Plugins for Photoshop, Elements, Lightroom, PSP & others

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Plugin Newsletter - May/June 2001

 


Contents
========

EDITORIAL

THE PLUGIN SITE UPDATES
COMPUTER ARTS SPECIAL OFFER

POLL RESULTS: Your favorite image editing functionality
NEW POLL: Which effects from Plugin Galaxy are your favorites?
RECOMMENDED TUTORIALS

FREE PLUGINS AND TOOLS
GRAPHICS NEWS

PRODUCTS FROM THE PLUGIN SITE
THE PLUGIN SITE MAP

 


Dear Readers,

as you may have noticed there was no May issue of the Plugin Newsletter.
That's why this is the May/June issue. I'm sorry for that. I didn't have
any time, because I'm currently taking my final exams at university (I'm
studying psychology by the way). After finishing them in July I will
have even more time to concentrate on graphics and video stuff.

Another point: I get several virus emails after sending out each issue
of this newsletter. I guess some of you have a virus without knowing it
and this virus sends itself to me after the newsletter comes in. So my
advice is: check your system for viruses and do never, and I really mean
NEVER, open emails with attachments you didn't request. Delete them
right away! If you have scripting deactivated in your email application
(highly recommended!), you can at least open the email and see if it is
suspicious.


Stay creative,
Harald Heim

The Plugin Site - Your guide to image and video effects
http://thepluginsite.com/

 

THE PLUGIN SITE UPDATES
------------------------------------------------

PLUGIN GALAXY 1.02 FOR MACINTOSH is now available. The plugin dialogs
have been improved, new sliders types were added and the text boxes work
better now. The Bluuur plugin preview calculation time was extended and
the slider range has been extended from 16 to 32 pixels. Compatibility
with Fireworks has been improved, although it isn't perfect yet. Last
but not least, if there's not enough memory, you will now get a detailed
message about solving the problem. To download the trial version (that
will even work if you used the previous trial versions) go to

http://plugingalaxy.com/


THE PLUGIN SITE AFFILIATE PROGRAM has been updated with two products:
HTML Shrinker Pro and Edge & Frame Galaxy. So if you have a good visited
web site, you can offer our four products through the affiliate program
and earn 15% of the selling price. Additionally you will get a free copy
of the product you sold at least 5 times though your web site. For more
information and for registering as an affiliate, please visit:

http://thepluginsite.de/Affiliate.htm


THE ULTIMATE PAINT AND PLUGIN GALAXY CD BUNDLE (for Windows only) has
been updated with Version 2.8 of Ultimate Paint. New features include a
Histogram panel, improved transparency handling, a "Set Alpha" component
as well as a separate panel for icon and component parameters.

http://thepluginsite.com/store/up+pg.htm

 


COMPUTER ARTS SPECIAL OFFER
------------------------------------------------

The Plugin Site and Computer Arts have teamed up to bring you this
special three-issue trial offer to Computer Arts magazine. The magazine
is for digital artists and Web designers, includes tutorials and reviews
of the latest creative software and hardware, and has carried demos and
filters from The Plugin Site on its cover CD in recent months. Try it
out and see if you like it.

Right now you can trial the next 3 issues of Computer Arts for just £10
(£16 Europe and North America, £20 rest of the world), saving you £££'s
off the price you pay in the shops. Each copy will be delivered to your
door, hot off the press, making you one of the first people to set eyes
on each issue. PLUS each issue is delivered free of coverlines, an
option available exclusively to subscribers, making your copy not just a
magazine but a work of art.

Money-back guarantee - if you are not entirely satisfied you can cancel
your subscription at any time and claim a full refund on all unmailed
issues. No questions asked. However this risk-free offer is only
available for a limited time, so act TODAY!

To find out more visit:
http://www.futurenet.com/promotion/plg01/7

 


POLL RESULTS: Your favorite image editing functionality
------------------------------------------------

Here are the results of the latest poll concerning the question: Which
is you favorite function for Image Editing? 251 people cast their vote.

1. Layers 26%
2. Plugin Filters Support 25%
3. Undo/Redo 8%
4. GIF/JPG Optimizer 6%
5. Selection/Mask Features 5.5%
6. Brush Tools 5%

More than 50% of all votes think that layers and filter plugin support
are the most essential features of image editing application. Layers are
needed for composing images and filter plugins can generate image
effects easily which wouldn't otherwise be possible or only with a lot
of effort.

