Apple releases Aperture SDK, plug-ins
updated 08:55 am EDT, Tue April 22, 2008
Aperture SDK, plug-ins
Apple has released the final version of the SDK for Aperture, its professional photo workflow program. The SDK allows developers to create a variety of custom plug-ins for Aperture 2.1, which introduced an open architecture and came with Apple's own Dodge & Burn plug-in. Already available are a handful of third-party plug-ins; among these are Tiffen's Dfx Digital Filter Suite, which simulates a variety of optical filter effects.
Digital Film Tools, meanwhile, has released three separate ones, including Power Stroke, Light! and Ozone; websites for all of these were inactive at press time. Apple is however promising more third-party add-ons "soon," including dvGarage's dpMatte and HDRtoner, Image Trends' Fisheye-Hemi, and PictureCode's Noise Ninja.
Fresh-Faced Recruit
Joined: Dec 2005
Plug-Ins Listed: so-so
Taking a look at the plugins that are listed there, they seem overpirced and designed for very specific user type.
For instance, the Tiffen filters. They seem to marketed for matching film-makers' effects in your photography stills. Doesn't seem to be worth it to the usual photographer if it costs MORE than Aperture itself.
Replacing background- useful if you want model shots or things of that nature, but it isn't worth the price to me as little as I'd use it.
Hemi Fisheye->Rectalinear: Once again, it's a little obsolete, especially when you consider this filter was built into photoshop years ago, and many people can get access to a rectalinear-corrected wide-angle lens.
I was hoping Aperture plugins would start offering abilities to move me away from the majority of Photoshop usage. At this point, a big chunk os PS time would be taken down if some professional noise filters were put up.
I guess we'll see in the coming months just how successful this is.