Documenti di Didattica
Documenti di Professioni
Documenti di Cultura
Corona ........................................................................................... 14
Fire ................................................................................................. 18
Drip ................................................................................................ 21
Icicles ............................................................................................. 25
Ripples ........................................................................................... 28
Rust ................................................................................................ 32
Smoke ............................................................................................ 35
Squint ............................................................................................. 42
Troubleshooting ............................................................................. 48
ii
Chapter 1: Getting Started
Welcome • Rust
• Ripples
Welcome to Eye Candy 5: Nature
(Nature), a set of 10 plug-in effects • Snow Drift
for Photoshop and other compatible
graphics host programs. Interface Improvements
This chapter explains how to install Several interface improvements
your software and provides an appear in the Eye Candy 5 series:
overview of the features common to
• Improved Settings manage-
each filter. In this chapter, you’ll find
the following sections: ment—settings are now accessed
under the Settings tab. You can
• What’s New create, manage, save, share and
• Eye Candy 5 Release Schedule backup settings. See the Using
Settings section for more details.
• Host Requirements
• UpToDate—a messaging system
• System Requirements we will use to communicate with
• Macintosh Installation our users. See the UpToDate
Messages section for more
• Windows Installation
details.
• User Interface
• Intra-product navigation—switch
• Keyboard Shortcuts from one Eye Candy 5 filter set to
another from within the Nature
user interface.
What’s New
This section lists the new filters, Changes to Existing
features and improvements included Filters
in Nature.
Besides the aforementioned user
interface changes and new filters, Eye
New Filters
Candy veterans will notice the
Nature adds four new effects to the following updates to pre-existing
Eye Candy family of filters: filters:
• Icicles
1
• Corona —Corona can create a “Click here for new messages from
new layer in Photoshop, then Alien Skin Software.” Click this link to
apply the effect there. We’ve also read your new messages. See the
added a Photoshop style gradient interface example below:
editor so you can recreate perfect
solar flares.
• Drip—Melt and drip have been
combined. They were so compli-
mentary, we figured you were
wasting your time jumping from Customizing UpToDate
filter to filter. Preferences
• Fire—Fire has an all-new photo-
Receiving messages is optional. You
realistic look. This one gets the can specify the intervals at which your
gradient editor, and new layer UpToDate system checks for
features too.
messages. To customize your
• Smoke—Smoke has also been UpToDate message preferences, use
rewritten for a brand-new look the following instructions:
and more versatility. Like Fire,
1. In any filter, Click Edit >
you can apply smoke to its own
Preferences .
layer from the filter itself.
2. Select the frequency at which you
• Squint—Squint has new streak-
would like the UpToDate system
ing features to imitate light
to check for new messages. If you
refracted by water and more.
don’t want to receive messages,
• Water Drops—Water drops is select Never.
much more realistic. Drops pool
Windows users: If you have a dial-
together more naturally and the
up Internet connection, you should
lighting tools have improved.
select the Ask me before making
an Internet connection option. If
UpToDate Messages not, your computer will make
The UpToDate messaging system unexpected phone calls.
keeps you informed about the latest Macintosh users: If you have a
Alien Skin Software products, special dial-up Internet connection, deselect
offers, software updates and other the Ask me before making an
news. Internet connection option. You
When you receive a message, an must establish an Internet connection
unobtrusive visual cue announces, before receiving UpToDate messages.
2
Seamless Tiling Host Requirements
Some filters feature a seamless tiling This is a plug-in; you must use it with
option. Seamless tiles are rectangular a compatible host program.
images that fit together like a puzzle
when lined up next to each other. Macintosh Hosts
3
Macintosh 12-letter code in the e-mail
invoice, sent with your
Installation downloaded software. Store this
Use the following instructions to install e-mail in a safe place for future
Nature: installations.
4
If the installer does not 2. Insert the Nature CD into your
find the plug-ins folder: computer. If you purchased an
Click the Choose another electronic version of Nature,
install location button. locate the installation program
that you downloaded from the
Locate your plug-in folder. If you
online store.
do not choose the proper folder,
the filters will not show up in your 3. Double-click the Setup.exe
Filters menu. icon.
