Richard Hendricks' Filter Factory Resources with a Xara X Slant

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Notes about using Filter Factory with Xara X

• Xara X supports Filter Factory and other PhotoShop compatible Plug-ins. The Filter Factory CD is available through i/us.

• Xara X is available through Xara and i/us. If you'd like to find out further information or purchase Xara X visit the Xara X web site.

  

• Xara X requires the MSVCRT10.DLL. This is required for non-PhotoShop applications. Download MSVCRT10.ZIP, for FREE, and extract it into you \Windows\System directory. (MSVCRT10.DLL is not on the Filter Factory CD) This DLL permits Xara X to utilize the Filter Factory Plug-ins as well as many other Photoshop compatible Plug-ins.

• Configuring Xara X to use Plug-ins... Select Utilities | Options | Plug-ins [tab]. Press the New button and browse to the folder that contains your plug-ins and press Add. Repeat this until you have identified all the folders you want. Press Apply to tell Xara X to find all your filters. This dialog box also allows you to remove filters. (This does NOT delete the folders/filters from you system, but removes the folders from the list that Xara X maintains.)

• WARNING! Xara X will search subdirectories for Plug-ins. For example, if you specify f:\plug-ins and f:\ you will end up with duplicate entries on you Plug-ins menus. This slows Xara X down and potentially could cause your system to run out of memory.

• My Plugin/Filters are installed, Xara X is configured but they are disabled. Why? PhotoShop compatible Plug-ins, including Filter Factory, manipulate bitmaps. The BITMAP must be in RGB (Red, Green and Blue) color space and be set to at least True colour (24 bit for CorelXara).
  
  To create a bitmap from a vector drawing -- select the object(s) and from the main menu ... Arrange | Create Bitmap Copy (or Right click on the selected objects and select Create Bitmap Copy from the popup menu) and in the dialog box, choose True Colour (24 bit color for CorelXara). After you click on Create A, if all is well, you should be able to apply the available filters.
  
  To convert a bitmap to a True Colour bitmap -- select the bitmap and from the main menu ... Arrange | Create Bitmap Copy (or Right click on the bitmap and select Create Bitmap Copy from the popup menu) and in the dialog box, choose True Colour (24 bit color for CorelXara). After you click on Create A, you should be able to apply the available filters on the bitmap copy.

• Xara X: Using your Plug-ins... Select the bitmap and from the main menu select Utilities | Bitmap Effects & Plugins. (Shortcut: Right click on the bitmap and from the popup menu select Bitmap Effects & Plugins) From the Bitmap Effects and Plugins selection you should see a list of your installed Plug-ins. Follow the menus to the Filter/plugin you want, select the available options and apply the filter.

• CorelXara Ver 2: Using your Plug-ins... Select the bitmap and from the menu select Plug-ins. (Shortcut: Right click on the bitmap and from the popup menu select Plugins) Below the Bitmap Effects selection you should see a list of your installed Plug-ins. Follow the menus to the Filter you want, select the available options and apply the filter.

• Remember the Xara X Undo works on Filters you apply.
Send me your Filter Factory/Xara Tips



Filter Factory -- Web Sites by the authors...

• The Plugin Head by Alfredo Luis Mateus [eMail]
  
• Welcome to Visual Manipulation by Mario Klingemann
  



i/us Related Filter Factory Web Sites...


• The Plugin Head by Alfredo Luis Mateus
  
• The i/us Filter Factory CD maintained by Alfredo Luis Mateus
  
• Filter Factory CD Tech Notes on i/us
• Download MSVCRT10.ZIP (.DLL) required for non-PhotoShop Apps
• Filter Factory Compendium
• PlugIn Com HQ Free Plugins, Effects and Tools for Picture Manipulation and Digital Video Editing. Also includes information about Filter Factory Programming and Plug-in Commander



Filter Factory Related Web Sites...

• PC Resources for Photoshop - Plug-ins - FF Galleries & Collections
• Cheap Tricks for Paint Shop Pro 4
• Filter Factory Homepage - Filter Factory Programming Guide and Examples by Werner D. Streidt
• Sapphire Inovations - Plugins, Nozzels, Grains, Frames, Brushes, etc.
• Greg's Factory Output Page.
• Johann's Software & Graphics Pages Photoshop Plug-in Manager (Shareware), free filters, information, etc
  
• TEK Design's PhotoShop Filter(s) Homepage. AutoInterlace is a *FREE* Photoshop/Paint Shop Pro Filter that creates a cool interlace effect easily and automatically. More filters are expected, so keep checking by...
  



Filter Factory Tools...



Plugin Commander allows you to manage and preview your plugin collection quickly and easily. You can deactivate the plug-ins you rarely need and define how your favorite effects will appear in the host application. You can also create your own Plugins with the Filter Factory Editor.

• The Plugin Site by Harry Heim
• Plugin Commander Light by Harry Heim

  The Light Version of Plugin Commander is a fully functional development environment for Filter Factory Plugins. It is all you need to manage existing Filter Factory (and others) plugins and allows you to easily modify and create Filter Factory plugins. The Preview mode makes Filter Factory Plugin development quick and easy. Download the Light version and give it a try. If you like it and need more capability -- think about purcharing the PiCO Pro version.

  
• Plugin Commander Pro by Harry Heim

• Tutorial for Plugin Commander Working with the Filters
• Tutorial for Plugin Commander

  Plugin Manager V 2.0 allows you to manage and preview your plugin collection quickly and easily. You can deactivate the plug-ins you rarely use or need. The Shareware version includes a preview window and many enhanced features.

