Preserved Topic: Plugins?

What do you guys think of them?

Well, there are many ways to look at the issue.

To me, the most important thing on the issue is simply this: you don't need them.

The native filters of Photoshop along with all of the built in tools and adjustment controls are more than enough to do just about anything.

Most of the available plugins are nothing more than prefab effects that utilize the already existing powers of the software, and end up being a waste of time and money. The generally give you a quick result at the expense of control and refinement.

Of course, it must be said that Photoshop (and any plugins you may add to it) is just a tool. As with any tool, quality results depend on the person using it, and not the tool itself.

Plug ins usually result in a graphic that has a 'canned' look. Basically, I would describe it as a generic sterile lifeless feeling, plus it means no time/effort was placed into the graphic.

As mentioned, they have their uses (not that I have found any) for ppl who might not have the required determination and interest in learning the guts of PS or graphic design.

0.2

I've got a couple of plugins, but the only ones I get much real use out of are ones that create noise. Photoshop's trusty "Render >> Clouds" function creates misty noise; a few of the Kai's Power Tools plugins create nifty random patterns and noise; at least one of the EyeCandy plugins is strictly for noise.

Why would you just want random gloop all over your screen? Well, that's what you should learn! It's a valuable building block. For instance, a fire technique you'll see bandied about here involves Render >> Clouds, change the colors to a nice orangy yellow, and erase anything that's not fire.

It's like sculpting... "take a block of wood, chip away anything that's not a ship." Then you end up with a ship!

But yeah, all the other plugins, like "take a shape and turn it into a shiny beveled metal thing," end up just looking gaudy and/or boring... and trust me, the two can coexist.

[This message has been edited by Perfect Thunder (edited 01-12-2003).]

First thing is, don't confuse "plug-ins" with "filters". Filters are a very specific type of plug-in. There are plug-ins that do things other than maniplulate functionality like a filter. One of the cooler plug-ins that I can think of off the top of my head is IconBuilderPro (http://www.ic****ctory.com/iconbuilder.asp). This works from the filter menu, but really it's a separate program that helps you organize, format, and export icons for different operating systems. Is this something that photoshop does on it's own? Not really. You have to go through some crazy hoops to get it to do it, and certain aspects of icons (especially on mac) would otherwise need to be edited with other software.

That said, if you're talking about filters (and lets be honest, we're basically talking about EyeCandy and KPT at this point) then that is a different story. My personal opinion of filters is love/hate at best. I personally prefer the effect generated by actually knowing what you're doing and creating your graphics by hand.

I work in a production environment a lot though, my client/employer wants a bevel and a drop shadow on some text for a news paper ad... do I build each one by hand? Hell no. I use a filter or layer effect for it. I get passed an ad from another artist that's behind schedule and I have an hour to import all the graphics, clean them, lay it out, and apply fire effects to the text... by hand? Hell no... EyeCandy it is.

It's really all about how serious you are about what you're doing and what situation you are in when you're doing it (or if you even KNOW how to achieve the effect). I hear a lot of talk from people about how "only losers use canned effects or 3rd party filter sets". *shrug* I tend to think that usually these people have never had to work under a deadline.

Another thing that I'd like to point out just for clarity is that a lot of people say, "All you need are the BUILT-IN features". I hear this a lot from people that started using photoshop in verion 6 or MAYBE 5.5. Hard to remember back when extract, liquify, all the "artistic" and "brush strokes" filter, and pretty much all the features of ImageReady were third party plug-ins or software. A lot of the functionality that is IN photoshop now USED to be third party or extra plug-ins.

I guess my point is that they CAN be a crutch when you're learning, but it's not as simple as that. There are situations for everything. The REAL issue I think is experience and devotion. If you have devotion, you will gain experience. Experience teaches us what and when things are important. Not the least of which is that there are NO simple answers

Anyway, just my $0.02, take it for what it's worth.

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
It's only after we've lost everything...
That we're free to do anything...

Is there any reason why O N F A is censored?

**** - o n f a (w/o spaces)

**** - O N F A


[This message has been edited by The Fragmaster (edited 01-12-2003).]

Same reason c*****n is censored.

And not to mention *************** or ********

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
It's only after we've lost everything...
That we're free to do anything...

And this too!
*** - s u x

let me propose...

b****a - b a n n a n a

***chos - n a h c h o s

Ken*** - K e n y a n


[This message has been edited by OlssonE (edited 01-13-2003).]

Plugins:
When I was new to graphic I used PSP combined with eyecandy. The only thing I learned was how to use the marquee tool!
Then one day I heard: 'All the pro's use PS' then I switched *play apple switch music here*. It wasn't easy but after a half an year I had went through all the tuts and made some basic images. So dont use plug-ins they are
baaaaaad... native filters goooooood *swing arm like ulrich*. My name Is Erik Olsson and I'm a Swede!

I think mindbender summed it up pretty well except for one phrase:

quote:

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"All you need are the BUILT-IN features".

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Everyone who uses that phrase in here are talking about the "built-in" features that have been around since Photoshop 4.0 or so.

Hell, I still haven't over the coolness of layers and channels yet. Chanops use to be the best of the best.

Silence - well, I'm not JUST refering to this forum... but even here, I've heard people denouncing third party filters and then say something like "I just use liquify" without knowing it was basically just KPG incorporated into photoshop. Really though, what I was saying is more for people that are new but still want to speak like they know everything. You could sum up my entire diatribe with one simple concept. "Don't condecend, especially if you don't know what you're talking about."

I think the MOST important thing I ever learned about photoshop (or graphics in general) was summed up pretty succinctly by a collegue of mine. "You can do a million different things a million different ways, and they're all right". That's pretty much it. That's why I keep doing this stuff... no end to the possibilities and the new things to try.

$0.02

-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-
It's only after we've lost everything...
That we're free to do anything...

Amen to that.