Note: If you are not sure where 4. Click Next.
to install Nature, consult your 5. Read the License Agreement.
graphics program user manual.
6. Click Accept.
10. Highlight the folder and click the
Choose button to return to the 7. Enter your name, company name
main installation screen. The (optional) and your registration
installer copies the files to your code.
hard disk. Note: The registration code is a
Rerun the installer if you wish to 12-letter sequence inside the
install Nature into other graphics front cover of your manual.
programs. If you purchased an electronic
version of Nature, you’ll find the
Windows Installation 12-letter code in the e-mail
invoice, sent with your
Use the following instructions to install downloaded software. Store this
Nature: e-mail in a safe place for future
1. Shut down your graphics host installations.
program (Photoshop, Fireworks, 8. Click Next.
Elements or Paint Shop Pro).
Our installer will search for all
Note: To install Nature, your compatible graphics programs
Windows 2000 or XP user on your computer and display
account must have administrator them in a list.
privileges. For information on
9. Highlight one program (you can
configuring your user account for
only install into one graphics
administrator privileges, talk to
program at a time) and click OK .
your IT guy or consult your user
manual. Rerun the installer if you wish to install
Nature into other graphics hosts.
5
Registering Nature The Edit menu also allows you to
copy, cut, paste and delete values
You must register your software to from parameter fields.
receive technical support and critical
Filters Menu: This menu allows you
product updates. Registration also
to switch between filters in the user
qualifies you for product discounts
interface. Photoshop users should
and upgrade pricing on future
note that they switch between filters in
versions of Eye Candy.
the Filters menu, the Actions,
If you purchased Nature directly from History, and Last Filter Used
Alien Skin Software, you are functions record the filter you initially
automatically registered with us. You selected.
only need to register if you purchased
View Menu: This menu allows you
Nature elsewhere.
to zoom the preview in and out. To
You can register online at display the preview at 100%
http://www.alienskin.com/register. If magnification, select Actual Pixels .
you don’t have access to the World See Keyboard Shortcuts on page13.
Wide Web, mail in the registration
Help Menu: The Help menu leads
card included with your software.
to local documentation and online
Web pages. Clicking Help > Filter
User Interface accesses filter-specific
documentation. The same assistance
Menus: Command menus are can be reached by pressing F1
accessible when you launch any filter. (Windows) or Help (Macintosh).
Macintosh users will see the menus in
place of their usual menu bar.
Windows users will see the menus at
the top of the filter preview window.
Edit Menu: This menu allows you
an unlimited number of Undos and
Redos. If you experiment with the
sliders, and find that you prefer a To access a Table of Contents for the
previous group of settings, simply use online help, click Help > Contents.
the Undo command in the Edit
menu, or use Command + Z (Control
+ Z on Windows machines) to back Common Tools
up as many times as necessary.
To limit redundancy in the filter
chapters, we’ve adopted the policy of
6
documenting common tools in one Eye Dropper: Select the Eye
section of the manual. Conveniently, Dropper to sample a color from
you have arrived at this magical anywhere in the preview window.
place. Here you’ll find explanations
Foreground or Background
for how to use the Color Picker, the Color: Choose either of the two.
Color Cube and the Gradient Editor
Black or White: Choose either of
Color Selection Tools these timeless colors.
7
Opacity Stops (B) Editing Color Stops: Once you’ve
added that color stop, you’ll want to
Opacity stops build a bridge between
choose a color for it.
differing levels of opaqueness. The
midpoint (diamond shaped buttons) 1. Position the cursor over any color
and smoothness controls establish stop and click it.
where and how quickly opacity
2. Using any of the color picking
transitions take place. Slide them
tools, choose a color, and click
around to get a feel for how they
OK .
work.
Deleting Color Stops: Easy. Just
Adding Opacity Stops: Click
click and drag the stop off the
above the gradient bar to add an
gradient bar.
opacity stop.
Modifying Opacity Stops:
Position the cursor over any opacity
stop and click it. Tweak the opacity
slider.
Deleting Opacity Stops: Click
and drag the stop off the gradient bar.
Color Stops (C)
Color stops add colors to your
gradient and establish transitions to
neighboring hues. The midpoint
(diamond shaped buttons) and
smoothness controls establish where
and how quickly the color transition
will take place. Slide them around to
get a feel for how they work.
