Filter set like Xaos Tools/Paint Alchemy/Terrazo? [2011]

[craig cheatham]

I have need for some of the effects of Paint Alchemy and especially Terrazo. Does anyone know of an OSX filter set that does what those filters did? I know there was an OSX version available for a while, but now I can't find anything.

Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?

Craig

[c.pfaffenbichler]

Could you post an example of the effect applied?

[_scott_]

As far as I'm aware, none of those are OSX compatible.

Imagesynth is a great pattern generator and far surpasses what Terrazzo did.

[Chris Cox]

...except it doesn't do anything like what Terrazo did...

[_scott_]

Isn't the concept the same (repeating images for a pattern)? Sorry it has been 5+ years since I touched Terrazzo.

[Chris Cox]

Not really.

Terrazo used quilting pattern like tiling.

[craig cheatham]

Yes Chris, that's right. Terrazo could take a selected part of an image and tile it in a variety of kaleidescopic patterns: bilateral symmetry, rotational, mirrored, triangular (if memory serves).

What I liked about Paint Alchemy is that it would create a huge variety of brushes which then could be defined to change direction, size, angle, opacity, color etc. based on the luminence, hue, saturation, etc. of the source image.

Scatter and randomization could be factored in.

It was especially good at creating a hairy version of an image.

I believe they had the same set of tools for use in video production.

I had a phone number for Dennis, one of the original Xaos team members, but it seems even that no longer works.

😞

Craig

[Chris Cox]

Hmm, and it looks like xaostools no longer has a web site at all.

Though Google apparently found it 3 weeks ago.

[craig cheatham]

No,

There's no website, very little evidence they ever existed. They did have an OS X version, but I missed my window to get that.

I found an abstract that said,

"Paint Alchemy ... is very slow ... requires a host image-editing program, 2.5MB hard disk space, 1MB RAM and a MAC II with System 7.0"

So that made me laugh. – And then it made me feel old.

Craig

[Chris Cox]

Yeah, I still have copies of version 1.0 of Paint Alchemy and Terrazo.

[Larry_Auerbach]

I had installer CDs for my XaosTools software until recently, when I finally got rid of my last Macs that could run either Classic mode or boot up under System 9.  I still had the notion of having Photoshop 7 installed on one of them just to run old plug-ins like this, but never got around to setting it up. 

[craig cheatham]

If you still have those CDs, I'd be interested in buying them from you.

[Todd Shaner]

Looks like CNET has Xaos Terrazzo 2.0 for Mac available for download here:

http://download.cnet.com/mac/xaos-tools-inc/3260-20_4-10018311.html

If XAOS is no longer in exisitance and no one bought up the software rights, then copyright is not enforcable!

Coincidently, I just pulled out a bunch of old MeatCreatiions CDs and XAOS Tools CD two nights ago and tried loading them onto a Windows XP system. The XAOS Tools, including TypeCaster, Paint Alchemy and Terrazo loaded fine off the CD, but I had to manually install the .8BF files into my Photoshop CS5 plugin folder. I didn't have time to play around with them but the plugings appear in the Filter selections and do launch their app window OK. Some of the Metacreation apps gave me a 'Not Enough Memory' error message and would not launch, but I found a simple fix here:

http://dev.depeuter.org/index.htm

Fixes these MetaCreations apps for Windows XP, Vista and Windows7: Art Dabbler, Bryce 3D, Poser 3 & 4; Painter 3D; Painter Classic; Painter 4; Painter 5; Painter 5.5; Painter 6.1

I don't own a Mac system, but thought this might be of interest anyhow. I used Terrazo back in the late 1990s and loved the tiling effects. I'm not sure there is anything comparable that is availabe today at a reasonable cost. I got all of my software apps when I worked at a company called MicroWarehouse (AKA MacWarehouse) from 1994 to 1999. All of the software developers offered full copies of their apps to MWHS employees at very low cost.....I bought a lot of them - Symantec, Microsoft, Adobe, Kai's Power Tools, MetaCreations, XAOS Tools, Ray Dream,Broderbund, etc.

Problem is that many of these old apps just don't work on newer OSs, or simply are dated and not worth playing with. XAOS Tools and some of the Metacreations apps are still fun to work with.

[SuperMacGuy]

I've got an old Mac, one of the last G4s, still running OS9 just for things like this- old Photoshop plug ins and Illy plug ins. And Marathon! But honestly I almost never turn it on.

[craig cheatham]

trshaner,

Thanks for the link to downloads. I have found several others like that, and none of them work, including the one you included.

Thanks for trying.

I must have those install disks somewhere. Unfortunately they might have been on floppies (remember?) and I've trashed almost all of those.

Wish I still had PS 1.0 on floppy.

