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videobeaux/docs/programs/effects/smudge.md
2025-12-07 22:04:44 -05:00

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# smudge
## Description
Applies a gentle smudge effect to the video, softening edges and pulling colors slightly across motion paths.
The result resembles a faint manual smear, as if the image were lightly dragged or brushed while still wet.
## Purpose
`smudge` is designed for creators who want:
- soft, organic distortion without heavy abstraction,
- a mild “wet paint” or “finger drag” aesthetic,
- subtle deformation suitable for dreamy or analog-inspired edits,
- smoothing of harsh edges or digital sharpness,
- a simple, no-argument effect that can be stacked or used as a finishing texture.
## How It Works
1. **Edge Softening**
The filter diffuses detail and blends micro-edges, reducing digital crispness.
2. **Directional Blur/Smear**
Motion or tonal boundaries smear slightly, giving the impression of a softly dragged image surface.
3. **Color Bleed**
Neighboring pixels influence one another to create subtle spreading of hue.
4. **Encoding**
Output is then encoded using Videobeaux global CRF, codec, and pixel-format settings.
## Program Template
```bash
videobeaux -P smudge \
-i input.mp4 \
-o output.mp4
```
## Arguments
- *(No additional program-specific arguments; uses global videobeaux options only.)*
## Real World Example
```bash
videobeaux -P smudge \
-i myvideo.mp4 \
-o smudge_styled.mp4
```
## Program Output
<video controls preload="metadata" style="max-width:100%; border-radius:8px; margin:1em 0;">
<source src="https://github.com/user-attachments/assets/9bb80e0b-bf16-49e7-b4e1-6c0c79b59c32" type="video/mp4">
Your browser does not support the video tag.
</video>
## Technical Notes
- Ideal for footage with strong lines or shapes — smudging softens them into painterly contours.
- Repeated smudging (e.g., applied twice in a chain) can create a watercolor-like wash.
- Compression artifacts become smoother and less blocky after the smudge effect.
- Works especially well before color-grading to produce a gentle base texture.
## Recommended Usage
- Dream sequences, surreal atmospheres, or emotional montage.
- Soft, analog-inspired grading setups.
- Background layers in collage or Lagkage layouts.
- Visual art workflows that benefit from painterly distortion.
- Preprocessing footage before heavy glitch effects to create contrast.
## Quality Tips
- Lower CRF yields smoother, more elegant smudges.
- Higher CRF adds grit, making the smudge feel more raw or textural.
- Combine with `slight_smear` for layered organic softness.
- Use `repainting` afterward for a “hand-redrawn” effect.
- Upscale with `resize` before smudging if you want especially smooth, flowing distortion.