DataMind Srl has launched Jade Plugin 2.0 for Apple's Aperture software. The plug-in automates color, contrast and dynamic range adjustments, while helping to detect and correct red eye in photographs. Jade is now a one-button operation -- the user loads photos in and then clicks a button to start. Version 2.0 offers manual control for those who wish to make fine adjustments.
Noise Industries has introduced several new plug-ins that have been added to the FxFactory suite for Final Cut Pro, Motion, Final Cut Express and Adobe After Effects. nVeil is a tool developed by Storek Studio for creating motion and still graphics. Users can build animations by filtering source imagery through vector graphics art based on the SVG format.
Blue Crowbar has launched a watermarking plug-in, Impression 1.0, for Aperture. Impression automates adding a visual watermark to photos, like a company logo, a signature or a copyright statement. The software provides a preview of what the watermark will look like on a given photo before exporting the final result. Impression supports vertical and horizontal watermarks and can adjust transparency and position within the photo.
Adobe Labs has announced the availability of release candidates for v5.5 of its Camera Raw plug-in for Photoshop, along with an update to the company's DNG Converter. The latest version of Camera Raw expands support for several new cameras including the Nikon D300s, Nikon D3000, Olympus E-P1 and Panasonic DMC-FZ35.
Boris FX has released its latest Final Cut plug-in package, Motion Tracker. The tools are geared for video editing effects involving movement. The included Corner Pin module allows users to add graphics and pin them to moving objects in the video. Match Move works in a similar manner by locking onto movement, while adding the ability to integrate a second image clip.
Elpical has introduced Claro Layout, a plug-in for InDesign that provides tools for image enhancement and correction. The utility automatically runs quality analysis and then makes the necessary adjustments. Users can integrate RGB images during layout, and then optimize the content without leaving InDesign.
The Plugin Site has released Plugin Galaxy 2, the latest version of its plug-in suite for Photoshop, Fireworks, Photoline, GraphicConverter and Illustrator. The update has been reprogrammed from the ground up, with all effects available from a customizable dialog. A variety of new effects have been added, with a total of 400 presets.
Boris FX has released its Boris Continuum Complete 6 AVX video effects package for Avid DS. The package consists of approximately 180 filters, including 30 new effects such as Pixel Fixel, DV Fixer, Swish Pan, Cartoon Look, Pencil Sketch, Charcoal Sketch, and Water Color effects. The plug-in also includes such OpenGL-accelerated effects as 3D Extruded Image Shatter, Damaged TV, Glint, Glare, Glitter, LED, Lens Flare, Lightning, Prism, Scanline, and Tile Mosaic.
Noise Industries and Idustrial Revolution have launched a new particle generation plug-in, ParticleMetrix, for visual effects applications. The plug-in works with Apple's Final Cut Pro, Final Cut Express and Motion, along with Adobe's After Effects CS3 and CS4. ParticleMetrix is based on FxFactory and converts objects and text into particle effects, such as snow, fire, ice, bubbles, sparkles and more. The plug-in provides a library of pre-designed effects, with controls for rotation, size, gravity and other custom settings.
Electric Rain has released Swift 3D v6.0, an update to its 3D modeling plug-in for Adobe Flash. The latest version offers Boolean operations with non-destructive union, intersection and subtraction options. Rendering speed is claimed to have been improved by a factor of five, with optimizations for multiple-processor systems. Users can now export to PaperVision3D v2.0 to display 3D objects in Flash.
Akvis has released SmartMask 2.5, an update to its image selection and masking plug-in. The latest version features enhanced eyedropper tools with greater flexibility, along with improved support for Photoshop CS3/CS4 on Mac systems. The company also added French and Porgugese localization options for the interface language.
Anthropics has announced that an update to its image editing software, Portrait Professional 9, is available as both a standalone application and a Photoshop plug-in. The software allows users to airbrush photographs to correct undesirable skin appearance. Portrait Professional 9 utilizes the new ClearSkin technology and is claimed to be programed with a knowledge base of "human beauty," referenced to automatically fix pictures.
onOne software has released PhotoTools 2 Lite, a free version of its plug-in for Photoshop that includes 14 photo effects taken from both the standard and professional editions. The effects can be applied to any image brought into Photoshop, with a before-and-after preview available from within the plug-in. Effects can be combined into a layered stack, while each stack can still be individually altered.
