Description:
KPT Vector Effects addresses some of the few shortcomings of Adobe Illustrator, while still allowing for the resolution independence in vector-based art. Resolution independence means that no matter how big the image is scaled, the graphics will always stay sharp. For example, the same piece of art can be used for display on a small taxi rooftop or on a billboard at the side of a highway. Vector-based tools excel at creating scalable, clean-line artwork. KPT Vector Effects, a set of 13 plug-ins for Adobe Illustrator, extends this clean-line look with a series of filters, some of which can bring an effect similar to something found in Photoshop, while others introduce totally new functionality. Either way, these tools are designed to break down the clean look those Adobe tools facilitate into something more bizarre, exciting, or just more palatable. KPT 3D Transform creates a pseudo 3-D object based on the extrusion of a shape. Text in 3-D is now possible and easy; and control over parameters like depth, bevel, and X, Y, and Z rotation is straightforward. A great tool for many tasks, it could be used to mock up a logo or for creating mockups of 3-D artwork. KPT ShadowLand is another key plug-in. Soft drop shadows are problematic at best, but Shadowland offers a way to create a variety of drop shadows and effects, ranging from a solid gray to a solid color of your choice. The artist has control of softness, distance from image, direction, etc. KPT ShatterBox takes existing objects and slices them up into exploded parts. This is nothing that can't be done using native Illustrator tools, but it would take too long to do as good a job as ShatterBox does. Additionally, Shatterbox has a wide variety of "explosive" presets for shattering objects in many different ways. KPT VectorDistort can twist, zig, shear, and bulge any object on a layer into just about any desired shape. Other plug-ins include KPT Sketch, for converting an object into a more organic, hand-drawn look like pencil sketched on paper; and KPT Inset, for creating in- or outlines of a selected object. The Vector Effects suite is a time-saver for many assignments. The only drawback that could mean potential trouble is that some of the filters, like ShadowLand or ShatterBox, create a large number of objects in order to complete their task. On slower machines with memory issues, this can spell trouble--especially at print time. --Mike Caputo
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