Effects Reference

This reference documents all available effect types in FXCanvas with their parameters, ranges, and descriptions.

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Color Effects

Color effects modify the color properties of the visual output.

Curves

Color grading and tone adjustments with shadows, midtones, and highlights control.

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
Brightness	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Overall brightness offset
Contrast	float	0.0 – 2.0	1.0	Contrast multiplier (1.0 = no change)
Shadows	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Dark tone adjustment
Midtones	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Mid-range tone adjustment
Highlights	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Bright tone adjustment
Gamma	float	0.2 – 3.0	1.0	Gamma curve (1.0 = linear)
Saturation	float	0.0 – 2.0	1.0	Color saturation (1.0 = no change)

tip

Use Curves for overall color grading. Adjust Shadows and Highlights to create contrast, or use Saturation to make colors more vibrant or muted.

Strobe

BPM-synced strobe effect with various modes.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Mode	enum	White, Black, Invert, Color	White	Strobe mode
Rate	float	0.25 – 16.0	1.0	Flashes per beat
Duty Cycle	float	0.01 – 1.0	0.5	On-time percentage
Intensity	float	0.0 – 1.0	1.0	Flash intensity
Fade	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.0	Fade/easing amount (0 = hard strobe, 1 = fully smoothed)
Flash Color	color	—	White	Flash color (only used in Color mode)

tip

Use Rate values like 0.5 (half-time), 1.0 (on beat), 2.0 (double-time), or 4.0 (16th notes) for musical sync. Increase Fade for smoother, less jarring strobes.

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Distortion Effects

Distortion effects warp and transform the visual geometry.

Blur

Applies gaussian blur to the image for softening and glow effects.

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
Radius	float	0.0 – 50.0	5.0	Blur radius in pixels
Quality	int	1 – 8	4	Number of blur passes (higher = smoother)

tip

Use low radius values (2-5) for subtle softening. Higher radius with high quality creates a strong glow effect. Quality affects GPU performance.

Fisheye

Barrel and pincushion lens distortion effect.

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
Strength	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.5	Distortion amount (positive = barrel/fisheye, negative = pincushion)
Center X	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Distortion center X position
Center Y	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Distortion center Y position
Radius	float	0.1 – 2.0	1.0	Effect radius
Zoom	float	0.5 – 2.0	1.0	Zoom compensation

tip

Positive strength creates the classic fisheye bulge effect. Negative values create pincushion distortion that pulls the center inward.

Sphere

Wraps the input onto a 3D sphere with lighting effects.

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
Size	float	0.1 – 1.5	0.8	Size of the sphere
Refraction	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.3	Glass-like refraction distortion
Shininess	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Specular highlight intensity
Fresnel	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.3	Edge glow/rim lighting effect
Ambient	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.3	Base ambient lighting
Rotate X	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Rotation around X axis
Rotate Y	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Rotation around Y axis
Auto Rotate	float	0.0 – 2.0	0.0	Automatic rotation speed

tip

Combine Refraction with Fresnel for a glass orb look. Use Auto Rotate for continuous spinning animation.

Transform

Transform source with rotation, scale, zoom, and animation.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Zoom	float	0.25 – 5.0	1.0	Zoom level
Rotate	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Rotation angle (0-1 = 0-360 degrees)
Offset X	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Horizontal position offset
Offset Y	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Vertical position offset
Skew X	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Horizontal skew/shear
Skew Y	float	-1.0 – 1.0	0.0	Vertical skew/shear
Auto Rotate	float	-0.5 – 0.5	0.0	Continuous rotation speed
Auto Zoom	float	0.0 – 0.5	0.0	Pulsing zoom animation
Wobble	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.0	Wobbly rotation animation
Edge Mode	enum	Clamp, Repeat, Mirror, Transparent, Fract, Abs, Tan, Sin, Mod	Clamp	How to handle edges when transformed

tip

Edge Mode dramatically changes the look when zoomed out or offset. Try Mirror for seamless tiling, or Fract/Mod for trippy repeating patterns.

Wave

Animated wave distortion with multiple wave types and directions.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Amplitude	float	0.0 – 0.5	0.05	Wave height
Frequency	float	0.5 – 20.0	5.0	Wave count
Speed	float	0.0 – 10.0	1.0	Animation speed
Direction	enum	Horizontal, Vertical, Radial, Diagonal	Horizontal	Wave direction
Wave Type	enum	Sine, Triangle, Square	Sine	Wave shape

tip

Radial waves create ripple-like distortion from the center. Square waves create a more glitchy, digital look.

