Drop Shadow

This transformation lets you apply a drop shadow to an input image based on a shape determined by a mask for the input image. A drop shadow is a graphic artist's trick to make part of an image look like it is floating above a background plane. To use the drop shadow transformation, you will normally have and object in the input image that you want to cast a shadow on the rest of the image. First you need to create a mask that isolates the object that will cast the shadow. Then you can proceed to use the drop shadow transformation to apply the shadow to the image.

Input and Mask Images:

Output Image:

Mask

This amount control lets you specify a mask for the input image that defines the shape of the area that will cast a drop shadow on the input image.

Angle

The angle control lets you specify the direction the shadow is cast. Normally drop shadows are cast from the upper left to the lower right, but you can choose other directions if you wish.

Offset

The offset slider lets you specify how far the drop shadow should be displaced from the shape specified in the mask. Larger values make the masked object seem higher above the input image.

Transparency

The transparency slider lets you make the shadow more or less transparent.

Blur Radius

The blur radius slider controls how soft a shadow is cast. Normally, the larger the offset, the higher the blur radius should be.

Shadow Color

The shadow color specifies the color of the shadow. Black is the most common setting.