Getting Started

## Welcome

Welcome to Eye Candy 5: Nature (Nature), a set of 10 plug-in effects for Photoshop and other compatible graphics host programs.

This chapter explains how to install your software and provides an overview of the features common to each filter. In this chapter, you’ll find the following sections:

• What’s New

• Eye Candy 5 Release Schedule

• Host Requirements

• System Requirements

• Macintosh Installation

• Windows Installation

• User Interface

• Common Tools

• Keyboard Shortcuts

## What’s New

This section lists the new filters, features and improvements included in Nature.

### New Filters

Nature adds four new effects to the Eye Candy family of filters:

• Icicles

• Rust

• Ripples

• Snow Drift

### Interface Improvements

Several interface improvements appear in the Eye Candy 5 series:

• Improved Settings management—settings are now accessed under the Settings tab. You can create, manage, save, share and backup settings. See the Using Settings section for more details.

• UpToDate—a messaging system we will use to communicate with our users. See the UpToDate Messages section for more details.

• Intra-product navigation—switch from one Eye Candy 5 filter set to another from within the Nature user interface.

### Changes to Existing Filters

Besides the aforementioned user interface changes and new filters, Eye Candy veterans will notice the following updates to pre-existing filters:

• Corona—Corona can create a new layer in Photoshop, then apply the effect there. We’ve also added a Photoshop style gradient editor so you can recreate perfect solar flares.

• Drip—Melt and drip have been combined. They were so complimentary, we figured you were wasting your time jumping from filter to filter.

• Fire—Fire has an all-new photorealistic look. This one gets the gradient editor, and new layer features too.

• Smoke—Smoke has also been rewritten for a brand-new look and more versatility. Like Fire, you can apply smoke to its own layer from the filter itself.

• Squint—Squint has new streaking features to imitate light refracted by water and more.

• Water Drops—Water drops is much more realistic. Drops pool together more naturally and the lighting tools have improved.

### UpToDate Messages

The UpToDate messaging system keeps you informed about the latest Alien Skin Software products, special offers, software updates and other news.

When you receive a message, an unobtrusive visual cue announces, "Click here for new messages from Alien Skin Software." Click this link to read your new messages. See the interface example below:

### Customizing UpToDate Preferences

Receiving messages is optional. You can specify the intervals at which your UpToDate system checks for messages. To customize your UpToDate message preferences, use the following instructions:

1. In any filter, Click Edit > Preferences.

2. Select the frequency at which you would like the UpToDate system to check for new messages. If you don’t want to receive messages, select Never.

Windows users: If you have a dial-up Internet connection, you should select the Ask me before making an Internet connection option. If not, your computer will make unexpected phone calls.

Macintosh users: If you have a dial-up Internet connection, deselect the Ask me before making an Internet connection option. You must establish an Internet connection before receiving UpToDate messages.

### Seamless Tiling

Some filters feature a seamless tiling option. Seamless tiles are rectangular images that fit together like a puzzle when lined up next to each other.

Note: Seamless tiles should only be used for specialized jobs, such as desktop wallpaper, Web backgrounds or 3-D graphics. Don’t use this feature unless you have to.

To get the best results when creating seamless tiles, you should follow a few simple guidelines:

• Always create seamless tiles in rectangular selections.

• Don’t use tiny tiles. Small tiles create obvious repetitive patterns.

• If you intend to use seamless tiling, select the Seamless Tile option before you tweak the effect. If you don’t, the filter may need to stretch the texture disproportionately.

## Eye Candy 5 Release Schedule

Eye Candy 5 is being upgraded in three collections. Textures was the first and Nature is the second set in the series. Each set contains 10 filters. The final upgrade to Eye Candy 5, Impact, will be released by the summer of 2005.

## Host Requirements

This is a plug-in; you must use it with a compatible host program.

