Imagenomic added Lightroom support to its portrait-retouching plug-in, appropriately called Portraiture. Installation couldn’t be easier and you can access the plug-in by Right-clicking on the photo and choosing Edit In>Imagenomic Portraiture, or in the Develop module via Photo>Edit In>Imagenomic Portraiture. So how easy is it to use and how are the results?

When you launch Portraiture, a TIFF copy of the photo opens in the plug-in and the Default preset is automatically applied. For many applications, the Default settings are very good. If they don’t work for your photo or you’re going after a certain look, you can click the Presets pop-up menu and choose from eight presets. You can also create your own presets for a signature style or for consistency in an ad campaign, catalog, or portrait series. The best thing is everything is customizable, from the portrait settings to the view options to export and batch processing.

If you’re not sure where to begin, Portraiture includes a 39-page PDF Help  le to get you started, but they don’t leave
you hanging. They also have a user forum and several excellent video tutorials on their website. The video tutorials cover everything from various work ows to creating certain looks to making Lightroom droplets. I highly recommend watching them.

Portraiture does a great job of softening skin while preserving texture, and the various presets work with all skin tones. I prefer working in the before-and-after split-screen view because you can zoom into your photo and see both versions of the image.

The Navigator panel is a nice touch and makes it easy to pinpoint your retouching. Though the interface looks fairly simple, Portraiture is powerful and the results are impressive. There’s a free 15-day demo available. For anyone who’s serious about portrait retouching, Portraiture should be considered essential.

Company: Imagenomic, LLC
Price: $199.95
Web: www.imagenomic.com
Rating: 5

A year ago this past June, Extensis released version 1 of Universal Type Server (UTS)—and now version 2 is hot on its heels with some nice new features that are going to be of special interest to larger companies with many users. While both the Pro and Lite versions have had general speed enhancements and the obligatory bug fixes, most of the major new features affect the Pro version.

The biggest new feature is the Directory Integration Module, which allows the continual one-way synchronization from Microsoft’s Active Directory or Apple’s Open Directory. This is more convenient than simply importing the information, since new users and changes are updated automatically. The good news is this module was originally included free for a limited time in version 2, but is now a permanent part of version 2.1.

Another major new feature is the ability to use an external SQL database to manage the font, workgroup, and user data rather than using the built-in UTS database. The main advantage is an increase in speed and response time by offloading some of the work from UTS. However, this module is optional and costs $4,235, so this would be mainly of interest to companies with a large user base. Version 2 originally only supported Microsoft SQL Server, but version 2.1 added support for the popular MySQL, which is cross-platform.

Installation of the server and the client software was very easy. Once the server install is complete, the default Web browser opens to the Web-based admin interface. Since the administration is browser-based, it can occur from any system. Just like the first version, Workgroups, Roles, and Users are set up in the admin window. Users can be assigned to multiple workgroups with different roles (permissions) per group, such as the ability to add fonts to the server in one workgroup but not another. Users can have their own personal workgroup to add fonts without those fonts being available to all users, plus these workgroups can be stored on the server so they’re available at any computer the user logs into or on a single computer. If the user attempts to bypass UTS by adding problem fonts directly into the computer’s font folder(s), an administrator can turn on Enforce System Font Policy, which limits what fonts can be added and will remove unapproved fonts automatically.

The client interface looks very similar to Extensis Suitcase Fusion, so it should be comfortable to users switching from Suitcase to UTS. The client software can be installed on as many computers as one wishes—the server will automatically limit the users to the number the license allows. That way, a company doesn’t have to over purchase client licenses, but can maintain a number of floating licenses for occasional use.

Font compliance is easy to set up, albeit a tedious process. Once set up, it will limit the number of users that can activate a font based on the font license restrictions, plus one can generate reports of usage, which can be exported to a tab-delimited file. An admin user can see exactly who’s adding fonts to the workgroups and remove them if necessary.

Other enhancements include (to name but a few) better font corruption checks and repair; speedier auto activation for Adobe InDesign and Illustrator CS2/3/4, plus QuarkXPress 7 and 8; and cross-platform backup of the server database. In my tests, everything worked as expected without glitches.

