I resist using some brands of Photoshop plug-in filters because they bring my system to its knees-I’m running Windows XP Home on a Pentium 4, 2GHz machine with 512MB of RAM and an 80GB hard drive. Of course, with a dozen or more preset settings for each filter, and the ability for the user to create (or download) numerous variations on those themes, the effects possibilities are virtually, if not literally, limitless.Įase of use (and seamlessness) always factors into the equation when discussing the merits of plug-in filters. The ten base filters in Textures are: Animal Fur, Brick Wall (new), Diamond Plate (new), Marble, Reptile Skin (new), Stone Wall (new), Swirl, Texture Noise, Weave, and Wood. This version of Eye Candy boasts four new effects and promises greater control over six returning effects, as well as enhancements to the user interface, including a “Show Original” button that lets you see your original image in the preview window (while you click-and-hold the “show original” button) without the effect applied.
#Download alien skin eye candy 4000 pro
(For more information, see “Host and System Requirements” at the end of this article.) Unfortunately, my versions of Photoshop and Fireworks lag behind the current releases, therefore I was limited to testing Eye Candy 5 with Paint Shop Pro 8. For Windows users, that means Photoshop 7, Photoshop Elements 2, Fireworks MX 2004, or Paint Shop Pro 8. One can’t help wondering though, if at some point in the future, Alien Skin will offer a “Best of Eye Candy 5” filter set for those who appreciated the variety.Įye Candy 5 is plug-in software, which means you need to have one of the required host applications to take advantage of its effects. The specialization, however, should allow Alien Skin to give focus and depth to each category without producing an unwieldy and expensive set of filters. Some users may have appreciated the eclectic nature of previous Eye Candy iterations. Each of the three Eye Candy 5 versions will have approximately ten base filters.ĭepending on your personal preferences, this specialization and segregation of the Eye Candy filters may or may not be a welcome change. Meanwhile, if you still need shadow and bevel effects, Eye Candy 4000 remains available. Eye Candy 5: Nature (simulating smoke, fire, etc.), and Eye Candy 5: Impact (featuring the classic graphic effects Alien Skin is best known for) are scheduled for separate release by the summer of 2005. And, aside from dropping the extraneous zeroes from the previous version number, Eye Candy 5 will come out in three flavors, with Textures leading the way. Eye Candy 4000-the set of Photoshop-compatible plug-in filters-is becoming Eye Candy 5.
Considering the whimsical name of the company, maybe mutating is a better word. Copyright © 2004 by John Passarella IntroductionĪlien Skin Software’s Eye Candy is evolving.