The Bottom Line
- Generates high-quality photo-realistic nature effects with many customizable options.
- Simple, straightforward user interface with a large, resizable preview window.
- Includes a printed User Guide, PDF Manual, filter-specific help, and mouseover hints.
- Not compatible with older systems and host applications.
Description
- Ten plug-in effects filters for generating nature effects in Photoshop and other software.
- Improved Effects: Corona, Drip, Fire, Smoke, Squint, and Water Drops.
- New Effects: Icicles, Ripples, Rust, and Snow Drift.
- All effects offer many customization options, improved controls, and a random seed option.
- Seamless tiling and new layer options are provided for many of the filters.
- Includes more than 500 presets and an improved preset management system for saving settings.
- Features unlimited undo/redo, resizable preview, effect on/off toggle, and 16-bit color support.
- Ships on a cross-platform CD for Macintosh or Windows, and includes a printed user manual.
- Requires Mac OS X or Windows 2000/XP and a compatible host application.
Guide Review - Eye Candy 5: Nature
As usual, Alien Skin does not disappoint with the quality of effects and the variety of customization options. The user interface is always improving, and in this version the most notable change is seen in the new settings tab of each filter, where users can apply hundreds of preset settings--or save, manage, and share their own custom settings. The filters themselves have been improved also. "Nature" includes four filters which are brand new to the Eye Candy line, and the remaining six filters offer more controls for achieving a variety of effects. Also, many of the filter can render the effect to a new layer, offering more control over the effect in the host application. A random seed option changes the effect slightly — useful for generating animations.
The downside to these improvements is that Eye Candy 5's system requirements have been raised. Macintosh users will need to be running Mac OS X 10.2.6 or higher and at least Photoshop 7, Photoshop Elements 2, or Fireworks MX 2004. Windows users will need to be running Windows 2000 or XP and at least Photoshop 7, Photoshop Elements 2, Fireworks MX 2004, or Paint Shop Pro 8.
See examples of all ten filters in Eye Candy 5: Nature.
