The Impressionist plugin is PC only. It doesn't work with native Mac applications.

It will work on one of the newer Macs that runs Windows or a Mac outfitted with Virtual PC. In either case a Windows version of an image editing program such as Photoshop, Photoshop Elements, Painter, etc. is needed to host this plugin.

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Symptoms:
* When you click the Style buttom, the only category displayed in the dropdown menu is Charcoal whose only style is Default.

POSSIBILITY 1 (see below for POSSIBILITY 2)

This is the most common problem first time Impressionist users experience and is due to improperly named folders. If folder names are not spelled correctly as shown in the attached diagram, Impressionist will not work properly.

Corrective action:
* Open the attachment and verify folder spelling and organization

Notes:
* mscreate.dir is a junk file and not needed.
* The top level folder (the one inside the plugins folder containing all of Impressionist's files) can be named anything.
* The remaining folder names MUST be spelled correctly (as shown) or Charcoal > Default will be the only stting available.

For additional detail on file structure:
* Open the Impressionist plugin
* Click the Help button
* Search on topic Impressionist File Organization

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POSSIBILITY 2

Symptoms: "I've verified the folder structure is correct and the folders are named correctly. But Charcoal > Default is still the only style available.

Try this...

Use Windows Start > Seach (file/folders) to see if by chance there's a duplicate of Impressionist's 8bf file "somewhere else" within the folder structure of your image editing program. If a duplicate exists, your editing program is most likely finding it first and does not bother looking for the .8bf located in the properly configured folders.

Delete extraneous files/folders if you find any and then shutdown and restart your imaging program.

Other Errors

1. Error Message:"[brush file name] An image required by the current style could not be loaded." This message is displayed when you click the Apply button.

Most likely cause: A missing custom brush file.
(See Symptom 2 below, too.)

Besides all the brushes that come with Impressionist, those into creating custom styles can create custom brushes, too, and specify them in custom styles they create.

If you attempt to use a custom style that requires a custom brush and the custom brush has not been included in \Brushes, Impressionist will display the above error message.

Corrective action:
* Contact the creator of the custom style/custom brush and request he/she send you the custom brush file.

Workaround if contacting the author of the custom brush is unsuccessful:
* Take note of the name of missing file. (You may need to try the custom style again.)
* Engage any other style, e.g., Charcoal > Default
* Press the More Controls button
* Choose Brush from the dropdown menu
* Click the Custom button
* At the top right of the Load Brushes dialog click the 3rd icon and choose Details from the menu
* Click the gray bar with Name in it so sort the brush files alphabetically by file name
* Scroll down the list until you find a file that's "close" in file name to the one that is missing. If nothing is even close, then any file will do.
* IMPORTANT: Note the file name you click on (write it down -- exactly).
* Right-click on the file name and choose Rename
* Rename the selected file with the exact name of the missing file
* After renaming the file click on ANY OTHER file name
* Click Cancel in the Load Brushes dialog
* From the Style menu, choose the (formerly) broken custom style. Since you created the missing file by renaming a different file, the style will be loaded.

At this time choose click the Custom button again and select among the other brushes. Experiment until you find one you like and then Save the custom style, replacing the previous one.

Finally click the Custom button again, navigate the the brush file you renamed and rename it back to its original file name.

After all this I hope the custom style was worth all this hassle! :)

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2. Error Message:"[brush file name] An image required by the current style could not be loaded." This message is displayed when you click the Apply button.

Symptom: Not all files in the \Brushes folder show up in the Brushes dialog. But if you look in \Brushes, the "missing" brush file is there.

Cause:
There is a limit to the number of brushes Impressionist will display and find.

Workaround:
The desired brush can be specified by clicking the Custom button in the Brushes dialog.

Corrective action:
* Shutdown the image editing program.
* Go to Impressionist's \Brushes
* Move one or more *.tif brush file another folder.
* Start the image editing program again.

