Using Plug-Ins - ScanSoft KAI S PHOTO SOAP 2 User Manual

U s i ng P l u g -I n s
One way you can expand the power of Kai's Photo Soap 2 is by using plug-ins. Plug-ins
are usually filters that plug into Soap 2 or other image manipulation products (like
® ®
Adobe Photoshop ). Plug-ins offer powerful and dynamic effects, as well as additional
tools that expand the creative power of Soap 2.
One of the most exciting things about using Photoshop compliant plug-ins with Soap 2 is
that Soap 2 lets you target where the special effect is applied. Unlike most host
applications, you can take a special effect filter and paint it onto part of a photo! Paint on
a special effect, save that effect area as a mask, and change it later. Fun. Powerful. Kai's
Photo Soap 2. Refer to "Using the Tools" on page 50
tools to apply effects to part of your image.
What are Plug-ins
Plug-ins are software extensions for Kai's Photo Soap 2 and other image manipulation
products that support them.They're like little mini-programs. There are three types of
plug-ins: Input (for Acquiring images from external devices like digital cameras or
scanners), Filter (which manipulate dots or pixels in an image, creating permutations and
cool changes), and Export (special printing capabilities).
Sometimes plug-ins have little or no user interface (what you see when you work with
software). Sometimes they have elaborate user interfaces, complete with lots of effects
from which to choose.
Plug-ins can be added or removed from a "host" application's plug-in folder. In most
applications that use plug-ins, you define the location of a plug-in filters folder.
To define the location of your Soap 2 plug-in filters folder:
Choose Image menu > Plug-ins
Types of Plug-ins
There are so many commercial plug-ins and free plug-ins that it's hard to list all the types
you might be able to find. To get a good feel for what's out there, set your search engine
in your browser to "photoshop plug-ins'. That's a good place to start.
Some filter plug-ins come with the host application, others are manufactured by
third-party companies that just concentrate on building new and wilder filters.
Here are a few examples of the wide variety of plug-ins that are available:
• Web site and browser enhancement tools.
• Color-correction and image enhancement tools.
• 3D effect tools.
for more information about using Soap
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