Glitterato
Glitterato makes starfields with nebulas.You can make realistic-looking vistas or vivid, surreal skies.
Illustrated installation instructions are online.
To use this software, you need a paint program which accepts standard Photoshop 3.02 plugins.
Just put the plug-in filter into the folder where your paint program expects to find it. If you have Photoshop, the folder is Photoshop:Plugins:Filters or Photoshop:Plug-Ins. You must restart Photoshop before it will notice the new plug-in. It will appear in the menus as Filters->Flaming Pear->Glitterato.
Most other paint programs follow a similar scheme.
If you have Paint Shop Pro: you have to create a new folder, put the plug-in filter into it, and then tell PSP to look there.
PSP 7:
Choose the menu File-> Preferences-> File Locations... and choose the Plug-in Filters tab. Use one of the "Browse" buttons to choose the folder that contains the plug-in.
The plugin is now installed. To use it, open any image and select an area. From the menus, choose Effects->Plug-in Filters->Flaming Pear->Glitterato.
PSP 8, 9, X and XI:
Choose the menu File-> Preferences-> File Locations... In the dialog box that appears, choose Plug-ins from the list. Click "Add." If you are using PSP 8 or 9, click "Browse". Now choose the folder that contains the plug-in.
The plugin is now installed. To use it, open any image and select an area. From the menus, choose Effects->Plugins->Flaming Pear->Glitterato.
When you invoke Glitterato, a dialog box will appear:
| Quick start |
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| If you just want to see some effects quickly, click the dice button until you see something you like; then click OK.
Using the dice is the easiest way to use Glitterato. If you want to hand-tune your own effects, it helps to learn the controls, which are arranged into two groups: ...and a few other controls that affect the whole image. |
 dice |
| Scale makes the nebulas larger and smaller.
Texture adds small high-contrast details to the nebulas.
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 a nebula
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| Fibrousness add swooping streaks.
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 more fibrousness |
| Contrast ranges from dim, smooth washes of gas to harsh, bright, isolated clumps.
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 more contrast |
| Opacity makes the nebulas block out the stars.
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 more opacity |
| Memory dots |
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Although you can save your settings permanently to files, you can also stash settings in memory dots. Click an empty dot to stash the current settings in it. Click a full dot to retrieve its settings. Hover the mouse over a dot to see what it contains. Option-click to erase a dot on Macintosh. Right-click to erase a dot on Windows. If a dot is orange, you are currently using that dot's settings. Dots remember their contents until you erase them. If you'd rather make a temporary dot that forgets when you exit the plug-in, control-click it. Temporary dots are square. When you start the plug-in, it puts the starting settings in a temporary dot. That way it's easy to start over without exiting. On Mac, you can drag-and-drop settings files from the central memory well. |
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| Hints If you don't need the nebulas, set A and B to zero. Glitterato will run much faster. Apply the filter two or more times, using the "screen" or "add" glue mode, to make extra-dense starfields. |
You can place an order online here. A secure server for transactions is available.
If you do not wish to purchase online, you can use the "Register" program that came with the software.
Answers to common technical questions appear on the support page, and free upgrades appear periodically on the download page.
Trouble with your order? Orders are handled by Kagi; please contact them at admin@kagi.com .
For bug reports and technical questions about the software, please write to support@flamingpear.com .