Showing posts with label plug-in. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plug-in. Show all posts

PhotoTools 2 Professional Edition Review

PhotoTools 2 Professional Edition
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I purchased this product as part of OnOne's Plug-In Suite 4.5. I'm fairly new to using the full version on Photoshop (using CS4) however, I have used Photoshop Elements for years. So, from where I stand it has been a great tool to add extra richness to photos. I have mainly used it on portraits. It has made good photos absolutely stunning.
Things to note - PhotoTools 2 like the other plug-ins in their Plug-In Suite 4.5 do not show up in the menu bar in CS4 64-bit. And while many of their plug-ins work in newer versions of Photoshop Elements this plug-in does not.


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Plug-In Suite 4 - Full Review

Plug-In Suite 4 - Full
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Let me start by saying "take a pass on this!" The software is very buggy and dramaticly slows down the computer. Certain programs also complete shuts down Adobe Photoshop CS3 when you try to apply an effect. It is FAR TOO EXPENSIVE FOR WHAT IT IS! Basicly using Photoshop's own tools in their interface to create the result.
There are several programs in the suite but I find them disappointingly simple and basic in execution. For example, Skin Tunes basicly just warms up ALL skin tones to try and make subjects look more appealing regardless of their 'presets' of 5 different skin types. Absolutely no varying from that formula, VERY LAME!
Focal Point does NOT provide any better or more 'out of focus' area than can be done with Photoshop alone with just a little more work. Very Disappointing!! Also file sizes become prohibitively HUGE!
Photo Tools is basicly Photoshop filters but in OnOne's interface and is no where near as usable as NIK's Color Efex Pro 3.0.
Genuine Fractals has yet to give me noticably better results when cropping and enlarging than doing it without using the software. Again, interface is SLOOOOOOOOOW!!!!
As others have mentioned, you will need a high end video card that is OpenGL 1.5 or better. So if you don't have it in your computer already that's at least another $160 upgrade. Making this software even more expensive!
I didn't buy the software here. I wish I had because Amazon has a much better return policy. The retailer I did purchase it from will not take it back and refund my purchase. So currently fighting the situation. But I wanted to keep others, like me, looking for ways to speed up their retouching workflow from making the same mistake of purchasing this product. I would tell you to spend a solid weekend or an hour a day for a solid week or so learning and doing tutorials on Photoshop and go that route. ****I am adding to this comment to this review because I am impressed enough to make mention that the company personnel read this review and contacted in effort to help me. This has NEVER happened before and frankly I am quite pleased by the gesture to make things better. It is the company I thought didn't exist anymore and one I will certainly do business with again in the future based on their effort to improve.
Thank you!!*****

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Plug-In Suite 4 includes 6 Photoshop plugins that help you maximize the power of Photoshop. Plug-In Suite 4 is CS2, CS3 and CS4 compatible, Universal Binary support, offering fast native support for Photoshop CS3 and Intel-based Macintosh computers. Plug-In Suite 3 installs all six tools with one serial number and includes new startup tutorials for each, making installation and getting up to speed a breeze. Combine that with new integratedShow Me Howvideo tutorials and automatic update checking and you have everything you need to be productive in Photoshop and Photoshop Elements so you can do what you really want to do: get back to shooting. Plug-In Suite 4 includes 6 Photoshop plugins that help you maximize the power of Photoshop. You get Genuine Fractals 5 Print Pro for high-quality enlargements, PhotoTools 1 Professional Edition, Mask Pro 4 for removing backgrounds, PhotoFrame 3.1 Professional Edition for the perfect finishing touch to your photos, PhotoTune 2 for professional quality color correction and FocalPoint 1 for adding selective blur and vignettes to your photos.

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Nik Software Complete Collection for Lightroom and Aperture Review

Nik Software Complete Collection for Lightroom and Aperture
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I'm using it with Lightroom and Vista. I haven't used all the pieces of the collection yet but I can say Viveeza is great. I had thought I could do what it does with the Lightroom supplied filters but it's impossible. An example: I traveled to Austria recently and the weather didn't cooperate - it was mainly overcast with snow or rain so pictures in the small towns are dull. With LR it's possible to adjust the exposure and use the gradient and brush tools to selectively edit different parts of the image. But it's non-discriminatory - the gradient tool adjusts very nicely from the edges but everything is adjusted equally. This is where Viveeza is so nice. Put a control point in a window box of geraniums, for example. Adjust the size of the circle and then adjust brightness, saturation, contrast and "structure". The reds of the geraniums pop because the grey or blue or white of the wall isn't affected. Brighten the walls the same way but maybe not so much. Go down the street and brighten each tree or put a point in the sky and pull the little bit of blue up from the overcast. It's like having a mask under thought control.
I've tinkered with the other parts of the collection but not enough to say anything about them other than they appear to be similarly powerful. I'm looking forward to learning how to use silver efex. A good thing to do is google for a coupon - just google on nik software coupon. You'll be pleasantly surprised. Mine was twenty five percent off.