Adding Color Stops: Use color
stops to add a new colors to your
gradient.
To add a color stop, click below the
gradient bar.
8
The Preview Window
Slider Controls (A): Slider controls Click the hand to enable the Move
and radio buttons appear along the tool, then click and drag to move
left side of the filter window. These around the preview image.
controls perform most functions in our
Click the magnifying glass to enable
filters. Refer to the filter chapters for
the Zoom tool. Click in the preview
detailed slider descriptions. window to zoom into your image;
Thumbnail Navigation (B): Command + click to zoom out (Alt +
Click and drag the movable red box click for Windows users). Double-
to move the preview to any spot in the clicking the Zoom tool at any time
selected layer. resets the preview window to 100%
magnification.
Move, Zoom and Show
Original (C): The Move (hand),
Zoom (magnifying glass) and Show
Original buttons are found above
the preview window.
9
The Show Original button toggles Magnification Indicator (I): The
the preview between filtered and current level of magnification is
unfiltered versions of your image. shown to the right of the render status
Click and hold the button to view the bar at the lower right corner of the
unaffected image. Release the button filter window.
to preview the effect.
Using Settings
The Settings tab in each filter
UpToDate Message Indicator window allows you to create,
(D): When you see this visual cue, manage, download, share and back
you have a new message from Alien up your favorite filter recipes.
Skin Software. See the UpToDate To use a setting, simply click the
Messages section for more details. Settings tab and highlight the
OK and Cancel Buttons (E): desired setting in the list.
10
3. Highlight the setting that you 2. Highlight the setting you want to
want to rename. export.
3. Click Export.
4. Navigate to the location where
you want to store the settings file.
4. Click Rename.
5. Type in the new name.
6. Exit the Manage Settings dialog.
Deleting Settings
To delete a setting:
1. Click Manage .
2. Highlight the setting you wish to 5. Click OK .
delete.
3. Click Delete.
Importing Settings
There are two ways to extract and
4. Confirm that you want to delete
the setting by clicking Yes. route settings to any installed Eye
Candy 5 filter set. The first method, is
the simplest way to import shared or
Exporting Settings archived settings:
When you export a setting, the plug-in
1. Find the setting that you want to
packages the recipe in a tiny file,
add.
which you can share with friends. You
can also use the export feature to 2. Double-click it.
back up settings that you can’t live 3. Click OK .
without. To export a setting:
4. You’re done.
1. Click Manage .
11
5. If you prefer doing things the 2. Highlight the setting you wish to
hard way, use the following e-mail.
method:
3. Click E-Mail.
6. From within the user interface,
4. If your e-mail client is compatible
click the Settings tab.
with our settings manager, a
7. Click Manage . message will pop up like magic,
with the setting attached. Yay!
8. Click Import .
5. Eudora, Outlook, Microsoft
Entourage (Mac), Apple Mail and
Outlook Express work great.
Netscape Mail is not compatible
with our e-mail feature.
Resetting Settings to
Factory Default
Every filter has a Factory Default
9. Navigate to the location where
you’ve stored the setting. setting. Clicking this setting resets the
current filter parameters. You can also
press the F5 (Windows) or
Command+ R (Macintosh) key to
reset the filter.
That’s it for the opening section.
We’ve designed this software to be
both fun and easy to use. We hope
you enjoy using the filters.
E-mailing Settings
To email a setting:
1. Click Manage .
12
Keyboard Shortcuts
OK Return Return
13
Chapter 2: Corona
Corona creates radiant solar flares, glowing aurora, and fills selections with
gaseous clouds. Using one of two modes, you can create linear or wavering
solar flares. You can also control the corona’s expansion from the selection
edge.
14
• Turbulent—Creates chaotic, Flare Width: Controls the average
wavering flares. width of the flares. Higher values yield
wider flares.
Stretch: Controls the amount of
flare elongation. Higher values stretch
the shorter flares towards the edge of
the glow radius.
Waver: Controls the random
bending of individual flares. Higher
values yield curvier flares.