• Johann's Software & Graphics Pages by Michael Johannhanwahr
• Photoshop Plugin Manager Version 1.0B by Michael Johannhanwahr (FREEWARE)

  Photoshop Plugin Manager Version 1.0B allows you to development Filter Factory Plugins. It is all you need to manage existing Filter Factory (and others) plugins and allows you to easily modify and create Filter Factory plugins. There is no Preview mode, so you need to test with your graphics application.

  • My tips for the use of Plugin Manager with Paint Shop Pro
• Plugin Manager Version 2.0 by Michael Johannhanwahr (SHAREWARE)

  Plugin Manager Version 2.0 does not allow you to development Filter Factory Plugins. It is a Plugin Managment tool rather than a development tool.



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Developing Filter Factory Plugins...


Developement environments (Not an exhaustive list)
(see Filter Factory Tools section)

• Photoshop Plugin Manager Version 1.0B for writing your code and your Graphics Application (Xara X, PaintShop Pro, Ultimate Paint, etc) for previewing your filter.
  
  Coding Environment: Free Previewing: Already available ⁽¹⁾ Ease of Use: Cumbersome at times
  
  
• Photoshop Plugin Manager Version 1.0B for writing your code and Plugin Manager Version 2.0 for previewing your filter.
  
  Coding Environment: Free Previewing: Shareware Ease of Use: Cumbersome at times
  
  
• Plugin Commander Light for writing your code and previewing your filter. (For occasional plugin development - Freeware)
  
  Coding Environment: Free Previewing: Free Ease of Use: Integrated, automatic preview
  
  
• Plugin Commander Pro for writing your code and previewing your filter. (For more the serious or fanatical plugin developer - Shareware)
  
  Coding Environment: Shareware Previewing: Shareware Ease of Use: Integrated, automatic preview
  
  ⁽¹⁾ Assuming you have a graphics application that supports Filter Factory Plugins.

Writing your own...
(Explainations, examples and help)

• Filter Factory Programming Guide and Examples by Werner D. Streidt (PDF and HTML format). From the Filter Factory Homepage select the FF-Guide button.
  -or-
  
• Filter Factory Programming Guide and Examples by Werner D. Streidt. HTML-Layout and Chapter 3 by Harald Heim (HTML Format).
  
  
• Filter Factory - Overview from the authors of Ultimate Paint
  
• Filter Factory - Tutorial by the authors of Ultimate Paint
  
  
• Plugin Filters by Tim Lister Tim has written some nice filters that he has made available for downloading. Along with providing the filters themselves, he has taken the time to explain/comment about the filters he has written. He does this through notes and comments within the code.
  
• Plugin Tips and Tricks by Tim Lister Tim has put together a pretty good list of tip and tricks about writing Filter Factory Plugins.
  
• Design with Filter Factory at Filter Factory Workshop by Tatsuya Sasaki. He has some excellent tutorials on how to produce certain effects using Filter Factory. Be sure to drop by and learn from is tutorials.
  
• PHIplc Filter Factory Production Facility by Paulco Heavy Industry PLC. They have documented how to produce some interesting effects using Filter Factory. Drop by and learn from them.

Download sites...
(Selective list of freeware and shareware plugin download sites)

• Graphics Ring Filters and Plugins Page - Contains an extensive list of plugins, software and other resources.
• GrafoManiac - Plugs N Tools - Contains an extensive list of plugins, software and other resources. Also a good resource for various PaintShop Pro related subjects.
• Tatsuya Filters at Filter Factory Workshop by Tatsuya Sasaki. He has a set of nice filters and includes the source files (AFS).
• Illustrator Design Group - Photoshop Filters There are several useful and interesting filters for both Windows and Mac. The filters and web page were developed by Ilya Razmanov (a.k.a. Ilyich the Toad). The collection of plugins are often referred to as "Toadies".
• Mac's Filters by Mark Mc Laren. Mark only has two plugins, but RemoveWhite (all white goes to transparent) and PageCurl are useful Plugins and can be learned from.
• Cybia Creative Resource Studio's Plugins by Steve Upham and Roy Russo (author of Deepspace Web and some of the plugins). There is a large number (~100) of freeware plugins available here. Steve is providing the filters in Windows, Mac and Unix formats along with various program specific formats (e.g.; Ultimate Paint). Most of his filters add effects (emboss, chain link, graph paper, etc) to the images rather than completely distorting the images.

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Books and documentation about Filter Factory and PhotoShop compatible Plug-ins...

• The Photoshop Plug-Ins Book : Category Listings, Instructions & Examples by Daniel Gray, includes a CD-ROM [Buy It] (out of print)
• Plug-In Smart; How to Choose and Use Photoshop-Compatible Plug-Ins by Joe Farace, includes a CD-ROM [Buy It]
• Photoshop 4 F/X: The Professional Guide to Creating Advanced Special Effects by Ken Milburn, includes a CD-ROM [Buy It] (out of print)

• Filter Factory Homepage - Filter Factory Programming Guide and Examples by Werner D. Streidt (PDF and HTML format). Click the FF-Guide button. [Free Download]
• Filter Factory Programming Guide and Examples by Werner D. Streidt. HTML-Layout and Chapter 3 by Harald Heim (HTML Format)
  

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