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The Nik Software is a bundle of their popular digital imaging plug-in applications. Compatible with Lightroom and Aperture, the bundle includes Dfine 2.0, Viveza, Color Efex Pro 3.0, Silver Efex Pro and Sharpener Pro 3.0. To receive your free copy of HDR Efex Pro please register your product at niksofware website or call to register at 1-888-284-4085. When HDR Efex Pro is released, a download link and product key will be sent to you via email. Good only for purchases of Complete Collection made afer August 26, 2010. Please make sure you register your product with Nik Software to qualify for a free copy of HDR Efex Pro. Only registered copies willbe eligible. Offer expires August 26, 2011.

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Viveza 2 Review

Viveza 2
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Nik Software just released version 2.0 of Viveza, a very powerful tool that let you selectively modify and edit images using their exclusive UPoint control technology to select the areas you want to edit.
U Point control point technology is the reason I've been using the Viveza older version, because the easiness of use and ability to build "behind the scenes" layer masks by simply adding a point on the part of the image you want to edit, then adjust the size of the area by simply dragging a slider, beyond that Viveza will affect only the pixels in the area that are similar to the one you selected. This allow enhance the saturation, contrast and brightness of an image very quickly, selectively and without the pain of building complex masks.
The Viveza 2 is even greater, as incorporates more powerful controls and is even faster than the previous version, so what is new:New, Interface with Global Image Adjustments: Now you can also globally apply any brightness, contrast, saturation and structure (more on this below) very quickly before start applying changes to specific areas, giving you an overall better starting point, it also incorporates a levels and curves window to have more control over contrast and tonality.
New, Structure Adjustment: I really love this one, as you can bring or reduce details between edges, this can be very used to reduce blemishes in skin, or to accentuate textures in skies, grass or any other textured part of the image.
New, Shadow Adjustment: This new feature comes very handy when you need to recover detail from shadow areas, it works pretty much like Highlights and Shadows in Photoshop or Lightroom, but you can easily use it selectively in specific areas by using a control point.
New, Warmth Adjustment: With this new feature you can cool or warm the overall look of the image, or you can also use the control points to adjust any part of it.
New, Grouping the Control Points: In my opinion this is one of the most nice improvements, as you can now group a series of control points through the image and make adjustments all at once, instead of one by one as before. This is really great for images with big variation of tones.
If you are a Photoshop user you'll like the smart filter support and selective brush tool. Layer masks are automatically created so you can use the selective brush tool to apply any filter or correction selectively.
Viveza works with Apple Aperture, Photoshop and Lightroom, and it's very easy to install. During the installation the software will look the applications that you have and will allow you to install it in all of them all once.
I just downloaded the upgrade today and I can tell you that, as with the previous version, this one will be in my list of preferred tools because it's very precise and easy to use.El Viveza 2.0, un plugin que vale cada centavo.
Recientemente Nik Software, ha lanzado la versión 2.0 de Viveza, una herramienta de edición muy poderosa, que permite editar imágenes utilizando la tecnología U Point exclusiva de Nik Software para seleccionar áreas especificas que necesitan ser modificadas.
La tecnología de control U Point, es la razón por la cual he venido utilizando la versión anterior de Viveza, fundamentalmente porque es muy fácil de utilizar y por su capacidad de construir "sin que sean vistas" mascaras en los layers o capas, simplemente colocando un punto en la parte de la imagen que se necesita editar y luego arrastrándolo para seleccionar la superficie a afectar, pero mas allá de esto, Viveza solo afectará los píxeles que se asemejan en valor tonal al seleccionado. Esto permite trabajar en forma selectiva la saturación, contraste y brillo de cualquier imagen en forma rápida y sin la tediosa tarea de tener que construir mascaras.
Pero Viveza 2, es aun mucho mejor, mas poderoso e incorpora nuevas herramientas que lo hacen mas veloz. Que hay de nuevo?
Nueva, Interfaz que permite ajustes en forma global: Ahora se pueden aplicar cambios de brillo, contraste, saturación y estructura (mas sobre esto abajo) rápidamente sobre toda la imagen antes de comenzar a aplicar cambios en forma selectiva, generado un mejor punto de partida, también incorpora una ventana de curvas y niveles para tener mas control sobre el contraste y tonalidad.
Nuevo, Ajuste de estructura: Realmente me encanta esta nueva adición, este ajuste permite reducir o incrementar detalle entre bordes en forma muy práctica, puede ser utilizado para reducir imperfecciones de la piel, o para acentuar texturas en cielos, césped, o cualquier área que contenga textura dentro de la imagen, también puede se puede aplicar en forma local o global.
Nuevo, Ajuste de sombras: Esta nueva opción funciona de maravillas cuando es necesario recuperar detalle en áreas oscuras, trabaja de la misma forma que Luces y Sombras en Photoshop o Lightroom, pero con la diferencia de que puede ser aplicado en forma selectiva de manera mucho mas fácil.
Nuevo, Ajuste de temperatura: Este ajuste se puede aplicar para reducir o aumentar la temperatura de color de la imagen, haciéndola convirtiendo la tonalidad a colores mas fríos o cálidos, puede ser aplicada en forma global o en forma selectiva utilizando los puntos de control.
Nuevo, Agrupar los puntos de control: En mi opinión este es uno de los mejores cambios que se han introducido en esta versión, ya que ahora es posible agrupar diferentes puntos de control dentro de la imagen y realizar ajustes en todos al mismo tiempo en vez de; de uno en uno como antes. Esto es excelente para imágenes donde se presenta gran variación de tonos.
Si eres un usuario de Photoshop, te va a gustar la posibilidad de poder utilizar los filtros inteligentes y pinceles selectivos, ya que capas con mascara so creadas en forma automática por Viveza para poder aplicar las correcciones realizadas en forma selectiva también dentro de Photoshop.
Viveza esta disponible para Apple Aperture, Photoshop and Lightroom, y el proceso de instalación es bien sencillo. Durante la instalación el programa busca todas las aplicaciones compatibles instaladas en el computador y te permite instalarse en todas al mismo tiempo y de una vez.
He descargado la actualización hoy y te puedo decir que al igual que la versión anterior, ésta va a formar parte de mis herramientas favoritas, porque es preciso y muy fácil de usar.