The cost of the product listed below is for new purchasers. The good news is that owners of UTS version 1 Pro get a free upgrade since they received a one-year service agreement with their purchase. (Version 1 shipped on 6/18/08 and 2 shipped on 6/17/09.) If the service agreement expires, upgrades from Pro version 1 to version 2 are $1,061.45, and Lite users can upgrade to UTS 2 Lite for $697.50. Extensis should be commended for releasing this version within the one-year service agreement time—they could have easily delayed the release and charged upgrade fees from every user.—David Creamer

Company: Extensis
Price: $1,808.95 plus $163.35 per client (Pro); $1,395 w/10 clients (Lite)
Web: www.extensis.com
Rating: 5

Hot: Free upgrade from Pro version 1 with active one-year service agreement; new features for large companies
Not: PDF manuals are not bookmarked

For almost 15 years, Sorenson Media has been a leader in video encoding and compression technology. Building on their success, they’ve developed a new Video Delivery Network (VDN) service, Sorenson 360. Like other Content Delivery Networks (CDNs), Sorenson 360’s VDN allows for increased preference, quality, and scalability, without the high price of a CDN, such as Akamai or Limelight.

Although not for everyone, the 360 is designed for a small- or medium-sized business that needs a reliable way to deliver videos in a customizable player along with accurate metrics. Also, it’s a subscription-based service with users paying by the length of videos and number of “streams” (one stream equals one view).

An interesting thing about 360 is that you don’t need Sorenson Squeeze or any other compression software to use it. You can upload your uncompressed files to 360 and it will compress your video, all over the Internet. Even though I’d rather handle encoding locally, this is a great feature for small businesses that might not have extensive knowledge of video compression. Note: Those users with Squeeze 5.1, however, can compress files locally and upload the videos right to a 360 account without leaving Squeeze. Once the videos are uploaded to 360, you’ll have the ability to customize the player, view detailed metrics, password-protect files for client-specific access, and much more.

Sorenson 360 is really designed for small businesses that are looking for a video CDN alternative and want to step above free or cheaper services (such as YouTube or blip.tv), which require compromises and carry certain “free” behaviors. If you fit into that market, it’s a great service and, even if you don’t, Sorenson will customize a subscription for you.—Erik Kuna

Company: Sorenson Media Inc.
Price: Starts at $99/month
Web: www.sorensonmedia.com
Rating: 3.5

Hot: Reliable; customizable; duration metrics
Not: Expensive for most users

Pixelmator has a practical feature set for creating, editing, and enhancing images. Originally released in 2007, version 1.5 for Mac is only compatible with Leopard and Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.5.7 or later), taking advantage of Apple’s OS X Core Image technology. And it’s fast: booting in two seconds and processing and applying one of 50 effects filters to large files in approximately three seconds.

Pixelmator does a lot within its layer-based architecture, 10 palettes, and set of 20 tools. Added features include: Save for Web; image slicing; a trim tool; and you can send a copy of your image to a new Mail message or your iPhoto library. Also, with one click, Pixelmator can take a picture via Apple iSight and add it as a layer into your composition.

If you work with Photoshop, Pixelmator’s user interface—configurable palettes and a toolbar float on a slick, black background—will be warm, familiar ground, with many of the same keyboard commands. It supports more than 100 file formats including PSD, DNG, and most proprietary RAW formats. Its layer-based architecture has layer masks and blending modes but it lacks nondestructive adjustment layers and blending styles.

Pixelmator offers an excellent brush and gradient tool and there’s a wide range of selection tools including a clever magic wand that visually shows the selection as you drag across targeted areas. The extensive filter menu has some wonderful effects with unique digital ropes that allow you to select the center of the filter’s effect. Third-party plug-ins are supported by Apple’s Core Image and Quartz Composer technology.

What Pixelmator needs is to spruce up the text tools’ options and have a photo browser that can navigate freely. Currently the browser can only open files saved to iPhoto or your Home picture folder. But Pixelmator is a powerful program worth downloading and trying.—Steve Baczewski

Company: Smith Micro Inc.
Price: $59
Web: www.pixelmator.com
Rating: 4.5

Hot: Fast
Not: Photo browser

Flash Decompiler Trillix v4 by Eltima is an inexpensive tool for converting SWF files into editable Flash files or extracting elements such as images, sounds, videos, and fonts. Additionally, Flash Decompiler converts SWF files created in Flex back to their source code.

When you open a SWF in Decompiler you can start, stop, and scrub through the animation. Context panels allow you to examine each frame’s content and provide detailed information of all of the elements within the SWF. Converting a SWF file to a Flash document or extracting elements is as simple as clicking the corresponding button. Conversion is surprisingly quick, while extraction on the same file can be a bit slow.

Decompiler does a good job converting SWF files containing animation and basic ActionScript. Usually, you need to do very little tweaking to replicate the original movie. However, complex SWF files, such as those created using Captivate, did not hold together. It extracted the code but didn’t keep it organized in a manner that allowed the program to function.

