NEWS • SEPTEMBER 5 , 2000
CValley Releases FILTERiT 3.0.1
New version adds Illustrator 9 enhancements

by David Nagel
Executive Producer
dnagel@digitalmedianet.com

CValley has released version 3.0.1 of its Mac-only FILTERiT plugin for Adobe Illustrator. The new version adds enhancements designed to make it run more smoothly under Illustrator 9, though it remains compatible with Illustrator 8.

FILTERiT 3 is a suite of real-time effects and filter effects for Adobe Illustrator. It adds several items to Illustrator's tool palette, as well as a pull-down menu for adjusting the parameters of certain effects. In total, 82 filters are included, as well as 11 real-time effects. Here's a quick look at some of the highlights.

FILTERiT 3 live effects
All real-time effects in FILTERiT 3 can work with text objects without converting them into outlines and paths. Lives features allow for changes in colors and strokes of objects as they are edited. Live effects include:

• Live Neon dresses up the outlines of a selected object for a neon effect. Settings are update automatically as an object is edited.
• Live Border alters borders outside or inside a selected object. It includes capabilities for solid and gradient borders.
• Live Emboss, as its name implies, embosses objects, including text.
• Live Shadow creates a drop shadow on a selected object. It includes a number of styles, as well as editable transparency.
• Live Circle creates copies of objects along a circle. This also can be applied to text objects and grouped objects.
• Live Tiling creates copies of objects along horizontal and vertical lines like tiles. Copies can be proportionally distributed as they are transformed (size and rotation).
• Live Frame creates copies of objects and groups of objects along a rectangular frame.
• Live Reflections creates mirror copies of objects and groups along horizontal, vertical and radial axes.
• Live Generation (pictured, second from top) copies objects and groups with varying sizes and directions.
• Live Explosion creates and arranges copies of objects and groups to form an explosive pattern.
• Live Galaxy creates and arranges copies of objects and groups in a spiral pattern.

Filter effects
New tools in FILTERiT 3 give users access to 82 individual effects in nine categories. We can't look at all of the effects here, but the categories include warps, waves, lens effects, craft, roughening, broom, metabrush, fade (pictured, top) and align points. Each one (except align points) includes a corresponding palette for choosing styles and setting parameters.

We'll be reviewing FILTERiT 3 soon, at which point we'll bring you more details.

The 3.0.1 updater is available free for current users via CValley's Web site. The full version retails for $129. For more information, visit http://www.cvalley.com.

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