Additional information:

I've spent most of the day making new brushes and ran across something interesting. Only the first (approx) 370 brush files will show in the brush menu. After that, you have to click the Custom button to load the brushes. This is fine except the option to choose brush family isn't available this way. The list seems to be sorted alphabetically rather than by date.

Solution found:
1. Move some brushes to a temp folder
2. Define styles using the brushes at the end of the alphabet using brush family
3. Move brushes back to \Brushes (you can still access the ones at the end via the preset.

Also note that you can get to them via the custom button--you just can't make the selection of "use brush family."

You only have to worry about this if you want to create custom presets yourself and the brushes you want to use have names at the end of the alphabet.

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3. Error Message:"An error occurred while trying to display the parameters dialog."

Cause: Insufficient memory.
Corrective action:
* Close some windows and try again
* If that doesn't work, shutdown/restart Photoshop
* If that doesn't work, reboot your computer.

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4. Error Message:"Bad data prevented completion of this operation."

When you open a Style submenu, the name of a custom brush is blank. (There's a placeholder for it in the menu, just no letters.) If you try to select the brush, the above error message is displayed. The custom style cannot be deleted.

Cause:
A custom style was saved with a name of more than 30 characters. This corrupts the offending .set file.

Note:
Impressionist will allow you to save custom styles having names longer than 30 characters (this is a flaw in the plugin), but if you do this "blank" entry in the menu problem occurs.

Corrective action:
Since the blank menu entry cannot be deleted, you can either resave the custom style with a name of 30 characters or less and ignore the blank entry -or- resave all the custom styles in a new .set file (with a different name) and resave the offending custom style with a name of 30 characters or less. Then (physically) delete the corrupted .set file from \User Settings.

Another option if you're handy with a Hex editor: Modify the corrupted .set file by locating the offending "too long" style name. Then shorten it and update the corresponding field length value.

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5. Error Message:"[file name] The direction image size is different from the original."

Cause: File size mismatch.

When you create a file to be used with stroke direction, it MUST be the same size as the file to which the style is being applied.

Corrective action:
Recreate the direction file.

Generally speaking it's usually a good idea to duplicate the target image (ensuring sizes will be equal) and create the direction file from it.

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6. Error Message:"The System cannot find the file specified."

Cause 1: Missing direction file.

A direction file was specified when the custom style was saved. Between now and then the direction file was deleted or moved.

Corrective action:
Recreate the direction file.

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Cause 2: Folder \User Settings does not exist.

This error message will be displayed when you attempt to save a custom style, but the above folder has not been created.

Corrective action:
Create folder \User Settings inside folder \Impressionist accessories and then Save the custom style again.


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Symptom: Clicking the Style button does not display the menu.

Cause: Too many custom settings have been defined or insufficient RAM available.

Corrective action:
* Closing some windows, then try again.

If that does not work:
* Shutdown the image editing program.
* Go to Impressionist's \User Settings folder
* Move one or more *.set files to another folder
* Start the image editing program again.

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Symptom: Too many style categories. Existing styles need to be removed or overridden.

Cause: The custom style limit is 47. You cannot exceed 47 .set files in \User Settings

Corrective action options:
* Save the new custom setting in an existing category
* Consolidate existing styles into fewer categories

Commentary:

There is a maximum number of custom categories allowed (47).

Suggestions:
* To keep "your" custom categories separate from the default ones installed with Impressionist, preceed category names with digits and/or special characters so they will "sort to the top" of the categories menu choices.
* As you collect .set files, consolidate custom styles into existing categories.

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7. Error Message:"[file name]." The system cannot find the path specified."

Cause:
* Impressionist cannot locate "[file name]" that was specified in the Orientation > Orient the strokes > By file... setting.

Corrective action:

There are two options:
* Create a stroke orientation file
* Apply the style without a stroke orientation file

1. Create a stroke orientation file
* Cancel out of Impressionist
* Duplicate the subject image
* Save the duplicate image in either .tif or .bmp format. The location and file name assigned are up to you.
* Close the duplicate file

* Open the Impressionist dialog
* Select the style
* Click on "More Controls"
* From the dropdown menu choose "Orientation"
* From the Orient the strokes dropdown menu, choose By file...
* Navigate to the .bmp or .tif file just saved

You will now be able to apply the style.