This latest release is available for both Mac and Windows; however, the Mac version lacks some of the functionality of the Windows version. Windows users are able to make minor edits to Flash objects, such as images, texts, hyperlinks, sounds, colors, and lines within Decompiler. Mac users must first convert the SWF into a Flash file to edit the objects. The Windows version also includes plug-ins for Internet Explorer and Firefox that allow you to capture SWF movies from the Internet.

The bottom line is Flash Decompiler Trillix is a good but not perfect utility for decompiling SWFs. It’s a tool that can save you significant time if you ever need to edit a SWF file and you no longer have the original Flash document.—Cyndy Cashman

Company: Eltima Software
Price: $79.95
Web: www.eltima.com
Rating: 4

Hot: Easy to use and affordable
Not: Fewer features on Mac; conversion of complex ActionScript

Have you ever wanted a fast, inexpensive way to create your own cartoons and animations? Well your wait is over! With Anime Studio Debut 6 you can get your 2D animations up to speed with your own designs or you can use the pre-packaged characters, props, video, and sounds to create cool cartoons quickly. So let’s take a look at what makes Anime Studio Debut 6 a great find and a significant upgrade from Anime Studio 5.

The two features that I’d say make this upgrade worthwhile are the amplitude-based lip-syncing and motion tracking. These two items can take a beginner’s animations to the next level. The drawing tools include a great set of basic, vector drawing tools that provide freehand drawing, shading, and shape tools that, when used correctly, can be pretty powerful. Note though that you won’t be able to do complex drawings as you can in Photoshop but you can get some great results if you use the tools properly.

You can publish your videos straight to YouTube or other TV and Web formats, giving you a polished final output to show off to the world. Finally, the bone system has been upgraded for Anime Studio Debut 6. The bones now morph animated shapes more naturally and allow a quicker, easier process to animate your characters. For the price, you can’t beat this software’s capabilities and features to produce animation.

Anime Studio Debut 6 is an easy-to-use program and a great (and inexpensive) tool for designers who want to get into character animation. It’s also a time-saver and with its feature set, it’s a must-have for designers who want to improve their animation skills.—Bruce Bicknell

Company: Smith Micro Inc.
Price: $49.99
Web: www.mysmithmicro.com
Rating: 4.5

Hot: Bone system; lip-syncing; motion tracking
Not: Drawing tools aren’t advanced

It’s finally here! When I heard that the new version of 3ds Max was ready, I was very curious to see what the folks at Autodesk had come up with to make us run out and buy it. I was skeptical to say the least, as it seems many of our favorite programs are being upgraded more frequently and some of these upgrades are definitely not worth the cost vs. the new feature benefits. But I have to say that Autodesk 3D Studio Max 2010 hasn’t disappointed; there are quite a few new features (more than 100 new additions to the modeling toolset alone) that make it a robust upgrade worthy of investing. The new features are plenty, so let’s jump in and get right to them.

The first thing you’ll notice after launching the program is that the interface has a fresh new look with a clean color palette that’s much easier on the eyes. This may not seem like a big deal at first, but try staring at your screen for a few hours and you’ll really notice the difference. The next feature that jumps out is the Graphite Tools Ribbon Modeling interface (similar to Microsoft’s). These appear at the top of the viewport and this is where all of the new modeling tools are stored. The Graphite ribbon is an amazing addition to the program. Previously, a lot (if not all) of these tools were available as a plug-in, so it’s very cool that they’ve decided to include them in the new version of Max. This is where the bulk of the tools are and you’ll find there’s more than enough to keep you busy creating for some time.

One really cool addition is the set of Loop tools, which makes it easier than ever to clean up a model. You can select edge loops in one click and easily remove them, as well as add edge loops, making the process much more interactive. The Insert Edge Loop tool has been missing from Max—its counterpart, Maya, has had this function for some time. This helps bring some additional functionality to Max that we’ve all been clamoring for.

Another cool new feature is the ability to optimize your models. Users can now perform intense mesh optimization and mesh-flow tweaking without switching tools. Once this is engaged, you can delete rings, edges, and loops with a single click of the mouse. This is a great tool for those that find themselves with a high poly count and need to get the size down to a more manageable number. The new Topology tool has been integrated into Max this go-around, as well; a very welcome addition, as it allows you to take a high poly model from Mudbox or ZBrush and simply “draw” new low poly onto it creating a new mesh. There are many more new features but I just don’t have the space to cover them all here.

