# How? How, how how? Part Two



## Bluefusion (Apr 15, 2002)

OK... I have yet to understand this but I'd love to. HOW do people make such amazing high-tech graphics? How do they make those incredible wierd line thingies....? Examples: http://studio.adobe.com , BlingBling's site (www.thecaseykelley.com) , etc... how do these people do it? BlingBling, maybe you'd care to comment? I love that abstract, high tech look on your site and I really want to know how that sort of effect is achieved... anyway, can people please weigh in on this? It's a very new trend that I really like but I can't understand how it's even done... lol


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## Nummi_G4 (Apr 15, 2002)

The cool/weird designs on Blings site were made with a photoshop plugin.  He will send them to you if you have a fast connection.  the plugins are BIG


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## Bluefusion (Apr 15, 2002)

I would LOVE that... I do have a fast connection (1.5 MBps DSL) so it would be fine to recieve something like that. Just in principle though... how big ARE we talking? I don't know how much email space Mac.com gives me (EarthLink only has 5 MB)... could he maybe post them on a hidden page on his site, or something?...

In any case, I'd love to get those plugins...


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## BlingBling 3k12 (Apr 15, 2002)

wow

i'm honored that my site was mentioned!


the plugins are 22.4 MB and it's a self extracting .exe file

it says it will work for either OS 9 & OS X, but nobody has told me if it's true... i am on windows

i am currently uploading it to my host... send me a PM and i'll give you the address when it's done...


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## Bluefusion (Apr 16, 2002)

Arrrrrrgh. After a bunch of private messages and all, I finally got to a PC at school, downloaded your file, and... well... got a serial number  but... the problem is that it can't install since we don't have Photoshop...so, I installed it into ArtDabbler's folder instead.. but now there's tons of plugins and I have no way of getting it back to my Mac, even IF I could email (stupid school email doesn't work for me)...

Frustrated and annoyed, I *ahem* found the Mac OS KPT installer on Carracho, but it simply sits there after you click install saying "One moment please". ONE time out of around thirty, it opened up and started installing, but the plugins STILL didn't appear in Photoshop, I assume because it put them in the wrong place.  

Does anyone have the Mac version?? LOL


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## dricci (Apr 16, 2002)

Try this: Download the .exe in OS X and change it to .zip. Then open in stuffit expander. Move the result to the Photoshop Plugins folder, enjoy (if they worK).


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## Bluefusion (Apr 16, 2002)

No, the problem is that they install PC-only versions of the plugins... and their buried among a bunch of other folders and random WIndows sysem stuff that I don't know how to sort through... I'm really not sure how to get around that... 

Honestly, if someone could just explain why the stupid installer for the Mac hangs, I would be able to just install the plugins in their proper folders ON the Mac and be done with it...


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## Trip (Apr 16, 2002)

Just an idea: BlingBling: could you perhaps get the infamous DropStuff for your PC, stuff the actual plug-ins then host them again? I, also, would LOVE to get these plug-ins! If possible!

Thanks!


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## Jadey (Apr 16, 2002)

I'd just like to know the name of the plug-ins.


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## Bluefusion (Apr 16, 2002)

The plugins are KPT (Kai's Power Tools) version 7.  The specific one I'm trying to get a hold of is FraxFlame.

Just to clear everything up, yes I have them (Mac version), yes they do install (in OS 9), yes they work (in OS 9 Photoshop 7), no, they don't work (in OS X photoshop). Anyone have any ideas? I have both an OS 9 version and a carbonized OS X version, and leaving them in a folder called "KPT effects" in the main PS plugins folder worked FINE in OS 9. (I didn't try the Carbon version in OS 9 but I assume it would work)... now, why would Photoshop 7 in X not be able to use these plugins? ... anyone know?


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## Trip (Apr 16, 2002)

1) Is there anyway you can get that plug-in to me?!?! It would be great!

2) I'm not 100% sure, but there may be a different plug-in folder Photoshop uses in X. I'm assuming it's going to be somewhere in the ~/users/System folder...but I really have no clue.


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## Bluefusion (Apr 17, 2002)

Well, my server's capacity is 20 megs, so if I can get it really really small I'd be able to do it. I can't work on this right now but in about 8 hours I'll be back from school and will be able to upload 

So sit tight until then. I will email you when it's ready.


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## Bluefusion (Apr 17, 2002)

Can anyone recommend a good file-storage site that's free that would allow files about 20 megs to be uploaded? There is no way I'm going to be able to cut 5 megs off the installer, so...