2. Apply the style without a stroke orientation file
* Open the Impressionist dialog
* Select the style
* Click on "More Controls"
* From the dropdown menu choose "Orientation"
* From the Orient the strokes dropdown menu, choose any option except By file...

You will now be able to apply the style.

Additional information:
* Open Impressionist HELP
* Search on "By file"

I can't get Mike's set to show up in Impressionist. I have everyone else but his won't show up.
Diane

Is it not here? (see attachment)

If not, you put the .set file in \User Settings
...right?

If the .set file is in the right folder, you may have exceeded the number of Styles Impressionist can display. Try removing some .set files from \User Settings.

Keep me posted...

it does not show up in the menu. It is in the right place , same as the other ones.

If the .set file is in the right folder, you may have exceeded the number of Styles Impressionist can display. Try removing some .set files from \User Settings.

it does not show up in the menu. It is in the right place , same as the other ones.OK...

Since you didn't mention it I'll assume you overlooked the last suggestion.

The following steps will isolate Mike's setting so you'll be able to determine its location:
1. Move all .set files except the Mike Finn set file from \User Settings into another folder.

2. Move file default.set in \Factory Settings also to another folder.

3. Bring up Photoshop and open the Impressionist dialog.

4. Click the Style button:

a. If the menu contains Charcoal and a custom category (something like "MikeF Painter," that means you had previously exceeded Impressionist's custom style threshold.

Corrective action: Delete some individual custom styles you are not using and/or move .set files you're not using out of \User Settings.

b. The menu will contain Charcoal and probably some other category. Mike's style (named "Painter1") will be in one or the other.

Corrective action:

Either remember in which category you found "Painter 1"

-or-

* Select "Painter 1"
* Click the Save button
* In the box labeled
.....Category Name, type: #Mike Finn
.....Variant Name, type: Painter 1
.....File name, type: #Mike Finn
* Cancel out of Impressionist
* Close Photoshop
* Delete the "old" Mike Finn.set file

Don't forget to restore Default.set and any other .set files you want to use. When you open Photoshop again, category #Mike Finn will be listed above the default categories.

This ought to do it. Keep me posted on your results.

~Danny~

thanks Danny, I followed your instructions to move the set files to another folder etc. That helped , I am able to see and use Mike's set file.
Diane

Hi,

I recently downloaded the Impressionist plug-in, but seem unable to get it to load in the filters.

I dragged it to the Plug-ins in Ps CS and even went so far as to copy the two dll files and 8.bf file to the system - still not registering.

Any suggestions or help ? Is Impressionist compatible with CS?

Sean

Hi,

I recently downloaded the Impressionist plug-in, but seem unable to get it to load in the filters.

I dragged it to the Plug-ins in Ps CS and even went so far as to copy the two dll files and 8.bf file to the system - still not registering.

Any suggestions or help ? Is Impressionist compatible with CS?

Sean

Hi Sean:

Impressionist is CS-compatible. Send me an e-mail (via my profile above) and I'll attach some info in the reply that should get you squared away.

~Danny~

Are you by any chance using a Mac? I have experience problems with .8bf files before.

T

Are you by any chance using a Mac? I have experience problems with .8bf files before.

T
You are on top of your game, Tyler. Turned out he was using a Mac.

Hi Danny,

Thanks for the link to the Impressionist plug-in. As suggested in your e-mail, I created a folder in PSP7/Plugins, named it "Impressionist" and unzipped the files in it. The only brush that worked was Charcoal - Default.

I moved the files out of the Impressionist folder and into the Plug-in folder, and then deleted the empty Impressionist folder. That solved the problem.

Hope this is of some help to others.

Hi Danny,

Thanks for the link to the Impressionist plug-in. As suggested in your e-mail, I created a folder in PSP7/Plugins, named it "Impressionist" and unzipped the files in it. The only brush that worked was Charcoal - Default.

