Free onOne PhotoTools Lite Plug-In for CS

[Jeff Perry]

I know there are a lot of Forum members who have Photoshop CS, and I just thought I would mention that onOne Software is offering a free "Lite" version of PhotoTools 2 for CS2, 3, & 4, but sadly it apparently does not work with Elements, sorry.:mad:

It is a 14 photographic effects subset of the the full versions.

http://www.ononesoftware.com/detail.php?prodLine_id=39

Jeff

[Wendy]

Thanks Jeff ..

I have been wanting to try this out for a while and the Lite version seems a good way to do it :)

Wendy

[lisabee]

thanks for the link Jeff :)

Lisa

[lisabee]

I seem to have encountered a hitch with this :o - believe me it is one of those days :p

So I downloaded, unzipped and installed following the instructions.

Looking in the programm files CS3 plug-ins folder, it contains the following:
Phototools2.0 lite folder
onOne library.acel (8BX)
onOne library.dll

If you then look in the Phototools2.0 lite folder, it has 4 items:
helper filter 8BF
Phototools2.0 lite 8LI
onOne welcome dialogue.dll
Phototools onli.dll

However, when I open CS3, nothing is showing up in the filter menu where the other added plug-ins are.

What is going wrong?

I have windows xp, CS3 and have added other plug ins without a hitch. The pc has been switched on and off a couple of times to no avail.

any help appreciated, thanks

Lisa :)

[Wendy]

I just downloaded it and it seems really good ...

We are going away for the weekend so I haven't much time to play with it ... once we get back I will explore all the different things :)

Wendy

[Jeff Perry]

Lisabee, I'm not at my computer that has the full installation, but as I recall it does not show up in the Filters menu pull down, rather it is in File>Automation>...I assume the Lite version is installed the same way.

Hope that's where you find it. If not, post back.

jeff

[lisabee]

Lisabee, I'm not at my computer that has the full installation, but as I recall it does not show uup in the Filters menu pull down, rather it is in File>Automation>...I assume the Lite version iis installed the same way.

Hope that's where you find it. If not, post back.

jeff


thanks Jeff,

I'll check that and let you know :)

Lisa

[Byron Gale]

I have CS4 - installed the package but the plug-in does not show up under ANY menu. According to the info on their site, there should be a new "OnOne" menu at the top between Window and Help. Nothing here...

I re-installed, deleted CS4 preferences (yuk!) and still no joy.

[lisabee]

Jeff and Byron,

I don't have any onOne stuff showing under file>automation
but I do have a new "onOne" menu on the top toolbar between Window and Help, however the only thing in that drop down menu is to the onOne tutorials which when clicked wants to take me to a page online :(

Now I remember why I don't usually try these things until I read and see how easy it is from other people trying it LOL :D;)

Lisa

[Byron Gale]

onOne (the owners of this site, and publishers of our beloved PET magazine) puts out quality products.

I am certain it will be only a short time before things are worked out.

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I downloaded the Mac version ... installed it and watched the Video.

Then I closed down CS3 and reopened it ... it now says onOne between Window and Help.

Its pretty cool !! :)

Wendy

[Jeff Perry]

The Installer will not install the Lite version on my laptop because I already have the full version installed, and as I posted earlier, the full version loads from the File>Automate>PhotoTools 2 menu.

Wendy seems to have gotten the installation working on the Mac, perhaps there is a bug in the Windows version. Wish I could be of more help.

I'll check their site to see if they have posted any known installation problems.


Jeff

[Wendy]

Hi ...

I'm using CS3 and does seem to be working fine on the Mac ... I did the install, watched a Video (only part of it as I was a bit pushed for time) I took a look at CS3 and there wasn't a heading onOne so I closed down CS3, reopened it and there it was.

Wendy :)

[lisabee]

stranger and stranger . . . this morning when I went into CS3, the onOne menu had moved from being between window and help in the top tool bar, to being after help. :confused:
It does however still only have the option of going to tutorials on line.

Yesterday I did look on the boards on onOne to see if there was an answer, but when I looked I only saw someone asking with ref to CS4 no answer was there at that time.

Lisa

[Wendy]

Hi Lisa ...

I am using CS3 ... (but on the Mac). Make sure you have a file open as some of my options are greyed out if I don't.

When I click on onOne at the top of CS3 I get these options:

PhotoTools 2.0 (and in a side menu PhotoTools 2.0 and PhotoTools 2.0 Batch)
onOne Software Tutorials
About onOne Software

Wendy

[Jeff Perry]

Apparently there is a Known problem with the onOne Menu in CS# on Windows, it apparently likes to move or even disappear, in fact, I don't think I have ever seen it on the menu bar and I have several onOne products.

Anyway, the guidance from onOne says if your onOne Menu choice at the top disappears, simply go to either the onOne submneu under Filters or File>Automate... to find your plug-in.

As I said, the full version of Phototools 2 on CS4 appears in File>Automate, but I am not sure if that's where the Lite version is set-up to reside.

Jeff

[Wendy]

In CS3 the Lite version is in File>Automate :)

Wendy

[Byron Gale]

I have seen the notes on the onOne site regarding the known issue with the menu for PhotoTools/CS4/Windows -- but I do not get any onOne items on my Filter menu, or under Edit > Automate. I get nothing.

The installation seems to complete normally - without any error reported. I've un-installed (via Windows Control Panel) and reinstalled a couple of times with no alteration in the result.

I've requested a login for onOne's customer forum, but am still waiting for the activation email after several hours. I know that my request has been received, because it tells me I cannot re-register when I try again - and I've requested a re-send of the activation email a couple of times but still nothing has been received. (On most systems, when they require you to click a confirmation link in an email to complete registration, the email is in my Inbox before I can open my email program! So this is very off-norm.)

