PS P{lug-ins?

[chip11414]

Can anyone recommend any good PS plug-ins? I already have Eye Candy 4000 and KPT. Thanks

[chip11414]

Can anyone recommend any good PS plug-ins? I already have Eye Candy 4000 and KPT. Thanks

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Depends on what you're looking for in the way of effects. Nowadays there's a lot of very specialized filter sets out there.

I think the EC4000 series has some pretty goods things in it generally speaking.

"The lessons to be learned, are found along the path of your journey, not at your final destination. That is only where you will rest, between lessons"

[Erik Heyninck]

try the Dreamsuite:

www.autofx.com

If you don't work against time, time often works for you.

[RJ Swift]

Hiya,

I spent $320.00 on dreamsuite and it has been a NIGHTMARE! I'm having to email customer service because I apply my effects in the program and when I ok them, they don't apply to the image. It suck as a stand alone AND a plug-in. Maybe I'm not doing something right, but, think twice before buying it!

Thanks.
RJ

[\"W\"]

Filters mean more to some than others I suspect.

Chip

I personally enjoy filters. Those I like (and therefore use) are KPT and Flaming Pear... check them out. I like their filters because they can do interesting things. On the other hand, Eyecandy has never fizzed me personally. Xaos's Paint Alchemy is wonderful, as is terrazzo. Most filters are just plain fun to play around with. I also think they can be a productive tool.

RJ, I'm sorry to hear you forked over that much cash for software that doesn't appear to work for you. Maybe your answer lies somewhere in the help files. Maybe some of the effects only work on an object that's selected (masked). The only time I tried AutoFX software was when it came with CorelPhotopaint 7. I think I used the "Border Effects" twice. That's it!

Good Luck

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Hey RJ?...

I also have the entire suite of filters (only because i did that review thing for them).

I'd like to try and help you if i can. Trust me though... i've been through every filter in the set, and they do all work just fine. I'm suspecting that your document/layer setup is off somewhere. And that's why they don't get applied.

Can you please start me off by describing exactly which filters you're having problems with, and how specifically you've setup your layer/image before attempting to apply the filter to it?

I'm pretty sure there's a simply reason why you're having problems with them. Did the suite install ok for you? No glitches in the installation procedures?
Have you gone to their site and gotten the latest upDate patches?

"The lessons to be learned, are found along the path of your journey, not at your final destination. That is only where you will rest, between lessons"

[RJ Swift]

Hi Mark,

Well.. where to begin.. Ok, first, I have the update for Win-XP (which I'm using) No apparent glitches. The custemer service center even e-mailed me a link to download the program (for some reason). I already had the CD ROM but I did it anyway to no avail.

Ok, the effect "Putty" for example. I first tried applying it to imported text, text files, Adobe PS OWN text (rasterized, of course). It didn't work. THEN just to see if it just wasn't working, I tried applying it to the other layers and it didn't apply. THEN I found that it wasn't applying correctly. When I shaped the image the way that I wanted it, I "ok"ed it. But when the box dissapeard.. the image was only slightly effected and it wasn't even CLOSE to the way I shaped it. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_frown.gif[/img]

The other filters aren't much different. The tech department at Autofx is no help either.
I guess that's why they don't have a 30 day trial period on the demo version. If they did, I would still have $300 in my pocket.

Thanks for you offer to help. [img]/infopop/emoticons/icon_smile.gif[/img] Any help is appreciated.

RJ

[Mark (theKeeper)]

Ok RJ...

I've done some testing, and i get proper results everytime, and on every filter i tried. I also have the WinXP update.

I've attached here a few of them.
The first is the "Putty" filter. I use the program as 'stand alone', and not within PS.
As you can see, i've done an extreme edit to the original photo, and it applied exactly as i had edited it.
The 2nd sample was done from within Photoshop, using the plugin, and it too applied properly.


I can't say exactly what you're doing that i'm not... obviously. But this is all i did to get the filter to work for me:

Using just DreamSuite by itself (stand alone):
1) Opened the FILE menu and chose "Open". Found my photo and imported it.
2) Chose the "Putty" filter from the DreamSuite Filter List.
3) Used the various manual sculpting tool AND the path tools, and edited the photo.
4) Opened the FILE menu and chose "Save". Named the new version, and clicked OK.

Using the plugin from within Photoshop:
1) I did everything exactly the same as above, except i clicked the "OK" button instead of choosing "Save" from the FILE menu.

You should also try choosing the "Save" option under the FILE menu when using the plugin version too RJ. You don't HAVE to save the changes just to your photo within PS.
Try that too and see if it makes a difference for you.

Usually if you've setup your document or layer wrong for the plugin, it will Alert! you to that fact and ask you to change something.
For the most part though nothing special is required as setup to using/applying the plugin.

The next time you try using the Putty filter RJ, don't apply the filter to a selection of any kind. Just apply it to an entire photo first.

[Mark (theKeeper)]

And this is the Plugin results; from with PS.