#### Macintosh Hosts

Adobe Photoshop 7 or later

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 or later

Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004 or later

#### Windows Hosts

Adobe Photoshop 7 or later

Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 or later

Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004 or later

Jasc Paint Shop Pro 8 or later

## System Requirements

#### Macintosh Systems

• 500 MHz PowerPC G3 processor

• 256 MB RAM

• Mac OS X 10.2.6 or later

#### Windows Systems

• 1 GHz Pentium III processor

• 256 MB RAM

• Windows 2000 or Windows XP

## Macintosh Installation

Use the following instructions to install Nature:

1. Shut down your graphics host program (Photoshop, Fireworks, or Elements).

Note: To install Nature, your OS X user account must have administrator privileges. For information on configuring your user account for administrator privileges, talk to your IT guy or consult your OS X user manual.

2. Insert the Nature CD into your computer. If you purchased an electronic version of Nature, locate the Nature installation program that you downloaded from the online store.

3. Double-click the Install Nature icon.

4. Click Continue.

5. Read the License Agreement.

6. Click Accept.

7. Enter your name, company name (optional) and your registration code.

Note: The registration code is a 12-letter sequence inside the front cover of your manual.

If you purchased an electronic version of Nature, you’ll find the 12-letter code in the e-mail invoice, sent with your downloaded software. Store this e-mail in a safe place for future installations.

8. Click Register.

Our installer will now search for Photoshop 7, CS, Elements or Fireworks MX 2004.

9. Photoshop users: Highlight <Drive> / Applications / Adobe Photoshop (7 or CS) / Plug-ins and click OK to install Nature. The installer will find the Photoshop plug-ins folder and install Nature there.

Elements users: Highlight <Drive> / Applications / Adobe Photoshop Elements 2 / Plug-ins and click OK to install Nature. The installer will find the Photoshop plug-ins folder and install Nature there.

Fireworks MX 2004 users: Highlight <Drive> / Applications / Macromedia Fireworks MX 2004 / Plug-ins and click OK to install Nature. The installer will find the Photoshop plug-ins folder and install Nature there.

Photoshop users can check for the plug-in location by selecting the Plug-In option under the Preferences sub-menu of Photoshop’s Edit menu.

If the installer does not find the plug-ins folder: Click the Choose another install location button.

Locate your plug-in folder. If you do not choose the proper folder, the filters will not show up in your Filters menu.

Note: If you are not sure where to install Nature, consult your graphics program user manual.

10. Highlight the folder and click the Choose button to return to the main installation screen. The installer copies the files to your hard disk.

Rerun the installer if you wish to install Nature into other graphics programs.

## Windows Installation

Use the following instructions to install Nature:

1. Shut down your graphics host program (Photoshop, Fireworks, Elements or Paint Shop Pro).

Note: To install Nature, your Windows 2000 or XP user account must have administrator privileges. For information on configuring your user account for administrator privileges, talk to your IT guy or consult your user manual.

2. Insert the Nature CD into your computer. If you purchased an electronic version of Nature, locate the installation program that you downloaded from the online store.

3. Double-click the Setup.exe icon.

4. Click Next.

5. Read the License Agreement.

6. Click Accept.

7. Enter your name, company name (optional) and your registration code.

Note: The registration code is a 12-letter sequence inside the front cover of your manual.

If you purchased an electronic version of Nature, you’ll find the 12-letter code in the e-mail invoice, sent with your downloaded software. Store this e-mail in a safe place for future installations.

8. Click Next.

Our installer will search for all compatible graphics programs on your computer and display them in a list.

9. Highlight one program (you can only install into one graphics program at a time) and click OK.

Rerun the installer if you wish to install Nature into other graphics hosts.

## Registering Nature

You must register your software to receive technical support and critical product updates. Registration also qualifies you for product discounts and upgrade pricing on future versions of Eye Candy.

If you purchased Nature directly from Alien Skin Software, you are automatically registered with us. You only need to register if you purchased Nature elsewhere.

You can register online at http://www.alienskin.com/register. If you don’t have access to the World Wide Web, mail in the registration card included with your software.