15
Blur: Softens the edges of the flares. Note: Mask Selection is disabled
Higher values yield softer edges. when Create Output In New
Layer Below Current is selected.
16
produces no shift. Positive values shift
the corona up. Negative values shift
the corona down.
17
Chapter 3: Fire
Fire simulates a wide variety of flames and flame-like effects. Using direction
controls, you can simulate effects far beyond simple fires, like rocket exhaust.
Color controls allow you to simulate anything from blue propane flames and
to white hot blast furnaces.
18
Flame Width: Controls the average Higher values increase the twisting.
width of the smaller flames forming Low values render fire that travels
the fire column. along a linear path.
Turbulence: Adds twisting details to
the tips of the flame. High values
resemble flickering.
19
Soften Edges: Blurs the edges of For more information on using
the flames and elevates the fire above gradients, see Gradient Editor on
the selection. High values soften the page7.
flame more.
Colors Tab
Natural Flame Colors: Select this
option to simulate common fire
tinting, like a match or campfire.
Clear Natural Flame Colors to
enable the gradient editor.
20
Chapter 4: Drip
Drip simulates liquid trickling from the bottom of a selection and, optionally,
melts the original selection. Drips flow from the bottom of the selection like
paint dribbles. Image features stretch along the path of the drips. By tweaking
melt features, you can liquefy the entire selection.
21
Taper: Thins the area between the uneven edges and separate the drip
bottom of the selection and the drip’s from the selection.
teardrop end. Low values look like
liquid running down a wall. High
values look like drops falling from the
bottom of the selection.
22
Melt Tab of the selection. High values
compress the selection downward.
Melt Length: Controls how much
the entire selection is stretched
downwards in wavy distortions.
23
the light; higher values yield larger
highlights.
Highlight Color: Choose any color
for the shiny highlights.
Shadow Strength: Controls the
shadow darkness. Higher values
render darker shadows.
Shadow Color: Choose any color
for the shadows.
Lighting Coverage: Controls how
far the shiny highlights climb up the
dribbles.
24
Chapter 5: Icicles
Icicles renders dripping ice from any selection. You can specify the length,
width, pointedness and color of the icicles. You can also manipulate opacity
and refraction to reveal images under the ice. As you might imagine, Icicles
compliments Snow Drift nicely.
Icicle Regularity: Randomizes the Ice Height: Controls how far the ice
length, width and spacing of icicles. grows upward from the bottom of the
25
selection. Larger values cover more of rough surface, mangling images
the selection with a solid sheet of ice. beneath the ice.
Left to right: Increasing Ice Height. Left to right: Ice on entire selection is enabled on
both stoplights. Refraction is enhanced in the right
Ice on Entire Selection: Selecting frame.
this option covers the inside of the
Random Seed: Controls the
selection with a sheet of ice.
random elements of this filter. Click it
Ice Color: Selects the color the ice is until you get a result you like.
tinted. The higher the Opacity slider,
the stronger this color appears. For Lighting Tab
more information on selecting colors,
see Color Selection Tools on page7. Direction: Controls the direction
from which the light falls on the ice.
Opacity: Low values allow Click and drag within the lighting
underlying images to shine though. control box to change the direction,
High values obscure underlying or enter a value between 0 and 360
images. Extremely high values render degrees.
solid, dripping goo, like wax.
Inclination: Controls the angle
Refraction: Roughens the surface of formed by the light and the page.
the ice and underlying images. Less Click and drag within the lighting
refraction creates a smoother surface, control box to change the inclination,
allowing a clearer view of objects or enter a value between 0 and 90
under the ice. High values create a degrees.
26
Highlight Brightness: Controls
the intensity of the shiny highlights
appearing on the ice surface.
Highlight Size: Controls the size of
the shiny highlights on areas facing
the light; higher values yield larger
highlights.
Highlight Color: Choose any color
for the shiny highlights.
Shadow Strength: Controls the
shadow darkness. Higher values
render darker shadows.
Shadow Color: Choose any color
for the shadows. For more
information on color selection,
see Color Selection Tools on page7.
27
Chapter 6: Ripples
Ripples’ three modes create anything from perfect concentric waves to the
random surface waves of a pond on a windy day. You can add reflection
maps to create a shiny surface and use refraction controls to make images
look like they are underwater. You can use the Time control to make GIF
animations.
