The Plug-In Suite 5 will be shipping in November but can be pre-ordered now at a discount. Continue reading for more information about specific updates to FocalPoint 2, PhotoTune 3, PhotoTools 2.5 and PhotoFrame 4.5 as part of the Plug-In Suite 5.

For more information about Plug-In Suite 5 including a pre-order special offer, visit the Plug-In Suite 5 product page.

New FocalPoint 2

I think you are really going to like what we’ve done to FocalPoint 2. We’ve taken it way beyond the motion and box blur that was available in version 1. Now in FocalPoint 2, there is an all new blur algorithm that accurately replicates the blur that a real lens would create. This new algorithm, combined with the ability to use up to six FocusBugs and a new FocusBrush that let’s you fine tune exactly where the blur should go is the perfect way to simulate depth-of-field in your photos.

We worked closely with several professional photographers on this release to make sure that the blur we created was true to what you would normally achieve in camera. This new algorithm is going to allow you to shoot at an aperture like f/8 to achieve optimum sharpness, yet get the background blur as if you shot it at a much wider aperture. You’ve got to see it to believe it! FocalPoint 2 will be shipping in November, but check out the new product page.

New PhotoTune 3

Also new on it’s own or as part of the Plug-In Suite 5 is PhotoTune 3. PhotoTune 3 has a brand new auto-correction algorithm that we licensed from im-sense that was originally developed to solve the problem of dynamic range correction in standard and HDR images. In PhotoTune 3, this technology works on standard images captured in a single image. It ensures that detail is revealed while maintaining color balance and integrity.

Also new in PhotoTune 3 is an updated SkinTune module which automatically color corrects skin color in one step with a new option to target the color correction to just the skin rather than the entire image. It is perfect for both indoor and outdoor portraits where you pick up a surrounding color cast on your subject’s skin. PhotoTune 3 will be available in November.

For more information about PhotoTune 3, visit the product detail page.

Updates to PhotoTools 2.5 and PhotoFrame 4.5

Both PhotoTools and PhotoFrame also get updates as part of this big Plug-In Suite 5 launch. In PhotoTools 2.5 (both Standard and Professional Editions), we have included several new effects for portrait retouching and lighting effects. Also, the FocusBug control from FocalPoint is now integrated into PhotoTools 2.5 allowing you to apply any of the effects selectively with that intuitive control.

In PhotoFrame 4.5 (both Standard and Professional Editions) you can now move frames and textures below the image layer. If you are creating album layouts with PhotoFrame, this is going to save you a ton of time. Also, you can now export frame layers as a clipping mask back to Photoshop giving you additional creative control. If you get the Professional Edition of PhotoFrame 4.5, you get some great new content from our newest PhotoFrame guru contributor Kersti Malvre which all by itself will raise the quality of the work you can create with PhotoFrame 4.5.

Both PhotoTools 2.5 and PhotoFrame 4.5 will be available in December.

For more information, visit the PhotoTools 2.5 product page or the PhotoFrame 4.5 product page.

Again, these updates won’t be available until November. You can pre-order the Plug-In Suite 5. If you order any of the other individual products, we will ship you the current version of that product now when you place an order and then we will send you a copy of the newest version for free when it is available.

We’ve received several emails and phone calls to our Tech Support here in Portland, Oregon since last Friday about the onOne Plug-in Suite not working with Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6). I’ve also noticed many similar tweets on Twitter. The reports vary from receiving messages that the Suite is already activated or has exceeded the number of allowed activations to reports of Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop CS4 crashing upon launching after installing Snow Leopard (Mac OS X 10.6). If you’re having trouble or are considering upgrading to Snow Leopard, please keep reading…

You Have Already Upgraded to Snow Leopard and are Having Problems

If you are an existing Plug-In Suite 4.5 user and have already upgraded to Snow Leopard and didn’t happen to deactivate your Plug-In Suite first, here’s the solution to get you back up and running again.

1. Save any work in any open applications and then close those applications.
2. Please download the latest Plug-In Suite 4.5 License Manager here. Update 9/16/09: There is an updated License Manager available now.
3. Once you have downloaded the License Manager, extract the files and proceed to step 4.
4. Launch the License Manager you just downloaded and extracted.
5. After launching the License Manager, close the application.
6. Next, launch Photoshop and open any image.
7. Once  your image is open, launch one of the plug-ins. You may have to open each plug-in that you have installed, but this should fix the problem.

You Haven’t Upgraded to Snow Leopard But Plan To

If you haven’t upgraded to Snow Leopard yet, but are planning to, be sure that you DEACTIVATE your onOne plug-ins BEFORE you upgrade your operating system. This is especially important if you install Snow Leopard on a new hard disk and then use the Mac OS X Migration Assistant to take a previously installed OS to copy your files to your new Snow Leopard install.

To deactivate the Plug-In Suite, follow these steps.

1. Launch Photoshop and open an image.
2. Open one of the plug-ins included in the Plug-In Suite, FocalPoint for example.
3. Go to the Help menu and choose Deactivate.
4. Follow the prompts in the dialog box that follows.

After your Snow Leopard install, you can then activate the plug-ins again from within Photoshop and all should be good again.

UPDATE 9/16/09 @ 4:51 PM PST – Important note for Plug-In Suite 4.0.0 through 4.5.0

If you have Plug-In Suite 4.0.0 through version 4.5.0, be sure to update to version 4.5.1. Doing so will help avoid messages that the license manager doesn’t work. You can update to Plug-In Suite 4.5.1 here.

UPDATE 9/16/09 @ 9:27 PM PST – UPDATED LICENSE MANAGER FOR SUITE 4.5.1 USERS AVAILABLE

There is an updated version of the License Manager now available if you have Plug-In Suite 4.5.1. Read this tech note in our Knowledge Base on how to download it and install it.

You can read the full details of the contest in the link above and you can see the current entries in their Flickr group.

Needless to say, Drotar and his team rely heavily on the Adobe® Creative Suite® but to ensure that they don’t spend all their time behind a computer, they enlist the help of the onOne Plug-In Suite for Adobe Photoshop®.  Drotar uses almost all of the products in the Plug-In Suite and describes them as necessary for his workflow.

He finds Mask Pro 4 especially beneficial, particularly when his clients require custom photo shoots. Drotar prefers to shoot images in real-life, urban settings but prior to Mask Pro, he had an impossible time trying to capture the perfect image while taking into consideration any number of background elements that could interfere with the shot. Thanks to Mask Pro 4, Drotar doesn’t have to wait for the perfect shot; he can focus solely on the model and/or product and simply mask out the imperfect background objects in post-production. Furthermore, Mask Pro 4 makes the masking process substantially easier and less time-consuming than if Drotar was using Photoshop alone.

“Time is a constant challenge in my line of work and I can’t spend hours in Photoshop after a long day of shooting,” say Drotar. “The onOne Plug-In Suite 4 provides tools that simplify the most common Photoshop tasks, saving myself and my clients valuable time and money.”

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