Particle Shop

[Hornet3d]

Good point. My problem with Photoshop is that is tries to be too many things at once, in detriment of performance. By the time it takes to start, I already finished the job in PaintShop. ;p

I have always been in a similar position, while I accept Photoshop is a great piece of software, I have always had difficulty in justifying the price when PSP can do all that I want at a very reduced price. I have no doubt whatsoever that Photoshop can do much that PSP can't but the big question for me is am I ever going to need those features. I am however approaching this from the viewpoint of a hobbyist, I would no doubt have a different view if I was earning a living from it.

There is as the history aspect as well in that many, many moons ago, as a teenager, I had an interest in photography, and when scanners came about allowing the digitising of photographs and slides providing photo manipulation in a room that was not only lit but not full of smelly chemicals, I jumped at the opportunity. Hence the reason I have been using PSP for a very long time, back in the day when the only 'layers' I understood were made from cake icing.......come to think of it I haven't moved too far away from that belief. My Poser world started around sixteen years ago, long after my interest in photography, so the continued use of PSP on my renders was a natural progression.

 

[Miss B]

Like you I have been using PSP for years I know I used version 6 and maybe some earlier versions. PSP I still have the version 7 (I think it was an anniversary edition). I used it for many years but then upgraded I can't remember what I upgraded to but I have only had 3 of the X versions I think. I know I went from x3 to x7 then skipped x8 and now using x9. Even then I did not take advantage of the pre-launch sale and only upgraded recently when they seem to have a big sale. In the end I finished up with the X9 upgrade, Particle Shop (along with the few brush packs) and Corel Painter Essentials 5 all for almost the same price as the full cost of the x9 upgrade.

If you use a batch of programs, as I think most computer artists do, you have to stick somewhere. Poser was the only one I regularly used to upgrade as soon as a new version was available but I so far I have stopped at Pro 2014/Game Dev.

I think PSP is the only software I've ever owned where I upgraded with each version from 6 through 9. With most software I own, I usually skip a version or two for one reason or another. With Poser I started with P5, but had problems with it, though I'm now convinced it was my old Win98 SE desktop that was the problem, and not the software. At that time I had gotten my last laptop, and finally found a version of DS I was willing to play with, version 2. I then stopped using Poser, and upgraded DS 2 to DS 3 Advanced, and then eventually DS 4.0 Pro, but stopped upgrading at that point, because I lost interest in Genesis when G2 (and then G3) came out. Since the majority of my installed products (other than those relating to Genesis) were in my DS 3A Runtime, I had no reason to keep upgrading.

I didn't get back to Poser until Dawn and HiveWire were born, so to speak. I was able to purchase it at a very inexpensive price because, IIRC, P10/PP2014 had been released, and I would've probably upgraded to P10 the end of last year, but I was at a point where I really wanted a Pro version, so now I also have PP11 installed as well. Still haven't taken full advantage of learning the Fitting Room, but I'm having fun experimenting with SuperFly, which I think isn't available with P11 Standard, though I could be wrong with about that.

 

[Miss B]

By the time it takes to start, I already finished the job in PaintShop. ;p

This is EXACTLY why I still have PSP installed, as I HATE having to wait for PS to load up to do a quick screenshot, or the like. PSP is quick; you blink, and it's open and ready to use.

I think my biggest issue with PSP 7 is the limited size of brushes. If I wanted to use any of Ron Deviney's brushes, I'd have to save them as PNGs and then resize them. I know later versions of PSP don't have that restriction, but PSP 7 was always my favorite, so that's what I still use.

 

[Alisa]

I moved this from the Dawn Render thread so it could grow and bloom on its own .

Not sure the best place but since it IS a plugin for Photoshop, this seemed good. If not, one of the Community Volunteers can move it elsewhere

 

[Miss B]

Thanks Alisa, but I think this is as good a place as any for this thread.

 

[Alisa]

Welcome ! Interesting stuff!!

 

[Hornet3d]

Makes sense to move it, I was becoming a bit concerned that it was detracting from Dawn renders but on the other hand I did not want to curtail the discussion.

This is my latest play around.

 

[Rae134]

I had a demo of it on my other computer and I did the flare on the horn with it (but that was as much as a play I had with it, but it looks like it would be fun)

Leo Glow

• Rae134
• Jul 26, 2016
• fantasy kitty ponies leopard space whisper

 

[Jan]

I used Ulead Photoimpact for years, learned it from the ground up. Then they sold it to Corel who never upgraded from X3. I found a good deal on Paintshop Pro X8 so bought that. However that version was that buggy that I was glad to upgrade to PSP X9 when that was released- that fixed the problems I had. At least Corel update this program, releasing a service pak 3 just recently.

I have been learning PSP X9 gradually, trying out tutorials and anything I could find to where I am getting more confident and I think it is a great program.

I had a 20% coupon from Corel for use and then I received an excellent offer to buy Corel Painter 2017 which was on an offer anyway so did and with their discounted offer and my coupon, I got a bargain. Just have to find time to learn this program now which looks very promising and powerful.

