Photoshop External Filter--KPT 7.0

Filters many readers who have touched Photoshop marvel at their dazzling filter effects. Seems to have a kind of let a person "not afraid to do not, will be afraid of unexpected" feeling. But the designer's imagination is also to be admired: In addition to Photoshop itself to provide hundreds of filters, it seems not enough, so many third-party filter plug-ins came into being, and Photoshop thoughtful consideration, to add a filter to provide convenient, allowing us to use other filters. For example, we are here to introduce the MetaCreations Company's KPT (Kai's power Tools) series is the leader of Third-party filters, Photoshop's most famous filter. The latest version of KPT 7.0 is the best in the filter. There is a phrase that describes it-"many people buy Photoshop because of the use of KPT" is a bit exaggerated, but kpt really good.

Let's first introduce the installation of KPT, the installation of filters is very simple, it should be noted that filters should be installed in the Photoshop Plus-ins directory, otherwise you will not be able to run the filter directly. If you want to install to another directory, the only way is in Photoshop, open the Preferences submenu in the File menu and select the directory path of Plus-ins folder in the Plus-ins&scratch Disk command. However, it is important to note that if the path changes, it may cause the filter in Photoshop itself to be out of use.

When you install it, you will see a kpt Effect submenu in the Filter menu. Ten amazing filters are included in this submenu. Of course light will be installed is useless, the key is to learn to use. Here's how to use these filters to realize their magical charms.

Note: The general filter is 8BF extension, just put it in the Photoshop plug-in directory, restart the initialization Photoshop can be found in the Filter menu, if you install a lot of filters, the Photoshop built-in filter will change the original discharge position. Most of today's filter software is installed in the form of installation, with no manual adjustments.

If you have a large number of filters installed but are not used frequently, it is recommended that you remove them first because Photoshop needs to initialize these filters when it starts, which means slowing down the startup process.

Before using the KPT filter, it is necessary to do some understanding of its characteristics. Unlike other software upgrades, KPT is a set of series filters. Each series contains a number of powerful filters, the current series has Kpt 3, Kpt 5, Kpt 6, and here to introduce the KPT 7. Although the version number is up, this does not mean that the later version is an upgraded version of the previous version, each with a different focus and functionality, so we can't just look at its version to determine if the filter is obsolete. The KPT 7.0 series contains 9 filters, so let's learn how to use these filters.

After installing KPT, restart Photoshop, you can find a KPT Effects submenu under its Filter menu, expand the next level (as shown in Figure 1), the KPT 7.0 filter Group provides 9 powerful filter commands.

Figure 1

The following is a brief introduction to each member of the filter group, based on the 9 options listed in the menu, so that readers have a general understanding of them first. Hope this for everyone in the design to get inspiration, want to produce some effect, choose which specific filter to help, but also can be the quickest to enjoy the KPT filter unique charm.

　　Channel Surfing : This filter allows you to separate the image of each channel (Channel) effect processing, such as Blur or sharpen the selected channel, you can adjust the color contrast, color number, transparency and other properties. This filter is especially useful for images that are mixed with various effects.

　　Fluid : The fluid filter can be used to simulate the effect of liquid flow in an image, such as distortion effect. It can be used when a brush with water brushes over the surface of the object to produce traces. At the same time, you can set the size of the brush, thickness, and brush the speed of the object, so that the resulting effect more realistic. Even more impressive, this filter also has video features: It can output this effect as a continuous dynamic video file, making the original still picture into a visual effect of the film.

　　Frax Flame : The filter captures and modifies irregular geometric shapes in an image, changing the color, contrast, and distortion of the selected geometry.

　　Gradient Lab : Use this filter to create complex combinations of colors with different shapes, levels, and transparency, and to apply them to the image. You can also customize a variety of shapes, color styles, can be stored, convenient to call later when necessary.

　　Hyper Tiling : in order to reduce the volume of image files, you can draw on the principle of similar tile wall, will be similar or the same image elements, made a repeated call to the object. Hyper tiling filter is a good use of this principle. The use of it can reduce a lot of file volume, but also produce similar tiles like the magnificent effect of posters, really kill both birds!

　　Ink dropper : I believe we have seen the phenomenon of ink drops meditation in the water, slowly spread and produce a natural stretch of the United States. As the name suggests, the Inkdropper filter helps you add this effect to your image. But it is more changeable, more imaginative and more manageable than the simple phenomenon seen in daily life. Use it to produce a flow, static, whirlpool, even repulsive stain, of course, control the different size, drop speed is a cinch, as long as the inkdropper effect can be thought of, I believe that the filter can make you satisfied.

　　Lightning : The lighting filter allows you to create a perfectly good lightning effect in an image by simply setting it. Of course, you can also make further changes to it, including the lightning in every detail of the color, path, and so on, and so on, so as to coordinate with the source image. The filter also allows you to apply the various lightning effects provided by the system.

　　Pyramid : Pyramid into Chinese is the meaning of "dogpile, Pyramid". The pyramid filter is to convert the source image into a symmetrical, neat effect like "dogpile".