E-on has released Ozone 4, an update to its atmospheric simulation plug-in for 3ds Max, Maya, XSI, Lightwave and Cinema4D. The software is built on the same algorithms and technology as Vue 7 xStream, but with a focus on atmospheres and skies. Users can choose from four atmospheric models -- spectral, volumetric, standard and environment mapping. Over 100 preset atmospheres and 100 cloud shapes are included with the package.
CrumplePop has released Freemeo, an HD title effects plug-in for Final Cut Pro. Freemeo enables users to create high definition text elements and lower thirds in the same style as Vimeo videos. The plug-in works directly within Final Cut Pro, helping to keep users editing process centralized in one application.
CoolIris has updated its plug-in that is designed to improve the way web browsers display pictures, video and other digital content. The new version offers enhanced support for Facebook galleries, new ease-of-use improvements and options to add metadata to photos and videos. For the first time, users can also display images stored on their hard drives.
DontCrac[k] has announced new Nomad Factory British Series plug-ins for high-end audio sequencers and editors, such as ProTools, Cubase, Adobe's Audition and Apple's GarageBand. The two new plug-ins are a part of the new Nomad Factory Ultimate 26 Plug-ins Producer Pack, with a special promotion launching in November. The new British plug-ins, the MCL-2269 and NEQ-1972, offer emulations of the equalizers and master bus compressor/limiters found in "British" mixing consoles.
AKVIS Software has released AKVIS LightShop 2.5, an update to its lighting-effects software which adds 64 new pre-made effects and adds plug-in versions for Mac Photoshop users. The software generates lighting visuals with full parameter control, and v2.5 adds new downloadable ready-to-use effects which allow users to quick-start a complex effect.
XChange International has launched two XTensions for QuarkXPress 8, Xtags and DATAformXT. Both are now available for QuarkXPress 8 and also as plug-ins to Adobe InDesign.
Visual effects plug-in maker GenArts has released an OpenFX version of its Sapphire Plug-ins, making them available to users of The Foundry's Nuke, Autodesk Toxik, Eyeon Fusion, FilmLight Baselight, Digital Vision FIlm Master and Assimilate Scratch. Sapphire Plug-ins are well-known in the post-production community, providing visual effects for Apple, Adobe and Avid creative software. The addition of OFX expands the market considerably.
Mac users of Google SketchUp 5/6/Pro will now be able to use the SU Podium rendering plug-in, just released for Mac OS X. Podium for Mac will be identical to the Windows version except for the OS compatibility. Users of the Windows version are permitted to switch to the new Mac version for free using their original serial number. A full Light fixture library for Mac has also been released, including a total of 227 fixtures that can be added to any SketchUp scene.
Mister Retro has announced Permanent Press, a set of retro filters for Photoshop. The filters create a vintage look, providing offset-printing effects, letterpress effects, ink works and more. The filters process images, type and visual designs, the plug-in is customizable and settings can be saved to reproduce specific effects. Permanent Press requires Mac OS X 10.2.6 or higher, 256MB RAM (1GB RAM recommended) and works with Photoshop CS2 and CS 3, and Photoshop Elements 4.0 and higher. The plug-in is available now for $100.
Ubermind on Tuesday unveiled Maperture, a new geotagging plug-in for Apple's Aperture photo editing and organization application, allowing users to add GPS data to pictures for placement on a virtual map. Maperture offers connectivity with Google Maps, and can either be used to add information to one image at a time, or an entire photo library. Ubermind is offering Maperture for no charge, and requires Mac OS X 10.4 or higher, with Aperture 2.0.
Digital Fusion says its Reactor 2.0 "radical user interface plugin" brings a host of new tools to FileMaker Pro. The plug-in comes with ready-made "black-box" controls allowing users to quickly create calendars, Gantt charts or live-filtering. The company says Reactor allows developers to access FileMaker's advanced interface features without HTML or JavaScript expertise.
Artlandia has released the third in a line of productivity plug-ins for Adobe creative software. The company says LivePresets works with two basic classes of static Adobe Illustrator objects -- symbols and swatches -- and makes them editable dynamically. The plug-in allows users to interactively edit multiple art objects from a single source.
