Unlocking Hidden Features

[bnk1953]

There is a patch called "Elements+" that opens up some hidden functions that are in Photoshop - but are then available in Elements. I don't claim that it works or have I tried it - but letting "those in the know" know about it. It supposedly opens up to 152 actions and is available for Windoze and Mac up thru 7. There is a free downloadable Demo that includes 10 actions.
The site for this can be found at:
http://simplephotoshop.com/elementsplus/

If anyone has tried this - or if this has been posted before and have user info on it - I'd be interested.
~bruce.

[jjvera00]

I've downloaded the demo and the demo is similar to Grant's Tools. I also have downloaded the "full" version and it does come with many features, which I have not had time to play with yet. It comes with a tutorial, and many options for Masks, Layers, Paths, etc.

[NLAlston]

This might be very good. I, too, would like to hear from anyone who's gotten it.

[Erin DigitalPhotosForMoms]

I have it and do like the curves feature. Haven't quite figured out channels yet. I keep meaning to go back and delete some of the actions because there are many I will never use, like all the languages.

It was something like $10-15, I believe. Definitely worth that.

[NLAlston]

I have it and do like the curves feature. Haven't quite figured out channels yet. I keep meaning to go back and delete some of the actions because there are many I will never use, like all the languages.

It was something like $10-15, I believe. Definitely worth that.

Hi Erin.

Yes...$12 doesn't seem to be a bad price, at all, for what the patch seems to offer. I am just trying to determine how many of the 152 (or so) actions might be of actual use to me. I am still kinda new to Elements (version 7 being my first real venture), and am trying to wrap my understanding around things. But methinks that I just may get this patch.

Thanks.

[TonyW]

It's excellent and I have had it for while and have used maybe 20 or so of the actions in it. It includes everything in Grants Tools and a way lot more and is very simple to install (it comes with a self installer that puts everything in the right place without you having to figure out where to put what as is the case with Grants Tools.) At the same time many of the actions do some pretty advanced things that you really have to be quite familiar with the way Photoshop works to take advantage of. Things like masks, channels, paths, smart objects. I'd definitely recommend it but if you're new to Elements and haven't used full Photoshop don't expect to be using anything like the full power it offers right away.

Tony

[NLAlston]

Many of the actions do some pretty advanced things that you really have to be quite familiar with the way Photoshop works to take advantage of. Things like masks, channels, paths, smart objects. I'd definitely recommend it but if you're new to Elements and haven't used full Photoshop don't expect to be using anything like the full power it offers right away.

Tony

That's the whole thing in a nutshell, for me, Tony. Though I have begun to explore 'layers', somewhat, I have NO idea how to work with Masks, Channels, Paths & Smart Objects. I really believe that you have a whole lot of power in your hands - once you are able to come to grips with those things - but it's all been somewhat of a 'brain-drain' (:)) for me, thus far. Now, I really wish that I had delved deeper into Photoshop7 (which I have had for years), instead of just tapping into a very small area of its surface, on the few times that I did play with it.

Boy...is there a LOT to learn. But it will be fun.

[Alberta]

It's excellent and I have had it for while and have used maybe 20 or so of the actions in it. It includes everything in Grants Tools and a way lot more and is very simple to install (it comes with a self installer that puts everything in the right place without you having to figure out where to put what as is the case with Grants Tools.) At the same time many of the actions do some pretty advanced things that you really have to be quite familiar with the way Photoshop works to take advantage of. Things like masks, channels, paths, smart objects. I'd definitely recommend it but if you're new to Elements and haven't used full Photoshop don't expect to be using anything like the full power it offers right away.

Tony


Does it load easily in PSE7?

[TonyW]

Does it load easily in PSE7?

Very easily - just run the install program. Be patient though when you then open Elements. The database needs to rebuild and in PSE7 that takes a long time. Go away and have a coffee while it's happening.

Tony

[clemsonjim]

Like the folks above, I have the set and use maybe 20 of the actions and will probably eventually learn to use some of the other more advanced ones. I use the masks, guides almost daily. One of the most useful is Transform Selection.
I was excited about the Spell Checker, but it would not work on my computer (PC running XP and PSE 7) and Adrian could not figure out why and I haven't been able to either. Hope a revision someday will allow it. I think the set is well worth $12

[Alberta]

The website is so slow downloading that it time out on me. Any other sites?

[Chuck_D]

The site has been down since at least this morning. It throws a DNS error or server not found message. Hope it's just temporary. I had planned to pick these up today.

[NLAlston]

Earlier this morning I had no problem, at all, getting into the site. Despite all that I am going through, with Elements7, I had made up my mind to go ahead and get the patch anyway. I attempted to buy it, but there arose a problem with my email account. A message sprung up about my not being able to use a 'Hotmail' account for the order, and I didn't fully understand that. I have two email accounts, and one of them is through Yahoo - which I know has a relationship with Hotmail. But I didn't think that my other account (AOL) had any such affiliation. Anyhoo, I wasn't able to complete the order because of receiving the same notification again. I emailed Andrei, on this matter, but haven't heard back from him. I am assuming that the site began experiencing problem very shortly after my email went out. But I wonder if it is all being due to a temporary glitch in the site, and that I might yet be able to make the order (when his site is running smoothly again) via my AOL account.

Just for the sake of asking, has anyone else been successful at making the purchase through either a Yahoo, or AOL email account?

[jjvera00]

When I downloaded the Elements+ add-on, I had no problems. I do remember though that in order to download, and pay for it, you had to have a "real" email account, not a free one like hotmail.

[NLAlston]

When I downloaded the Elements+ add-on, I had no problems. I do remember though that in order to download, and pay for it, you had to have a "real" email account, not a free one like hotmail.

I guess that about sums it up for me, then :). Thanks.

[Simenon]

The elements+ site is back up again as of this am.

I purchased the elements+ kit for my PSE 4 some time back but am just now coming to grips with some of the more advanced features and beginning to get more familiar with them. Unfortunately the kit for PSE 4 does not include curves. I would be curious to know how the elements+ curves effect compares in features to the SmartCurve plug-in from easy.Filter which I now use.

~ Simenon

[Michel B]

The smartcurves plug-in is much, much better. It can:
- address each R,G,B channel separately
- provides other modes than RGB (Lab, HSL...
- work in 16 bits
- save and restore curves
- has nice histograms...
But you already know that.
The curves included in Elements+ are comparable to those in Grant's tools. and do not give access to R,G,B channels.

[Simenon]

Thank you Michel. I feel much better now.

~ Simenon

PS - Merci beaucoup!