Monday, September 29, 2008
Take a closer look at OpenBSD 4.3
OpenBSD provides a UNIX distribution with a primary emphasis on security and cryptography. If you're looking for a UNIX distribution to deploy in the most critical nexus in your network infrastructure...
Designing websites with Photoshop and Flash
This video shows you how to create a website comp in Photoshop and import it into Flash. You learn how to effectively import your website comp into Flash using the Import dialog box. Then you learn how to organize the website assets and layers in Flash after you import them.
Nest a Photoshop sequence in your Adobe Premiere Pro project
Remove Photoshop CS3 public beta
If you participated in the Adobe Photoshop CS3 public beta program, you must clean your system before installing the final shipping version of Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications.After removing the Photoshop CS3 public beta, you can install the shipping version of Creative Suite 3 applicat...
Remove Photoshop CS3 public beta
If you participated in the Adobe Photoshop CS3 public beta program, you must clean your system before installing the final shipping version of Adobe Creative Suite 3 applications. On Windows XP: Remove CS3 using Add/Remove Programs in the Control Panel. Watch a movie that illustrates this process On Windows Vista: From the Programs And Features section of the Control Panel, select the Adobe...
CD or DVD drive not recognized by Windows after you install an Adobe application
Windows 2000, XP or Vista doesn't recognize your CD or DVD drive after you install one or more of the following Adobe applications: Audition Encore Photoshop Album Photoshop Elements Premiere Elements Premiere Pro Production Premium Production Studio Soundbooth Other CD and DVD burning applications, such as Roxio Easy CD Creator, are installed on the computer. Other CD and DVD bur...
Warning: "System restore is turned off..." when you install Photoshop Elements (4.0-5.0 on Windows)
Issue When you install Photoshop Elements 4.0 or 5.0 you see the warning message, "System Restore is turned off. If you continue Setup, you will be unable to use System Restore to restore the version of Windows Media Player that was included with the Windows operating system that your computer is running. It is recommended that you click Cancel, turn on System Restore, and then upgrade to Windows Media Player 10. F...
Importing Photoshop files into After Effects
This video shows you how to import layered Photoshop files into After Effects. This tutorial also shows you how to preserve Photoshop layers, adjustment layers, and guides when you import a PSD file into After Effects. The video also demonstrates how to make a change in Photoshop, and update the footage in After E
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Cameras supported by Camera Raw import filter (Photoshop Album 2.0)
Color management workflow in After Effects
Edit your Encore DVD menus easily by opening them in Photoshop
See how tightly integrated Photoshop and Encore DVD are, and learn how easily you can edit menus in your DVD project by opening them in Photoshop.
PhotographyBB Online Magazine - September PDF Download
We have a fantastic issue this month as we dive into the theme of digital photography and camera flash. This month we are taking the readers through some tips and techniques for using camera flash, as well as some tutorials on correcting flash related problems in our images. We are also concluding our four-part series on HDR photography with some post-processing tips and a video tutorial, along with a discount for any readers wishing to purchase the popular HDR software - Photomatix Pro... (posted by Jennifer Apple for www.PhotoshopSupport.com)
Adobe ImageReady CS2 feature location guide for Photoshop CS3
Adobe ImageReady has been discontinued. Most of its core features have been included in Adobe Photoshop CS3. This document is provided as a guide to help you locate ImageReady CS2 features that have been included in Photoshop CS3. In cases where a feature is not available in Photoshop CS3, the location of equivalent features in Adobe Fireworks CS3 is listed. Location of Adobe ImageReady CS2 features in Adobe Photoshop CS3...
Troubleshoot installation problems in Adobe Photoshop CS3 on Mac OS X
Function keys don't work in Adobe applications (Mac OS X v10.5.x)
Adobe ImageReady CS2 feature location guide for Photoshop CS3
Copied catalogs are not displayed in the Convert Catalog dialog box in Photoshop Elements 6
Letting an image edit itself
Bruce Fraser and David Blatner share their secrets for simplifying tonal adjustments in Photoshop.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Troubleshoot system errors or freezes in Photoshop CS3 on Mac OS
Custom paper sizes are not saved with images in Photoshop CS3
Adobe Photoshop CS3 on Windows does not retain custom paper size in the Print dialog when you set the paper size to something other than 8.5 x 11 inches and then save, close, and reopen your image.Manually reenter the custom paper size when you open the Print ...
