| more Dogwaffle: |
| PD
Particles |
| PD Artist |
| PD Pro |
| Dogwaffle |
| Store
Image: |
Put a
snapshot of the current
image into a holding area in memory to quickly
use later |
| Plugins &
Add-ons for PD Particles |
|
The
latest version of PD Particles is v1.2 |
| Night
for Day This is a free add-on for users of PD Particles 1.2: and save it into the folder where you installed PD Particles (By default that's C:\Program Files\PD Particles). You can then use the filter from within the Filters tab in the plugins panel |
| Sepia
filter This is a free add-on for users of PD Particles 1.2: and save it into the folder where you installed PD Particles (By default that's C:\Program Files\PD Particles). You can then use the Sepia filter from within the Filters tab in the plugins panel |
| An
update
for the Max Sharpen filter If you got PD Particles 1.1 installed, you may want to grab this little update for the new Max Sharpen filter. It adds a user interface with more options: download this
file:
and save it into the folder where PD Particles was installed on your system. (By default that's C:\Program Files\PD Particles).  |
| a Free
collection of Plugins for PD Particles 1: CoolTools #1 for PD Particles  - Store Image (aka 'Store Buffer') - Store Alpha - Paint on Alpha - Grow Alpha - Shrink Alpha free download: CoolToolsforPDParticles.zip [size: 46 KB] Installation and Usage: Right-click and save the zip file to your desktop or MyDocuments. Extract the files. They will appear in a subfolder named 'CoolToolsforPDParticles'. Open that subfolder and run the file named 'pdparticles_cooltools1.exe' Please report any problems to Philip Short Description of CoolTools #1 > Store Image When you use the 'Store Image' tool, it grabs a snapshot of the current image (RGB only, does not include Alpha) and keeps it handy in memory for quick re-use. You can use Store Image again and again, whenever it's a good idea to grab a snapshot. You can then click the thumbnail of the shown stored image in order to overlay it back over the current image buffer. If you click the Functions button, a menu appears with other options. Replace buffer is useful when you want to switch to an image of different size. Overlay is the same as what you get when clicking the thumbnail. It puts the stored image on top of the current image. You can also do other things like adding just one of the channels, such as the red channel. You can also use any of the RGB channels and load it as a greyscale |
| >
Store Alpha Storing the alpha channel is similar to storing the image. This tool offers additional features, including the ability to touch up and paint and smudge on the greyscale stored image. The default stored view of the alpha channel is reduced in size and only shows 4 options: Replace, Add, Subtract and Invert. You can however resize the stored view window. It will reveal additional options, including a simple paint brush and a smudge tool. You can also grab the current alpha channel or grab the current image, converted to greyscale, and make that the stored version. |
| >
Paint on Alpha When using this tool, the current Alpha channel image is shown instead of the main buffer's image. You can then start painting on it. It makes sense to use black and white and grey colors but it's possible to use color too. Ultimately, the image will be converted back to a greyscale and loaded as the current alpha.  This tool can be useful when you want to do such things like carving a hole into the image through its alpha channel by turning that 'hole' transparent. This is for 3D users creating images to be mapped onto billboard polygons, for example. |
| >
Grow
Alpha The purpose of this tool is to slightly grow the alpha channel region. For example, if there's a selection along a thin line, you can make that selection thicker by expanding it with this tool.  stored alpha after sequential applications of 'Grow Alpha' This is useful in combination with the stored alpha tool. You could use it for example to create a neon lighting around a drawn shape: Transfer the image to stored alpha, then grow the alpha (and optionally store it), then paint the bright neon color into the enlarged selection, then replace the alpha with the stored original, and paint the central color.  click to enlarge You can also use tools from the Alpha menu of PD Particles, such as 'Blur Alpha'. When you store such blurred alpha masks, you can use that for nice hazy neon tube lighting effects. |
| >
Shrink Alpha Shrinking the alpha is the opposite of Growing the alpha. |
| downloads: |
|
Rendered in Puppy Ray for PD Pro 9:
| Getting
started with Digital Painting on a slim budget:  PD Artist Draw, Sketch, Animate & Paint powered by Project Dogwaffle |
extra tools of the
stored Alpha's larger view.
The slider controls the
size of the paint brush.
the default stored view
click to enlarge
use the slider to set the amount of how much to grow the alpha by
original
selection replaced from stored original
grown alpha
grown a few more times
using a series of grown alphas
and painting over them with
different colors