In conclusion, I think that Autodesk has really stepped it up with this release of Max 2010. It seemed as though Maya was getting all of the attention lately, but after seeing this new version and putting it through its paces, have no fear my friends: the Autodesk gang has definitely not forgotten about the Max users and this release proves it.—Bruce Bicknell

Company: Autodesk, Inc.
Price: $3,495 (Upgrade: $895)
Web: www.autodesk.com
Rating: 4.5

Hot: Graphite modeling toolset; render-preview; enhanced OBJ support;
Not: Cost

Some designers have a background in 3D modeling. I don’t. Still, clients expect me to make their logos spin and dance in 3D space. As much as I’d love to learn how to use Maya or 3ds Max, I don’t have the time or resources to do so.

Thank goodness for Swift 3D 6. It’s a 3D application made specifically for Flash designers. It allows them to draw simple shapes, type text, or import AI/EPS files and extrude them. You can then color and shade the model and animate it using a Flash-like Timeline. Swift 3D ships with preset animations, such as spins and bounces, that you can apply via drag-and-drop. It also comes with a large styles library, so if you want your object to look like glass or chrome, you don’t have to create that look from scratch. You can render out your model in a variety of styles, including photorealism and various cartoonish looks.

Once you import your project into Flash, you see it as a series of layers on the Timeline. Each aspect of the 3D data (reflections, colors, shadows, etc.) is on its own layer, so you have independent control of all the parts.

Advanced users will enjoy Swift 3D’s ability to import industry-standard 3DS and DFX formats. Swift 3D also includes polygon tools for advanced modeling. Developers will enjoy the program’s ability to export models and Papervision3D scenes.

With Swift 3D, I’m able to tell clients, “Yes, I can!”—Marcus Geduld

Company: Electric Rain
Price: $129
Web: www.erain.com
Rating: 4

Hot: Huge time saver; bargain: 25 effects for $129
Not: Mac only; lack of built-in image ordering

Prezi is a Flash-based visualization, storytelling, and presentation tool that allows you to create nonlinear presentations. Using the simple editor, you can place text, images, video, Flash files, and draw lines to show relationships between each item. The final result is a visual map that lets users zoom in and out and navigate to content in a clickable environment.

It takes a while to get used to Prezi’s interface—especially the Zebra, which allows you to position and resize objects. The site offers excellent support with an online manual, tutorial videos, examples, and a blog. Perhaps the best feature is that it allows designers to focus on designing. Using Prezi, you can present a concept and supply multiple branches to supporting media without writing a line of code—it’s like sketching an idea on a napkin!

As a hosted solution, Prezi has three pricing structures: Free, Enjoy (approximately $58/year), and Pro (approximately $176/year). The Free version gives you up to 100 MB of storage on their site, includes the Prezi logo on your presentation, and makes your presentations public. For an annual fee, the Enjoy and Pro versions let you create private presentations and access additional online storage space. Pro allows you to download a desktop version of their editing software. Free and Enjoy users design online by uploading content to the Prezi server. All versions allow you to use the simple editor; download your presentations and show them from your computer; create groups to share and collaborate with; import images, videos, PDFs, and Flash files; and embed presentations into blogs and websites.

Prezi is easy to use but when putting together a presentation, I found it sometimes took several seconds to respond while moving or resizing an object. Even with its few glitches, Prezi is a unique tool you’ll want to consider adding to your toolset.—Cyndy Cashman

Company: Prezi
Price: Approx. $176/year (Pro)
Web: www.prezi.com
Rating: 4.5

Hot: Innovative; easy to use; affordable
Not: Occasional slow response

The MAPublisher plug-in for Illustrator CS3 and CS4 is not for the timid: You should be familiar with GIS (Geographic Information System) data and have a need to publish that data in a visual format. Simply put, the plug-in uses GIS data to create maps in Illustrator. You first create an Illustrator file and import the GIS data (in popular data formats such as AutoCAD, ESRI, MapInfo, and USGS) to create maps up to 200″ square. After importing, you can manipulate the resulting map in a number of ways.

Last time I used MAPublisher, it was version 4; it’s come a long way since then. Exciting new features include the ability to export maps to an interactive Flash file (this alone could expand the user base); automate the labeling of map features (as an optional add-on); use stylesheets for consistent formatting; work with GPS data; crop maps without messing up the overall map coordinates; and use CS4’s multiple artboards. Some of these features take time to set up and use properly; however, most of the setup work can be saved for future use.

The only fault I found was not with the MAPublisher plug-in, but with the tutorials. They certainly showed how to work with the plug-in’s features well enough (and perhaps that’s all you might expect) but I’d have liked more information on how the data could be used after manipulating it with the tools. I suspect Avenza didn’t want to insult their more-experienced audience by telling them how to do their jobs because, as mentioned above, you need to be familiar with GIS and its use. But a section on “why you might need and how you can use this data” might be useful for beginners in the GIS arena.—David Creamer

Company: Avenza Systems Inc.
Price: $1,249 (Upgrade $549)
Web: www.avenza.com
Rating: 5

Hot: Creates maps from GIS data
Not: Cost

GridIron Software’s Flow cannot be fully explained in this amount of space—it’s too vast and too valuable. Instead, I’ll tell you what it does and what it’s good for. In my testing, it works as promised, and beyond.