I moved the files out of the Impressionist folder and into the Plug-in folder, and then deleted the empty Impressionist folder. That solved the problem.

Hope this is of some help to others.Sure appreciate the update, Henry. Glad you got over the hump.

To clarify you ended up with the equivalent of unzipping the .zip directly into PSP's \plugins folder?

I just loaded Impressionist and have it working in PSPx. My only question at the moment concerns the Preview windows.

The top preview window contains a very small box which can be moved around with the cursor (turns into a 4-sided set of arrows).
The bottom left preview window moves around as you drag the small box around in the upper window.

The bottom right preview window (where I assume the effect is supposed to show up) does not move at all and thus it is impossible to see the effect without clicking Apply and changing the entire image.

How can I get the right side preview window to be active? What else do I need to know?

Thanks for any help.

Ken

ken,

as i recall, under that third window, the one that is blank and doesnt move, there shld be a button named 'preview' or something like that. just click on it and it will show what the little box in the big preview window shows.

craig

Craig: thanks. Yes, the Preview button does show a preview. It was completely grey and did not seem to show anything but in fact displayed a tiny portion of the full image. Almost useless unless there is a way to increase the size of the little box that you steer around in the image.

Ken

[the preview is]...Almost useless unless there is a way to increase the size of the little box that you steer around in the image.I can sure understand how not having much preview flexibility would be frustrating at this stage while you're trying to absorb all the installed presets and options.

For what it's worth this plugin was developed by Microsoft over 10 years ago for FrontPage 95 and it never received any functional updates. So the preview function is what it is, unfortunately.

There is hope, however. If it turns out you start using Impressionist on a regular basis, quirks and limitations are easier to overlook and results are easier to predict, hence less of a need for the preview.

Something to try: Experiment on relatively small, low-res images, say in the ballpark of 8"x10" and 72-120 ppi or so. Rendering times should be fairly short, which should make the discovery process a more pleasant experience.

I am using impressionist in Elements 2, on a mac and virtual PC. My file is 18mb, 7x10 inches at 300dpi. When selecting aportion of the image, running a filter is OK, but when trying on the whole image, the sytem repeated freezes. I tried reducing to 200 dpi, and decreasing to 4x5 inches, but still get freezes. Any solution? Is there a size or dpi limit I am exceeding?

MDIJB

ken,

yes, you only get a small portion of the main window showing in the preview box. you also have to update the preview manually each time you make a change. you can move what portion of the preview shows by moving the little blue box outline in the other window and then hit preview again. but, if there is any 'fault' with impressionist, this is it, the preview window stuff. it needs to be bigger and in real time.

craig

I am using impressionist in Elements 2, on a mac and virtual PC. My file is 18mb, 7x10 inches at 300dpi. When selecting aportion of the image, running a filter is OK, but when trying on the whole image, the sytem repeated freezes. I tried reducing to 200 dpi, and decreasing to 4x5 inches, but still get freezes. Any solution? Is there a size or dpi limit I am exceeding?

MDIJBOn a 7"x10" 300 ppi image Impresisionist chugs along pretty slow on a PC, but it does eventually finish.

I would surmise the freezes you are experiencing are caused by an "out of RAM" condition that is causing Mac OS and/or Windows under Virtual PC to choke.

Things to try if you haven't already...
* If you're running other applications, shut them down before launching Elements.
* If you can adjust how much RAM a program can use under Mac OS, you might bump that value up.
* Keep experimenting with image resolution and dimensions. (I'd start with 125-150 ppi and keep notching it down from there.) When you find a combination that survives, up-res the image in steps after applying Impressionist to your final print resolution. What will make this a little hit-and-miss is the resources (CPU, RAM) Impressionist uses is a function of which options are specified during a given run.

Keep us posted if any of this helps.

