Using Plugin Galaxy - General Instructions

Before using the plugins you have to start your preferred image editing application and open an 24bit image. Please note that the Plugin Galaxy plugins only work with 24bit images. If you open a 256 color/8bit image, you have to convert it to 24bit before applying a plugin.
Select the menu item that leads to the plugin filters (usually it is Filters, Effects or Image -> Plug-ins) and choose an item from the Plugin Galaxy sub menu.

There are four different dialogs types that Plugin Galaxy plugins use:

- 8 Slider dialog (see picture!)
- 4 Slider dialog
- 1 Slider dialog / dialog without a slider
- Double Preview dialog

These dialog types are very similar. The common dialog elements are described here.

Preview
  In the upper left corner of the dialog box the image that the effects will be applied to is displayed.

  If your image editing application supports zooming, the zoom factor can be changed with the + and - buttons. If you hold the `SHIFT` key while pressing one of these buttons, the zooming factor is set to the highest or lowest possible value.
  If zooming isn't supported (e.g. in Corel Photopaint 7 or Corel Xara 2), the buttons are greyed and "N/A" is displayed instead of the zoom factor.
  If only a part of the image is displayed , the image can be moved by holding the left mouse button and moving the mouse. While it is moved, the original image is shown.

  The preview can be switched off, if you deselect the Filtering check box. In this case the preview isn't calculated and the original image is always displayed. This feature helps saveing time, if you want to adjust several sliders at once.

  If your machine is too slow or the calculations are too time consuming, the preview calculation is stopped after around three seconds and "Time Limit exceeded" is displayed. But this doesn't affect the final calculation, it just avoids that your system freezes. When applied to the image, the effect will be rendered nevertheless.

Coordinate

  Some plugins allow you to set a coordinate by pressing the right button over the preview. The coordinate is shown as a small blinking cross. To remove a coordinate, right click on the preview while holding down the Ctl key.
Effects Combo Box

  If a combo box is present, you can use it for selecting different effects.
Reset/Random Button

  With the Reset button, you can reset all sliders to default values. The Random Button can be used to generate random slider settings.
Sliders
  There are be up to eight sliders for adjusting the filter effect. You can move the slider knob with the mouse (or keyboard), or you can enter numerical values in the white text boxes beside the slider bars.

Check Boxes

  Some plugins have up to three check boxes to activate alternative effect variations or a preview coordinate or apply a color effect.

Color Button

  Some plugins will have such a color button, too. Clicking on it, will display a color selection dialog for selecting a color.
  But you can also select a color with the color picker. By holding the `SHIFT` key while pressing the color button, the color picker will be activated for selecting a color by clicking on the preview.
Button Area
  The About button shows some information on Copyright. The Help button displays a plugin-specific Help file.
  Pressing the `OK` button will apply the effect to the image and `Cancel` lets you exit the plugin without applying an effect.

(External) Presets

  The current version of Plugin Galaxy doesn't support presets yet (it will come in a later version). But there's a possibility of using and creating "external presets", because the latest settings of all Plugin Galaxy plugins are saved in the registry. So by using the Registry Editor it is possible to save certain plugin settings as .reg files and use these .reg files to restore certain plugin settings.
  Attention: When editing your Registry, MAKE SURE YOU FOLLOW THE DESCRIBED STEPS EXACTLY! Editing other settings than the above ones can make your system unstable or even unbootable and result in a loss of data.
  Here's what you have to do:
  1. After you've discovered a nice setting in one of the plugins, press `Cancel` or `OK`.
  2. Run the Registry Editor by double clicking regedit.exe which is located in your Windows folder.
  3. In the Registry Editor open the following key: HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\ATS-FFormula\ Plugin Galaxy
  4. The Plugin Galaxy key contains 20 sub keys corresponding to the names of the 20 plugins. Select the name of the plugin you want to save the settings for.
  5. Select Export Registry File from the Registry menu and enter a file name for the current setting.
  To restore a saved setting, just double click the appropriate .reg file. After activating the appropriate Plugin Galaxy plugin in your host application, it will display the settings from the .reg file.