ParticleIllusion

screenshot of ParticleiIlusion interface

includes (A) composition window (B) particle sample viewer

(C) emitter properties window (D) animation timeline

(E) emitter library

Most NLE editing systems worth their salt will include some sort of particle emission system to add splash, sparkle and shine effects to video productions. The degree of versatility depends on the software but quite often you are left facing a somewhat steep learning curve. If what you want is something that will add these effects with a more user-friendly, drag and drop approach then I suggest you look at ParticleIlusion by Wondertouch.

You may face limitations with playback if you plan to use an animated background for reference in the composition window, but so far, most small clips I have attempted (10-15 sec. range for titling) works great for creating sparkle trails with an alpha channel to drop in as targa sequences. It comes with a great selection of flares, sparkles, star trails, jet streams, fire, smoke.....more than you will probably ever need. What I really appreciate is the quickness of this application as you set an emitter point, move the timeline, set a new location, intensity, etc. and it automatically sets an editable keypoint for you. Their website shows tutorial videos for emitter basics, editing and use with HD.
 Go there and download a trial copy to play around with and I feel you'll be lost just testing out the different particle systems in the viewer.

Indigo Renderer

sample dashboard for Indigo Renderer

In my continuing pursuit of alternative render engines for 3d programs (especially in support of Sketchup) I ran across Indigo Renderer. Indigo gives support to 3 major 3d modeling/animation packages (3D Studio Max, Maya, Cinema 4D) and two smaller, freeware programs (Blender and Sketchup). I downloaded the trial version and used it with Google Sketchup-the results were fantastic.

Not only did I find the default settings (just click the button and away it goes) to work with ease and give a great output but the camera match angle and material editor worked great as well. The interface for the material took me a moment to get used to as I had to assign a material from Google's material panel, then replace it through the Indigo material dialogue, but if that's the hardest thing you have to do with this plug-in then you really can't complain. The rendering does take a while to go through all the passes it needs to give you photo-realistic results, but it doesn't lock up your system so as long as you have a sturdy enough working RAM package on your machine (and who doesn't now days?) you can let it render in the background while you go onto other projects. Indigo offers excellent support as well through their website with additional materials to load, group forum to help you with questions, tricks and resources and support for Indigo with usage of whichever of the 3d packages you choose to use. My hats off to the people who produced Indigo. This is just the kind of ease-of-use plug-in I had hoped for.

the GIMP

before & after manipulation on

separate layer in GIMP

Few paint/photo editing programs can boast a low price and versatility to the public. Industry standards like Photoshop or Paint Shop Pro work great and offer extreme functionality but price is a huge consideration, even with student discounts or special offers from the companies. Some paint programs give you a low (or free) price but lack the versatility of the larger named programs. The exception to this rule is the GIMP.

GIMP (GNU Image Manipulation Program) is a freeware program for Windows,MAC or Unix systems that gives the user most all the same functions as the heftier standards. Image support for all major image file formats, layers, brushes, selection tools, effects, filtering...the list goes on and on. You can adjust the layout of the interface with customizing options and the online manual is a great bonus (so often programs can leave you out there on your own to figure out how to use it). There seems to be a fairly good sized support for this program and the amount of plugins and tutorials for GIMP continue to grow. For those on a tight budget, how can you not love the price-free! Some sites even carry a portable version of this great little program.

Poser 8 vs. Iclone 4

interface from Poser 8 (top)

and IClone 4 (bottom)

I decided to do a comparative analysis of these two programs as they have very similar output functions. I have been a follower of Poser through it's progressive advancement stages of bringing an easy to use application for people who want to create 3d models for static images, animations and modeling. The Poser software package has passed through a variety of owners since it's conception (published by Fractal Design, MetaCreations, Curious Labs, e Frontier and Smith Micro) providing easy to use models for posing, animating and support to other software programs. Their presence as a partner to such programs as Daz 3D Studio, Bryce, even venturing into usage with Cararra, Maya and Zbrush , makes Poser a reliable standard.

There is a new kid on the block however that makes a big push into the 3d puppeteers's programing arena: Reallusion IClone. IClone has gone through some early versions when they showed ease of usage as a major factor in their program. Template animation sequences for characters gave people the ability to make quick flicks. The downside was the versatility they showed in customizing character's appearance or modifying animations sequences were easier seen than done. The latest version (ver. 4) shows vast improvement in easy to use/tweak functions, and much more. Faster, smarter manipulation, great import video support, recognition of alpha channels....all of these functions available in Poser as well, however, mesh creation and manipulation in IClone excels with nice visual interface for facial puppeteering and UV mapping.

If I were starting to venture into 3d puppet/model software programs today for the first time, I would certainly have a great versatility with either program. Those familiar with the Poser package would probably feel comfortable sticking with it's reliability and vast network of addon plugins and models. There are more Poser (and Daz) websites on the web than you can imagine. IClone is newer to the game and will have a lot of catching up to do to match Posers online community. IClone has to keep in mind that the abundance of functionality in a program weighs up against it's program learning curve. If I am a game designer and have the option to make a finished sequence with nice background effects and posed figures, do I spend the time and money on this all-in-one package or rely on cross-program construction from two or more programs?

Eye Candy 6

64 bit interface for Eye Candy 6

and sample chrome effect to eye.

Alien Skin has come out with it's latest update in the quality line of plugins for Photoshop with Eye Candy 6. For those of you who have previous versions of Eye Candy (4 or 5 in particular) you may want to uninstall them before putting on this new set as a lot of the effects are repeats. The biggest updates to the newer version comes with it's 64 bit support for Adobe Photoshop CS4, allowing you to have an interface on youur main work area rather than clicking on the list of effects from a dropdown. For me this is no large convenience as the Photoshop work area is already littered with a variety of pull down menus and I value the space to view my actual work more than the little knobs and dials to adjust. One great improvement they made was it's ability to handle large images and scale the effect adaptively, a setback in earlier versions. As with versions 4 and 5, ye Candy 6 has the capability to place the effect in a separate layer (big benefit), offers a variety of presets as well as the ability to store your own effects for recall (BIG benefit when working on client files that you need to reproduce an effect for) and one more big change, the ability to apply the effect in CMYK mode. I don't know how many times I've tried to apply an effect/filter in Photoshop only to see the list of nice warps and filters grayed out until I convert the image to RGB, back to CMYK, and then you lose true color reproduction from there. My vote is to have one of these plugin packages, whether 4,5 or 6 (and 3 is a keeper as well-I do wish they would continue lines specifically for After Effects) as part of your Photoshop arsenal. If you go to the Alienskin website they have a demo version you can download and try before you buy, as well as demo versions of their other fine plugins (Blow Up 2, Bokeh, Exposure 2, Image Doctor 2, Snap Art 2 and Xenofex 2).