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## Trip (Apr 17, 2002)

I don't know of any free places that offer up to 20 MB. I'll look around, if you do find one let me know!


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## Bluefusion (Apr 17, 2002)

I would have used 50Megs.com except they only allow a maximum 512k file size limit.... maybe if I split the file up? Hmmm... (on a school computer so I can't do it yet, but...)


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## .dev.lqd (Apr 17, 2002)

KPT does very few things well that can't be done better with some decent application of photoshop's basic tools. Now in my third year of studying interactive digital media... I use the base plugins pretty much exclusively... most often guassian blur or noise filters. More often than not I'm just trying to touch up a scan before I bring it into some other application.

The other program to learn is probably illustrator. A common workflow involves creating artwork in illustrator, rasterizing it (turning the lines into pixels) in Photoshop... and then embellishing and adding extra flair. 

You can often see the actual process in a lot of images if you look. Look for the hard edged vector graphics first... then look for repetitions of that shape... drop shadows... ghosted overlays.. etc. Then you look for the photographic elements (pictures) that have been incorporated. 

That's how A LOT of your generic techno imagery is developed... probably close to 75%.

How you can do it: gather a few photographs that you like... then gather some pictures of old buildings... sculpture... really whatever you want and draw shapes on top of it in illustrator. The most interesting abstract shapes end up being interesting because they are obtusely related to things we see in our everyday world... 

Pull the illustrator work into photoshop... layer it all with some blurs and transparent effects... and call it 'art'


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## Nummi_G4 (Apr 17, 2002)

I have a place you can put the plugins.  Tell me if you still need a spot.


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## Nummi_G4 (Apr 17, 2002)

"high-tech graphics?"

  yeah... you cannot just use filters and things that are built into your graphic programs.  Actually, I think almost all of the filters built into Pshop are crap. I have not used them in a long time.  They make a cheap, tacky looking design.


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## Bluefusion (Apr 17, 2002)

Yeah, Nummi, if you have a place to put them, I'd love it.

Anyway, some of the base photoshop plugs aren't good, but a lot of them (Craquelure comes to mind) can be used for an AMAZING effect. 

I know that nearly everything can be done in Photoshop--unfortunately I just really really don't know how to use it to that potential. I am trying to learn Illustrator, though... it's a great program.

I still find Studio Artist to be the most amazing for doing unusual designs... and combined with Painter and Photoshop I bet you could do nearly any visual effect, but it would be pretty hard to do some of the things KPT FraxFlame does in 10 seconds.


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## .dev.lqd (Apr 17, 2002)

just caught the reference to FraxFlame... it's actually just an implementation of a type of fractal called flame... anyone who's used ElectricSheep knows what they look like.

http://draves.org/flame

There are lots of links to free software... plugins for aftereffects (which MAY work with photoshop (6 or below)) and the original utilities used to create them (which I'm pretty sure someone's got to work under windows... but if not could probably compile fairly easily under macosx).

This might be more viable (*ahem* and ethical) than KPT.


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## .dev.lqd (Apr 17, 2002)

Just to chime in one more time...

very many of the base photoshop plugins are based upon previously existed photographic/printmaking techniques. Most of them are designed to be accurate... not to be one-shot type stylers for web page heading graphics. 

I may be being over pretentious... but in my experience base photoshop can be used to create more consistently sophisticated effects than a canned plugin... and at least in my experience... where having your work be identified as using this effect or that effect is NOT a good thing... you really try to limit what plugins you use so you can create more unique effects. 

Fractal stuff is an exception to this... since you can't create fractals without a computer... it's a specific effect you're trying to create (where hand drawing a fractal just looks silly). 

Then again... this is what I do... a more hobbyist approach being that if it works... use it... and who can argue with that?


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## .dev.lqd (Apr 17, 2002)

just caught the reference to FraxFlame... it's actually just an implementation of a type of fractal called flame... anyone who's used ElectricSheep knows what they look like.

http://draves.org/flame

There are lots of links to free software... plugins for aftereffects (which MAY work with photoshop (6 or below)) and the original utilities used to create them (which I'm pretty sure someone's got to work under windows... but if not could probably compile fairly easily under macosx).

This might be more viable (*ahem* and ethical) than KPT.


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## chemistry_geek (Apr 22, 2002)

Bluefusion,

Here is how it's REALLY done:

*Aliens in UFOs practicing Black Magic*.

I know, I saw them do it!   Shhhhhhh...... Don't tell anyone (especially the NSA), it's a secret.


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