1st and 2nd Generation iPod Battery Replacement
Watch as a member of the ipodjuice.com team installs an iPod battery in a 1st and 2nd Generation iPod using a battery replacement kit from ipodjuice.com.
Free Inventory Software Manage Accuracy, FIFO, Tracking; Email Alert, Barcode, Screen DIY.
Warning "Application Has Moved..." when you open Photoshop CS3 or Photoshop Elements 6 on Mac OS X
Making a better slideshow in Lightroom, part 2: Timing, music, titles, and transitions
In this second part of a two-part series on making great slideshows, learn some more tricks for taking your slideshows to the next level.
25 Beautiful Macro Photography Shots
Macro photography is the art of taking close-up pictures that reveal details which can't be seen with the naked eye. For example, while we can see the fly on the wall, our eyes aren't equipped to make out the fine details of the hairs on it's face. This is where macro photography comes in. It gives us a glimpse into the world of the very small, which goes largely unnoticed by us as we hurriedly shuffle through our day.
In this edition of our Monday Inspiration series we present 25 beautiful examples of macro photography. A round-up of some truly revealing and inspiring macro photographs which are sure to have you marveling at the world around you. You may check out the links at the bottom of this post for further resources on the subject of macro photography.
You may also be interested in the following related posts:
- 35 Beautiful Examples Of Rain Photography
- 45 Beautiful Motion Blur Photos
- Beautiful Black And White Photos
- (Really) Stunning Pictures and Photos
By Tim Mercer and Smashing Editorial team
Macro photography is the art of taking close-up pictures that reveal details which can’t be seen with the naked eye. For example, while we can see the fly on the wall, our eyes aren’t equipped to make out the fine details of the hairs on it’s face. This is where macro photography comes in. It gives us a glimpse into the world of the very small, which goes largely unnoticed by us as we hurriedly shuffle through our day.
In this edition of our Monday Inspiration series we present 25 beautiful examples of macro photography. A round-up of some truly revealing and inspiring macro photographs which are sure to have you marveling at the world around you. You may check out the links at the bottom of this post for further resources on the subject of macro photography.
You may also be interested in the following related posts:
- 35 Beautiful Examples Of Rain Photography
- 45 Beautiful Motion Blur Photos
- Beautiful Black And White Photos
- (Really) Stunning Pictures and Photos
25 Beautiful Examples Of Macro Photography
Eye of a Tokay Gecko
“A close-up shot of a Tokay Gecko. Their eyes remind me of old-fashioned keyholes. Thanks for looking!” The photo is taken by Alan M.
La force et la passion
“She felt her strength and passion back by 1 small drop of water.”. The photo is taken by Leon Baas.
High-Tech Jumper
“Jumping spider on a DVD reading my data! Shot with a Canon 20D with a Canon MP-E macro lens.” The photo is taken by Coder.
Bubble Magic
“Close-up of a wet leaf … taken with a Canon Powershot A610 :)” The photo is taken by Sophie.
Lasius Vlavius
“This yellow meadow ant is trying to find a way to dry ground after the rain”. The photo is taken by Leon Baas.
Flower Detail
Close-up of a very colorful flower.
Frog’s eye
Photos are taken by Justin Dotson.
Dewdrop Refraction
Taken by Brian Valentine.
Water lily
The photo is taken by Chun-Chih Fan (ddsnet).
A flower
The photo is taken by Indah Susanti.
Another vision
The photo is taken by Kristina Buceatchi.
A Flower
The photo is taken by Cyril Cattin.
Crane Fly
This insect looks like something out of a Sci-fi movie.
A flower
The photo is taken by Chan Chen.
Spider
Stunning detail of a spider.
8.365 I saw the sea
The photo is taken by Lux Tenebra.
Water & Rose
Beautiful colors.
Refracted Daisy
You can see the refracted daisy in the blurred background.
Flower in water
Amazing picture of a flower sitting in water. The reflection almost looks surreal.
House fly
Simply wonderful photo.
Red Veined Darter
Truly stunning macro of this insect covered in morning dew. Wow!.
Resources
- Closer and closer
A huge macro photography group on Flickr. - MacroPhotography.org
Articles,gallery,forum and more. - Insect macro photography
Very informative how-to on the subject. - Macro photography on a budget
Get into macro photography without going broke. - Macro Photographers Flickr Pool
- Macro Photos: No Limits
- Water Macro Photography
Related posts
You may also be interested in the following related posts:
- 35 Beautiful Examples Of Rain Photography
- 45 Beautiful Motion Blur Photos
- Beautiful Black And White Photos
- (Really) Stunning Pictures and Photos
About the author
Tim Mercer is a photography enthusiast, graphic designer, artist and blogger. His blog digital artist toolbox offers free resources to the digital artist and graphic designer as well as tutorials, artist interviews, inspiration and more.
