About effect tools plug-ins

[michoumisalade]

Are the plug-ins the same in Grant’s tools and Pet’s tools? I got the hidden power tools too and I feel that they are all the same regarding some tools like color channels and curves. Can someone clear up what tools are exclusive to each? Is it useful to download all?
I am wondering about all the mask layers made by Grant: mask layers, mask standard, mask quick, and about action tools: when do you use them and why?

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

When Elements was developed they took photoshop and excluded parts of it ... now something are still in there buried in the coding but they took away the access to them. The addon tool allow you to access the coding that is in the program so things like the channel mixer, curves etc are the same version no matter which add ons you use.

Grants Mask are:

Mask Layers ... applies a layer mask to the layer
Masks Quick ... puts you into quick mask mode (you use the paint brush to paint in red on the image)
Masks Standard ... converts the red you just painted into a selection

(Masks Quick and Masks Standard ... act together rather like the selection brush does in Elements. This use of the word mask is totally different to a layer mask)

Wendy

[michoumisalade]

Thanks very much! It clears up all the things.

[Wendy]

Hi there ...

Glad that it helped :)

One thing to bear in mind is that, as yet, we don't know how many of these will work in PSE4.


Wendy

[Wendy]

Ummm ...

Grant has now confirmed that some of the tools don't work ... Channel Mixer and Curves are two that don't :(

Good news is that layer masks does work.


Wendy

[Pauline]

thanks for the great explaination Wendy. Some of the fog is clearing! :lol:

[Wendy]

Hi Pauline ...

Glad it helped :)


Wendy

[Carbone]

Wendy,

It's odd, I mean all that is not working with Grant's tools are actions. I wonder if Adobe made it so that actions won't run under PSE4 anymore... ?

:cry:

Ray

[Wendy]

Ray ...

Grant posted a note yesterday on the other forum about which will work and which won't. Maybe Adobe have decided to black some of the tools :)

I am just sending you a pm about something else :)

Wendy

[bwolford]

Wendy,

I saw your explaination of some of Grant's tools. Where can I find out how to use all of them? Until I saw your post about Mask Quick and Mask Selection, I would never have known how to use them.

Brice

[Wendy]

Brice ...

The best way to learn how to use them is to do a google search for one of them ... for example Photoshop Quick Mask Tutorial

and that will throw up tutorials on the Quick Mask feature.

Because these tools access the Photoshop tool that is hidden within Elements the tools usually work the same. If there is a soecific one you want to know about then just ask :)


Wendy

[bwolford]

Nope that answers it Wendy. I thought these were programmed add on's not hacks into PSE. I've always wanted to know how folks figure this stuff out. I wonder if PSE4 is built on a PSCS2 base and that's the difference in the access back door of the tool. I know Grant built them based on PS7.

Can you tell I'm a computer geek? I always want to know HOW something is done. And I don't mean the steps to use something. I can learn to use a MASK I really want to know how the tool was created. There are so many filters, masks, effects, etc and someone has to know hte secret for creating them. I'm learning it takes a full blown copy of PS to built the tool that can be used on other products. I know I can create patterns, gradients and a few other goodies right in PSE (3 and probably 4) - brushes, etc.

Thanks for the pointer Wendy. I'll go look them up. I find I learn more by exploring. Now that I know they are just equivalents to PS tools, I'm sure I can find them.

BTW, I was browsing a book store and saw a book by Wendy Williams. I picked it up and noted there was not by Wendy E. Williams and put it down immediately. Besides, I didn't want to learn about "Menopause and Me" anyway. That's not actually the name of the book, just going for giggles, but it was a book not necessarily targeted at men...

Brice

[Wendy]

Hi Brice ...

Photoshop has a great deal more flexiblity than Elements ...

Whereas Elements can create and save Brushes, Swatches, Gradients and Patterns Photoshop can also create & save Styles, Custom Shapes and Contours.

So the layers styles that are in Elements are just presets that are created using Photoshop ...

The Add ons are not really hacks at all ... they are actions created in Photoshop that access parts of Elements that are normally hidden, and Adobe have always been well aware of the addons. In fact some of the Filters that come with Elements do the same thing ...

The funny thing was that PSE1 had layer Masks ... well not in the menus BUT during development someone forgot to disable the keyboard shortcut ... :) So the Photoshop shortcut gave PSE1 a layer mask :)

Brice .... I promise I do not write books (on any subject) ... nor do I star in films ... !!! (To see what I mean just try a search on Wendy Williams ... and no it is NOT me :oops: :oops: :oops: )


Wendy

[bwolford]

What really gave it away for me Wendy was the author's picture. I've seen yours and compared to you, she holds no candle. Quite a lovely lass ye be!

Brice