New Hidden Power FREE Tools for Elements 4.0

[Richard Lynch]

It has been a long time coming, but I have finally released a FREE Hidden Power tool set for Elements 4.0 and did some updating to the Hiddenelements.com website. The set contains 16 tools as an introduction to my 100 tool set (included on the CD with my book and for download in the 100 tool set also on the website). But it also includes an updated Channel Mixer to replace the one in the book.

The Free set includes:

Align Bottom Edge
Align Horizontal Centers
Align Left Edge
Align Right Edge
Align Top Edge
Align Vertical Centers
Color Picker
Component Blue
Component Green
Component Red
Layer Mask
Luminosity and Color
Mask Highlights
Mask Shadows
Simple Channel Mixer
Transform Selection

Please visit the Hidden Power website ( http://hiddenelements.com ) , click the link to elements 4, then Downloads & Tools, and let me know how the download and installation go. I just released these and have announced them in no other forum, and would appreciate temporarily restricting interaction to the folks on this list for testing. Please do not re-distribute these tools. If you download the tools let me know how it goes for you.

More power to you!

Richard Lynch

[gsansoucie]

Wow, talk about timing. I'm about 30 pages into your book. What a great read that is, thanks for the book and the tools!

I just have to upgrade now from PSE 3.0 ;)

Sorry, forgot to follow your instructions. The download worked, if not a little convoluted.

[Byron Gale]

Richard,

Thank you for your continued support!!

Byron

[mlalberry]

I'm not seeing where these are free...did I miss something? I have your tools for PSE3 so I'm pretty excited to see new ones!

[mlalberry]

Never mind! A definite Blonde moment!

[kevq]

Hi,
nice of Richard to offer these free tools. I downloaded them, installed them and after trying them uninstalled. Reason, I did not like the pop up window that tries to get you to subscribe to the full set.
Free to me means like Grant's tools, completely free and no ads.
Kev.

[Carbone]

Difference is that Grant has a daytime job. Richard earns a living with the book and tools :)

Ray

[Byron Gale]

...after trying them uninstalled... I did not like the pop up window...While there are redundancies between Grant's and Richard's tools, Richard adds some great functions to the mix.

If the extra mouse click to clear the final step of the action is too high of a price for you to pay for these added abilities, then you did the right thing by uninstalling.

Richard was/is a pioneer in exploring and exploiting the hidden power (to coin a phrase :p ) of Photoshop Elements. He has always delivered top quality, and knows of what he speaks.

I am happy and grateful to have these tools installed on my system.

Byron

[Benny Pedersen]

While there are redundancies between Grant's and Richard's tools, Richard adds some great functions to the mix.

If the extra mouse click to clear the final step of the action is too high of a price for you to pay for these added abilities, then you did the right thing by uninstalling.

Richard was/is a pioneer in exploring and exploiting the hidden power (to coin a phrase :p ) of Photoshop Elements. He has always delivered top quality, and knows of what he speaks.

I am happy and grateful to have these tools installed on my system.

Byron

Me too, I already thought that he was delivered top quality, that one may see if you take a look on his free plugins. I wasn't able to get Grants tool to work. Actually I reinstalled PE4. Then the new free tools from Richard -
Work fine, most have, great and
fantastically, so approved.

Benny,
PS. But havn't the money to get the rest.
Richard, pls take a look on my gallery ?

Screenshot:

http://hjem.get2net.dk/b_pedersen/gallery/fld/a/hppe4.jpg

[Richard Lynch]

Byron, thanks for the response...I tried to post something similar myself several times, but couldn't get the browser to do its thing...I appreciate the kind words and hope the tools come off to other people as well as they have with you.

Benny, your little demo there speaks quite a lot about what those tools can help you do -- at least to me. That is some interesting work with layers!

Carbone, I don't know much about Grant, but I can say I *wish* I earned a living with my books and tools. It is regretfully very much a side-line and I have to hold down that day job as well to make ends meet. If I had the ability to do this full-time, I imagine I'd be able to produce quite a lot more for Elements users!