~Danny~

Thanks Danny for all your suggestons. I allocated the maximum memory to Virtual painter and PSE as possible and made a little progress but then the freezes keep occuring. I also tried all the hints for given to keep strokes small, and the time required to process was forever, and the results are still too destructive for my tastes.

I guess I stick to the painting software I have and try to get success with that.

Thanks for your help.

MDIJB

Try this:
Ctrl Alt Del, Processes, select Photoshop, right-click on it and select "set priority: high, OK.
That will give much more power to Photoshop.
Good luck,

Try this:
Ctrl Alt Del, Processes, select Photoshop, right-click on it and select "set priority: high, OK.
That will give much more power to Photoshop.
Good luck,This is facinating, so I had to give this a try.

I applied a custom preset that I know runs real slow multiple times against the same. Here are the results. Times at each setting are averages of 3 runs on a PC with 1.4 Mhz CPU and 1 GB RAM, running Windows 2000 SP4, Photoshop 7 and a few inactive sessions of Internet Explorer:
...Time...-.Priority Setting via Task Manager
* 78 sec - Normal
* 75 sec - High
* 73 sec - Realtime (note: PS get priority over moving mouse!)

I was hoping for a bigger improvement than 4%-6%, but it is what it is. Everyones' system is going to be different, so results will vary.

It was fun experimenting. You learn something new everyday. Thanks for sharing this tidbit.

~Danny~

Hi Danny,
Well, I suppose it depends on how many programs are running in the background. I always have at least 4 or 5 programs open at the same time, and giving Photoshop priority over all of them does make a difference.
Sylvia

Hi Danny,
Well, I suppose it depends on how many programs are running in the background. I always have at least 4 or 5 programs open at the same time, and giving Photoshop priority over all of them does make a difference.
SylviaI'm not disputing your report at all. My tests confirmed your suggestion: Raising Photoshop's priority does make a difference.

In my case the difference wasn't particularly significant. In your case it is, and that's terrific. Under the right circumstances your suggestion will surely benefit many folks who surf here.

re: Well, I suppose it depends on how many programs are running in the background.

I was talking this over with a tech-jock friend. Here's a paraphrase of how he explained it to me. Keep in mind this a 30 minute techno-babble discussion summed up in a few paragraphs. :)

To some degree the number of programs running in the background can be a factor, but what usually eats your lunch is all those other processes [tasks] such as spyware and virus watchers which continually utilize processor resources and incur Windows overhead.

If you open Task Manager when you're not doing anything, the CPU utilization should be fairly low. [In my case it bounces between 1%-4%]. You will see the value change as Windows services the running tasks and chews up some resources for itself. When you launch a CPU intensive process such as Impressionist, CPU utilization pegs at 100% until the filter completes doing its thing. Photoshop is getting most of the CPU, but not all of it. Windows gives a little to all the other tasks as well.

Increasing Photoshop's processing priority starves the other processes and at the same time lowers Windows overhead, including things like task switching, memory management and what's known as paging.

Your [my] unscientific results indicate when given more CPU resources, Photoshop got the job done in ~4% less time, which correlates to system idle resource utilization on your [my] PC.

The most benefit from raising Photoshop's priority will most likely be seen on systems with some combination of low RAM in terms of Windows' and/or program needs (more paging = longer wait time), relatively slow disk drives (slower throughput), fragmented disk drives (slows down Windows paging and PS swap file activity) and/or a lot of concurrent background processes.That and three bucks might get you a latte at Starbucks.

In any event your suggestion was a good one, Sylvia. It sure can't hurt to try it.

~Danny~

Hi Danny,
It looks like you had a "good time" with that technician friend of yours! :happy:
Here's a paraphrase of how he explained it to me. Keep in mind this a 30 minute techno-babble discussion summed up in a few paragraphs.
lol
Sylvia

Hi Danny,
It looks like you had a "good time" with that technician friend of yours! :happy:

lol
SylviaActually my head hurt when we were done. I get pretty numb after a few minutes of such one-sided conversations. :masked: I was surprised that I wrote semi-made sense (to me) when I finished! (LOL)