Kalidescope
Applet Frame Tutorial

The following tutorial will teach you my quick and easy way for making a frame for your lake applet in easy to follow steps. If you are using an applet that calls for the image to be used at it's origional size, please omit the first few examples and skip down to the part where you click on selections/select all and continue from there. However, if you are using an applet such as the lake applet which requires you to add to the height of the image, follow the instructions from the beginning. This is the lake applet image I chose to use....

The width of the image is 256px and the height is 135px.

Here is what I like to do to make my frame. First of all, I simulate what the applet will look like. To do this, make a transparent image using the width and twice the height of the image. Copy the image and paste it to the top of the transparency using the status bar guides to line it up as i have done in the example below....

Once you have done this, paste another copy onto the bottom using the status bar guides as I have done in the next example....

Once you have pasted in the copied image on the bottom, and while the image is still selected, click on image/flip to turn the bottom image upside down. This is basically how your applet will appear.

Once you have this done, we will make the frame part. Click on selections/select all to select the entire image. Then click on selections/Modify/Contract and set the Contract Selection Number of pixels to 20, then click on OK.

This will select an area 20px inside of the outside edge as in the next example....

Now you will need to click on selections/invert....

This will select the frame area as is shown in the example....

At this point, you can do a number of different things. For example, you could flood fill the area with either a solid color or texture. Also, you could flood fill with a pattern image, or apply one of your favorite filters. My favorite is to apply the basic kalidescope filter. Click on Image/Effects/Kalidescope....

and choose the settings there that you like best to make your frame. You can use my settings below, or adjust them to suit your own taste preference....

Next, click on edit/copy and paste as a new image. Using your selection wand, click inside the image/selections invert to select frame. I like to use the inner bevel to finish the edges as in the next example....

Once the inner bevel is applied,. you can add tubes to the image to make it more interesting as I have done in the example below.

The frame fits over the lake applet using the code for a gif or frame overlay as you see in the example below....

All that is left is to click on file/export image as a gif image using the existing transparency.

I hope that you will enjoy using my kalidescope frame and have had little problems in following this tutorial. If you should have a problem, please don't hesitate to drop me a line for assistance at karebear56@adelphia.net

Hugs,
Karen