[Jeff Perry]

Byron, I assume you meant "File>Automate" and you are not looking under Edit for the Automate submenu.

In case you want to hunting for the installed plug-in, my full version of PhotoTools 2 installs in its own folder nested in CS4's Plug-ins folder. It is called PhotoTools 2.0 Professional Edition.8LI

Jeff

[foto frank]

I loaded it earlier this week just fine. It still shows up between Windows and Help and on the File>Automate>PhotoTools 2.0. I did have to update my Video card drive as this program uses Open GL2.

I have CS4 Extended ver 11.0.1 on a Windows XP machine.

[Byron Gale]

..."File>Automate"...Jeff -- yes, that's what I meant. (stupid keyboard is always changing words on me!)

I did get the onOne folder inside the CS4 Plug-ins folder, too. (currently un-installed, so can't quote file names)

...I did have to update my Video card drive as this program uses Open GL2...Frank -- I wonder if that's my problem. My video card doesn't support some of the glitzy features of CS4, either.

[Jeff Perry]

I had a similar problem when I tried the Trial D/L of onOne' FocalPoint software a few months back, trying to install on an older HP laptop with XP, but the video card did not support Open GL 2, but as I recall the software app told me that when I tried to run the plug-in. I think the installation went ok, just wouldn't start the plug-in after I went thru all the trouble of D/L and installing. But at least it told me I had a problem.

(A well placed cup of coffee, solved my dilema, with a replacement Vaio running Vista 64.)

I don't think that's the problem here, because I installed the full version on my back-up travel laptop, and old Compaq running XP, and it loads, but a note pops up telling me the Mask Brush requires a video card that supports Open GL2 so it is being disabled.

Jeff

[lisabee]

Hi Wendy,

thanks for the tip, but there has only ever been the link to the tutorials in the (moving) drop down menu, nothing else even greyed out. And nothing showing under file>automate.

I think the video card explanation is probably going to be the cause for me. I'm on windows xp, service pack 2 (which it said should be ok), but I don't mess with updating other things, like video cards, when everything else works.

So my thought/question now (for anyone) is if I uninstall via the windows add/remove panel does it go ok and does it remove the onOne from the toolbar?
Or if it is doing nothing, is it ok to leave it there?

thanks,
Lisa :)

[Jeff Perry]

Lisa, If you uninstall using the Windows Uninstall process (or the onOne Uninstall if it has one), in either case it should remove the onOne Menu choice from the host program (CS#)

Jeff

[Jeff Perry]

Byron, I just thought of something, are you running Vista 64 and the 64-bit version of Photoshop CS4? If so, the PhotoTools plug-in will not show up. You have to run the 32-bit version of Photoshop.


Jeff

[Ritage]

How can I see whether my video card has Open GL2 or not? My ATI Card is 4 years old.

Rita

[Jeff Perry]

Rita, my guess is it may not be OpenGL2 compatible if it is that old. My last HP laptop with XP was 5years old and it was not.

I would suggest you identify the model of the controller, using the Windows System information application (in control panel) and then go online to ATI (AMD) and check it out.

There was a software tool that I was sent by the mfg of my HP video controller and I ran it for the info, but that application is long gone.

Jeff

[Ritage]

Jeff,
thank you. I will try to do a search tonight. But I expect you are right, and I don't think it would be worthwhile to make any major changes to a computer just to install a plugin, but it is good to have this info anyway.
Rita

[Jeff Perry]

Rita, one more thing, some video controllers actually support the OpenGL2 functions but when they were first delivered the original drivers only had OpenGL1 built into them, so it may be as simple as downloading and installing the latest driver for your specific video card.

Jeff

[Ritage]

Jeff,
I'll look into that, as well. I might actually learn something about video cards! High time, too.
Thanks, Rita

[Byron Gale]

Byron, I just thought of something, are you running Vista 64 and the 64-bit version of Photoshop CS4? If so, the PhotoTools plug-in will not show up. You have to run the 32-bit version of Photoshop.


JeffHi Jeff -- I'm running Win XP Home SP3, so nothing greater than 32-bit, here.

BTW - more than 24 hours later, and still no activation email from onOne's forum, so I remain unable to post the issue, there.

Thanks for the efforts!

Byron

[Jeff Perry]

Byron, see the following Mike Wong Blog thread about the known installation problem on both Macs and PCs, and apparently a new installer is now available....although there are still problems being reported.

http://www.ononesoftware.com/blog/2009/05/22/free-photoshop-plug-in-phototools-2-lite/


Jeff

[Byron Gale]

Jeff,

Thanks for the link. My initial download was well after this update had been published, so I had begun with the updated version. But - I went ahead and started the process over again and re-downloaded a new copy.

The results are the same.

The good news, though, is that I posted a response to the blog in lieu of being able to post to onOne's forum. Maybe something will be learned because of that.

Again -- thanks.

Byron

[Jeff Perry]

Byron, at least we know that it is a known problem that onOne hopefully will fix soon.

Jeff

[Wendy]

This really is strange ... I downloaded it and it installed on my Mac with no problem at all.

I have been playing around with it and its fantastic ... I really love it :)

Wendy

[Byron Gale]

Have still not received an activation email from the onOne forum.

So I went back to the forum to re-re-re-re-re-request an activation email - and it told me that my login was now active!

So I was able to log in to their forum and post the issue, there.

I'll post back with anything that I learn.

[Wendy]

It will be interesting to see what they say ...

Wendy :)