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Transform Effects

Transform effects modify the spatial arrangement of the visual.

Kaleidoscope

Creates kaleidoscope mirror segments radiating from center.

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
Segments	int	2 – 24	6	Number of mirror segments
Rotation	float	0 – 360	0	Rotation angle in degrees
Zoom	float	0.1 – 5.0	1.0	Zoom factor

tip

Even segment counts (4, 6, 8) create balanced symmetry. Animate Rotation with BPM sync for spinning kaleidoscope effects.

Mirror

Mirrors the image horizontally, vertically, or both.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Axis	enum	Horizontal, Vertical, Both	Horizontal	Mirror axis selection
Offset	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Mirror line position (0.5 = center)

tip

Horizontal mirroring works well with sources that have vertical movement. The Both option creates four-way symmetry.

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Pattern Effects

Pattern effects add geometric overlays and masking.

Grid Clone

Creates a grid of tiled copies with optional frame delay between cells.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Copies	int	2 – 6	2	Number of divisions per axis
Layout	enum	Grid, Horizontal, Vertical	Grid	How copies are arranged
Delay (frames)	int	0 – 30	4	Number of frames delay between each cell
Delay Direction	enum	Forward, Reverse, Center Out, Edges In	Forward	Direction of delay cascade
Edge Fade	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.0	Edge fade amount
Overlap	float	0.0 – 0.5	0.0	How much cells overlap (0 = no overlap)
Blend Mode	enum	Normal, Additive, Screen	Normal	How overlapping cells blend

tip

Use Delay to create a "wave" effect across the grid where each cell shows a slightly earlier frame. Center Out creates an expanding ripple effect.

Mask

Shape-based masking with various geometric shapes.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Shape	enum	Circle, Rectangle, Triangle, Diamond, Hexagon, Star, Heart	Circle	Mask shape selection
Center X	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Mask center X position
Center Y	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Mask center Y position
Size	float	0.0 – 2.0	0.5	Mask size
Rotation	float	0 – 360	0	Rotation angle in degrees
Softness	float	0.0 – 0.5	0.05	Edge softness
Invert	bool	—	false	Invert mask (reveal inside vs outside)
Mask Color	color	—	Black	Color to show in masked area
Mask Opacity	float	0.0 – 1.0	1.0	Opacity of mask color

tip

Use Invert to switch between showing content inside or outside the shape. Animate Size with BPM sync for pulsing mask effects.

Pattern

Generates geometric patterns including stripes, grids, rings, and dots.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Pattern	enum	H-Stripes, V-Stripes, Grid, Rings, Radial, Diagonal, Dots	H-Stripes	Pattern type selection
Frequency	float	1.0 – 50.0	10.0	Number of pattern repetitions
Size	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Element width as ratio of frequency period
Rotation	float	0 – 360	0	Rotation angle in degrees
Center X	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Center X position for Rings/Radial patterns
Center Y	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Center Y position for Rings/Radial patterns
Softness	float	0.0 – 0.5	0.05	Edge softness
Invert	bool	—	false	Invert pattern
Mask Color	color	—	Black	Color to show in masked area
Mask Opacity	float	0.0 – 1.0	1.0	Opacity of mask color

tip

Rings and Radial patterns use the Center X/Y parameters. Combine with low Mask Opacity for subtle overlay effects.

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Stylize Effects

Stylize effects add artistic treatments and visual enhancements.

Light Trace

Neon light trace effect with edge detection and radial rays.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Intensity	float	0.0 – 10.0	5.0	Brightness of the light trace effect
Gain	float	0.0 – 2.0	1.0	Overall gain for the radial rays
Threshold	float	0.0 – 0.5	0.01	Edge detection threshold
Ray Density	float	0.1 – 1.0	0.5	Density of the radial light rays
Ray Decay	float	0.5 – 1.5	1.0	How quickly rays fade toward center
Ray Samples	enum	Low (15), Medium (30), High (50)	Medium (30)	Number of samples for ray calculation

tip

Lower Threshold values detect more edges. Higher Ray Samples produce smoother rays but use more GPU. Use with high-contrast sources for best results.

