Review: Mystical Tint, Tone and Color

Reviewed By: Kirk Hiner

Review Date: August 27, 2003

Product: Visual imaging software

Developer: Auto FX Software

Minimum Requirements: G3, Mac OS 9 or Mac OS X, 256MB RAM

Retail Price: $179.00

Availability: Out now

The folks at Auto FX understand graphics, but they don't understand Macintosh users. They've made this apparent in their total disregard for the Macintosh interface, a complaint both Gary Coyne and I have had with each new Auto FX release. We're not Windows users, after all...we care about usability. But Auto FX has made it clear to us that they like their GUI and they're sticking with it. Fair enough. With each new set of filters they release, I grow to like it a little more. Familiarity, you know.

But get a load of this. In the image to the right, notice the way my two sets of Auto FX filters are listed. Yes, I can deduce that "MTTC..." is Mystical Tint, Tone and Color and that "Mystical..." is Mystical Lighting, but it's sloppy. Mac users aren't really used to sloppy, and it's just an example of the little elements that Auto FX tends to let slide.

Then there's this quote from the manual for Mystical Tint, Tone and Color; "If you are new to the Mac, here is how you find out how much memory is being used by your computer." They then proceed to describe the OS 9 way of determining method usage. Considering that Apple is no longer shipping computers that can boot directly into OS 9, is it even possible to be a new Mac user and need to know to manage memory in OS 9? Seems to me, you'd have to work pretty hard to do so.

None of these are really issues, of course, but the fact that memory warnings and workarounds are nearly the first thing you read in the manual is not a good thing. Auto FX freely suggests you cut down on the amount of RAM Photoshop uses so you can allocate more to Mystical Tint, Tone and Color. Excuse me? The plug-in needs more memory than the app it's plugging? Does anyone else find this a little odd?

Again, this is another ongoing complaint with Auto FX products. They're memory hogs, and they're pretty slow on older machines. So, the question each time we evaluate a new Auto FX product is whether the capabilities of the program outweigh these standard problems. In the case of Mystical Tint, Tone and Color...well, with 38 different filters included, it would be fairly hard to go wrong.

In my review of Mystical Lighting, I pointed out that some of the filters included "...are more fun than others, some are more useful than others, and some are more effective than others." In Mystical Tint, Tone and Color, most of the filters fall more on the useful side. They vary in degree, of course, from the subtle to the sublime, but nearly all of them serve a purpose...no pixie dust or rainbow painting tools here.

So, what do you get? Here's the list. The names don't mean a whole lot on their own, so you're better off visiting Auto FX for descriptions and samples of which there are too many to detail here.

Yes, that's a lot. The good news is that the PDF manual does a fairly decent job of explaining not only how to use each particular filter, but also to use the various tools within the filter. An even better resource, though, is the Auto FX website. Here, each filter gets its own page, allowing you to see samples of exactly what each can do. Throughout the evaluation process, I often found myself visiting the page, searching for the filter that would best help me achieve the results I wanted. Or, sometimes while exploring the filters, I'd see an image that would inspire me to try a variation with one of my photos. Taking a look at the sample photos for the Vitality and Under Color filters, for example, had me digging through my albums for some old photos I knew could be greatly enhanced with these effects.

Then, there are filters such as Blue Sky. Here's a meek little filter that does nothing more than make your blue skies bluer. Simple enough, and it can achieve some pretty good results when used in moderation. In the hands of evil, however, it can produce some ridiculously fake looking skies that seem to blend into your subject matter. You're given two methods to apply the filter: "Global" simply fades the blue color (the shade of which you can adjust) from the top of the image down. You control how far by adjusting the horizon setting. For more precise work, you can paint the filter on by hand. I found this to be somewhat annoying, though, as you can't see what you're painting as you do it. Mystical Tint, Tone and Color merely draws a line as you move the paintbrush, then applies the color once you've stopped. Not very practical, but you do have excellent control over the brush's size, feather and opacity settings, and the brush tool still takes your horizon setting into account, so it's possible to get an entire skyline painted in just a few strokes.

That's just one example, but as lazy as it sounds, that's really all you need to get a feel for how this program works. Every filter can produce really good results, and presets are included to help speed you along. Truly unique (and impressive) results require heavy experimentation, but Mystical Tint, Tone and Color is unfortunately not conducive to experimentation. I would provide details, but I've already covered these elements in my review for Mystical Lighting, so I'll just refer you to that for the positives and negatives of the interface and Auto FX way of working.

In its current state, my leanings towards the Auto FX user interface will never grow beyond tolerance. However, I'm more than happy to tolerate it if the ends justify means. Here, perhaps the first time, they do so with confidence. Getting 38 filters is impressive is enough, but the fact that so many of them are useful (no fillers) borders on amazing. Yes, many of the results here can be achieved in PhotoShop's default plug-in, but not quite as easily and in a much more constrictive environment. Plus, let's not forget that Mystical Tint, Tone and Color works as a stand alone product, so those without Photoshop can also generate some great looking images.

If you've used Auto FX filters in the past and don't mind the interface, Mystical Tint, Tone and Color is a valuable addition to your plug-in catalog. If you haven't tried Auto FX before, this is a pretty good place to start. You get a lot for your money, so there's bound to be quite a bit in here you'll like...just be sure you give yourself the time to learn how to like it.

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