Servoy Inc. has introduced Servoy 4.0 -- one code base for desktop AND Web applications. Servoy 4.0 -- now an Eclipse plug-in -- is a major upgrade from all previous versions of Servoy, enabling Servoy developers to produce enterprise-level applications using a standards-based IDE (Integrated Development Environment). Servoy consists of a GUI designer, is fully event-driven and scriptable through JavaScript. As a plug-in for Eclipse -- an open source, free, extensible development framework -- Servoy 4.0 can inherit a form from another parent form within a solution -- eliminating the need to duplicate forms with similar functionality.
Nik Software on Thursday unveiled a new version to its Color Efex Pro 3.0 for Capture NX 2, while also introducing Silver Efex Pro, a new plug-in for doing black-and-white images in Photoshop and Aperture. The new Capture NX filters offer DSLR users nine new filters: Bleach Bypass, Cross Balance, Film Effects, Film Grain, Glamour Glow, High Key, Low Key, Polaroid Transfer, and Tonal Enhancer. Color Efex Pro 3 is available in Select and Complete editions for $100 and $180, respectively.
Red Giant Software has launched Instant HD Advanced, its new plug-in for Adobe's After Effects. It offers higher quality than the scaler in After Effects or Red Giant's own Instant HD plug-in, which HD Advanced replaces, thanks to the super-resolution feature in the new plug-in. It also offers built-in deinterlacing and denoising controls that improve the quality of any interlaced material. It is available now for $400 and works with Mac OS X 10.4.11 and 10.5.2 and later. It requires Adobe After Effects CS3 on an Intel Mac with 1GB RAM.
IK Multimedia has launched the Total Guitar & Bass Gear Bundle, featuring a collection of 5 analog-modeled Amp and FX plug-ins. Aimed at both studio and live use, the package includes Amplitube 2, Ampeg SVX, Amplitube Jimi Hendrix, Amplitube Metal and Amplitube X-GEAR. All plug-ins conform to AU, VST and RTAS standards. The complete bundle translates to over 150 'ultra realistic' gear models, 51 stomp boxes, 26 Preamp models, 11 Power amps, 11 mics, 33 cabinets and 23 rack effects.
A updated rendering application and a new 3D plug-in for Google Sketchup have been announced, according to Architosh, a site for Mac-based architects and CAD/3D professionals. IMSI/Design has unveiled IDX Renditioner, a plug-in for photo-realistic rendering in SketchUp. Architosh is also reporting the release of Maxwell Render 1.7, bringing new features and improved realism to that company’s rendering software.
Troi Automatisering has unveiled its Troi File Plug-In 4.5 for Filemaker Pro 9, adding 'drag and drop' functionality to file and media manipulations, as well as numerous bug fixes and 'under the hood' improvements. Adding to over 60 previously available functions, Troi 4.5 introduces support for GPS, XMP and timecode metadata, as well as a 'reveal' feature, allowing users to see the exact location of files and folders on a system hard disk. It requires a copy of Filemaker Pro 7, 8 or 9, and Mac OS X 10.4.5 or higher and costs $90 per user (available immediately).
Red Giant Software on Wednesday unveiled updates to two of its products, while also introducing a new plug-in for Adobe After Effects called Trapcode Horizon. The new plug-in allows users to generate three-dimensional effects to create photorealistic backgrounds and QuickTime VR-like panoramas. Red Giant Software claims Horizon ties automatically into the software's 3D camera, ensuring that the background image is drawn from the active camera's point of view. Trapcode Horizon is selling for $100, available from the company's website.
Image Trends on Monday unveiled Fisheye-Hemi Plug-In for Aperture, a new plug-in designed to allow users to correct ultra-wide angle distortions in pictures, providing a straight perspective. Similar to the company's plug-in for Adobe Photoshop, Fisheye-Hemi removes spherical distortion caused by wide-angle lenses, but still retains the overall field-of-view so that details are not omitted. Image Trends is selling Fisheye-Hemi Plug-in for Aperture for $30.