Kev, sorry you do not like the tool release as is. Like a public broadcasting station, I have to use my opportunities to let people know that the free tools are not where it all ends--and that there is a lot more that can be accomplished. If I don't do it when I have the opportunity, no one will know. If you consider the extra click like a commercial you won't watch when getting up for a snack, you can have the functionality and power and use it too...all free, by definition. You will also find that I support the tools and probably know more about making them work than anyone--and that Hidden Power will be around when the whim of passing around freebees escapes others. I've been supporting Elements users since Elements 1, and will continue to.

[Richard Lynch]

Richard, pls take a look on my gallery ?Did have a look, Benny, and thanks for the invitation. You have some very nice shots there, and a few that are great. The helicopter shot, for example, is super, I think--I'm not quite sure how you'd captured that. The opening shot with the dog has great color and sharpness!

Keep at it!

[Roger87]

Free to me means like Grant's tools, completely free and no ads.
Kev.

:confused: Where can one get these free tools by Grant? Thanks for all help provided. :)

[Wendy]

Hi Roger ...

Here you go:

http://www.cavesofice.org/~grant/Challenge/Tools/index.html

Wendy

[Richard Lynch]

grant's 'tools' don't all work in Elements 4; the functionality that his tools worked with is significantly hobbled. Hidden Power free tools do work with Elements 4, and were specifically created to, and include things that grant's cannot in their current incarnation, like Channel Mixer.

http://hiddenelements.com/elements4_tools.html

Click on the download button by the Free Hidden Power 4 tools to choose your download option.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

The following of Grant's Tools work in PSE4:

* Layer Mask
* Transform Selection
* Guides
* Channels Red
* Channels Green
* Channels Blue

and the align actions

Wendy :)

[graficalicus]

I'm still striving to get my action packs mentioned in the same breath as these guys... :(

bravo, Richard! bravo Grant! bravo Panos!

[Roger87]

Thanks Wendy and Richard for the links and tips. :D

[Ellen]

Graffi's actions are also highly useful!

[Roger87]

Graffi's actions are also highly useful!

Where can one find these? :confused:

[Norm F]

Roger,

Just cick the web link in message 16 of this thread.

[Ellen]

Roger - just click on the link in message 16 above and go from there.

[Roger87]

Thanks Norm and Ellen for the link. :)

[graficalicus]

Graffi's actions are also highly useful!

thanks Ellen - :)

for those who asked (thanks for asking) - here's where you'll find the Handy Actions
(http://www.graficalicus.com/graffishop/index.php?main_page=product_info&products_id=1)

I do have to say that this isn't my full-time job either - and that Richard has done a far better job than any of us tool makers, especially considering he's a published author on the subject - in his spare time. :cool:

Richard - I'll get back to you (per your PM) (busy week/weekend....)

[Richard Lynch]

I may have missed your response in my wicked email -- I get so much of it some things slip. If I have done 'better' it is only because I have been at it since the beginning -- I was the one who pryed the lid off and I've been at it since Elements 1...But I have been trying for a long time to get people to work together on development rather than separately so people aren't confused and smathered with duplicate tools. I hope we can get our heads together and help the community know what is available, and make it easy to find.

Richard

[Benny Pedersen]

Ricard how do you create those ATN files? I couldn't get any reply about how to solve the scriptning in PS4 (Could not complete your request because Photoshop was unable to find the JaveScript plug-in). So maybe I should start with ATN files instead. The bin code in ATN files is not written in Notepad. I think that if I got a brief reference and a template, then I could write my first plugin before supper (Im fast learning)...

Benny
BTW.
Yesterday I had my Visacard ready to get something from you site but I couldn't figure out what one of two downloads to get. The second download cost more $ than the first. So maybe all 100 from the first download is included in the second download ?

[GaryK]

Benny

While you have the Visa card out, I'm always accepting gifts. :D:D

[Russinator]

Richard: I downloaded the zip file, opened it, installed the un-zipped file in the correct location, opened elements, looked for the free files and they're not there. Any ideas? Do I need to reboot my PC? Thanks Russ

[TonyW]

Did you delete the effects cache?

Tony

[Russinator]

Tony: Yes I did delete that folder. I just gave it another try and it still doesn't work. Oh well, Russ

[TonyW]

Check that you have them in the right folder - sometimes when you unzip you can create an extra level of folders and then they don't work. I have the full set but yours should look something like this (the different tools ae in the Power folders which should just have .atn and a .psd file in each)

369

Tony

[Russinator]

Tony: Thanks for the help. As you can see in the picture below, there are several ATNs and one PSD. I double checked and I did insert them into the effects file. Russ

http://www.pixentral.com/hosted/1h8uJDrr1zd9SHfxGFS1lymNLVOfq1_thumb.jpg (http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1h8uJDrr1zd9SHfxGFS1lymNLVOfq1)

[TonyW]

Hmm: that looks like they should work and show up in the effects palette. Don't know what went wrong.

