Here and there I've tried to learn how to make a filter, with mostly poor results. I know that some instructional material is available, but I seem to be lacking in some certain knowledge that might allow me to understand it better. But I have no way of knowing what I'm missing


- One thing that's confusing is that some filters look very different on different shapes -- so that while they might look great on a 0.25 x 4 inch rectangle, they look nothing like it on a 2 x 3 inch rectangle. Some look great on large shapes, but icky on text, and vice versa. Or they might look great on a half inch object, but awful on a 3 inch object, or vice versa.
Here's a screen shot to illustrate:
#2, 4, 6, 9 and 10 are all the Non-Realistic 3d Shaders: Chrome filter. Maybe the term "non-realistic" should be my clue, lol. But # 6 and 4 actually do look like realistic chrome, while #2, 9 and 10 really aren't close.
1.a. At first I was guessing that the difference had to do with distortion as if they had been scaled. But #7 is actually #2 scaled down to the height of #5 and 6, and appears actually less "distorted" - What are the Filter General Settings? No matter where I place a filter on the canvas, or on what object, or where the object is or what it's size, the Coordinates and Dimensions settings never change. And they're the same for everything I apply a filter to, any filter. I have tried changing those settings once I've applied a filter, and changes are apparent on that object or filter at that time. But for example, the Coordinates and Dimensions values are identical for objects 2, 4, 6 and 9. The values for Coord. is -0.25 and Dim is 1.50. And if I draw a large square 2 inche above these objects, and use the 3d Wood filter, the values are the same!
- Probably the MOST frustrating thing for me is where to draw those connecting lines. I know the first one goes horizontally from the first primitive to Source Graphic. But after that, I don't know how to use that part of the editor. In most if not all filters, one of the latter primitives line is drawn up to connect to a primitive 2 or 3 levels up. Or sometimes this happens twice (or maybe more presumably), with different primitives, or sometimes another horizontal line is drawn back over to Source Graphic.
One thing I've been doing to study how they're made, is to recreate existing filters by going back and forth from an existing filter to my new one, making sure I have the exact same settings in my new one, and watching how the filter develops. I just can't figure out how the creator knew where to draw these lines, or which primitive to connect together. If it's altogether trial and error, it's no wonder what I've noticed in #1 above, where different sized or shaped objects look differently with the same filter applied! But seriously what do these connecting lines represent, and how should they be used?
Thank you very much for any help.
All best
