In
addition, there are two selectable lights that allow
you to select color, intensity and direction; a random
button; a button to let you save and load your favorite
settings; and a scalable preview window.
The
new version also adds an undo button and a random seed
button for changing the appearance of blotches.
The
experience
Working in Super BladePro is incredibly easy. If you're
not sure where to start, you can just hit the Random button
until you find something you like, then tweak the results
to achieve your final desired effect.
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Rain,
combined with erosion, diffusion and wander, create
the vertical striations seen above on the bevel
of this M.
|
Super
BladePro adds blotches, here shown in red for
easy identification. The actual color of the blotch,
as well as the size and number of blotches, can
be set manually.
|
One
of the obvious applications for Super BladePro is text.
Effects can be applied to the text itself to create a
bevel effect that follows the contours of the text. With
transparency in the background, you can also apply the
effect to an entire layer, which with then only appear
in the final image on the text.
Or
it can be applied to shapes or solids, and even areas
with feathered masks. Just select the area you want to
be textured, and then select the Super BladePro filter
from the Filter menu in Photoshop (or whatever other program
you're using it in, such as Macromedia Fireworks). For
Photoshop 6 users out there, Super BladePro can also be
applied to vector shapes, though they have to be rendered
(just as with type) before the effect can be applied.
Overall,
this is a very solid filter. Super BladePro is well worth
the comparatively paltry $30 registration fee. It offers
a lot of control and some stunning results. Plus, it works
in any program that supports Photoshop filters, including
Adobe After Effects (though very few features are keyframable).
If you're still in doubt, the software, along with many
other Flaming Pear Photoshop plugins, is available as
a free download for a limited duration. Get it. And then
buy it. I did.