Previous poll results can be viewed at
http://thepluginsite.com/knowhow/

 


NEW POLL: Which effects from Plugin Galaxy are your favorites?
------------------------------------------------

The current poll is about our Plugin Galaxy product. It would be very
helpful for us to know, which effects of this plugin set you consider
the most useful one. This poll is the fist multi-vote poll. That means
that you can vote for more than one item.

Please cast your vote at the bottom of the page at
http://thepluginsite.com/

... and please leave a comment on the poll's message board explaining
why you especially like the chosen effects. Thanks.

 


RECOMMENDED TUTORIALS
------------------------------------------------

According to the latest poll, filter plugins and layers are very useful
features when creating graphics. That's why it is important to master
them.

Here are two tutorials about plugins I found quite interesting. The
first one is a short, but effective introduction to filter programming
with Filter Factory. You'll also find a simple Offset filter
downloadable there:

http://www.scenic-route.com/img/htmlfram/info/Factory.htm

The second tutorial wants to help you to get ready for using plugins
with Paint Shop Pro. It should be especially useful if you have just
started using plugins in PSP.

http://www.geocities.com/ps_pro7/plugins/plugins.htm

Additionally if you shouldn't know it already, there's a tutorial on The
Plugin site that explains how to install plugin in 24 different
applications.

http://ThePluginSite.com/knowhow/tutorials/plugin/MakingAvailable.htm


The following tutorials teach you using layer features in Photoshop and
Paint Shop Pro:

Photoshop Technique - Working with Alpha Channels and Layers
http://the-internet-eye.com/HOWTO/2000/PSTut_ch/default.htm

Photoshop 6 - New Enhanced Layer Management
http://the-internet-eye.com/HOWTO/2000/Nov/ps6layers/

Paint Shop Pro 7 Tutorials - Beginning with Layers
http://www.disdatdesigns.com/tutorials/layers.html

Using Layers in Paint Shop Pro
http://www.web-helper.net/PSP6/PSPLayers/default.htm

Paint Shop Pro: Introduction to Layers
http://www.jasc.com/tutorials/layers.asp

 


FREE PLUGINS AND TOOLS
------------------------------------------------

The AMPHISOFT FILTERS set (Windows only) which contains both free and
shareware Photoshop-compatible plugins has been extended with a new
plugin called "Raster Master". It creates basic TV-screen or complex
woodcut or engraving effects, simple patterns as well as weird moiré
overlays. The freeware version of Raster Master contains all the core
functions, but misses some additional features. Additionally one of the
former shareware filters of the package, ArtiFactor, is now available
for free.

http://photoshop.msk.ru/


FACTORY OUTPUT (for Macintosh) offers some filters from the Filter
Factory Galleries. The collection contains the filters Channel 5, Chaos
Tile, Colour Switcher, Dimensia, Dynamic Contrast, Edge Saturate,
Jumble, Print Screen and Pseudo Gamma.

http://www.christopher.org/NETWORK/freefilters/download.html


There are 6 SAPPHIRE INNOVATIONS FILTERS (Win/Mac) available at the PC
Resources for Photoshop web site for free. They were created with Filter
Factory and include the following effects: "Blubbled" produces bubble
patterns, "Faded Out" is a simple color filter, "Centre Spot" does some
color distortions, "Threshold Days" creates a kind of posterize effect,
"Grey Shudder" makes the image look damaged and "Shift Lines" add some
colorful line distortions. The full commercial version includes 63 more
filters.

http://showcase.netins.net/web/wolf359/ab_sapphire_01.htm


CALLISTO (for Macintosh) is a shareware plugin for Adobe Photoshop that
allows Photoshop users to create terrains and spheroidal objects and
also import and render 3DMF models. When using Callisto you can
manipulate 3DMF models on the screen and make adjustments to lighting
and background before rendering it out. The terrain-making capabilities
of Callisto allow you to convert any 2D image to a "height map" or 3D
terrain with full Phong shading and control over height. The terrains
you create can be swiveled, moved, enlarged/reduced, etc., just like any
3D model. An advanced feature of Callisto is its planetizing feature,
which allows you to create complex, organic objects easily, based on 2D
input. Callisto also allows you to apply texture maps to terrains and
spheroids in order to create objects.
Callisto is fully functional and lets you save your output either in 2D
(at 320x240 pixels) or as a 3DMF model. Users who pay the shareware fee
can output 2D renderings at resolutions up to 2560 x 1920 pixels.

