Eye Candy Tutorial

The first thing you need to do is go to Debbie Hardisty's website and read about how to install Plugins and Filters. You will probably need to collect the DLL files and install them.

Then, you need to download Eye Candy 3.1. Click on the link above, which will take you to the PIRC website. Click on Eye Candy 3 to start the download. While that is going on, take a look at the PIRC site. You'll find a wealth of PhotoImpact-related information there. When the download is complete, close all your programs and double-click the exe file and follow the instructions.

Eye Candy 3.1 has 21 different filters. Each of those has many variations within it. We'll play around with one here to see how it all works.

In PI, go to Effects and hold your cursor over Eye Candy 3.1. A list of filters will appear. Slide the cursor down and click on Water Drops. This box will open. Let's see what each of these things does.

Number 1 is the global view. It shows the graphic you have open in PI. Inside it you will see an outlined box. If you hold your cursor over this box it will change to a hand. Click and hold and you can move the box around, changing the view. This is what shows in the Preview shot, 2. On either side of the 100% are up and down arrows. Try the arrows to see how the view in the Preview box changes.
Number 3 is all the adjustments you can make for each effect. Try sliding all the sliders, left-click on the color box to change colors, left-click and hold on the lighting ball to change the direction of the light. Random Seed changes the placement of all the drops.
At number 4 you can add your own presets. Click the drop-down box. Right now you will have only "last used". When you make an effect you like, click on the first paintbrush. That will open a dialog box in which you can enter a name for your preset. If you change your mind at any time and wish to delete a saved preset, click the white paintbrush. Whenever you open one of Eye Candy's effects, you will be able to use a saved preset simply by clicking the down arrow and clicking on the preset of your choice.
When you get an arrangement you like, go to 5 and click the check mark. That will apply what is in the preview box to the actual photo. If you change your mind about the whole thing, click the Ø and the box will close, doing nothing to your image.

Let's play a bit with Eye Candy!

Open a photo. Go to Effects, Eye Candy 3.1 and click on Swirl. Swirl is particularly handy for backgrounds and fills. Start sliding sliders until you find a design you particularly like. Click on the golden checkmark to apply the pattern to your photo. If you still like it, open Swirl again. It will show the "last used" pattern, which is your new design. Click on the black paintbrush and name your design. Now, the next time you open Swirl you can go right to your new pattern!

How about a Glass Frame?

Open a photo. Choose the Selection tool and enter these values:

Click on the photo and hold until the circle is where you want it. If you need the circle bigger or smaller, adjust that on the Attribute bar shown above. Right-click and click Invert. The outside will be selected. Use EC to put a Swirl on it, then go to Effects / Gaussian Blur (click on the first box). Now open EC Jiggle. Adjust the sliders to these numbers — 65-33-10-browning — and click the check mark.
Now go to EC Inner Bevel and experiment until you see a bevel you like. (This frame can also be dragged off to use elsewhere.)
Add some extra flowers and leaves and you're done!

Some of the filters in EC need to be on an object. Try using the hibiscus photo and the cut-out flower. Place the flower on the photo, matching it up exactly to the flower in the photo. Go to EC Motion Trail. Find a look you like, click the check mark. Cool? Now try moving the flower. You can see that you must know just where the object is going to be before you use this filter, or several of the others, for they will have no transparency. Again, experiment!

Open an image, color white. Go to EC Chrome. Play with the sliders if you like. That's all! Neat frame for an object.

Some of these filters are practically weird, and you will need to use your imagination to come up with cool things to do with them. The photo has Antimatter applied, no choices there, you get what it gives you.

Oh, and on the very top pic... in this order, using two layers (one the photo and one the flower), I used Antimatter, HSB Noise, Fire, Carve, and Drop Shadow. I leave you to play with that :)

Wasn't that a trip! Your computer is set up to handle plug-in filters and you know how to download and install them. Now you are familiar with Eye Candy 3.1, and soon you'll find all sorts of other commercial and free-ware filters to play with. They will be a breeze because you've spent the time to learn how they work.

Most of all, Have Fun!
Any questions, comments, please drop me a mail :)

Virginia