Installing Plug Ins & Filters

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Installing Plug Ins & Filters

There are so many plug ins available on the web it's crazy! In order to use some of the filters made for Photoshop you will need these .DLL files installed into your Windows system file. Follow these instructions to install the MSVCRT10.DLL and PLUGIN.DLL files.

With these .DLL files you will be able to use just about every filter created for Photoshop. Filters create many different special effects like textures and depth. It's fun to play with them to see the many different things they can do.

***Update: Something that I learned while having Windows 7 until my computer was put together...these plug ins should already be on your system. Systems running with Windows XP would need these.

Really?!?! That's AMAZING... I had no idea you could do this!

Just a few questions though... After you've downloaded & installed those 2 files, where do you put these Photoshop filters? And how do you use them in PSP? Also, can you give me an idea of what kind of filters are out there?

You would add the filters to the drive where you have PSP installed.
So if your hard drive is the C:\ drive, you would add the plugins (filters) to C:\Program Files\Corel Paint Shop Pro.

By default, plugins are stored in the appropriate folder in the path C:\Program Files\Corel Paint Shop Pro. You will need to create a folder to install filters in if you intend on adding many plug-in filters, some filters will not all work if they are in the same folder as other filters. Set up a directory called plug-ins and have a few sub-directories in that folder to add plug-ins to.

To do this go to My Computer-->C:\ drive-->Program Files-->Corel Paint Shop Pro
When you open your PSP folder you will see many folders that were created when you installed the program. If you don't see a folder called Plugins, create one. Within this folder, create a few more subfolders (mine are labeled Plugins 1, Plugins 2, Plugins 3 etc...). My past experience has been that when I install a new filter, the program will create a new folder if one is needed. I don't know how the newer versions are but I would assume the do the same. I currently have PSP XI installed.

Restart the program in order for the program to recognize the newly installed filters.

To use them simply go to the Effects --> Plugins then choose which one you want to use. Usually this will require you to have an open image in which to apply the filter.

Here is a great tutorial using a plugin to create the tiled plaid background you were looking for.

http://suzsplace.com/tutorials/!VI-plaidtiles/index.shtml

There are so many out there but I don't want to overwhelm you too much. Try this one and let me know how it works for you and in the meantime I will get my list going for resources.
Have fun!

Thanks for this tutorial

Thanks, Tina - that information helps...

I did find Suz's tutorial when I was trying to find something to help me make plaid papers. It required downloading & using filters & gradients, though, which is why I didn't use it. I don't know much about filters (where to put, how to use) so I figured with the time crunch now wasn't the time to look into that - I needed to make stuff & fast to meet the deadline! As for gradients, I've used the ones that came with the program via the Material palette. But they don't always have the color scheme I'm looking for so learning how to make my own would be helpful. And/or learning where to install ones I d/l online would be helpful, too.

My problem with learning PSP is two-fold - I don't have a lot of time to work on it (so sometimes I'll forget something I have learned, which is why I like written tutorials 'cause I can print them out & refer back to it) and I can become overwhelmed at times if I'm learning too much in a short period (then nothing "sticks") and/or they radically change the software (I'm really struggling with X4 right now - I'd only just started to feel a little more comfortable with XI, and now I have huge regrets in updating).

I have X4, but work most of the time in X3....I just don't like X4 to work with, I heard X5 isn't even better, so I stick with X3 for a while smiley

So I'm not the only one then! smiley Sometimes I swear these programmers take a good piece of software & make it worse! Case in point - Win 7 & 8 are awful.......Win XP was much better. Outlook 2007 isn't that great either.......Outlook 2003 was much better. In the last 6 months I was forced to migrate to both (due to the new desktop), and now PSP X4... Oh my aching head... smiley

This is why I won't give up my dinosaur computer because it has XP on it. It's getting slower but I will chug along until it dies on me. I already have a new computer waiting in the wings but I just can't give up my XP. I use Windows 7 at work and not real fond of it.

