The Bottom Line
Knockout simplifies and speeds up difficult masking of complex and detailed objects such as hair, smoke, water, glass, and shadows. Once you get over the initial learning curve, KnockOut can help you produce unbelievably complex masks more quickly and easily.
Pros
- now works as a plug-in
- up to 99 levels of undo/redo
- added CMYK color support
Cons
- skimpy documentation
- steeper memory requirements as a plug-in
- difficult to save work as you touch-up
Description
- Simplifies and speeds up difficult masking of complex and detailed objects.
- Similar user interface, commands, and shortcut keys to those in Adobe Photoshop.
- New in 2.0: enhanced zoom tool, multiple undo/redo, revert option, CMYK support, several new tools.
- Selection tool now have polygonal line mode for defining areas by points or freehand.
- New Brush and Eraser tools for fine touch-ups.
- Property bar provides quick access to commonly used commands and controls.
- Automatically recognizes and corrects selection errors.
- Insert a custom image as a background, or display knocked-out objects against a solid color.
- Complexity settings let the user describe the level of details for more precise masks.
- For Windows (98/NT/Me/2000/XP) or Macintosh (OS 8.6 or higher, including Mac OS X).
Guide Review - Corel KnockOut Masking Software
KnockOut2 is an impressive plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Corel Photo-Paint and Painter. If the user spends the time learning the different tools and what they are capable of, it will produce unbelievably complex masks. If, on the other hand, the user already has the ability to produce complex masks in the above-mentioned programs, he or she may not want to bother to learn the intricacies of KnockOut2. Additionally, in my package of KnockOut2, there was very little printed documentation. The installation disk has a few tutorials and there is online help but for the price, a printed manual should be included. -- by Tanya K. Metaksa
