Help with KPT

[MarkZ]

Is there a guide available that gives better instructions about the use of KPT? The PDF doc that pops up when using the ? in the upper right corner does not answer some basic questions. How do you use the two boxes with the nine buttons? Is there anywhere that shows the effects before you click on the selection? It seems very tedious to have to try each filter before you know what it does and in some, it is very hard to tell what the various options do.

Thanks.
Mark

[LeviFiction]

I've always found the PDF to be quite helpful. But I also don't know of any other information on the KPT filters.

Care to ask your questions here? And please, be specific. The two boxes with the nine buttons doesn't mean a whole lot.

Also are you using the free KPT filters that come with X3? Or X3 Ultimate? One is a little more complete than the other.

[kicknphotos]

I have KPT with Paintshop pro x3 now it doesn't they arent highlighted so i am unable to use them -- any suggestions?

[MarkZ]

LeviFiction:

Thanks for your response. Interesting that the two nine-button boxes don't mean much - they must be there for a purpose but I haven't deciphered that. I'm using it with X3 Ultimate.

I was looking for something that might give examples of the different effects before one tries them. The help does have a written summary but I didn't find that helpful. Also, it takes so long to achieve an effect that it would take an awfully long time to try them all out to decide what works with a specific photo. With the built in filters in X3 you can get a preview quickly. I guess I'll blunder along or give it up.

After I had written this I did some more searching and found the solution for what I need. The use of those is explained in the PDF Help.

An issue with the help files for me was that they came up from within the filter after you opened it. So I searched out where the PDF files are stored and can now open each file, which include colour illustrations of the effects - just what I wanted. If you are interested go to D:\Program Files\Corel\Corel PaintShop Photo Pro\X3\PSPClassic\Languages\EN\PlugIns\KPT\metaos\User Guide - mine is in drive D, yours is likely C.

Mark

[MarkZ]

Kicknphotos:

Have you gone into Effects/plugins (at the bottom of the Effects list)? That is where I found the KPT. I assume you installed KPT from the Corel website. By the way, you are probably aware that the Effects and plug-ins are active in the Editor mode, not the Collections.

Mark

[LeviFiction]

The reason saying "The two boxes with the 9 buttons" doesn't mean much is because there isn't only one filter with 9 buttons. We need to know which filter you're looking at. It's not that the boxes themselves don't mean anything, but that saying "the two boxes" doesn't mean anything. See the difference?

Now, as for descriptions. Let's start with the four given with X3.

All of these are taken from the PDFs:

KPT Equalizer - The filters that make up KPT Equalizer let you apply sharpening, smoothing, and blurring effects to any image or selection by adjusting pixels based on frequency.

KPT Goo - Use KPT Goo's liquid distortion brushes to manipulate high quality images for print, or to quickly produce movies for the web. Essentially you get the same tools as Paint Shop Pro's own Warp Brush. Don't know if it's better or not. But you can also record your manipulations to produce video for the web.

KPT LensFlare - Adds realistic glows, halos, and lens reflections to an image -- simulating the reflections of a bright light on a camera lens or the lens of your eye.

KPT Projector - Provides a robust collection of interactive perspective warp effects -- allowing you to add 2D perspective distortions to an image, create 3D transformations, or tile an image into infinite space.

The X3 Ultimate bundle includes the rest of the KPT filters. You can also buy them separately. Here's that list also taken from the PDFs.

KPT Blurrrr - A collection of blur effects. Some of the blurs work like those found in many host applications, but they've been greatly enhanced. Others are effects you can't find anywhere else.

KPT Channel Surfing - Splits an image into RGB and HLS color channels, and lets you apply an effect to one or all of the channels. You can blur or sharpen a channel, or you can adjust its contrast or value. Youc an adjust the strength of the effect globally or based on the values of another channel. Once you have achieved the effect you want, you can adjust its transparency and control how the effect blends with the source image.

KPT Fiber Optix - Grows fibers that look like real hair or fur. Each finber is renedered separately and can have its own color and tint. You control the growth, color, and lighting of the fibers.

KPT Fluid - Lets you manipulate images by applying liquid-like transformations and distortions that simulate dragging a brush across a wet surface. You can also save the result as a movie.

Not like Goo, maybe camel snot would be a good comparison. It allows you to move the image around like the image is made out of paint on a wet surface that you can swirl and mix.

KPT Frax4D - It creates 3D sculptures out of fractal space at the click of a mouse. These sculptures can then be wrapped with any evironment map. In other words, you can make 3D fractal sculptures out of gold, silver, green gel, or whatever you come up with.

KPT FraxFlame II - Lets you explore and mutate an infinite variety of flame fractals. A fractal is a geometric pattern repeated at very small scales to produce irregular shapes. You can customize fractals with various color, contrast, and distortion techniques.

KPT FraxPlorer - Let's you explore fractal space. Includes new fractal algorithms and coloring styles. Possible to do a near infinite zoom in on the fractals.

KPT Gradient Lab - Let's you create complex, multi-layered gradients with interesting shapes and styles. You can also control the color, contrast, and orientation of gradients you create.

KPT Hyper TIling - Lets you create and save intrictate tiling effects. This filter reduces the source image to create a tile. THe tile is then repeated to create a hypertiling effect. You can create different blends between the source image and the effect, and change the viewer's perceived distance from the effect. You can also change the effect's depth, transparency, position, and size, and rotate it through space.

KPT Ink Dropper - Creates the effect of dropping colored liquid (ink) onto a surface. You can use this filter to create drops, stains, and smoky swirls. You can choose the color of the liquid and change the intensity and transparency. You can also change the size of individual drops, and the rate at which they disperse on the surface.

KPT Lightning - Let's you create customized lightning bolts. You can control every aspect of a lightning bolt, from setting its length and color, to determining its path and how much it zags and wanders.

KPT Materializer - Lets you apply surface texture to an image or to a preselected portion of an image. Use it to emboss, distort, tint, add reflectivity, or otherwise create the illusion of a surface material.

KPT Noize - Lets you explore a wide variety of noise patterns (including Render Clouds). Noise patterns are mathematically generated turbulence. Noise can be used as textures, patterns, or as noise maps for other KPT filters like KPT FiberOptix.

KPT Pyramid Paint - The name is a bit misleading. Uses the Lab color mode to let you transform source images into effects that resemble paintings, and perform various color and contrast adjustments to them.

RadWarp - Simulates a camera effect known as a barrel distortion. The distortion causes the edges of your image to become warped as if you were looking through a "fish-eyed" lens. Can be used to correct or create a barrel distortion.

KPT Reaction - Creates organic textures similar to the stripes on a zebra or the growth pattern of coral.

KPT Scatter - Lets you disperse particles over a source image. You can disperse a single particle or a grid of particles over an effect to emulate intricate effects such as paint strokes or mosaics.

KPT Shape Shifter - The ideal tool for creating text effects, Wb or software buttons and 3D artwork. Applying bevels to your shape, ShapeShifter gives it that 3D look. You can add a second layer to a shape for adding things like graphics or text. You can also add environment maps for reflections and bump maps for surface texture.

KPT Turbulence - A real-time 2D wave distortion engine. It displays an image in a special preview window, as it creates a "wave pool" simulation around it. Just click on the image and KPT Turbulence produces ripples from that location. Click and drag to create a wake. You can take a simple snapshot. Or you can make a movie of the distortion.

KPT Gel - Allows the user to paint with Gel that resembles realistic 3D materials, such as metals, plastics, or liquids.

[wds937]

Now, as for descriptions. [...]

All of these are taken from the PDFs:

All this information in one place. This would make a good reference card.