Working with History and Snapshots in Lightroom
Error "Licensing for this product has stopped working" when you start any Adobe Creative Suite 3 application
Photoshop Tutorial Basic Animation
In This Tutorial we will be looking at Basic Animation Using photoshop and imageready CS2.
7 Open Source Version Control Systems Reviewed
If you’ve ever collaborated with other people on a project, you know the frustration of constantly swapping files. Some do it by email, some through file upload services and some by other methods. It’s a pain in the neck, and every designer and developer knows it. Revision control is an excellent way to combat the problem of sharing files between workers.
Most web-developers have probably worked with some sort of revision control system, but designers may find it a foreign concept. The most obvious benefit of using revision control is the ability to have an unlimited number of people working on the same code base, without having to constantly send files back and forth.
But designers and developers can both benefit from using revision control systems to keep copies of their files and designs. You can instantly browse previous “commits” to your repository and revert to earlier versions if something happens.
This article reviews some of the top open-source version control systems and tools that setting up a version control system easy.
If you’ve ever collaborated with other people on a project, you know the frustration of constantly swapping files. Some do it by email, some through file upload services and some by other methods. It’s a pain in the neck, and every designer and developer knows it. Revision control is an excellent way to combat the problem of sharing files between workers.
Most web-developers have probably worked with some sort of revision control system, but designers may find it a foreign concept. The most obvious benefit of using revision control is the ability to have an unlimited number of people working on the same code base, without having to constantly send files back and forth.
But designers and developers can both benefit from using revision control systems to keep copies of their files and designs. You can instantly browse previous “commits” to your repository and revert to earlier versions if something happens.
This article reviews some of the top open-source version control systems and tools that make setting up a version control system easy.
CVS
CVS is the grandfather of revision control systems. It was first released in 1986, and Google Code still hosts the original Usenet post announcing CVS. CVS is the de facto standard and is installed virtually everywhere. However, the code base isn’t as fully featured as SVN or other solutions.
The learning curve isn’t too steep for CVS, and it’s a very simple system for making sure files and revisions are kept up to date. While CVS may be an older technology, it’s still quite useful for any designer or developer for backing up and sharing files.
Tortoise CVS is a great client for CVS on Windows, and there are many different IDEs, such as Xcode (Mac), Eclipse, NetBeans and Emacs, that use CVS.
CVS Resources
- Introduction to CVS
- CVS Best Practices
- SVN and CVS Quick Comparison
- Version Control with CVS on Mac OS X
SVN
Subversion is probably the version control system with the widest adoption. Most open-source projects use Subversion as a repository because other larger projects, such as SourceForge, Apache, Python, Ruby and many others, use it as well. Google Code uses Subversion exclusively to distribute code.
Because of Subversion’s popularity, many different Subversion clients are available. If you’re a Windows user, Tortoise SVN is a great file browser for viewing, editing and modifying your Subversion code base. If you’re on a Mac, Versions is an elegant client that provides a “pleasant way to work with Subversion.” Xcode is Apple’s developer environment and Subversion client that ships with Leopard on a Mac.
SVN Resources
- Subversion home page
- Getting Started with Subversion - Mac
- Getting Started with Subversion - Windows
- Subversion for Designers
- Beanstalk - A hosted Subversion system
- Comparison of Subversion Clients
- Subversion for Java
Git
Git is the new fast-rising star of version control systems. Initially developed by Linux kernel creator Linus Torvalds, Git has recently taken the Web development community by storm. Git offers a much different type of version control in that it’s a distributed version control system. With a distributed version control system, there isn’t one centralized code base to pull the code from. Different branches hold different parts of the code. Other version control systems, such as SVN and CVS, use centralized version control, meaning that only one master copy of the software is used.
Git prides itself on being a fast and efficient system, and many major open-source projects use Git to power their repositories; projects like:
- Linux Kernel,
- WINE,
- Fedora,
- and many others.
GitHub has recently helped establish Git as a great version control system, providing a beautiful front end for many large projects, such as Rails and Prototype. However, Git isn’t as easy to pick up as CVS or SVN, so it’s much harder to use for a beginner.
