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Adobe and Macromedia continue to argue which one invented the 'tabbed palettes' used in their rival graphics programs, but Ulead Systems' PhotoImpact has taken the idea of palettes to an almost ridiculous extreme.
The EasyPalette used in previous versions has been modified so that it now contains an enormous range of tools. By default, this palette is divided into two panels, with a list of available tools displayed in the left-hand side and a thumbnail preview on the right. Just about all of PhotoImpact's special effects filters can be viewed in this palette, along with text effects, templates, masking tools and brush and lighting effects.
You can remove the tool list and simply display the preview panel in the palette, in which case you select tools from a separate pull-down menu at the top of the EasyPalette. There's also an EasyPalette Pop-Up that sits in the status bar at the bottom of the program's main workspace.
Initially this is empty, but you can customise it by selecting tools from the EasyPalette itself and then adding them to the Pop-Up. All the EasyPalette tools are also available in the program's standard toolbars and menu displays.
This provides an enormous amount of freedom when it comes to setting up PhotoImpact to suit the way you work. However, newcomers might be confused by the sheer amount of duplication in the way the program presents its tools. The new Beautify Skin effect, for instance, is listed under Camera Lens effects in the Effects menu and Retouching tools in EasyPalette.
This new tool is worth looking for, though. It allows you to select the skintone from a particular area in a photo and apply it to other areas.
Other new special effects include Zoom Blur, which provides several options for creation motion-blur effects. There are also spherical and trapezoid lens distortion effects and an option called Crystal, which simulates the effect of viewing an image through glass.
There are also many new tools for creating web graphics. The new image map and slicing tools are available from the program's main toolbar, while a wizard-like dialog box guides you through the process of creating rollovers, banners and other graphics. The program also supports the new, and more efficient, JPEG2000 file compression format.
PhotoImpact's interface might sometimes be too clever for its own good and its online help system isn't always helpful, but there's no doubt that it packs a lot of useful graphics tools into a very affordable package.
Contact
Distributed by Computers Unlimited, The Technology Park, Colindeep Lane, London NW9 6DU. Tel 020 8200 8282 Fax 020-8200 3788
www.ulead.co.uk
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