PRG Mbox Designer Manual 3.9 - Manual (Page 127)

MBOX ® MEDIA SERVER USER MANUAL 119
Adding Custom Effects or Transitions
Mbox provides the ability for users to add their own effects and transitions or to make custom versions of existing
effects and transitions. This process is quite complex and the following information only outlines the process. If you
wish to modify existing effects or create your own effects, the process should not be attempted without talking to a
PRG representative for further instruction.
The Mbox Designer software can access Image Units placed in the folder: /Library/Graphics/Image Units . In order to
enable Mbox to use these Image Units properly, a file must be created to define the parameters of the effect. These
files are saved in the standard Apple Property List Editor format, but with special file extensions – not ".plist". For
effects, the file extension will be ".txfx" (texture effect), and for transitions, the file extension will be ".txtx" (texture
transition).
Creating a working Image Unit (the basis of effects and transitions) is far harder than generating the definition file and
this manual will not go into the process of creating an Image Unit.
It is much easier to modify existing effects and transitions to create new versions. In order to do so, you must know
the predetermined input structure of the Image Unit you are using. The easiest way to do this is to look at the plist file
that dictates how the stock Image Unit is used. You can then modify certain variables in that file to end up with a
different version and then save your new version appropriately for use with Mbox.
Example: Reworking the White Diagonal Transition
This is how the White Diagonal transition normally looks about halfway through the transition. It moves from top left
corner to bottom right corner. The stripe at the transition point is white and has a particular thickness.