Basic Tab
Ripple Generator: Choose one of
three modes:
• Raindrops—Creates circular
waves emanating from distinct
points. Adding more than one
raindrop creates overlapping rip-
ples.
Raindrops mode.
28
• Expand from Selection— Ripple Wavelength: Controls the
Creates concentric waves radiat- average distance between wave
ing from selection edges. crests.
Time: Chooses a moment in the
timeline of ripple formation and
dissipation. Early in the timeline,
wavelengths are small and radiate
directly from the selection or
raindrop. In the latter stages of wave
development, the ripples move away
from the selection and dissipate.
Random Wave Amplitude: Adds
random ripples to the surface of your
selection. Higher values create taller
waves.
29
surface with tiny ripples. High values
create large swells.
30
Highlight Brightness: Controls
the intensity of the shiny highlights
appearing on the surface.
Highlight Size: Controls the size of
the shiny highlights on areas facing
the light; higher values yield larger
highlights.
Highlight Color: Choose any color
for the shiny highlights.
Reflection Map Controls
None: Choose this option if you do
not want an image reflected on the
surface of your liquid.
Select From File: Selects a
reflection map file. Reflection maps
color the wave contours to simulate a
shiny liquid surface.
Reflection Strength: Controls the
opacity of the reflection map. Higher
values yield a brighter, more reflective
surface. Lower values allow more of
the original selection to shine
through.
31
Chapter 7: Rust
From crusty iron oxide to aluminum scaling, rust recreates virtually any severe
metallic corrosion. You can control the size and color of rust spots, the size
and sharpness of surface details and the density of coverage.
32
Left to right: Increasing Feature Size. yield a transition from crusty inner rust
to translucent surface rust.
Coverage: High values fill empty
space with more rust patches.
33
Draw Water Streaks: Select this
option to smear rust downward from
the main spots.
Streak Length: Increases the
distance that streaks are smeared
from the patches.
Streak Opacity: Controls the
darkness of the smears. The
opaqueness tails off toward the end
of the streaks.
Seamless Tile: Select this box to
create a repeatable pattern with no
seams.
Note: Selecting Seamless Tile
disables streak controls.
Random Seed: Controls the
random elements of this filter. Click it
until you get a result you like.
34
Chapter 8: Smoke
Using two modes, Smoke simulates anything from pyroclastic eruptions to
gentle wisps emerging from the end of a gun barrel. You can control the
direction of the smoke, its color, how high it rises and much more.
35
a smokestack in Elizabeth, New column. Larger values yield wider
Jersey or a forest fire. individual wisps.
Left: Wispy. Right: Billowing. Left to right: Increasing Wispy Puff Size.
36
Waver: Controls the amount of Layered Smoke: Select this option
meandering in the smoke column. to render a second layer of smoke in
Higher values increase the twisting. front of the original.
Low values render smoke that travels
along a linear path.
Roughness: Controls the
smoothness of the smoke. High
values render turbulent smoke.
37
lighting control box to change the
direction, or enter a value between
0and 360 degrees.
Light Strength: Boosts the intensity
of the light source. It’s like increasing
the wattage of a light bulb.
Light Color: Tints the light source.
You can make smoke in the red light
district.
38
Chapter 9: Snow Drift
Snow Drift adds piles of snow to horizontal sections of a selection. You can
pile snow on the top or bottom of the selection. You can also control the
thickness and lumpiness of the snow. Optionally, you can dust the surfaces of
your entire selection, or entire image, with light snow. By adding more dust to
bright spots you can simulate snow piling on rooftops, trees, or any other
bright surface.
39
more lumps of increasingly random values increase the distance that the
size and height. snow sags beneath the selection.
40
Bright Features Threshold:
Adjusts the level of brightness that the
filter recognizes as “bright enough” to
receive additional dusting. Low values
specify that only the brightest features
get extra dust. High values extend the
added dusting into darker areas.
Random Seed: Controls the
random elements of this filter. Click it
until you get a result you like.
Lighting Tab
Light Direction: Controls the
direction from which the light falls on
the snow surface. Click and drag
within the lighting control box to
change the direction, or enter a value
between 0 and 360 degrees.
