AV Bros. Puzzle Pro 2.0 Tutorial


There are two types of such integration:

1. The simple way: when you embedded the object into the puzzle pieces and you did not care if any knob has been trimmed off - just like in the online Gallery's samples "Puppy's Dream" (A2); "A couple of Pieces" (B2) and "Simple Integration" (B4).
2. The "complicated" way: when you want to do more than simply embed the object into puzzle pieces, but you want all the knobs "preserved" - as illustrated in our Gallery sample "Hi-End Integration" (B5).

Below we will describe how to prepare both integrations. Moreover, we decided to show both processes using the same image in order to make the difference more noticeable. As a sample we will take the square as an image that we want to cut into pieces and the circle as the object that we will embed into those pieces. Square and Circle are in separate layers (Fig.1)

1. Make the Image layer active and select the Object. We will use the Object as the "shape" regardless of its content. Therefore, it is good idea to make the content of the layer "Object" invisible.
   
   
2. Cut out the selected area from the Image and paste this cut piece (which has the Object's shape) into the new layer. We named it Object's Copy and placed it above the Image layer.
   
   

Deselect the Object. Start AV Bros. Puzzle Pro 2.0. Be sure that you are still in the Image's layer. Prepare the desired layout using the Cutter's controls and click the Cut button. Once the Image has been cut, adjust the desired built-in effects (bevel, opacity, etc.) and click the Apply button (Fig.2). Note: If you are about to operate with the prepared layout afterwards, you may use the save options of the plug-in (see User Guide pp.12 and 17).

Actually, we can stop here, because the main task is fulfilled. But if we decide to add the same effects to the Object, or better, to say the Object's copy, as we added to the image, then we can use the plug-in again. So, here are the next steps:

6. Make the layer with the Object's Copy active and start the plug-in again.
   
   

Specify the number of columns and rows to zero (0) and click the Cut button. Taking into account the fact that the number of pieces has changed (since our last operation in step 5), you may receive (in most cases) the warning (Fig.3). Read it and click the Ok button on that window. Note: Taking into account that the plug-in warns you only about changes in the "MAP" of the effects (This means - which effects were applied to the particular piece.) This warning will not appear in case you used the default effects for each piece in step 5.

Then we have chosen the Undo option to get the last settings back (though, you can adjust the effects for the object as you wish) and clicked the Apply button (Fig.4). That is all - we have got the effect of simple integration.

First five (5) steps are absolutely the same as in the Simple Integration. But the sixth step does the "trick":

Select the canvas (e.g. by Ctrl+A (Mac: Cmd+A)). Make the layer with the Object's Copy active and start the plug-in again (Fig.5).

Click the Cut button and then, when the warning window appears click Ok. Then we used the Undo option to get the last settings back. See Fig.6. Of course, there are a lot of possibilities instead of simply applying the effects of the image to the Object: using other effects, removing several pieces, etc. It is all up to your creativity. Here we have just shown the procedure...