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MAY 29, 2003 Auto FX Mystical Lighting
It offers its own layer window with opacity controls, and, since the effects are non-destructive up until the point at which you finally apply them to your Photoshop file, it also includes switches for turning on and shutting off effects or individual instances of effects.  [an error occurred while processing this directive]The effects controls themselves are quite robust and arranged in an intuitive way. When you apply and effect (or select one from the layer window), the effects parameters open up in a side pane, providing enough inputs to keep you busy for a while. (Some of the parameters also provide you with subparameters, giving you quite a degree of control over the elements in your effects.) And it includes its own preferences, so you can adjust the look, texture and color of the interface, as well as set other options. The one negative that I have about the interface is that it takes over the screen entirely, eliminating the menu bar and even the Dock, making it difficult to navigate between apps. However, the window can be shrunk, though Mystical Lighting does not remember this the next time it's launched. This taking over of the screen also led to one major problem I encountered while reviewing this software. Since it takes over the Mac UI when launched, it's impossible to force quit this software should a lockup occur. And this is precisely what happened when I was reviewing it. It's been quite a while since I've had to force restart Mac OS X, and it wasn't a welcome change. I'd like to see this problem fixed in the very near future. Despite the single lockup I experienced, I still appreciate the convenience of the Auto FX approach--placing everything within one handy location--and the way it integrates with Photoshop. For performance, Mystical Lighting's effects are zippy enough. Some do lag several seconds, which can get annoying while you're editing an effect, waiting for it to render with each change. But the rendering can be interrupted in most cases, so you don't have to wait for a complete render while making a number of changes simultaneously. You can also set the render delay so that you can keep working without worrying about a render interrupting you, and you can also set the rendering to manual so you really don't have to worry about it. (When set to manual, rendering does not take place until you click the Render button.) The bottom line As you can probably tell, I enjoyed working in Mystical Lighting. The effects are robust and, at times, unique in the vast, bloated market of special effects. With 16 filters that can generate a virtually limitless number of lighting and other special effects, Mystical Lighting is certainly worth its price. I give it a Strong Buy recommendation and suggest you at least download the demo version and take a look for yourself. Auto FX Mystical Lighting is available for Mac OS X and Windows for $179. (Both versions ship on the same CD.) A bundle package with all of the Auto FX software (Mystical Lighting, DreamSuite Pro 1, DreamSuite Pro 2, DreamSuite Gel Pro, Auto Eye and Photo/Graphic Edges) is also available for $699. For more information, visit http://www.autofx.com. Contact the author: Dave Nagel is the producer of Creative Mac and Digital Media Designer; host of several World Wide User Groups, including Synthetik Studio Artist, Adobe Photoshop, Mac OS, Adobe InDesign, Adobe LiveMotion, Creative Mac and Digital Media Designer; and executive producer of the Digital Media Net family of publications. You can reach him at dnagel@digitalmedianet.com. Prev 1 2 3 4 Related sites: • Creative Mac • Digital Media Designer • Digital Producer • The WWUG Related forums: [an error occurred while processing this directive] 
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