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AV Bros. Puzzle Pro plugin
AV Bros. Puzzle Pro plugin helps you turn your photos into jigsaw puzzles.
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AV Bros. Puzzle Pro 2.0

From Sue Chastain,
Your Guide to Graphics Software.
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Guide Rating - rating

The Bottom Line

AV Bros. Puzzle Pro 2.0 offers many customizable options for adding jigsaw puzzle effects to your photos and images. If you want absolute flexibility for adjusting every aspect of the puzzle effect, Puzzle Pro will not let you down. Best of all, you can export the image as a PSD file with each puzzle cell on its own layer for further manipulation in your image editor.
Pros
  • Offers more customizable options than any similar plug-in or filter I've used.
  • On-screen tips appear as you hold your mouse over controls. 51-page help file in PDF format.
  • For Windows and Macintosh.
Cons
  • Small work area can't be resized for larger monitors.
  • The many options might be overwhelming for users who just want a simple puzzle grid effect.

Description

  • Puzzle effects plugin for Photoshop, Paint Shop Pro, and other plugin-compatible image editors.
  • Cut images up like a jigsaw puzzle with many configurable options for puzzle shape and effects.
  • Options allow you to manipulate every aspect of the puzzle shape and configuration.
  • Set visibility and apply effects to each puzzle piece individually. Includes the following effects:
  • Bevel, Hue/Saturation, Brightness/Contrast, Gaussian Blur, Motion Blur, Opacity, Color Overlay.
  • Nearly 100 preset "knob" shapes to choose from, which you can customize and save as new.
  • Create your own puzzle shapes from scratch and save them as a preset.
  • Optionally export your image as a layered PSD file with each puzzle section on its own layer.
  • Tip: To preview effects adjustments as you make them, use Ctrl-H to hide selection shading.
  • For Windows 98/Me/NT/2000/XP and Mac OS X. Requires a plug-in compatible host program.

Guide Review - AV Bros. Puzzle Pro 2.0

As soon as you install an AV Bros. plugin, you know you're in for a treat when you see its unique user interface. Once installed, the plugin appears in the third-party filters menu of the image editor you installed it to.

When you first invoke Puzzle Pro, you're presented with the Cutter portion of the interface. This is where you define the size and shape of the jigsaw puzzle sections and the number of rows and columns in the puzzle. Puzzle Pro 1.2 had a lot of customization options, but version 2.0 adds many new options for manipulating the puzzle sections. So many, in fact, that it's a bit overwhelming at first. Not only can you load preset shapes and create your own, you can adjust every conceivable element of the shape--even apply an element of randomness to the puzzle sections.

After the cutting stage, you enter the puzzle mode where you can select and modify individual puzzle cells. You can set certain cells to be hidden, adjust the bevel effect, and apply other effects. You can also save the image as a PSD file with each puzzle section on its own layer. This way, individual sections can be moved, rotated and manipulated with filters, layer effects, and other tools. A great feature!

Puzzle Pro offers more customizable options than any other similar plug-in I've used. You may never use all the customization options in Puzzle Pro, but they're sure to open up a whole new world of creative opportunities for you. See related resources for a link to screen shots.
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