Want "High Usage"??? :)

From my experience here.....I have come to find that quality and range of applications are the combined keys to obtaining "high usage" on your filters. In my opinion, the complexity of your filters has absolutely nothing to do with it. For example, my 5-component "GlossEmboss2" filter went HU after only 26 downloads.....solely because it is easy to use for a wide range of applications. My point is that the time you put into the "usability" of your filter concept is the most valuable way to spend it.....if you are looking to obtain HU on your filters.....

I also think that some authors mislead themselves to thinking that burying the library in "suboptimal" filters is better than doing fewer higher-quality, more-thought-out filters.....the "throw everything against the wall and see what sticks" approach. I personally think that having alot of "suboptimal" filters hurts your chances of obtaining high usage on all your filters. As a user, if I see that an author has just piled alot of "suboptimal" filters for the numbers, I become pre-disposed to think that all their filters are going to be the same way.....and end up avoiding everything by that author like the plague.....

There are several authors who use their time to think out and make a small amount of quality filters.....and most of them become high usage. Serious users come to know which authors are producing the well-thought-out, usable, quality filters.....so everytime that author submits a new filter, it immediately gets tons of downloads and usually goes 'high usage' overnight.....

Just some food for thought

Speak of the devil

Good!!! Going back and continuously upgrading your filters with what you learn helps too

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Going back and continuously upgrading your filters with what you learn helps too

I plan on it. I would rather only have a few filters that are really good than crank out filters daily just so that I can have a large number under my name.

I am thinking however of asking FF if thay can add ahimsa's to the beginning of all my filter names. Seems to really help organize filters in the program library. I like how I can always find yours easily amongst the thousands of filters I have downloaded from here.

Hi Steve~

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I never said it was..... I was talking about new users who try to inundate the library with "suboptimals" in an effort to get HUs for the free copy.....

I know~ I was clarifying~ We are saying the same thing... was just trying to add some tips and positive energy for new users.

You gave some great advice Steve~

I was out forging last night... I usually sift thru to find the filters I want. That's just me I guess.

As for users it's very hard to speculate on users... 'they like what they like'. If we could speculate on the users then we'd all have nothing but HU's... We try to speculate on users... My main objective is giving some positive energy to new filter forge users.

And you are right we do agree... if we can get new filter artists to really think about the user when they make filters then they will have a better chance at HU's.

Just trying to help you out... I'm tired though and propably won't be in the threads much on the weekends anymore... I can be reached by email though should you need anything. Anyway I'm glad you started the thread and will exit now~

The very best tip I can give new users... is do what Steve does~ That's what I did. You don't have to copy Steve ... he was my choice.. you can choose him.. my point is to find a filter artist you repsect and 'do what they do'.

As always with advice... 'take what works for you and discard the rest'.

Well, dinner time... then family time.. then filter making time. Nite~

Like me, I have just six filters, all made with the focus of just providing extra help to artists, and 3d artists as well. I don't really have any plans for new filters just yet, just the ones I have now I'm going to try and make them really useful and high quality. Just in the past few days I've updated most of my filters just with new presets, just to show what could be accomplished.

I'm not bragging or anything like that, but I'm just happy I have those few filters that I've tried to make better for a while now.

Oh, and you mentioned filters with not that complex controls... my detail mutliplier filter reached HU, and it only has ONE control

(((((((((Whoo Hooo on the HU... one down two to go! You can do it!)))))))

Hi Steve,

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There's alot to be said for easy-to-use photo filters.....users seem to like them alot

I think you are right on that. What I do to try to figure out the users is I go to my HU's. It's in the HU's that the users tell you what they like from you. JMO.

As a filter user:
And also since I am a filter user... I know that I do like soft ones. My biggest thing as a user is how it looks on application, I really don't pay much mind to how it looks on the life preserver verses how it looks on application. Because when I go to use it I'm not pulling directly from the library, I'm pulling from within FF and I already have an image up that the filter will showcase itself on... how it looks on the life preserver never really comes into play once it's time for application. I've seen filters cropping up lately that look as bold as they can on the wheel and I can take one look at it and know the filter artist does not have application in mind and was going after how it looked in the library,,, whatever floats their boat and makes them happy. Each filter artists needs to be able to make and do what they want to do. One mans version of 'sub-optimal' is another man's treasure... because you are talking about perspective, particularily 'user perspective'. Meaning it's great to state an opinion as long as you realize it's an opinion, it's when the opinion is presented as 'truth' that problems arise. Sub-optimal is an opinion and varies dependent upon who you ask. There is not a filter artist here where I like every filter they have made (speaking as a user). I like what I like, and that's where the users are coming from (my opinion).

As a filter artist:
For the reason above I test mine for how they look applied,,, not the life preserver so sometimes the effects on the life preserver would look better if the filter were made to look good on that one image, the filter is not though, it's made to look good on application... so that when someone has their image up and they apply the filter, they want to stay with the filter. (((Hopes this helps new filter artists)))

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LOL..... My evil plan is working then

No doubt, LOL. As for me I don't care if I get more HU's or not because I just make filters for others to enjoy and I spent alot time creating them.. meaning if only a few truely enjoy the filter, then I've made someone happy with the filter and that's good enough for me. I like making filters and I like pushing myself to turn out the best I can, so for me that's what it's all about.

For those that need their three HU's I certainly understand and will offer all the tips and tricks I can to help.

When it comes to the filter users I think each of us 'think we know' what the users want (and we all think we are right). And not all of us are users,,, some of us are just filter artists, and some of us are both user and filter artist. And I do think that each of us have different ideas on what the users want.