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 ChatFX - 1.2.1video effects & bluescreen for iChat |
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(3.8)Information Related to Version:
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Product Description:
ChatFX gives video effects within iChat. Simply Fun - No more boring chat face! ChatFX brings outstanding visual effects to iChat using Quartz Composer. Normal teleconferences are plain. Talking and seeing people in offices and cubicles is ordinary. Spice up your chats and make them more memorable with special effects by ChatFX. Change the entire landscape of your room or office. Keep it interesting. Create your own video effects and virtual sets just like on TV news and weather reports.
What's new in this version:
Version 1.2.1:
- added the ability to change the settings for each composition. this big change means you can set the chromakey color in bluescreen easily or the size of vortex or the picture in slideshow or the background movie in bluescreen all without having to use quartz composer.
- separated preferences into a separate file.
- added many new compositions. here are a few.
- Cubic Photos Slideshow which shows a folder of photos or uses spotlight to find images by keyword on the sides of a cube.
- Kero in Torus which shows the possibilities to use ChatFX for network type games.
- Me and My Desktop is a new take on mixing your video and the desktop.
- Bubbles - which does bubble in your video.
- Swarming Jivas - which puts up a swarm of your little avatar.
- My first QC is a demonstration of what can happen when a normal person is brave enough to try creating a composition in Quartz Composer for the first time. He also made a tutorial to document his experience. http://www.dcg-web.com/quartz_composer/quartz.htm
- please check the FAQ if you want to learn more about ChatFX
Operating System Requirements:
This product is designed to run on the following operating systems:
- Mac OS X 10.4 Intel
- Mac OS X 10.4 PPC
Additional Requirements:
- Mac OS X 10.4 or higher
- Built-in, FireWire, DV or USB camera
- Mac.com, Jabber or AIM (free) account
- Universal Binary
Screenshots:
 Bluescreen with Deep Sea Movie Background |
 Wipe the Snow Effect |
See More: View Slideshow (new window)
Download Links:
Download ChatFX Now (File Size: 3.4M)
Your Installed Versions:
Feedback Summary:
| This Version: | |||||
| Overall Rating: | Not rated (0.0) | Features: | Not rated (0.0) | Support: | Not rated (0.0) |
| Ease of Use: | Not rated (0.0) | Quality / Stability: | Not rated (0.0) | Price: | Not rated (0.0) |
Key to Types of Feedback:
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Featured Reviews
Only for iSight? - Version: 1.2.1, 8/27/2006 11:45PM PST
Hey Hey
The current version is not compatible with Ecamm's iChatUSBCam and so probably only works with the Firewire iSight. Many people use USB cams and it would be good to see compatibility. This might all be redundant in 2007 when the new version of iChat in Leopard has similar functions to ChatFX built in.
ChatFX - Version: 1.2.1, 6/27/2006 07:46PM PST
(1 of 1 users found this comment useful)
julian miller (script software)
hi,
i am one of the developers and we appreciate all the feedback and it will go into making chatfx even better.
yes, chatfx is gpu (graphics processing unit) demanding the better graphics card you have the more responsive chatfx is. chatfx pushes the envelope no question about it.
if you have a problem with some of the more demanding effects (they are all different in that way) then things that help are quiting other apps. extra vram (if you are thinking of buying an imac get the extra video ram) makes a big difference. we hope to build in a gpu and cpu monitor in a future version.
we have a suspicion this is where apple is heading. the built in cameras are going to be used now that they are in most macs. demands will increase. gestural recognition? games? more video is coming.
this not an accounting app. itis a fun app it is also cutting edge. our other apps will run on any mac but chatfx is a different beast. its very entertaining but very demanding.
if you try it and try movies in the bluescreen then it will be hard to go back to the old video conferencing.
thanks again for the feedback. we have ideas for great new features and we are always working at optimizing to improve performance on more machines.
thanks
julian
ps we encourage creative people to check out chatfx. there are unlimited possibilities in creating effects. everyday we think of new ones that could be created. chatfx uses quartz composer which is a truly amazing but almost unknown apple technology that deserves to be used by more people. quartz composer we think is easier to use for programming then applescript or automator. quartz composer does video programming and it is really amazing. if you are a student or graphics person or programmer or someone interested to see how chatfx works then look at the faq on our site to learn more and start rolling your own effects.
i am one of the developers and we appreciate all the feedback and it will go into making chatfx even better.
yes, chatfx is gpu (graphics processing unit) demanding the better graphics card you have the more responsive chatfx is. chatfx pushes the envelope no question about it.
if you have a problem with some of the more demanding effects (they are all different in that way) then things that help are quiting other apps. extra vram (if you are thinking of buying an imac get the extra video ram) makes a big difference. we hope to build in a gpu and cpu monitor in a future version.
we have a suspicion this is where apple is heading. the built in cameras are going to be used now that they are in most macs. demands will increase. gestural recognition? games? more video is coming.
this not an accounting app. itis a fun app it is also cutting edge. our other apps will run on any mac but chatfx is a different beast. its very entertaining but very demanding.
if you try it and try movies in the bluescreen then it will be hard to go back to the old video conferencing.
thanks again for the feedback. we have ideas for great new features and we are always working at optimizing to improve performance on more machines.
thanks
julian
ps we encourage creative people to check out chatfx. there are unlimited possibilities in creating effects. everyday we think of new ones that could be created. chatfx uses quartz composer which is a truly amazing but almost unknown apple technology that deserves to be used by more people. quartz composer we think is easier to use for programming then applescript or automator. quartz composer does video programming and it is really amazing. if you are a student or graphics person or programmer or someone interested to see how chatfx works then look at the faq on our site to learn more and start rolling your own effects.
Most Recent Replies: View All 2 Replies
- ChatFX
Both units have 256megs on the videocard and both started to perform like quicksand when I was going through the effects for this plugin. Since getting my MacBook Pro I have had no issues in results to it slowing down, even doing complex editing it is still responsive and peppy. The same goes for the G5. The odd thing is, this plugin continues to make the machines slightly lethargic even after I turned off the effects. Once I closed iChat, it slowly came back to normal status. So this plugin is really sucking up the resources.
I appreciate and applaud the developers for their creativity, but the resource needs alone for this have turned me off of this fun plugin. Though I am excited to use such abilities in iChat, like desktop sharing, movie sharing, presentations or photo sharing I will hold out for Leopard next year and see how Apple implements such abilities into iChat.
If a way could be found to make this plugin tighter and work more efficiently and optimized and not as taxing it would be a fun plugin to have for the money, but at this point, when even Apple's top of the line laptop, one that runs Motion quite well, starts to crawl when using it....to me that is not good.