Flow is a “visual workflow manager” that keeps track of the relationships between all the files you use and gives you access to that data whenever you need it. You need Flow because even though applications such as InDesign and Illustrator remember the locations of the pictures and other assets you place into each document, they can’t keep track of every document that uses an individual asset. For example, if you create a logo, image, animation, movie, sound, etc., and then use it in 245 documents, only Flow can tell you which documents use that asset—even if it was exported to a PDF or PowerPoint file, or rendered to a movie. Without Flow, how could you possibly update every document that uses a specific logo or image?

Flow keeps track of every file placed within every other file, and every exported file generated by a file. And every version. So, it can answer the question, “Where did we get the text that was placed into the InDesign document that created the PDF I’m looking at right now?” It can even show you all the other PDFs that were generated from that InDesign document, and all the assets within those PDFs. It also keeps copies of files every time you save, so you can recover files from several revisions back. Of course, you have control over how many older files it saves to prevent your hard drives from filling up.

Flow tracks the time you spend actually using each application. Because it also tracks the relationships between files, it knows how much time you’ve spent on an entire project—automatically. You can manually or automatically export this data to any database or spreadsheet for billing calculations.

It’s almost universal: Flow works with every common creative app, including the Adobe Creative Suite, video- and sound-editing applications from Adobe and Apple, Microsoft Office, 3D apps, AutoCAD, CorelDRAW, Painter, text files, and any other file you choose to associate with a project—just drag it onto another document in Flow’s map to connect them. Version 1 doesn’t track QuarkXPress or Adobe Photoshop Lightroom files, but GridIron promises to support them soon. It works on Mac OS X 10.5 and above, and Windows XP or Vista.

Given its complexity, Flow’s interface is as simple as I could imagine. The main Map window displays a flowchart that connects all the documents a file is related to. If you click a connected file, the map changes to show all the connections for that file. You can then click any file to open it.

There’s an optional floating Dashboard window that keeps track of files you move (or delete!) that are being used by other documents. This display updates in real time as you move files around on your hard drive. You can also display a similar window in any CS3 or CS4 application as you work on documents. This window shows all the assets that depend on the current file, all the versions of that file, time spent working on that file, etc.

Amazingly, workgroups can even share a Map so that everyone sees changes to all the files in a project as they’re made. For $133 per member of your workgroup, Flow will quickly repay you many times over.
—Jay Nelson

Company: GridIron Software
Price: $299
Web: www.gridironsoftware.com
Rating: 4

Hot: Completely new solution to a timeless problem
Not: Doesn’t yet support Lightroom or QuarkXPress

Director 11.5 will be familiar to users of previous versions but some additions improve productivity, for example: multiple undos/redos, stage docking, enhanced user interface, Sprite, channel naming, and a new Help System. But the hot addition in audio is 5.1-channel surround sound that, along with real-time mixing ability, means you can add a mixer to your movie to import audio files and cast members.

Of prime interest to game developers is the new, advanced-physics that’s based on the NVIDIA (registered) PhysX engine, so you can simulate gravity and other “real-life” effects. Other new features include H.264 support, which means that developers can now include HD content. Real-Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP) lets you stream audio or video in web-based applications. And now Director supports more than 40 video, audio, and image file formats—SWF, FLV, F4V, DVD-Video, bitmaps, vectors, 3D, and text, to name a few.

What’s user-friendly and pretty slick is when you open a project created in an earlier version of Director. You can select the encoding applied and choose to re-create the project in a subfolder of the original project folder or to a custom location. I sometimes run across multiple versions of a project created for what I thought was a good, “Oh, I’ll remember-that” reason. But then I don’t remember why I have two versions; so the option to save in the same folder is a terrific addition for me. I’ve upgraded several projects and both the upgrades and the originals do what they’re supposed to do.

Two issues for me are the lack of AS3 support as referenced in the Help file: “Flash 9 movies with AS3 or Flex components may not work as intended in Director.” And the price point for Director 11.5 is a little steep.
—Tamara Fry-Pietsch

Company: Adobe Systems Incorporated
Price: $999 (upgrade $299)
Web: www.adobe.com
Rating: 3

Hot: H.264, FLV, SWF, Surround Sound, Google SketchUp 3D support
Not: Lack of AS3 support; price