December 17, 2000

Eye Candy 4000 is an Editor's Choice Award Winner! "Eye Candy has matured into a really nice product and the effects are simply spectacular!"

In the popular vernacular when we say something is "politically correct" we mean a person says the right things that will be pleasing to the majority of our society. When we say a piece of software is "functionally correct" (I just coined the term), we mean that the software has taken the users suggestions into account, even sought out the users input, and made a product that is "User Friendly" both in its appearance and functionality. Alien Skin has done just that with its latest version of Eye Candy (4000). Eye Candy was already an excellent set of Photoshop Filters. Alien Skin took its already successful product and added 5 new filters, while at the same time improving their interface, added a new Bevel profile, new color gradient filters, seamless tiling, and an excellent and much needed feature--unlimited "UNDO" to this latest version. The new interface contains many new controls and sliders organized onto tabs in their filters for easily adjusting the graphic or photo. What make Eye Candy unique in the myriad sets of Photoshop Filters available today is that it combines practical effects like its glows, shadows, and bevels which many filter programs contain with great effects like Fire, Smoke, Chrome and Wood. Here is an example of the Chrome effect combined with a Bevel:

An example of an added feature is the Bevel Profile Editor contained in the Bevel Boss, Chrome, and Glass Filters which allows for control over the shape and curve of the bevel effect:

Another example of increased control is the Color Gradient Editor included in Fire, Gradient Glow, Smoke and Star. Below you can see the variety of color effects that I could put around the star to add the emphasis multi-hued glows, halos, rainbows and such:

The new mouseover allows the hand you see below to quickly and easily grab the object below and move it to any aspect of the object you wish to see before finalizing your work in the filter:

Now, after looking at some of the new features, let us take a look at the new filters included in Eye Candy 4000: Marble, Wood, Drip, Melt, and Corona:

Marble. This filter causes objects to have a marble-like effect, the user has great control over the color, size, shape, thickness of the marble features, also including a seamless tiling option:

Wood. In this heart of wood fit for the Tin Man, one can quickly create wood textures, with a great deal of control of the rings in the wood, the texture, the thickness and many other things:

Melt.   Just like it says, the filter gives give a ripple or pooling effect to a scene or you can cause the scene to melt:

Drip: Hearts begin to bleed...I mean drip with this filter. Creates 3d like drops from an object with a good deal of control:

Corona. Take the dripping heart above and give it a solar flare, or a diaphanous cloud, examining the heart below and consider the possibilities:

Eye Candy 4000 has worked hard to improve itself and it shows in their new program. This is a very fine set of useful filters that will greatly enhance your artistic abilities.

System Requirements 

Windows: 
Pentium II-class processor or better
Windows 98/NT/2000/Me
At least 32 Megabytes or greater of physical
RAM
Color monitor with 24-bit or greater video
card 

Macintosh: 
PowerPC processor 
Apple System Software version 8.6 or
greater
At least 32 Megabytes of physical RAM 
Color Monitor with 24-bit or greater video
card

Copyright 2000, Fr. Jacob Myers, All Rights Reserved