Software Tips: Page 22

Got something to hide? Learn how to censor or "GMask" an image simply by using the Mosaic option in PhotoFiltre to pixelize the entire thing or just a small (Naughty!) area. It's not that difficult to protect the identities of the not-so-innocent, especially after following the instructions in this video.

Love free streaming music but hate the annoying ads that come with it? There might just be a solution to that. Use this video to learn how to remove the ads from Spotify. Just follow along and set the Proxy to the following:

The Wedge ROP is a render output driver, which can be used to change variables on the fly while rendering. This can be very useful when simulating, in that you can test out different parameters to see the different results. It's a relatively new feature in Houdini 9.5.

Find out the best ways to use the creep swab in Houdini. An architect in New York came up with a very clever means of distributing various shapes onto a surface using a creep swab. So, if you want to know how it's done, watch this two-part video, which focuses on using the creep tool in conjunction with copy stamping to achieve some unique results in Houdini 9.

See a tour of the new fur system in Houdini 9.5! It presents a workflow for adding fur to a character, then dives into implementation of the tools to help build that fur.

Check out Houdini's new pyro effects! Watch this video tutorial to learn how to use Pyro FX n Houdini 10.

The 3D animation program Houdini is automatically bundled with Mantra, Houdini's production-class renderer. In this masterclass, developer Mark Elendt shows you some of the latest features of Mantra including PBR (Physically Based Rendering) and the new volume rendering architecture. He will also review the process of rendering with different rendering engines in Mantra. See how the rendering engine works.

Check out this masterclass on Houdini 9.5 and how to rebuild the fire simulator. Houdini's Fluid Tools offer a powerful simulation environment for visual effects artists. Senior Mathematician Jeff Lait introduces you to the basic building blocks for generating fluids and low level tools that make it easier to control the simulations.

Get a crash course on HScript Expressions, Variables, and Attributes in Houdini 10. If you don't even know what this means, then you probably need to check this video tutorial series out. Understanding how to massage data in Houdini is key to giving yourself the creative edge and allowing you to unleash mind-blowing visual effects. This 18-part video series covers a variety of simple yet essential weapons in your arsenal including Global, Standard and Custom Variables to Math and String...

Want to know how to use the Pyro FX tools in Houdini 10? This masterclass will tell you everything you need to know about using Pyro FX fire and smoke tools in Houdini 10. The discussion covers the addition of exciting new fire and smoke tools. Topics covered include a powerful new fluid up-resing technique, advanced noise and turbulence control, and a highly tweakable custom fire and smoke shader.

Have some fun with your CorelDRAW software and learn how to actually draw with it. Believe it or not, most people who own software like this never use it, so don't fall into this staple. Watch this video tutorial to learn how to draw a male cartoon vector character in CorelDRAW X4.

Uh oh. Somebody screwed up big this time.

Create stunning visual graphics with this Terminator eye tutorial. If you've ever wanted to work with James Cameron, here's your chance to prove your stuff. Vfxworld shows you how to use visual effects software from beginning to end to create a realistic-looking Terminator. Be sure to watch all of the 9 part series to get the whole picture! Learn to use SynthEyes, 3ds Max, compositing, color correction and more.

This tutorial covers the basics of creating homemade CGI with PFTrack, a Swiss Army knife of visual effects software. Using PFTrack, PictureBandit takes you through the different features of PFTrack, and shows you how to use it to match move your scene. Make your video project look as professional as possible with this PFTrack tutorial.

Check out this tutorial on how to create heat displacement in Apple Shake 4.1, a 2D and 3D compositing suite that will help you with visual effects editing. This video shows you how to create heat displacement in Shake 4.1, resulting in a very realistic picture. The method is easy to replicate on your own personal computer, and assist you with compositing practice. For more information on Shake 4.1, search for Shake 4.1 on WonderHowTo.

This video tutorial is an easy intro to making gradient text in GIMP… the free Photoshop alternative. It's easy to make your text a little more fancy with a gradient. It's so easy to use a gradient, that you have to learn it, or you'll never forgive yourself. This is GIMP 101. Learn it. Master it.

Cartograms are usually pretty mundane, but throw in Flickr, Photoshop, and a well-known public place and you have an artistic representation of popular colors. Much more eye-grabbing than your common map.

The Visual Prototyper is a wireframe design solution that allows you to design a fully functional application wireframe and simulate it.

See how to repair invalid DVD navigation and structure with FixVTS. With FixVTS, you can easily repair the internal structure of a DVD. This is good for DVD menu correction, invalid DVD file structure and invalid navigation error messages.

See how to merge two DVDs into one using DvdReMake Pro. With DvdReMake Pro, you can easily merge two DVDs together onto one disc while even keeping the original DVD menus and without loss of quality.

Watch this informative video tutorial on how to create shaped photo collages with Shape Collage.

IMVU is a 3D avatar chat, instant messenger, and dress up game. Get help with all of your IMVU avatar needs with these IMVU tips and tricks! Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a catalogue picture for IMVU. This will show you all about making your catalogue picture using such programs as Paint and Photoshop.

Welcome to Digital Issues, your guide to help make a digital life a little less painful. In this video tutorial, Digital Issues covers how to make great tribute videos with these 5 tips.

IMVU is a 3D avatar chat, instant messenger, and dress up game. Get help with all of your IMVU avatar needs with these IMVU tips and tricks! Watch this video tutorial to learn how to make a perfect IMVU avatar.

New to Apple's Aperture 2? Aperture 2 offers photographers a streamlined way to speed through edits, make essential adjustments, and deliver photos online and in print.

In this Apple Color tutorial, Richard Harrington along with color expert Robbie Carman create the Pleasantville effect in Apple Color. Using the secondary curves, specifically the saturation curve, to isolate just the yellow in a taxi cab everything else in the video clip can then be desaturated to create this popular effect.

In this Episode, you will learn how to set up a seamless looping particle system. We will be using Trapcode Particular and Starglow to create a stylized holiday snowstorm, but the concepts can be adapted for anything from backgrounds to lower 3rds.

In this two part episode, Aharon Rabinowitz shows you how to use audio to control time. You'll learn how to make your video automatically move forward in time to the beat of the music - a technique used in tons of music videos and commercials.

Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to add a blog to your website in iWeb '09.

Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to add a photo album in iWeb '09.

Check out this informative video tutorial from Apple on how to add a countdown clock in iWeb '09.

See how to use Wondershare DVD Copy to copy and back up DVD's on a Mac.

Check out how to back up and copy DVDs on a Mac with iSkysoft DVD Copy.

See how to start using BoinxTV with this overview video. Learn the basics of BoinxTV and see how to turn any modern Macintosh computer into a television studio!

Check out this "Juicy Tutorial" to learn how to create a multicolor text effect in Paint Shop Pro 8.

Check out this "Juicy Tutorial" to learn how to create the lighten effect in Paint Shop Pro 8.

Check out this video tutorial to learn how to design a photorealistic tree with Blender. To make this tree with Blender, you will be using textures and mesh transparency. To start off, you'll first need to find a picture of a tree and save it as a transparent PGN file.

See how to use mesh preparation and sculpting in Mudbox in this video tutorial.

In this simple video tutorial, you'll be learning how to change a label's font and text style using the Brother P-Touch Editor software (this applies to higher-end P-Touch Labellers and the QL series of label printers).

This is a tutorial on the SPH fluids nodes.