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Viveza 2, powered by U Point technology, is the most powerful and precise tool available to selectively control light and color in photographic images without the need to create complicated selections or layer masks. New global image controls, levels and curves adjustments, shadow recovery, fine detail structure control, grouped Control Points, and time-saving interface controls ensure quick and easy corrections and professional enhancements.

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Mask Pro 4 Review

Mask Pro 4
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If you need to pull things from and image and want to minimize the time you spend then this program is well worth your consideration. Sure, the Adobe editors have "background erasers" and Mask Pro goes miles further in allowing you to specify what to include/reject and how it will be rendered.
To be effective this is not quite automatic. However, after you learn a few simple adjustment settings you'll be able to erase backgrounds and still leave things like wisps of hair and transparent objects like glasses. To help there is extensive documentation and on-line videos which are available at no additional charge.
I've spent time evaluating different software packages that are dedicated to pulling images from a chroma key background (a solid color that is different from anything in the image, typically green or blue). Mask Pro 4 is now my favorite choice for even that specialized activity.
Best of all, you can go to the manufacturer web site .(Amazon won't let me post the URL) and download a free 30-trial of this programs to see for yourself. Please be sure if you do download the demo to also spend the time needed to go through the provided instructional videos. That way you'll be able to appreciate how well Mask Pro does what it does!
BTW, I feel that honest, effective reviews can take the place of first-hand experiences that are lacking in online shopping. I've always appreciated the help I've received from other reviewers and work hard to return the favor as best as I can. I hope you found this review helpful and if there was anything you thought was lacking or unclear leave a comment and I'll do what I can to fix it.


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Silver Efex Pro Review

Silver Efex Pro
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Even though this product is quite pricey, if you love black and white, it is definitely worth it. Gives you amazing control over converting color images to b&w, using predefined templates, additional templates from their website, and also custom setting you can make, and save. Absolutely fantastic. I am running it on an intel Mac Pro w/ 8 Gig of Ram. It is very fast when launched from w/in photoshop. I only gave it 4 stars out of 5 because it is incredibly slow working w/ large 12 and 14 bit raw files when launched from Apple Aperture (but fine from w/in photoshop). A number of people on the web have complained about this and Nik has yet to acknowledge this as a problem. I even offered to help them trouble shoot it to find out where the memory/performance issue was coming from and they didn't respond to my offer. One solution seems to be to launch the plug-in in 8 bit photoshop mode instead of 16 bit but that is just a work around, not a real solution as other Nik software works fine w/ photoshop in 16 bit mode. Overall a great product, I highly recommend you download the 14 day demo and give it a try, and then buy it if you like it as much as I did. The Aperture slow performance was almost a deal-breaker for me but I purchased it anyway knowing that Nik would eventually have to fix that one problem area.
UPDATE: 5 stars. Nik has released version 1.001 which addresses the Aperture slowness problem. Nice and fast now. Highly recommended.

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Silver Efex Pro provides complete power and control to create professional quality black and white images from your color digital photographs, featuring award- winning U Point technology for precisely controlling detail and tonality without the need for complicated selections or layer masks. Advanced imaging algorithms protect against unwanted artifacts, a comprehensive collection of emulated black and white film types, and a state-of-the-art grain reproduction engine help produce the highest quality black and white images possible while providing more freedom to experiment.

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Color Efex Pro 3.0-Complete Review

Color Efex Pro 3.0-Complete
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From the moment I downloaded the trial version from their website, I was hooked. Sure, you could probably duplicate these effects in Photoshop, but with this product it's done in seconds - and it's a lot more fun too. I was surprised by how powerful this tool is, and how easy it is to use. Sure, I was skeptical at first, and didn't think I was going to like this tool . . but I do. I was addicted and HAD to buy it as soon as my trial period expired.
Oh, and if you've notice noise in your images, try Dfine® 2.0. It works like magic.

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