Sharing Effects

The power of CS Effects multiplies when you consider that you can publish your customized effect for others to use, as well as download custom effects others have created (and then customize those!). Coupled with the feature that lets you create your own custom particle graphics, the possibilities are virtually limitless.

Sharing effects occurs in the SHARE tab of the user interface, as illustrated below.

The two operations in this panel are:

1. SHARE YOUR EFFECT. Takes the current pattern and copies out the parameters for you to share with others. The string of parameters is called the effect code, which you don't see though it does get copied into your Clipboard for pasting into an email or onto our discussion board posting.
2. LOAD NEW EFFECT. When you get a new effect, from others or from the web site, you paste in the effect code and then instantly the effect appears in your movie (if you want to keep it in your Library, you have to add it there, though).

The effect code is simply a string of characters representing the parameter values for your custom effect, for example:

Light Grey Turb/Lam,96,10,4,0.175,5.292,1,true,50,50,50,101,100,90,27.64,120,120,120,0,0.87,0,30,
0,5,100,10,0,0,39,5,0,40,90.8,2.9,23,0,0.0164,0,0,105,true,0,270,true,LOW,true,25,

You can pass around this string to others who have CS Fire Instructor and they can use your effect immediately. On our web site, we have devoted a section of the discussion board to share effects. You can download control strings we or others have created, and we encourage you to publish your own.

Publishing Your Custom Effect

1. To publish your custom effect, navigate to the SHARE tab on the CS Effects user interface.
2. Under "SHARE YOUR EFFECT", type a name for your effect in the box on the right. Note: the name you enter is placed on the Stage next to the clip, to make it easier to sort out the different effects you have placed.
3. When you are done, press the button marked COPY TO CLIPBOARD. The effect control string is now in your clipboard for you to share.
4. Go to our web site discussion board and start a new topic, then paste the string into the message area. Describe the effect for others so they know what they would be downloading.

Note: if your effect requires a custom particle graphic, you must also supply the skin (graphic) when you share your effect. The easiest way to do this is to create a new Flash file (FLA) that only contains your custom graphic movie clip.

Loading a Custom Effect

1. Copy an effect code into the clipboard. The string can be from our web site, or from email or any other text source.
2. In the area marked LOAD NEW EFFECT, right-click on the box next to the button marked "EFFECR CODE " and select Paste. This pastes the contents of the clipboard into the box. You can manually enter the values, but this is a tedious and error-prone process.
3. Press the LOAD EFFECT button. If the control string is well-formed, you will see the result in the preview window on the left. If not, the system will tell you "too few parameters!" and you'll need to re-enter it. If this problem persists, check to see that you copied the whole effect code.
4. You can now modify the effect using the sliders or numeric entry in the EDIT tab. Remember that until you save the effect in your Library, if you go to the Library tab and click on an effect from your Library, it will overwrite the current settings (so don't do this unless you intend to!).
5. The effect is not automatically placed in your Library--follow the steps in the next section to add the effect to your Library.

Saving a Custom Effect in Your Effects Library

Once you have loaded an effect into the interface, it is set for the selected token, but it is not saved in your Library. To save it in your Library, click on the USE tab. In the area marked Custom, enter a name for your effect (the one that came with the effect is provided by default, but you can make it whatever you'd like). Choose an effect folder, or create a new folder. Finally, press ADD and the effect will now be saved in your Library.

Default Library Effects

If you delete one of the effects that were provided by default, the effect is gone just as if it were an effect you created. You can use the following table to load a default effect into the library if you have accidentally deleted one. Select the effect control string of the effect you want, copy it, and paste it into the Load Effects area in the interface.