I was looking at Particle Shop but probably wont need that now, you have to buy extra brushes for it anyway and they are not cheap.

Photoshop was never an option - the price in Australia is too much for just a hobbyist

 

[Rae134]

Hey Jan, I use CS5 (needed it for my work as a graphic designer) but my dad has CS6 and Photoshop Elements and he said that Elements has pretty much everything that he uses photoshop for and its only around AUS$130 I think. (He had CS6 because he was using Adobe After Effects for video) I'm sure it would use the Partical Photoshop brushes too? I guess it depends on what you want from an image program

 

[Miss B]

I tried PhotoImpact years ago, but preferred PSP, so when I got rid of that old desktop, I never upgraded/installed it again.

As far as Photoshop Elements, IIRC, that's what Szark uses, so if you catch him on the forum some afternoon, ask him if you can use all brushes usually used in whatever version of PS CS you have. I think he mentioned once you can, but I don't recall for sure, as it's been a while.

 

[JOdel]

Photoshop Elements seems to be the one program that Adobe still sells on a perpetual license model. And it's about the only consumer-level program they have that they've maintained. I only hope they keep it up, because even at $10 a month, the subscription model simply isn't for everyone. I think Photoshop Elements is limited to RGB and has a couple of other limitations, but it's something like 80% of what most people use Photoshop for, so it's worth it. It also can use most Photoshop plugins.

Adobe used to produce any number of consumer-grade apps, and most of them were really good apps for their purpose. But it's like they would lose interest after 2-3 years, and they would just disappear.

 

[Pendraia]

I had a 20% coupon from Corel for use and then I received an excellent offer to buy Corel Painter 2017 which was on an offer anyway so did and with their discounted offer and my coupon, I got a bargain. Just have to find time to learn this program now which looks very promising and powerful.

Me too...I think it will be excellent it has a texture function similar to spotlight in ZBrush and you can combine it with other images. I think they cool them flow maps but I'm not sure and they combine and you get some really interesting effects.

I was looking at Particle Shop but probably wont need that now, you have to buy extra brushes for it anyway and they are not cheap.

Yep, you do have to get extra brushes from the looks of it...I want to see what Painter can do before I buy any add ons.

Photoshop was never an option - the price in Australia is too much for just a hobbyist

This is oh so true...I got CS3 at student rates when I was at uni...also I won't go down the subscription route.

 

[Hornet3d]

[QUOTE="
I was looking at Particle Shop but probably wont need that now, you have to buy extra brushes for it anyway and they are not cheap.

Photoshop was never an option - the price in Australia is too much for just a hobbyist[/QUOTE]

You can buy extra brushes and that does expand what you can do with the program, but the program itself comes with a starter pack that has a brush from each of the main packs . Recently they were also adding an extra brush pack free as a promotion. Buying extra brushes does add to the price of the program but, unless they have changed it recently, you can buy the brushes from inside the program at a large discount. The are advantages in doing this way in that the brushes are themed such as Spaced Out, Fantasy, Wedding, Combustion and so on so you can build slowly adding the brushes you would get the most benefit from early on. For example, fun as they look, the wedding set are not high on my list while spaced out and fantasy were the first packs I purchased. If all the brushes were included in the program I doubt I could have afforded it at the price it would need to sell at. There is a downside though in, while they show the brushes contained in each pack it is hard to see how some would work in use so a few more examples of how they are used would be helpful. Flame and smoke brushes are fairly easy to imagine but some in the dust and debris and the fabric fantasy produce some unexpected results. The other point is that, while it is good to have them packaged in some way, even with my limited playing, it is clear that some brushes could be used in ways not suggested by the group they are in, but then that is one of the exciting aspects.

At this point in time I want to try and use them for special effects such as force fields which I find difficult to do in Poser. I know some artists are expert and getting such things to glow but a struggle to get the right amount of light and the right colour. With the brushes you have far more control and it does not work you just click the remove button which is much quicker than a re-render. I also want to play with hair as you can add strands and ringlets and the like, something I would struggle with using conforming hair and I have never managed to equip myself with the skills of dynamic hair. I am lazy I guess, my fun comes from creating the picture and I don't get the same fun spending an age on learning one technique, if there is a short cut I do tend to take it.

 

[Hornet3d]

Very much more subtle use of brushes this time around. I have always loved Rapsody Hair by fabiana but on my character I did not like the bare forehead quite so much. So a little play in that region and a few odd star bursts.

 

[Alisa]

oh, lovely!

 

[Miss B]

Nice job on the hairline Hornet.

 

[Jan]

Elegant setting for a elegant lady. Did you also use one of the Particle brushes on the candle flame.

 

[Pendraia]

Nice work Hornet...I've been busy playing with the program but I'm seriously thinking about getting the hair brushes for painter. They look very good...

 

[Hornet3d]

Elegant setting for a elegant lady. Did you also use one of the Particle brushes on the candle flame.

Yes I did, the flame and the whiff of smoke. The background out of the window also, although I have a better one now there is also a slight starburst in her eyes and off the necklace but that can only really be seen at full size.

Thanks for all the support everyone.