Git Resources
- Git on Wikipedia
- Git SVN Comparison
- git-gui - a multi-platform user interface for Git
Mercurial
Mercurial is another open-source distributed version control system, like Git. Mercurial was designed for larger projects, most likely outside the scope of designers and independent Web developers. That doesn’t mean that small development teams can’t or shouldn’t use it. Mercurial is extremely fast, and the creators built the software with performance as the most important feature. The name “mercurial” is an adjective that means “Relating to or having characteristics (eloquence, swiftness, cleverness) attributed to the god Mercury.”
Aside from being very fast and scalable, Mercurial is a much simpler system than Git, which is why it appeals to some developers. There aren’t as many functions to learn, and the functions are similar to those in other CVS systems. It also comes equipped with a stand-alone Web interface and extensive documentation on understanding Mercurial if you have been using another system.
Resources for Mercurial
- Mercurial tutorial - An in-depth tutorial on installing and working with Mercurial.
- List of GUI tools for Mercurial - Tools to use with any platform for working with Mercurial.
- Understanding Mercurial - A nice document explaining what Mercurial does and doesn’t do.
- Use Mercurial, you Git!- A pro-Mercurial article highlighting reasons why Mercurial is better than Git.
Bazaar
Bazaar is yet another distributed version control system, like Mercurial and Git, that offers a very friendly user experience. It calls itself “Version control for human beings.” It supports many different types of workflows, from solo to centralized to decentralized, with many variations in between.
One of the main features of Bazaar is the fine-grained control you’ll have over the setup. As shown with the workflows, you can use it to fit almost any scenario of users and setups. This is a great revision control system for nearly any project because it’s so easy to modify. It’s also embeddable, so you can add it to existing projects.
Bazaar also has a strong community that maintains things like plug-ins and lots of third-party tools, such as GUI software to add a graphical interface to the system.
Bazaar resources:
- Bazaar documentation - Tons of resources for learning everything about Bazaar.
- Bazaar in 5 minutes - How to set up Bazaar quickly.
- Bazaar migration guides - Guides on migrating to Bazaar from CVS, Subversion, Darcs, Mercurial and other systems.
- Bazaar vs. Git - Showcases the differences between the two decentralized systems.
LibreSource
LibreSource is a Web portal used to manage collaborative projects. It’s based on Java/J2EE and is more a set of visual collaborative tools to help facilitate projects and teams. While the other systems discussed so far have been designed more on a “command line” level, LibreSource is centered more on tools that don’t have a big learning curve.
It has built-in features such as Wiki pages, forums, trackers, Synchronizers, Subversion repositories, files, download areas, drop boxes, forms, instant messaging and more. Think of LibreSource as a collaboration hub for project development.
LibreSource is perfect for the developer or designer who doesn’t want to learn lots of technical jargon and wants to focus more on communication with the project’s members. Just install the package and start collaborating, without facing much of a learning curve.
Resources for LibreSource
- LibreSource Documentation - Tons of articles and tutorials for getting familiar with LibreSource.
- LibreSource vs. Subversion - A table showing the differences between LibreSource and Subversion.
Monotone
Monotone is the baby of the distributed revision control bunch. While many of Monotone’s peers focus on performance, Monotone places higher value on integrity than performance. In fact, it can take quite a bit of time for a new user of Monotone to simply download the initial repository due to the extensive validation and authentication required.
Monotone is fairly easy to learn if you’re familiar with CVS systems, and it can import previous CVS projects. However, it’s not quite as popular as other version control systems.
Monotone Resources
- Monotone Wiki - Monotone has extensive documentation.
- Monotone front ends and Tools - Lengthy list of front ends for working with Monotone, as well as other development tools.
Version Control Tools
- QCT GUI commit tool
A version control commit tool that supports Mercurial, Bazaar, Cogito (Git), Subversion, Monotone, and CVS. - Meld is a merge and diff tool that allows you to compare two or three files and edit them in place, while updating automatically. It works with CVS, Subversion, Bazaar and Mercurial.
- Push Me Pull You is another GUI for distributed version control systems. It works with Mercurial, Git, Bazaar and Darcs.
Version Control Resources
- Distributed Revision Control Systems: Git vs. Mercurial vs. SVN
A quick look at the major differences between the three types of revision control systems. - Revision Control Systems
The Wikipedia article on revision control. - Choosing a Distributed Version Control System
Article showing the pros and cons of each version control system. (al)