Plug-Ins

Since this is a major new/improved feature of Xtreme, how about a thread to report/review the status of plug-ins that have been tested (commercial, shareware, and freeware). I haven't used plug-ins much in the past but am much more interested now that Xtreme will do a much better job of utilizing them. Eventually this could be compiled and presented on a web page (perhaps XaraXone?) for better presentation.

Feedback I think would be useful is below. If others have other criteria, please add:

o Plug-in name.
o Brief description of functionality.
o Web site.
o Price.
o Works 100%, partially, or not at all (w/ details/anomolies provided).
o Works with bitmaps only, vector only, or both.
o Xara specific or Photoshop compatible.

That might be a good section of the forum... like the swap brushes section. :)

good idea Steven! I will second the motion.

And thirded...

I have browsed quite a few, and although many of them are just a few £/$/€, if you buy 10 and only 3 are good then it is annoying.

I think I heard something to the effect that this will be part of the Xtreme page when it goes live on the Xara site.

Gary

There will be a web page on the website, that's correct.

But this is a good idea about the forum, and we'll add one soon. We're also going to fold the XPE forum back into the main Xara X forum, as it's not highly trafficked.

Hi All,

Well, I am a big smile - after trying out Xara Xtreme (cool name BTW) last night and today at work I feel luckey...: Favourite drawing package has been reborn...

The focus is on plug-ins, because of the ability to keep things sort of vector based even after applying plug-in effects... but but but...

Is that all? Do we want a embedded Photoshop as the major upgrade to our beloved Xara X? Hmmm.. Allright it IS very cool, but I am looking for information about HOW 3rd party programmers can interact with Xara Xtreme...

Where do I get that information? Do I really have to learn the Adobe Plug-in standard to integrate with Xara Xtreme?

I have seen the PDF-export filter but, and I guess other ways of integration is possibel - but how??? Please tell me! :-)

Just been trying Extreme and was amazed how easy Picture Editor works with plug-in. Attached is recent winter picture it was adjusted with a Craqualure 3D water ripple plug-in I'm inpressed so far. Going to buy this one for sure
Snowbird57

Quote:

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Originally Posted by netsi

Allright it IS very cool, but I am looking for information about HOW 3rd party programmers can interact with Xara Xtreme...

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Ditto that. Where are the API specs, is there an SDK, will the information be public domain?

Hello

Xtreme does not use all the plugins that XaraX1 uses.
I can use a lot of Photoshop CS filters in Xarax, as well as my KPT3 ones. They do not appear in Xtreme's list.
I have directed it my plugins folder, that both CS and Xarax1 use.

Mike Engles

There are several different "flavors" of plugins. Xtreme works with some flavors but not all. You will have to wait for somebody much more familiar with plugins to be able to tell the difference... :rolleyes:

sorry... :o

mikeengles,

Please make sure that you have enabled host specific plug-ins in plug-ins setup dialog.

Hello

I have set that. It is as I said in my last post.

Mike Engles

Hello

Correction. I did not assign the Photoshop CS plugins folder.
Now more Photoshop plugins appear, but cannot be used.
The filter gallery appears, but with no preview image.
XaraX1 will use more of my Photoshop 4 filters than Xtreme. Both XaraX1 and Xtreme are set to the same plugins folders.

The images are a bit big, so that the text can be read.

Mike Engles

Hi Mike,

Better quantify this statement before I stick both feet in my mouth... I am no PS expert, much less a plugins guru...

I think that xtreme is tailored more towards the latest PS plugin set rather than the earlier ones. Different flavors I think. I think we gots the chocolate, vanilla and strawbery flavors. The grape ant flavor was not written into this version.

Maybe one of the smart dudes who really know PS will stick there head in here and explain the difference between plugin 1 and plugin 1... It is all greek to me. :rolleyes: :D

I accessed my PS 5.5 Photoshop plugins and they appear to work. Photoshop plugins were change at Version 6. Other plugins are just PS compatible. I didn't see the AutoFX plugins appear on the list. I tried the Page Curl Pro 2 and it worked. Rich

I thought I would see a list of plugins I could go and download for free and use with Xtreme. Maybe that will show up here later. ;)

people are still pwaying with what they have... much less getting to the point of seeing which file makes what filter and then posting specifics/tuts on it. Do a Google search for plugins, then download a few and see if they work... Keep good notes tho... and post your results... :)

Bruce,

Here is a discussion at IDA on various filters. Rich

http://www.indeptharts.org/showthread.php?t=2321

I have tried a number of the plugins in the Filter Gallery of Photoshop CS2 with both vector and raster images in Xtreme. The dialogue opens in each case but there is no image so I gather these Photoshop plugins do not work with Xtreme. Has everyone else found the same or do I have a problem?

Othe plugins such as Alien Skin Xenofex Demo, Eye Candy 4000 Demo, Mehdi and Redfield as well as the Xara plugins I've accumulated work fine.

Thanks for your help.

Don

Quote:

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Originally Posted by John Rayner

Hi Mike,

Better quantify this statement before I stick both feet in my mouth... I am no PS expert, much less a plugins guru...

I think that xtreme is tailored more towards the latest PS plugin set rather than the earlier ones. Different flavors I think. I think we gots the chocolate, vanilla and strawbery flavors. The grape ant flavor was not written into this version.

Maybe one of the smart dudes who really know PS will stick there head in here and explain the difference between plugin 1 and plugin 1... It is all greek to me. :rolleyes: :D

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Hello

I can't imagine that in terms of the use of plugins Xtreme is very different from XaraX1. I was making the point that X1 could use more of my plugins. The one neither of them can use is unsharpmask, which is one of the most useful.



Mike Engles

I was able to use a Picture Publisher and AutoFX Mystical plugin in X1 but not Extreme. However, I am able to use 32 bit files in Extreme. Rich

I found that I could access additional AutoFX filters in X1 by moving the path up one level. I was trying to access just the plugin and not all the filters in the CS folder. Once the 8BF files were in the path, X1 saw the filters. I got many additional filters, too. Mostly ones that wouldn't work. I could only use 24 bit files in X1. In AutoFX applications, I can load a separate grayscale image as a mask.

Super Blade Pro didn't work. I didn't expect it would. There a lot of free Flamingpear filters that do work, however.

I haven't gotten any FX filters to run in Xtreme. It does 32 bit files, though.

Rich

Rich, for me Super Blade Pro works fine in Xtreme. It doesn't even "lock" itself, so the objects I use it on remain editable. I have no idea what I might be doing differently than you; maybe if you mess around a bit you can get SBP working.

Glen

One of the differences. SBP worked for me in Xtreme. Rich