IK Multimedia has announced the release of SampleTron, the second virtual instrument to be released from the Sonik Instruments range. SampleTron is a virtual instrument workstation featuring the a complete collection of authentic 'Tron' and other vintage keyboards instrument samples. The library includes 17 rare instrument sounds, together with a "Powered by SampleTank" engine, offering sample-based virtual instrument plug-in for every popular DAW and also as a standalone application for Macs The Tron anthology includes 2 GB of sounds, 640 presets and 260 multi-samples from 17 Mellotrons, Chamberlins , and their derivatives like the Optigan , Rhythmaster and more.
Digital Heaven has announced the release of DH_Subtitle 2.0, an upgrade to the popular subtitle generator plug-in for Final Cut Express and Final Cut Pro. The tool allows users to create professional style subtitles with boxes behind the text. The new version adds text tracking and leading controls plus a new outline style option. It automatically creates the box according to the text entered and also ensures the last line of text is always in the same vertical position, no matter how many lines of text a subtitle may contain. With version 2.0 there is a new outline style which puts a line around the text to increase legibility. Also new in this version are controls for text tracking and leading.
Users on Apple's Discussion boards are experiencing a hanging problem with several websites after the recent Quicktime 7.4.1 update. The problem seems to manifest when visiting particular Flash-enabled websites such as YouTube and ESPN.com, causing the browser to "beach ball" until it has been forced to quit. Users isolated the problems by disabling plug-ins, which allowed the sites to function properly.
AKVIS has released ArtSuite 3.0, an update to the company's photo editing application and plug-in that adds three new effects as well as an 'Autorun' button. The new effects, which arrive alongside a Spanish version of the software, are titled 'Black&White,' 'Shift Colors,' and 'Channel Mixer.' ArtSuite 3.0 provides users with 15 total effects as well as a Pattern Library to generate a wide array of different effects. The software is priced at $50.
RE:Vision Effects recently unveiled SmoothKit 2, a set of plug-ins designed to smooth images with user-directed controls, and feature-sensitive methods. The kit consists of nine filters which allow the user to blur images without blurring edges, sharpen with less ringing, reduce image defects, reduce jaggies, and more. A newly added Z-Blur filter provides depth of field effects using depth maps from 3D system. SmoothKit 2 sells for $120, and is available through RE:Vision Effect's website.
HumanSoftware today began shipping MagicFrames 3000 plug-in Universal, its plug-in for Corel and Adobe Photoshop/Elements. The plug-in adds edges, frames, borders, or special pattern effects to images. Users choose from more than 3,000 frames and 1,200 edges using an editable layering system. The update works in RGB16b mode, and features a special dialog box to easily create custom frames. MagicFrames 3000 is priced at $100.
Monkeybread Software has released version 8.0 of the MBS plug-in for REALbasic. The MBS plug-in comprises a collection of several plug-in parts which extend the REALbasic development environment with over 900 classes featuring over 18000 documented functions. A few of the new items in version 8.0: Updated to dynapdf 2.0.31.350; Added OptionTTLMBS, OptionTOSMBS and OptionMulticastTTLMBS properties to SocketCore class. Also added ClearOptionsMBS method; Added BarcodeScannerMBS.mode property.
DAZ Productions has the beta version of its DAZ Studio 3D Bridge for Photoshop plug-in. Compatible with Photoshop 7, CS, CS2 and CS3, this new plug-in allows DAZ Studio users to automatically apply 3D imagery and artwork to any Photoshop project. The DAZ Studio 3D Bridge for Photoshop allow users to view 3D scenes as Photoshop layers, change objects and figures simultaneously, render directly into Photoshop, import, export and modify image maps and textures onto 3D models in Photoshop, composite 2D and 3D content seamlessly and access DAZ's full library of quality 3D content
NewTek today released LiveSet Generator for LightWave, a free plug-in for LightWave 9 that facilitates the authoring of computer generated virtual sets. LiveSet Generator for LightWave provides a simple solution for the creation of custom, photo-realistic virtual sets. The software is designed for use with LiveSet, the proprietary virtual set technology found in NewTek's TriCaster STUDIO, Portable Live Production System, and VT[5] Integrated Production Suite.The LiveSet Generator for LightWave is available for free, and requires LightWave 9.
