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Howler 2025: Installation
Here are the steps to install the PD Howler 2025 Package.
Reminder:
- you get the installer for PD Howler 2024
- you then add a number of files over that installation, to add new filters, plugins, scripts and resources.
- Some files already exist from the 2024 release and will be replaced with the new versions.
Start by installing Howler 2024. If you don't have Howler 2024 installed you can't update it to the 2025 configuration.
Stop Howler 2024
Make sure Howler 2024 is not currently running, because some of the files it uses will need to be replaced with the new version, and they might be locked while Howler is running. So be sure to stop Howler 2024.
Open the Folder of the Howler 2024 Installation
Howler 2024 most likely was installed (by default) in the following folder:
C:\Program Files (x86)\Howler
Use Windows Explorer to navigate to the drive (C:\ most likely unless you installed it on a different drive).
Go to Program Files (x86)
Find the folder named Howler and open it.
At this point you should be looking at the content of the Howler 2024 installation folder, similar to this:
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You will notice among other things that there already is a sub-folder named VBScripts. A number of new scripts will be added to it, but there also will be new files at this top Howler installation folder level.
Open the Howler 2025 Zip archive and Copy&Paste Files from there to the Existing Howler 2024 Folder
You will have received a zip archive via download, named Howler 2025.zip
It will most likely have been downloaded and saved to your Downloads folder.
Navigate to where the file is located. Open it with Windows Explorer.
You will see a number of files and a few sub-folders.
There are a number of executable files (.exe)
There are a few DLL files (.dll)
There is a subfolder for VBscripts and another for WatercolorBrushes
There's also a readme text file
- Use Ctrl+A to select all (files and subfolders)
Example:
All files and subfolders in that view should be highlighted, indicating they are selected.
You can then Copy the files (with Ctrl+C) and go to the prior Windows Explorer view of the existing Howler 2024 installation. There you can then Paste (Ctrl+V) the files into that folder.
During the Pasting operation, Windows will notice that some files already exist. Be sure to have them Replaced with the new ones:
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After completed Pasting of the new files, you can sort the view by Date Modified, and see the newly added files:
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Notice for examples the new CannyEdgeDetect_pf.exe file, or the new HalftoneGradient_pf.exe, HSV_Selector_pf.exe and Watercolor_pf.exe, and others.
You can also open the VBScripts sub-folder and find more files added there, such as the Galaxy script.
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Testing Howler 2025
After adding the files from the 2025 zip archive, you can start Howler again. Remember, it will still see itself as the 2024 edition in the top of the menubar. But you can find the new features throughout the Filters.
For example, here is a look at a number of new filters added, including the Watercolor FX tool, which is basically a paint program within the paint program, with focus on painting with liquids, turbulent fluids under the influence of gravity and speed of your brush strokes and more interaction of the paint such as with paper texture.
Here's an example done with just 2 brush strokes:
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