Filter Forge and Xara

**angelize** · 15 July 2015, 06:17 PM

Hi Frightful I'm glad you enjoyed my tutorials

First after you install Filter Forge you just need to point Xara to the plugin folder with in the Filter forge installation Don't move it anywhere it needs to stay where Filter forge installs it. The path to this folder should look something like this: C:\Program Files (x86)\Filter Forge 4\Plugin

As for 64 bit Designer Pro X (which was really version 8) does not have a 64 bit version. And even if you do upgrade to a new version of Xara that does Filter Forge should run just fine and you still only need to point Xara to the plugin folder. The x64 folder within the plugin folder just contains a bridge that allows the 32 bit Filter Forge plug in to run in a 64 bit environment.

And when you use filter forge as a plug in with Xara there are two things to keep in mind:

1. The issue still exists where errors and crashes will occur if you don't lock the effect so make sure you always lock the effect as soon as it has finished rendering.

2. Not all Filters in the Library are Xara friendly It depends on how they have been built. However they can be modified if you have a version of FF that allows you to access the Filter editor. I thought I did a tutorial on that but I can't find it. Basically You need to bring the selected object in Xara into filterforge as an external image and then you need to use a couple more components to apply an alpha transparency and clip the effect.

Lastly I'm going to move this thread into the Xara compatible Plug ins Forum

**frightful** · 15 July 2015, 06:52 PM

Hi
Thanks for your input everyone.
@ Angelize... I now have it up and running thanks to your advice on the folder for the plugin.
For the record I am using Designer Pro X10 not Pro X. ( I never did understand the version names !) which of course we have in both 32 bit and 64 bit. The Filter Forge works with both versions.
The effect seems to be automatically locked by the time it comes back to Xara. To avoid complications I did all my tests on original photographs with no effects done in Xara. That comes next.
Thanks again, you've made an old man happy.
David

**angelize** · 15 July 2015, 08:06 PM

Hi David I'm glad it all worked out. I agree the names are confusing so I just drop the X and say DP 10. Also In all of my testing I've never had it automatically lock the effect so do be sure and check to make sure it's locked

I have been in touch with support from both programs and I'm currently told that the issue is on Xara's end so perhaps once DP11 is out the Xara Developers will have time to work on it.

**zaphodeist** · 15 July 2015, 08:30 PM

Utilities>>options>effects and plugins

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**frightful** · 15 July 2015, 09:08 PM

I have no experience with 'locked' effects. It was when I went to lock it that I found it was already locked. ( see the status line )
I've just run through it again and in case I am missing something, attach the image that came back from Filter Forge with no further input from me.
All in all an interesting exercise.
David

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**iamtheblues** · 16 July 2015, 08:43 AM

Peachy!
Bob.

**wizard509** · 16 July 2015, 04:44 PM

frightful I do not see the lock in your image. I found by hard experience that if I forget to lock the effect then my XP&GD application always quits responding if attempting further operations on the image.
The image below shows the effect is not locked in XP&GD. Pressing the lock makes is subtly appear to be pressed in. This is not necessary if using Photoshop for instance because Filter Forge was written for applications like Photoshop. There seems to be some kind of information that FF looks for that it cannot find with XP&GD even though FF does work, one just has to take an extra step.

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**frightful** · 16 July 2015, 06:36 PM

Peachy ? yes, part of one of my large oil paintings.

As I said, I don't have any experience of locking etc and am willing to learn. All I know is that I loaded the jpg and did nothing to it in Xara except to send it to Filter Forge and when it came back to Xara the status was shown as locked.
The locked notice is shown at the bottom left of the image I posted.
Neither programme crashed or complained.
David

**iamtheblues** · 17 July 2015, 10:14 AM

Originally Posted by frightful

Peachy ? ...*

Referring to Zaphodeist's post (#9) Go to Options (Shift+Ctrl+O) and make sure the "New effects are locked by default" box is checked.

*Peachy - a term denoting one's approval.

Bob.

**browj2** · 23 July 2015, 05:30 PM

Originally Posted by wizard509

frightful I do not see the lock in your image. I found by hard experience that if I forget to lock the effect then my XP&GD application always quits responding if attempting further operations on the image.
The image below shows the effect is not locked in XP&GD. Pressing the lock makes is subtly appear to be pressed in. This is not necessary if using Photoshop for instance because Filter Forge was written for applications like Photoshop. There seems to be some kind of information that FF looks for that it cannot find with XP&GD even though FF does work, one just has to take an extra step.

Bought FF last night on sale at 80% off (still on sale for one day at 75% off). Got the standard version, should have bought the pro version.

Just tried the lock and the button does not change to a "lock." It simply highlights the button. Is this what you get?

I first clicked on it a couple of times because I didn't see the lock. Xara crashed. Next time, I only clicked once, and it highlighted the unlock button, and thus worked.

Thanks,
John