http://members.aol.com/Callisto3d/CallistoDLpage.html


GOLDBERG 2.1 (for Macintosh) is an image and movie viewer with some
image editing capabilities such as the QuickTime effects, rotations,
free zooming, selecting, cropping and printing. Goldberg supports
several image file formats as PICT, Photoshop, JPEG, TIFF, FlashPix,
GIF, PNG, Targa, BMP, SGI files and also QuickTime movie files. There's
a version for MacOS 9.0 as well as MacOS X.

http://www.opus.plugin.ch/freeware/g2/


GRIDLINER is a utility for Corel Photo-Paint that makes the drawing of
horizontal, vertical, and grid lines a snap. It has options for line
size, spacing, transparency, and apply mode. Lines can be filled with a
solid color or gradient and can be rendered to an existing object or as
an object. There's even the possibility to add a custom background,
solid color or gradient, and have the entire image embossed. It also
has the time saving feature of "remembering" the last used settings and
can save settings as presets for future use. There's both a free LITE
version and an inexpensive PRO version available for download.

http://members.nbci.com/gridliner/
http://www.geocities.com/gridliner1/


Ceres Solutions offers SignofNCS, a package of plugins for Adobe
Illustrator 5.0 to 7.0, for free. It is targeted towards the sign
making and screen printing markets. SignofNCS was designed to drive
vinyl sign cutting plotters directly from the menu of design software.
Unlike bridge software programs, SignofNCS also eliminates the need of
exporting and importing data from one application to another. The
current version, 3.0, is compatible with about 300 cutting plotters.
French, Spanish, Dutch and Italian versions are available on CD only for
a nominal fee. For more information, visit

http://www.magisign.com/

 


GRAPHICS NEWS
------------------------------------------------

Panopticum currently released Panopticum Fire 3.0 for After Effects,
Premiere 6 and Photoshop. New features include more realistic fire
effects, smart adjustments for fire tongues and a mode for creating the
fire effect according to the brightness and structure of the image.

http://www.panopticum.com/


Sapphire Innovations released several new Win and Mac products e.g.
Styles for Photoshop 6, Nozzles Pack Vol 4 for Corel Painter, Tubed Vol
4 for Paint Shop Pro 7 and PPE Brushes Vol 3 for Propeller Paint Engine.

http://www.sapphire-innovations.com/


SERVICE PACK 1 FOR CORELDRAW 10 Graphics Suite (English) is now
available as a free download. Service Packs for German and Italian
versions of CorelDRAW 10 will be released in early summer. Service Pack
1 includes opening dockers errors, outline width controls, bitmap
effects and general performance enhancements.

http://www.corel.com/support/ftpsite/pub/coreldraw/draw10suite/


Flaming Pear has released a new plugin called FLEXIFY for Macintosh and
Windows. Flexify is a Photoshop filter that permits users to apply lens
effects to panoramic images. It accepts eqiurectangular, mirror-ball
and polar images as input and can turn them into 23 kinds of output e.g.
equirectangular, mirror ball, polar, half-polar, orthographic,
tetrahedron, cube, octohedron, dodecahedron, icosahedron, Hammer, Werner
(cordiform), sinusoidal (Sanson-Flamsteed), rectilinear (gnomonic),
hyperbolic (stereographic), cylindrical, Wetch, pinwheel, diamond,
square, curvy, goggles and quasar.

http://www.flamingpear.com/

A 30-DAY-TRYOUT OF ADOBE PREMIERE 6.0 is now available. The Windows
tryout is 72.5 MB large and the Macintosh tryout 46.6 MB. Adobe Premiere
6.0 software provides an essential set of tools for creating videos for
the Web, DVD, CD-ROM, and videotape.

http://www.adobe.com/products/premiere/demoreg.html


Looking for some contests to train your graphic muscles? Have a look at
the PixelHead Graphics Contest or the monthly contests at the Critical
Depth web site:

http://rainworld.com/pixelhead/
http://www.critical-depth.com/contests/


 

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