I've wondered how the newer versions of PSP were and if i should upgrade....I think I will stick with PSP XI for a bit longer smiley

I know what you mean about your dinosaur computer - mine became the kids' school pc. I needed something with more memory to continue trying to digiscrap - my computer would lock up & reboot because so much memory was being used by PSP - and I couldn't add any more memory to the pc as we'd added the maximum allowed already. In the beginning I wasn't saving as I went & I'd lose everything (because it took me a long time to make layouts - my first layout took 7 hours, I'm embarrassed to say). After that happened a few times I started constantly saving so that wouldn't happen again & talked to my husband about getting a new desktop.

I'll do a print screen some time so you can see what Pro Photo X4 looks like. I'm having a hard time finding the tools & various options in this version. Part of it is because they changed the names on some of the stuff, and now you're having to click on arrows to see what other options are available now (no more buttons on your toolbar of the various options - i.e. embossing, beveling, gaussian blur, etc.). I really wish we hadn't upgraded - I was only just starting to get comfortable with XI. But now I'm stuck with X4 - I only hope down the road I'll get more comfortable with it & can learn how to use it better...

This is what PSP Pro Photo X4 looks like once you open an image:

It's SOooooo different... I miss having all the buttons & what not that I had in XI.

Wow, it does look a lot different. I will more than likely get it just because I like the challenge, lol, but I think I will get the hard copy rather than a download. If I can't handle it, I can uninstall and put XI back on my computer. I'm sure I will have to wait until I switch computers tho, this old bitty probably can't handle anymore programs. I have DIP (Digital Image Pro) installed also but I only use that for my previews. The program is obsolete now but it was one of the easiest programs to use by far.

We'll get you there one way or another. smiley Soon you'll be scrapping like a pro smiley

Lizanne, I just realized Wilma uses the same version you have and when I looked at the second image she posted on this post, it looks like she has those buttons you are missing. There must be a program option to make those appear. We'll have to try and figure that out but wanted to mention it.

That would be so great... I wonder if there's some sort of option to have your menu appear "old style" ?

What exactly do you miss Lizanne? You can let all your tools show up in your mainscreen.

I don't know how to do that... smiley

See, here's the thing - I only just started getting comfortable with the menus & such on XI when my [well wishing] hubby installed X4 on my new desktop. Now I feel like I'm back to square one - I can't find anything (since the look/feel of X4 is so different) - they've changed some of the names on things & moved things. *sigh* That's why it took me so long to do my part of the blog train (it was a very frustrating time for me)...

I wish that X4 looked like XI because then I wouldn't be struggling so much right now. If I had known they had changed it that much, I probably would have told my hubby not buy the upgrade & install it (we got a real good deal on X4 - HP was offering it for $40 as part of the package when we bought our desktop).

It sure is a good deal Lizanne, I shall try to write a little tutorial asap how you get your tools back with quick buttons etc.
It isn't that difficult, you just need to know where to search.

Oh, thank you, Wilma - that would be so helpful! No rush... smiley

I have written a little tutorial Lizanne, it's HERE

Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you! Just saw that thread & I am SOoooo excited!

Thank you so much for this information & links. I've been having so many troubles getting filters to work, and this is probably why.

Imagine jumping from JASC psp 7.04 to Corel Psp x4. It took me a year to come around to it. Psp 7 though, I am a pro! PSP x4, I learn something new everyday. It's hard adapting to new programs. I was very apprehensive to try it but you do get used to it. I use x4 and the files go into the folder found under Programs>Corel>Corel Pspx4>Languages>EN>Plugins. Just incase anyone needed that info.

Sometimes new isn't always better! I agree, the new versions aren't getting better, but at the other side, they get new effects etc I love...

Since a few weeks I am working with X5 now.
I have Vista as Operating Systems but most filters are working correctly.
Some filters didn't but for them I've used FM Patcher.
Now, allmost every filter is working again.

Great tip... thanks!

Just kind of a side note......the Birgit's Chaos filters, which are now no longer available except through certain sites that had them on their own server, do not work with Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8 without using FM Patcher to patch the filters. Each folder of the Birgit's Chaos set needs to be run through the Patch program individually, or the patch will not work.

Thank you so much! I found Birgit's Chaos filters and it crashed PSP4 every time. I patched each one like you said and it worked like a charm!!

When I go to the site it and download the files they say they are empty if someone can send me the dll's I would be so happy.