PhotoKit - 1.2.6

i tried the demo and was impressed enough to buy the software - despite the inability to preview the effects of the filters before you apply them - and then the nightmare began. when i attempt to "activate" the software, i get an error message saying "unable to activate. press the activate button again to try activating man" (at this point the text meets the edge of the dialog box and stops). following the instructions, i click the "activate" button a second time, whereupon Photoshop crashes.

i reinstalled the software without removing the old copy first; this produced no change in the product's behavior.

so next, i figure i'll uninstall the plugin and then reinstall, starting fresh. good plan, but it can't be carried out because simply removing the Photokit Plug-In Module folder from Applications/Adobe Photoshop CS3/Plug-Ins/Automate, then quitting Photoshop and reinstalling PhotoKit does not reverse my previous entry of the serial number, so that although i've removed some of the software and reinstalled, the failed activation process remains unchanged, picking up at the same place and failing in the same way every time i try it, as if i'd never removed or reinstalled the software at all.

so the next logical step would be to consult the documentation to find the uninstallation instructions that will allow me to completely remove the plugin and really start fresh, right?

yes, that would be a good plan - if there *were* any uninstallation instructions. but there are not. not in the ReadMe, not in the User's Guide (which lacks both a table of contents and a troubleshooting section), not on the website. i look at the website's support page, but that's a complete joke - the page consists of exactly three "support notes," none of which are of any interest or relevance to anyone already using (or *trying* to use) the latest version of the plugin. so that plan's out.

as a last resort, i decide to join the company's user forum in hopes of finding help there. unfortunately, clicking the button labeled, "enter the pixelgenius forums" presents me with a dialog box in which i must enter my username and password to gain access. i don't have a username and password. but that's no big deal, right? i just register, and i'll be good to go. yep.

that is, if there was any way to register.

but there isn't.

so i've had enough. i've dealt with companies before that screw up in every conceivable way and several inconceivable ones (can you say, "Pitney Bowes"? how about, "Verizon"? sure. i knew you could) and i refuse to knowingly do it again. so i'm going to get a refund for this promising-looking but ultimately non-functional software from this half-@$$ed company and run far, far away, stopping only long enough to tell all my photographer friends of my experience.

What can I say, I LOVE this collection! I've been a pro photgrapher for years and I could only dream of something like this back in the day.

Sepia #3 is gorgeous! Edge Sharpen #1 has become the standard I end things with. And Punch Blacks is the greatest thing since sliced bread for astrophotography. Thanks to the makers for writing this. Keep up the good work.

You could write saved layers yourself or you could spend $50 and have somebody else do it for you. I find that this plugin set saves me lots of time and so I feel $50 is well spent. Once you get a feel for what each commands does to your image, you can use these with confidence during your image editing session while saving lots of time and with peace of mind that each layer is being applied in the most effective and best (pixel saving) manner. Some of the effects I never use and never will, but there are enough effects that work for me and which I use every time. The best thing about this set of plugins is that there is no "frilly" gimmicky junk but instead are serious commands for those who do primarily "straight" photography and who are interested in making the best .psd file of their image. My only "complaint" is that there are too many B+W effects which don't make sense to me since you cannot truly make non-metamerism B+W prints from color inksets and if you use quadtones, then all the toning stuff is usually done with the RIP.

to use and works very well when you're working on many images. Many effects can be done manually, but this automated feature is very nice and well worth the saved work. Especially convenient is that every move is saved in the history.