Using Plugin Galaxy - General Instructions


Before using the plugins you have to start your preferred image editing application and open an 24bit image. Please note that the Plugin Galaxy plugins only work with 24bit images. If you open a 256 color/8bit image, you have to convert it to 24-bit RGB before applying a plugin. Select the menu item that leads to the plugin filters (usually it is Filter, Effects or Image -> Plug-ins) and choose an item from the Plugin Galaxy sub menu.



There are four different dialogs types that Plugin Galaxy plugins use:

These dialog types are very similar. The common dialog elements are described here.

 

Attention, Mac Users:

If you should experience problems when applying a Plugin Galaxy plugin to an image with a high resolution or with many layers, please try the following solution: Close your image application, select the file which represents your application in the appropriate folder and press the Option key + I . In the appearing Information dialog, select Memory and increase the maximum memory setting by some thousand KB.

 

Preview

In the upper left corner of the dialog box the image that the effects will be applied to is displayed.

Windows Version: If your image editing application supports zooming, the zoom factor can be changed with the + and - buttons. If you hold the SHIFT key while pressing one of these buttons, the zooming factor is set to the highest or lowest possible value.

If zooming isn't supported (e.g. in Corel Photopaint 7 or Corel Xara 2), the buttons are greyed and "N/A" is displayed instead of the zoom factor. If only a part of the image is displayed , the image can be moved by holding the left mouse button and moving the mouse. While it is moved, the original image is shown.

Macintosh Version: The zoom factor can be changed with the + and - buttons. The + buttons switches to full view, while the - button scales the image to the size of the preview.
If only a part of the image is displayed , the image can be moved by holding the left mouse button and moving the mouse. While it is moved, the original image is shown.


Windows Version: The preview can be switched off, if you deselect the Filtering check box. In this case the preview isn't calculated and the original image is always displayed. This feature helps saveing time, if you want to adjust several sliders at once.


If your machine is too slow or the calculations are too time consuming, the preview calculation is stopped after around three seconds and "Time Limit exceeded" is displayed. But this doesn't affect the final calculation, it just avoids that your system freezes. When applied to the image, the effect will be rendered nevertheless.


Coordinate

Windows Version:Some plugins allow you to set a coordinate by pressing the right button (Windows) or pressing the ctrl key and clicking over the preview. The coordinate is shown as a small blinking cross. To remove a coordinate, right click on the preview while holding down the Ctl key.

Macintosh Version: Some plugins allow you to set a coordinate by pressing the ctrl key and clicking over the preview. The coordinate is shown as a small blinking cross.


Effects Drop Down Menu

If a drop down menu is present, you can use it for selecting different effects.


Reset Button

With the Reset button, you can reset all sliders to default values or generate random slider settings. Which of both functions is performed depends on the individual plugin.


Sliders

There are be up to eight sliders for adjusting the filter effect. You can move the slider knob with the mouse (or keyboard), or you can enter numerical values in the white text boxes beside the slider bars.


Check Boxes

Some plugins have up to three check boxes to activate alternative effect variations or a preview coordinate or apply a color effect.


Color Box/Button

Windows Version: Some plugins will have such a color box, too. Clicking on it, will display a color selection dialog for selecting a color. But you can also select a color with the color picker on some plugins dialogs. By holding the SHIFT key while pressing the color box, the color picker will be activated for selecting a color by clicking on the preview.

Macintosh Version: Some plugins will have such a color button, too. Clicking on it, will display a color selection dialog for selecting a color. But you can also select a color with the color picker on some plugins dialogs. By holding the SHIFT key while clicking on the preview, the current color in the preview is selected.


Button Area

The About button shows some information on Copyright. The Help button displays a plugin-specific Help file. Pressing the OK button will apply the effect to the image and Cancel lets you exit the plugin without applying an effect.