Noise Generator

Animated procedural noise overlay with multiple noise algorithms.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Noise Type	enum	Perlin, Simplex, Worley, fBm, Ridged, Curl, Voronoi, Voronoi Edges, Hexagonal, Triangular	Perlin	Algorithm used to generate noise
Speed	float	0.0 – 5.0	1.0	Animation speed of the noise pattern
Warp	float	0.0 – 2.5	0.05	Amount of UV warping distortion
Cluster	float	0.0 – 2.5	0.05	Sharpness/clustering of the noise pattern
Scale	float	1.0 – 50.0	10.0	Scale of the noise pattern
Octaves	int	1 – 8	4	Number of noise layers for fBm/Ridged (more = more detail)
Blend Mode	enum	Add, Multiply, Screen, Overlay, Replace	Add	How the noise blends with the source
Strength	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Intensity of the noise overlay

tip

Perlin and Simplex produce smooth organic patterns. Worley creates cellular textures. fBm layers noise for cloud-like detail. Ridged creates sharp features like mountains or veins. Curl produces fluid-like swirling motion. Voronoi creates cell patterns, while Voronoi Edges highlights boundaries. Hexagonal and Triangular produce geometric grid-based patterns.

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Time Effects

Time effects create motion trails and temporal feedback.

Hue Feedback

Psychedelic hue-based feedback displacement with color modulation.

Parameter	Type	Range	Default	Description
Feedback	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Amount of feedback effect
Spin	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.35	Displacement spin amount
Randomness	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.42	Random noise in the effect
Saturation	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.25	Saturation shift per frame
Brightness	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.4	Brightness adjustment
Zoom	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.15	Zoom effect on feedback
Hue Shift	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.15	Hue rotation per frame

tip

This effect creates psychedelic, evolving patterns. Higher Feedback values create longer-lasting trails. Hue Shift creates rainbow cycling effects.

RGB Trail

RGB-shifted trails with chromatic aberration and wave displacement.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Persistence	float	0.5 – 0.99	0.85	How long trails last (higher = longer trails)
RGB Split	float	0.0 – 0.1	0.02	Amount of RGB channel separation
Split Angle	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.0	Direction of RGB split (0-1 = 0-360 degrees)
Wave Amount	float	0.0 – 0.1	0.0	Wavy displacement on trails
Wave Speed	float	0.0 – 5.0	1.0	Speed of wave animation
Wave Scale	float	1.0 – 20.0	5.0	Scale/frequency of waves
Blend Mode	enum	Max, Add, Screen	Max	How trails blend
Source Opacity	float	0.0 – 1.0	1.0	Opacity of the source image

tip

RGB Split creates the classic chromatic aberration look. Combine with Wave Amount for organic, flowing trails.

Trail

Motion trails with feedback-based persistence and optional dispersion.

Parameter	Type	Range/Options	Default	Description
Persistence	float	0.5 – 0.99	0.9	How much of the previous frame to keep (0.5 = short, 0.99 = long)
Blur	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.0	Slight blur on feedback for smoother trails
Soft Edge	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.5	Softens source edges for smoother blending
Dispersion	float	0.0 – 1.0	0.0	Amount of smoke/cloud-like spreading
Dispersion Speed	float	0.1 – 3.0	1.0	How fast the dispersion animates
Blend Mode	enum	Max, Lighten	Max	How trails blend
Source Opacity	float	0.0 – 1.0	1.0	Opacity of the main source

tip

Use Dispersion for smoke or cloud effects. Higher Persistence values create longer-lasting trails but may cause visual buildup over time.

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Effect Combinations

Some effect combinations that work well together:

Blur + Mirror — Creates soft, symmetric patterns. Apply blur first for a dreamy mirrored look.

Mirror + Kaleidoscope — Creates complex symmetry. The mirror doubles the pattern before kaleidoscope multiplies it further.

Trail + Transform — Add Auto Rotate to Transform for spiraling trail effects.

Curves + Any Effect — Use Curves at the end of the chain for final color grading.

Grid Clone + Trail — Creates cascading delay effects across the grid.

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Processing Order

Effect order matters because each effect processes the output of the previous one:

• Effects at the top of the chain process first
• Each effect works on the output of the previous one
• Experiment with different orders to discover new looks

For example:

• Blur then Kaleidoscope — Soft edges are multiplied into the kaleidoscope pattern
• Kaleidoscope then Blur — Sharp kaleidoscope is softened overall

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Related Topics

• Effects — Learn how to use effects in FXCanvas
• Sources Reference — Complete reference for all source types
• BPM Sync — Synchronize effect parameters to the beat