Craig

[craig cheatham]

There's clearly still some interest in the unique capabilities of Paint Alchemy and Terrazo.

How do filters/plug-ins get developed? Can you ask some developers to look to creating filters like these Xaos Tools filters?

Paint Alchemy had the ability to vary the brush based on the values of underlying layers, such as density/hue etc.

With Photoshop's expanded brush capabilities in CS5, an expanded filter set that is similar to those old plug-ins would be great.

Photoshop's filters set is getting pretty long in the tooth and could benefit from some paint/texture innovations.

Another interesting tool was Propeller Paint Engine, which allowed patterns to be generated and altered based on pen-angle.

Craig

[alansky1]

I suspect that the Xaos Tools suite was not as well-known as it deserved to be. If up-to-date versions of these apps were available in the App Store now, they would be big sellers.

Photoshop's filters are indeed getting very long in the tooth. In fact, they've changed very little in all the years since Photoshop was first introduced. The Photoshop user interface, despite the welcome addition of tabs, is also seriously showing its age.

I don't know how one would go about trying to interest developers in re-creating apps/plugins similar to Xaos Tools. But I called the Xaos developers several times during their last years of operation to encourage them to keep deveoping Terrazzo. It was kind of obvious that they'd lost all their enthusiasm, so I wasn't surprised when they finally just disappeared.

[Larry_Auerbach]

Have you looked at Artlandia SymmetryShop? http://www.artlandia.com/products/SymmetryShop/

The feature list says it does all 17 types of symmetry patterns, which is what Terrazzo did.  It is, however, significantly more expensive than Terrazzo used to be, and has many other features.

Re: Paint Alchemy-- the application Synthetik Studio Artist can produce results similar to what Paint Alchemy could do.  It's not a plug-in.  It's hard to tell what it can do from its uninviting web homepage http://www.synthetik.com/ without poking around through the product pages and galleries, but it's pretty powerful.   It's apparently getting updated. http://studioartist.blogspot.com/2010/01/studio-artist-4-update.html

[fostercoburn]

Craig,

While it isn't a native OS X solution, Corel PHOTO-PAINT does include Paint Alchemy and has for several versions now. It can be run on a Mac using Boot Camp or Parallels.

Foster Coburn

[Will F.]

Hi,

I too have heard of the mythic 2006 Terrazzo 2.0 for Mac that supposedly worked in CS2.  I somehow  managed to have a copy of a Terrazzo 2.0 demo, but it only works in Classic apps, in OS X (10.4.11) PhotoShop CS just doesn't see it.  Version 2.0 didn't add any features, just a somewhat different interface.

Will

[alansky1]

Terrazzo 2.0 for Mac OS X is not a myth. I purchased this (the very last) version from Xaos Tools and it still works with Photoshop CS running in Leopard on a G4 Powerbook. The copy I have is actually version 2.1. I don't know if it works with CS2, but it did not work with CS3 and I doubt that it will show up in any version of Photoshop running in Snow Leopard. Not sure if Photoshop CS runs well in Snow Leopard anyway. As I recall, Photoshop CS was very buggy running in OS X 10.6.0, but seemed to run better in 10.6.3. I have since moved on to CS3, CS4 and now CS5. So no Terrazzo for me (except on my old Powerbook).

Considering that Xaos Tools has evidently gone out of business, I'd be willing to share my copy of Terrazzo 2.1 (including the serial number) with serious Terrazzo hunters. Terrazzo is a uniquely great plug-in, and I've never found a reasonable substitute. Email omalansky at me dot com if interested.

By the way, the CNET link provided by @trshaner goes to a Terrazzo 2.0 download page alright. But nothing downloads when you click the Download button.

[Will F.]

Terrazzo 2.1 works in Mac OS 10.6.8 and Photoshop CS2, but probably nothing later.     

-Will

[e.reed.rogers]

It works up to CS-4 and maybe even 6 but that's only if you can get it to run. Adobe killed CS-4 through verification. So, unless you got lucky or used your computer offline you might be SOL. Luckily I do have a computer which was offline and it works with CS-4.

[modgirl23]

I have a XAOSTOOLS FULL Version copy for the Windows Platform. It includes the Terrazzo filter along with Typecaster and Paint Alchemy. I have an old version of PS 7 that I have it installed in the plugins folder. If you are really needing it,

i will share mine with you.   my email is deirdre.davis@gmail.com

the closest thing that I have seen is SymmetryWorks for illustrator that is similar. i also saw a tutorial of a Paintshop Pro software that uses it but I don't know for sure since have always used Photoshop.

[garyhoov1]

What Terrazzo did was called Tessellation.  17 ways you can crate Escher-like tilings.  There are several apps that can do this, some of them are listed at

www.tessellation.com