What it does
How to Install
Controls
Hints
Versions
How to Purchase
Questions
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Glitterato
What it does
Glitterato makes starfields with nebulas.You can make realistic-looking
vistas or vivid, surreal skies.
How to install
Illustrated installation instructions are online.
To use this software, you need a paint program which accepts standard Photoshop 3.02 plugins.
Just put the plug-in filter into the folder where your paint program expects to find it. If you have Photoshop, the folder is Photoshop:Plugins:Filters or Photoshop:Plug-Ins. You must restart Photoshop before it will notice the new plug-in. It will appear in the menus as Filters->Flaming Pear->Glitterato.
Most other paint programs follow a similar scheme.
If you have Paint Shop Pro: you have to create a new folder, put the plug-in filter into it, and then tell PSP to look there.
PSP 7:
Choose the menu File-> Preferences-> File Locations... and choose the Plug-in Filters tab. Use one of the "Browse" buttons to choose the folder that contains the plug-in.
The plugin is now installed. To use it, open any image and select an area. From the menus, choose Effects->Plug-in Filters->Flaming Pear->Glitterato.
PSP 8, 9, and X:
Choose the menu File-> Preferences-> File Locations... In the dialog box that appears, choose Plug-ins from the list. Click "Add." If you are using PSP 8 or 9, click "Browse". Now choose the folder that contains the plug-in.
The plugin is now installed. To use it, open any image and select an area. From the menus, choose Effects->Plugins->Flaming Pear->Glitterato.
Controls
When you invoke Glitterato, a dialog box will appear:

Quick start
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If you just want to see some effects quickly, click the dice button
until you see something you like; then click OK.
Using the dice is the easiest way to use Glitterato. If you want
to hand-tune your own effects, it helps to learn the controls,
which are arranged into two groups:
Nebula
Stars
...and a few other controls that affect the whole image. |
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dice |
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1. Nebula
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Glitterato's nebulas have two layers. A in the back, and B in
front.
A sets the brightness of the first layer.
Two color buttons set layer A's colors.
B sets the brightness of the second layer. Where layer B is bright
enough, it can replace the colors from layer A.
Two color buttons set layer B's colors.
The color-hex button changes all four colors, and leaves other settings alone.
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color buttons

color-hex button for randomizing colors
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Scale makes the nebulas larger and smaller.
Texture adds small high-contrast details to the nebulas.
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a nebula

more texture
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Fibrousness add swooping streaks.
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more fibrousness |
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Contrast ranges from dim, smooth washes of gas to harsh, bright, isolated
clumps.
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more contrast |
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Opacity makes the nebulas block out the stars.
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more opacity |
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2. Stars
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Density gives you sparse or plentiful stars.
Brightness sets the stars' average brightness.
Scale makes the stars small or large.
Depth makes most of the stars small and dim, which makes it look like
the stars lie at different distances from the observer.
Color produces all-white stars at zero, natural "blackbody" colors
at 50, and super-vivid color at 100.
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some stars

more brightness and scale

more depth and color
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3. Other controls
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Dice The dice choose a random effect. Click as much as you want to
see different results.
Random seed This rearranges the random quality of the nebulas while leaving other settings unchanged.
Glue mode popup menu Lets you combine the result with the underlying image in various ways. Modes other than "normal" produce special effects. The next-glue button advances to the next glue mode.
Plus, % and minus buttons: If the selected image area is larger than the preview
are, these buttons will let you zoom in and out. You can also
reposition the preview by dragging it around; your cursor will
turn into a hand.
Load preset Glitterato comes with some presets, which are files containing
settings. To load one, click this button and browse for a preset
file.
Save preset When you make an effect you like, click this button to save the
settings in a file.
Undo backs up one step.
Three more buttons:
OK Applies the effect to your image.
Cancel Dismisses the filter, and leaves the image unchanged.
Register Allows you to type in a registration code.
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dice

random seed

next glue

load preset

save preset

undo
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Hints
If you don't need the nebulas, set A and B to zero. The software
will run much faster.
Apply the filter two or more times, using the "screen" or "add"
glue mode, to make extra-dense starfields.
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Version History
Version 1.1 May 2004
New glue modes. Works in 16-bit-per-component color.
Version 1.06 December 2003
Recordable as a Photoshop action.
Version 1.04 September 2003
Adds more glue modes and the next-glue button.
Version 1.02 February 2003
Adds more glue modes and fixes a crash that could happen when
using the menus under Windows XP.
Version 1.01 December 2002
Adds new glue modes: Color, Luminance, Linear Light, and Pin Light.
Fixes the appearance of text in the interface when running under
Mac OS X 10.2.3 .
Version 1.0 December 2000
The first public release. |
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How to Purchase
You can place an order online here. A secure server for transactions is available.
If you do not wish to purchase online, you can use the "Register"
program that came with the software.
Questions
Answers to common technical questions appear on the support page, and free upgrades appear periodically on the download page.
Trouble with your order? Orders are handled by Kagi; please contact them at admin@kagi.com .
For bug reports and technical questions about the software, please
write to support@flamingpear.com .
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