Tutorial: AKVIS NatureArt

Workspace

AKVIS NatureArt can work independently as a standalone program or as a plug-in to a photo editor.

To call the AKVIS NatureArt plug-in, open an image in the photo editor, and then choose the command AKVIS –> NatureArt from the filter menu. In Adobe Photoshop choose Filter –> AKVIS –> NatureArt; and in Corel Paint Shop Pro choose Effects –> Plugins -> AKVIS –> NatureArt.

To launch the standalone version of AKVIS NatureArt follow these steps:

On a Windows computer:
- In the main menu: press Start and select the command AKVIS – NatureArt from the pop up menu.
- Using the program's shortcut on the Desktop: put the cursor on the icon for AKVIS NatureArt and double-click it with the left mouse button.
On a Macintosh computer:
- Using Finder: select the folder Applications on the sidebar of the Finder window, select the application AKVIS NatureArt and double-click it.

The AKVIS NatureArt workspace looks like this:

AKVIS NatureArt Workspace

Most of NatureArt's window is taken up by the Image Window with two tabs, Before and After. The original image is displayed in the Before tab, and in the After tab, the image after processing. You can switch between the windows by clicking on a tab with the left mouse button.

In the upper part of the window you can see Control Panel with the following buttons:

The button opens the home page of AKVIS NatureArt.
The button (only in the standalone version) open the New Image dialog box. The hot-keys are Ctrl+N on Windows, +N on Macintosh.
The button (only in the standalone version) opens an image for processing. The hot-keys for the command are Ctrl+O on Windows, +O on Macintosh.
It's possible also drag the required image into the workspace of the program. The program supports JPEG, TIFF, PNG, BMP file formats.
The button (only in the standalone version) saves image to the disk. The hot-keys are Ctrl+S on Windows, +S on Macintosh.
The button (only in the standalone) opens the Print dialog to print the result. The hot-keys are Ctrl+P on Windows, +P on Macintosh.
The button loads selected areas and direction lines saved to a file *.nature.
The button saves selected areas and direction lines to a separate file *.nature.
The button / shows and hides a selection or support lines.
The button cancels the last operation. It is possible to cancel several operations in a row. The hot-keys are Ctrl+Z, +Z on Macintosh.
The button returns the last cancelled operation. It is possible to return several operations in a row. The hot-keys are Ctrl+Y, +Y on Macintosh.
The button starts processing the image. Use hot-keys: Ctrl+R on Windows, +R on Macintosh.
The button (only in the plugin version) applies the result to the image and closes the plugin.
The button calls information about the program.
The button calls the Help files. The hot-key is F1.
The button calls the Preferences dialog box for changing the program's options.

To the left of the Image Window is the Toolbar. Different tools appear depending on the Effect chosen. The tools' parameters are shown in a pop-up box after right-clicking in the image window. Read here for more information about the tools.

Navigate and scale the image using the Navigator. The frame in the Navigator surrounds the area of the image which is visible in the Image Window; the area outside of the frame will be shaded. The frame can be dragged, thereby changing the visible portion of the image. To move the frame, place the cursor within it, left click the mouse, and then drag.

In addition, you can move the image in the Image Window using the scroll bar or by holding down the space bar, and then holding down the left mouse button while moving the mouse. The mouse's scroll wheel can move the image up and down, while holding Ctrl ( on Macintosh) – while moving the scroll wheel will move the image left and right. Holding Alt (Option on Macintosh) will scale the image. Right-click on the scroll bar to activate the quick navigation menu.

Use the slider or the buttons and , to scale the image in the Image Window. When you click on the button or move the slider to the right, the image scale increases. When you click on the button or move the slider to the left, the image scale reduces.

You can also change the image scale by entering a new coefficient into the scale field. The fall-down menu shows some frequently used coefficients.

You can use hot-keys to change the image scale + and Ctrl++ (++ in Macintosh) to increase the image scale and - and Ctrl+- (+- in Macintosh) to reduce the scale.