Tony

[TonyW]

Ricard how do you create those ATN files? I couldn't get any reply about how to solve the scriptning in PS4

Benny: Can't speak for Richard but .atn files are just created using full Photoshop that lets you save actions. You can access some of Elements hidden stuff that way. Plugins on the other hand I believe are developed using the Adobe Photoshop SDK in Visual C++. How easy it is to get access to the Photoshop SDK and what works in Elements I don't know although you can read about it and get some scripting documentation here: http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/photoshop/devcenter.html

Tony

[Benny Pedersen]

Benny: Can't speak for Richard but .atn files are just created using full Photoshop that lets you save actions. You can access some of Elements hidden stuff that way. Plugins on the other hand I believe are developed using the Adobe Photoshop SDK in Visual C++. How easy it is to get access to the Photoshop SDK and what works in Elements I don't know although you can read about it and get some scripting documentation here: http://partners.adobe.com/public/developer/photoshop/devcenter.html

Tony

Oh thanks. hmm, I havn't done much C++, only a bit.

I do create plugins but thats both another app and topic:
http://www.911cd.net/forums//index.php?showtopic=18298
Another off-topic "thread" is this old one:
http://www.robvanderwoude.com/amb_hexerrorlevel.html

BTW. The previous reply about the cache. Maybe he deleted the wrong folder. That I did first time and had to reinstall PS4.
So a little program file to delete the cache:
http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13200
Free code, (Ricard may grab it and use on his website or/and books).

Hmm, if someone have suggestions about new programs, then I could take a look...
(mom to 4 seems to have problems with my last thred in pixel hangout
http://www.photoshopelementsuser.com/forum/showthread.php?t=13203
so I have some extra time for constructing something else).

Benny

[vhs07]

I just ordered the Hidden powers" book from Amazon. 23.78 with shipping.
I'm very excited about this. My son and I are just getting started and really enjoy converting photos into black & white. I've heard alot about the channel mixer and am really looking forward to trying it.

Thanks...
Charles

[Richard Lynch]

Ricard how do you create those ATN files? ... I think that if I got a brief reference and a template, then I could write my first plugin before supper (Im fast learning)...The second download cost more $ than the first. So maybe all 100 from the first download is included in the second download ?

ATN files are action files. You create them in Photoshop by recording Actions. While it is simple to do, it is sometimes tricky to make them work in Elements.

I have tried to write action files without PS and it is too much of a pain to even try. If you have tried scripting it is about that 'easy'. I don't think it is as easy as getting it all digested by suppertime...I don't mean to discourage you, but even people who have been at this for Elements 3 dropped out when new challenges appeared for Elements 4. There have been new challenges with each version of the program.

There are three downloads on the page. The first is the Hidden Power 100 tool set. The second is the free set. The third is Booster Elements. The descriptions tell all about them. Booster Elements (third package) is more costly because it is a third-party curves product. Curves are not included in my 100 tool set, and people insist that they want them (Personally I never use curves). The second set overlaps the first in that the free set is a subset of those 100 tools.

Does that help?

[Richard Lynch]

As you can see in the picture below, there are several ATNs and one PSD. I double checked and I did insert them into the effects file. But what folder are they in?

There is a pretty extensive troubleshooting doc on the web site. Did you try everything in it?

http://hiddenelements.com/actions_whitepaper.htm#ts

However the installation instructions included with the product should cover the install. When you open the Effects and you look on the drop list, what is there? Can you take a screen shot? Is the Effects palette rebuilding?

I need more info to solve the problem but I am sure this works!

[Richard Lynch]

Check that you have them in the right folder - sometimes when you unzip you can create an extra level of folders and then they don't work.
Tony, thanks for jumping in with the troubleshooting help!

[Russinator]

Thanks to Richard, Tony and everyone who jumped in to help me out. As is usually the case, it was something I did wrong. I have it up and running at this time. Russ