Shadow Strength: Controls the
shadow darkness. Higher values
render darker shadows.
Shadow Color: Choose any color
for the shadows. For more
information on selecting colors,
see Color Selection Tools on page7.
Tip
When adding dust to bright surfaces
in your selection, use an extremely
low Dust on All Features amount.
A value of zero typically works best.
41
Chapter 10: Squint
Squint imitates the blurring that might result from bad vision or a shaky
cameraman. Squint also creates bright light streaks and kaleidoscopic effects
like you might see from oncoming traffic in a rainstorm.
42
Ghost Segments: Breaks the halo Streak Selection Threshold:
into smaller pieces. Higher values Adjusts the level of brightness that the
yield more pieces. filter recognizes as “bright enough” to
radiate streaks of light. Low values
allow virtually any area to emit
streaks. High values allow only the
brightest areas to do so.
43
Random Seed: Controls the
random elements of this filter. Click it
until you get a result you like.
44
Chapter 11: Water Drops
Water Drops creates a wide variety of liquid shapes: spheres, spurts, spills,
spots and more. You can select the color of the drops, make them pool
together and distort underlying images as if they had been rained on.
45
pools together, forming large water drops. Higher values increase
irregularly shaped blobs. the distortion.
Opacity: Controls the transparency
of the liquid. High values obscure any
underlying images.
Tinting: Chooses the amount of
Liquid Color revealed by light
passing through the blobs. Low values
show less of the liquid color.
Liquid Color: Choose any color for
your water drops. For more
information on selecting colors,
see Color Selection Tools on page7.
Lighting Controls
Left to right: Increasing Clumping. Direction: Controls the direction
from which the light falls on the
Focus: Sharpens the edges of drops
drops. Click and drag within the
and boosts the brightness of the liquid
lighting control box to change the
color. direction, or enter a value between 0
and 360 degrees.
Inclination: Controls the angle
formed by the light and the page.
Click and drag within the lighting
control box to change the inclination,
or enter a value between 0 and 90
degrees.
Highlight Brightness: Controls
the intensity of the shiny highlights
appearing on the drops.
Highlight Size: Controls the size of
the shiny highlights on areas facing
Left to right: Increasing Focus.
the light; higher values yield larger
highlights.
Refraction: Controls the amount
Highlight Color: Choose any color
that the selection is warped by the
for the shiny highlights. For more
46
information on selecting colors,
see Color Selection Tools on page7.
Random Seed: Controls the
random elements of this filter. Click it
until you get a result you like.
47
Chapter 12: Troubleshooting
We’ve documented the most • On the download page and in
commonly-asked tech support an email invoice (electronic ver-
questions here. A regularly updated sion).
troubleshooting guide can be found
If you've registered the software with
in the Support section of our Web site. us (by purchasing directly from us,
If you get really stuck, send E-mail to
registering online or sending in a
support@alienskin.com. Include in
registration card), we'll have the code
the E-mail your 12-letter registration in our database.
code, whether you are using Mac or
Windows, and your graphics host If you didn't register with us, contact
program (Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, us at support@alienskin.com to
etc.). receive a new registration code.
This chapter covers the following If you have the code: Make sure
troubleshooting issues: that you are entering the 12-letter
code and other registration fields
• Installation Problems
correctly. The Name field must
• Performance Issues contain at least three characters.
• Error Messages Make sure that you are using a valid
code. Product registration codes are
Installation Problems not interchangeable. For example, an
Eye Candy 4000 code will not work
Problem
with any other product. You will need
The installer won't accept my 12-letter to use the code that you received
registration code, or I can't find my when you purchased the software.
code. This 12-letter code can be found on
the web page from which you
Solution
downloaded the software, in an email
Lost registration code: The invoice you received while
product registration code (serial downloading the product or on a
number) is a 12-letter code located in sticker inside the front cover of the
one of the following three places: manual.
• Your user manual (physical ver- Problem
sion).
When I try to install, I get an error
• On the CD jewel case (physical dialog saying that I don’t have
version).
48
privileges or permission to install the Problem
software. My software doesn’t work with a
Solution graphics program that claims to use
Photoshop plug-ins.
