New Cut Out tool - AKVIS SmartMask!

[akvis]

News from AKVIS:

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We are glad to announce the release of a new program - AKVIS SmartMask plug-in!

AKVIS SmartMask makes even a difficult selection as easy as pie. Now, you can spend less of your time on the selection of objects and more of it on creativity.

For the moment, the software is available only for Windows.
The Macintosh version is coming soon!

Test the software for 10 days free of charge. Download the program here:
http://akvis.com/en/smartmask/downlo...ction-tool.php


Attention!
Those our registered users who have bought at least one AKVIS plug-in get a 20% discount on AKVIS SmartMask.
The customers who have purchased all 10 AKVIS plug-ins get a 50% discount on the new program!
Please write to us at support@akvis.com to get the discount. The offer is valid till March 31, 2008.

Note, that the Alchemy bundle has become yet more payable. Now it costs $325 and includes all 11 AKVIS plug-ins (a saving of $513 against buying each plug-in separately).


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Best regards,
Kat

[akvis]

Here is a screenshot (attached)

[Steve Conway]

Try GML matting...(a freebie)... before buying Smartmask. Works nearly as well for me. Not the bells and whistles of Smartmask, but still a good extracter.

Steve C.

[akvis]

Thank you for the information! We tested GML. Looks like our 2nd mode - "Soft".
We recommend use this mode with other two, because it doesn't allow to get enough quality on its own.
We had such an algorithm two years ago, but were not satisfied and continued working.
GML is good for very simple selection, but if you want to get good hair selection I am not sure that you will be success with this.
Actually, all depend on your purposes and your images. A lot of people use Extract of Photoshop and do not need more sophisticated tools.

[skydog]

You have a flash movie demonstrating your other plug-ins...when will you have one for the mask?

[akvis]

We'll try to make it as soon as possible. Our apologies! We have a lot of work to do now.
By the way, today (or tomorrow) the version for Mac will be available!



***later***
sorry, I've forgotten that it's Friday already!

[skydog]

the video would surely be nice..since I have only 10 days to figure out if I'd want to purchase...many other platforms provide a 30 day trial

[akvis]

10 days is definitely enough to understand if you want the program.
Support is free for any users, even during the trial period.
Each new version offers 10 days free of charge again.
Almost always we offer free upgrade to the next version (with two exception for 4 years).
Not many other software can say that about themselves.

[akvis]

To watch a flash movie demonstrating the technique of using the SmartMask plugin please go to the page http://akvis.com/en/smartmask-tutori...-out-human.php
and click on the words "Click here".

[skydog]

No...10 days is not enough...at least for me...and the video would have been nice when it was first offered since it may have jumped started my usage within the 10 day period.

[akvis]

When we released the version 1.2 (in Feb 6) we offered new 10 days.
Though the trial period for the previous version wasn't expired because it was released 9 days before v. 1.2.
If you haven't tried the newest version (1.2) you can try it for free. We have fixed some bugs, by the way.

[soulsinsepia]

I own the entire Akvis bundle and use many of the plug ins alot, like Retoucher. It is awesome. I would probably buy Smart Mask too but the program crashes on me; first version and now the second one. I open the image, copy the layer, open up the program and click for it to continue (I have the trial version) and then Microsoft says it has to close it down due to an error. I wrote to you after the first version crashed but I never got a response. I have Windows XP and PS CS3.

[akvis]

What is the image size? In pixels (width * height)
Can you test with a small picture?
Does the plugin crash every time you launch it?
I don't remember such an error report. What email address do you use? (-please reply with a private message).
I can give you a special version that writes logs. I will send you more detail with private message.

[akvis]

Are you Karen?
We have just received a message from Karen who reports about the program crash.
I see her version of SmartMask is v. 1.1.458.2286-r.
If you use this old version, please download the latest one! Now version 1.2 is available. It was released on February 6. We fixed some errors in this update.
If you still have v. 1.1 we recommend you to download v.1.2 and install it.

[soulsinsepia]

Yes, I am Karen. I did download the new version today but it still crashed. In a PM Kat sent me a special version and it is working fine now. We are working on finding out why I have been having problems with it. Thank you. Also, I work a lot in greyscale. Which selection mode do you recommend for greyscale images?

Karen

[akvis]

Yes, this version that I sent you works because it is v. 1.2
In v.1.2 we have fixed some errors which were in v. 1.1

[akvis]

Karen, please check up the full version number. You will find it in the window "About the program" .

[akvis]

About grayscale images.
Unfortunately the current version does not support this mode. Only RGB images.
But you can convert your grayscale image to RGB, then launch the plugin.
The selection mode depends on an image...