## User Interface

Menus

Command menus are accessible when you launch any filter. 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 previous group of settings, simply use the Undo command in the Edit menu, or use Command + Z (Control + Z on Windows machines) to back up as many times as necessary.

The Edit menu also allows you to copy, cut, paste and delete values from parameter fields.

Filters Menu

This menu allows you to switch between filters in the user interface. Photoshop users should note that they switch between filters in the Filters menu, the Actions, History, and Last Filter Used functions record the filter you initially selected.

View Menu

This menu allows you to zoom the preview in and out. To display the preview at 100% magnification, select Actual Pixels. See Keyboard Shortcuts.

Help Menu

The Help menu leads to local documentation and online Web pages. Clicking Help > Filter accesses filter-specific documentation. The same assistance can be reached by pressing F1 (Windows) or Help (Macintosh).

To access a Table of Contents for the online help, click Help > Contents.

## Common Tools

To limit redundancy in the filter chapters, we’ve adopted the policy of documenting common tools in one section of the manual. Conveniently, you have arrived at this magical place. Here you’ll find explanations for how to use the Color Picker, the Color Cube and the Gradient Editor

### Setting Preview Background Options

Eye Candy 5 offers some handy new preview options. You can choose a standard Photoshop-style grid to fill transparent backgrounds, custom colored grids, or even solid colors.

#### Choosing the Default Checkerboard Grid

To select the default Photoshop-style grid as your preview background, select None in the Preview Background drop-down list box.

#### Customizing the Default Grid

To select the colors that form the checkerboard background grid:

1. Select Background Options in the Preview Background drop-down list box.

2. In the Checkerboard section of the Preview Background Options window, click the color swatch to the right of Color 1 to launch the default color picker, or click the color cube to select the preview background color.

3. In the Checkerboard section of the Preview Background Options window, click the color swatch to the right of Color 2 to launch the default color picker, or click the color cube to select the preview background color.

4. Click OK to exit the Preview Background Options window.

#### Choosing a Solid Black, Gray or White Background

To select a solid black, gray or white background, select one of the three options in the Preview Background drop-down list box.

#### Choosing a Custom Solid Background

To select any other solid color:

1. Select Custom Matte in the Preview Background drop-down list box.

2. In the Preview Background Options window, click the color swatch to the right of Custom Background Color to launch the default color picker, or click the color cube to select the preview background color.

3. Click OK to exit the Preview Background Options window.

### Color Selection Tools

#### Color Picker

Using the Color Picker, you can select colors based on any reasonable color model (RGB, CMYK, etc.). You can also specify colors by hexadecimal values (if you’re a nerd) or use Web safe colors.

To launch the Color Picker, click the color swatch next to any color control.

If you don’t know how to use a color picker, consult your host program’s documentation.

#### Color Cube

To the right of the color swatch, you’ll notice a color selection tool, which offers the following four options.

Eye Dropper

Select the Eye Dropper to sample a color from anywhere in the preview window.

Foreground or Background Color

Choose either of the two.

Black or White

Choose either of these timeless colors.

Six Previous Colors

You can choose any of the six most recently chosen colors, which is good: you probably chose them for a reason.

### Gradient Editor

Use the Gradient Editor dialog box to create custom gradients by modifying old ones. You can add colors to the gradient to blend more than two colors.

Let’s start with the basics. Take a long, hard look at the illustration below. Familiarize yourself with the elements of the gradient editor.

#### Smoothness Slider (A)

Use this slider to even out color and opacity transitions in gradients.

#### Opacity Stops (B)

Opacity stops build a bridge between differing levels of opaqueness. The midpoint (diamond shaped buttons) and smoothness controls establish where and how quickly opacity transitions take place. Slide them around to get a feel for how they work.

Adding Opacity Stops

Click above the gradient bar to add an 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.

Editing Color Stops

Once you’ve added that color stop, you’ll want to choose a color for it.

1. Position the cursor over any color stop and click it.

2. Using any of the color picking tools, choose a color, and click OK.

Deleting Color Stops

Easy. Just click and drag the stop off the gradient bar.