:\shakira-
    underneath_your_clothes2.avi").ConvertToYUY2
    return Layer(clip1, clip2, "fast")

## Mask

This filter works with rgb32

`Mask` (clip, mask_clip)

Applies a defined alpha-mask to clip, for use with `Layer`, by converting mask_clip to greyscale and using that for the mask (the alpha-channel) of RGB32. In this channel “black” means completely transparent and white means completely opaque.

For those of you who familiar with Photoshop masks, the concept is the same. In fact you can create a black and white photo in Photoshop, load it in your script and use it as a mask.

Here is an example; ss.jpg is derived from a snapshot from a video clip, which served as a guideline to create the mask just using Paint. We use Imagesource to load the image in the script and Mask to apply it.

    bg = AviSource("01gray.avi").ConvertToRGB32()       # here is the background clip
    mk = Imagesource("ss.jpg").ConvertToRGB32()         # load the image
    top = AviSource("k3.avi").ConvertToRGB32().Mask(mk) # load the top layer clip and apply the mask to it
    Layer(bg, top)                                      # layer the background and the top layer clip with the mask

## ResetMask

This filter works with rgb32

`ResetMask` (clip)

Applies an “all-opaque” (that is white) alpha-mask to clip, for use with `Layer`.

The alpha-channel of a RGB32-clip is not always well-defined (depending on the source), this filter is the faster way to apply an all white mask:

    clip = ResetMask(clip)

## ColorKeyMask

This filter works with rgb32

`ColorKeyMask` (clip, int color[, int tolB, int tolG, int tolR])

Clears pixels in the alpha-channel by comparing the color (default black). Each pixel with a color differing less than (tolB, tolR, tolG) (default 10) is set to transparent (that is black), otherwise it is left unchanged i.e. It is NOT set to opaque (that it is not set to white, that’s why you might need ResetMask before applying this filter), this allows a aggregate mask to be constructed with multiple calls. When tolR or tolG are not set, they use the value from tolB (which reflects the old behaviour). Normally you start with a ResetMask, then chain a few calls to ColorKeyMask to cause transparent holes where each color of interest occurs. See :doc:`Overlay <overlay>` for examples.

For AviSynth versions older than v2.58, there were no separate tolerance levels for blue, green and red. There was only one tolerance level called tolerance and was used for blue, green and red simultaneously.

$Date: 2012/03/18 15:25:39 $