　　Scatter : Scatter filters are useful if you want to remove stains from the original surface or create a variety of particle motions in the image. Even through the filter to control the specific placement of each particle, color, shadow and so on, in detail it is useful!

Understanding the KPT 7.0 Series filter family members of the ability, you can select a certain or a few "soldiers" to "destroy the city to pull the village." Of course, how can you do that simply by knowing their skills and not knowing how to use these "unique stunts"? Then you have to go further into the use of each filter. Of course, knowing and familiarizing themselves with their interaction interfaces and how filters work is key. Each filter has a unified interface, I believe that as long as the understanding of one can be extrapolate, analogy. The following is an example of the interface of the KPT lighting filter to make a deep understanding of the KPT series filters.

Start Photoshop, open an image file, open the Filter menu, select the kpt Lighting command under the Kpt Effect submenu, and start the filter. Figure 2 is the KPT consistent style of the user interface.

Figure 2

In front of us is a very luxurious full screen parameter Adjustment dialog box, from the diagram we can feel its concise but not lack of full-featured features. The whole interface can be divided into the menu bar, the function setting area and its preview window in general.

When the pointer stops for a little time on the title bar, the title flashes and is very eye-catching. Click the title, pop up the rich-sense menu shown in Figure 3, and you can set properties for the filter display, and so on:

Figure 3

　　Panel Auto Popup : Auto Pop-up Panel

　　Panel Manual Popup : manually activating the panel

　　Panel Solo Mode : panel display mode alone, expand the panel only if it is active

　　Sticky Panels : Open the Panel automatic adsorption alignment function

The main part of the filter is probably the two property Setup Panel (Bolt panel and Path panel), where the overall size and shape of the Lightning object can be set in the Bolt panel, such as the length of the lightning, the density of the branches and the luminous intensity of the perimeter, etc. (Figure 4a), The path panel fine-tune the paths through which lightning and its branches are passed (Figure 4b).

Figure 4a Figure 4b

It can be said that most of the functional settings are done on the floating panel, so it is particularly important to understand and familiarize yourself with the various functions on the panel. In general, we can understand the role of the English language by explaining it. And the small adjustment of the overall effect of the image is not a kung fu, in addition to have a good artistic feeling, usually unremitting creation is inseparable.

Of course, these are based on understanding the specific meaning of each setting. But if you're just getting started, these are not very familiar, but also want to create the results of a unique work, do not worry, each filter, including the lighting of this example to provide users with a good preset effect to choose from, I believe that as long as a few mouse clicks can meet the needs of most designers. The method is to click the preset button (Presets button) at the sitting angle to pop up the dialog box in Figure 5, which contains a large number of preset effects in the flash body.

Figure 5

There is a category name on the left of the dialog box, and there is only one class of Category1. We can, of course, extend the existing effects. The Add Preset (add Preset) button in the lower part of the dialog box allows you to save the current effect to a dialog box. We can also use the delete Preset (delete preset) button to remove the unsatisfactory settings. What if you want to use the set effect for your friends? You can use the import (output) button to save the effect as a file with a. env suffix. To a friend. The Export (Import) button in the dialog box can be used to introduce the file into the kpt. Select the appropriate effect, click on the lower right corner of the button, you can apply the selected effect in the image, it is so simple!

In addition, I do not know that there are no other two panels--layout panels and recall panels, although they are not very visible, the function can not be underestimated them na! The layout panel can record and save the positions of the panels in the workspace so that they are ready to be invoked, compared, and convenient for different working conditions. Recall also provides similar functionality, but it records the bolt and path panel settings at different times to facilitate comparisons between the various settings.

After understanding the interface panels and their function settings, you can use the filter to add a rich effect to the image. Here, using the lighting filter, with the shape of the bolt similar to the crack, simple settings, resulting in lifelike photo tearing effect.

1, start Photoshop, open to deal with the photos, all selected. Then open the Filter menu, select the kpt Lighting command under the KPT Effects submenu, and start the lighting filter.

2, in the bolt panel, first set the color of the bolt colour halo is white, as shown in Figure 6, because the edge of the crack color is not like lightning with the glow of light generated after the halo, but with the ambient color to maintain consistent color.

Figure 6

3. According to the size of the photo in this case, set the age (length) and bolt size (size) to 90 and 15, respectively, in the subsequent child intensity (branch brightness), forkiness (bifurcation property) and glow radius (heating radius) Three, Because also do not need too high brightness and turn, can be appropriate to adjust the bottom value, this example is set to 6, 63 and 15,child Subtract (branch shape descending rate) is set to 49.

4. The settings in the path panel do not have an obvious effect on this example, and can be adjusted appropriately according to the preview window's display.

5, the final effect in the preview window as shown in Figure 7, really have a real feeling! Save the image after the effect is satisfactory.

Figure 7

The special effects that a filter can produce, it's not that words can say, as long as we know that the filter is a concept that can change the image effect that you can imagine or can't imagine, and then play our infinite imagination, and the other thing is that we try to keep on experimenting with all kinds of filters, and that makes perfect.