The installer, like most installation
programs, needs to write files to Solution
secure folders on your computer. If
Some host programs claim to work
you use OS X, Windows 2000 or with all Photoshop plug-ins without
Windows XP, you must have
testing thoroughly or strictly following
administrator privileges. For
the Photoshop plug-in standard. If
information on configuring your user you’d like to use our software with a
account for these privileges, see your
host not listed in this manual, please
system administrator or your
visit our Web site for the latest list of
operating system manual. compatible hosts.
Problem Problem
After installing the plug-ins and How do I uninstall my software?
starting the graphics host program,
the filters do not appear in the Filter Macintosh Users: Find the Nature
or plug-in menu. folder in your graphics program’s
plug-in folder and delete it. Also
Solution delete the
The filters were not installed in your /Users/<user name>/Library/
graphics program’s plug-in folder. Application Support/Alien
Find out which folder your host Skin/Nature folder.
program uses for plug-ins. With Windows Users: Run Add/
Photoshop, you can determine this by
Remove Programs from your
going to Edit > Preferences >
Windows Control Panel. Select
Plug-ins. Then, install the filters Nature from the program list and
again, making sure you select the
click the Add/Remove button. This
proper plug-in folder.
will remove the program and most of
Also, remember that after installing its components. To remove your
new filters, you must restart your settings, navigate to the
graphics host for the plug-ins to /Documents and Settings/
become available. With other host <user name>/Application
programs, consult your user manual Data/Alien Skin/Eye Candy 5
for more information about where Nature folder.
plug-ins need to be installed and how
to access them.
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Performance Issues Solution
Problem Sometimes the preview begins in a
transparent part of a layer. Click an
Some or all of the filters appear
opaque area of your selection in the
grayed out in the Filter menu.
navigation thumbnail.
Solution
Problem
Grayed-out filters in the Filter menu
A filter makes the graphics program
occur if you are in certain color
or the entire computer crash or freeze
modes (such as CMYK, Lab or
up.
Bitmap) that won’t allow a specific
filter to work properly. Solution
Problem Sometimes freezes or crashes occur
when your computer runs out of
I get a message that my software ran
available memory. If you are using
out of memory while rendering the
Photoshop, you can sometimes free
preview.
up large amounts of memory by
Solution selecting Edit > Purge > All .
There are a few things you can do to Also, make sure that your computer
free up more memory. In Photoshop, system meets the minimum
the history palette and other features requirements to run our software.
take up a lot of memory. You can free Shut down other programs before you
this memory by selecting Edit > run your image editing program, as
Purge > All. there might be a conflict between
To free up even more memory in another program and our software. If
Photoshop, select Edit > you notice such a conflict, we will love
you very much if you try to identify the
Preferences > Memory &
Image Cache . Then, increase the problem program and inform us of
Maximum Used value. the conflict at
support@alienskin.com .
If you routinely work with huge
Problem
images, we recommend that you have
ten times as much physical RAM as I can’t switch between filters inside the
the image size in memory. Eye Candy user interface.
Problem Solution
The preview seems broken. It only The feature only works in Photoshop
shows the checkerboard pattern. CS and Elements. Other hosts don’t
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support the necessary parts of the filter you’ve switched to. If you want to
Photoshop plug-in specification. apply a filter in a new layer, make
sure you start with the filter you plan
Also, if you switch filters using the
to apply.
menu on the filter dialog, the new
layer feature will be disabled in the
Error Messages
This host application does not support Sorry! Your host graphics program is incompatible with our
enough of the Photoshop filter specifi- software. Consult the list of compatible host programs in the
cation for this filter to run. Host Requirements section of the Getting Started chapter.
This filter requires editable transpar- In the Layers tab, deselect the Lock Transparent Pixels
ency. Please turn OFF Preserve Trans- button.
parency in the Layer palette.
The filter ran out of available memory The history palette and other features take up a lot of mem-
while rendering the preview image. ory. In Photoshop, you can free up this memory by selecting
Edit > Purge > All.
Macintosh users only: This filter Check the operating system requirements for this software in
only runs on Mac OS X 10.2 or later. your user manual. Nature only works with Mac OS X 10.2 or
later.
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