Software:  PhotoImpact X3 

The information in this tutorial can also apply to other versions of PhotoImpact 

Title:   Presets  - Installing From Previous Versions & Making Them Work

Author: Maureen Eves-Lavis

Level:   Beginner

Additional Files  -  Video 1 - Setting Up Folders & Files - EP

                                                                             Video 2 - Organising My Gallery

                                                                             Video 3 - Importing Presets

                                                                             Video 4 - Creating, Saving Presets

                                                                             Video 5 - Exporting Presets

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Many of us experience problems with installing presets into the Easy Palette from previous versions of PhotoImpact to an updated, newer version and for those presets to work correctly.   In some cases, there's a problem no matter which version one uses.  Most often after installing presets we are met with the dreaded 'browse for the preset' which is not only annoying but time consuming.  This tutorial, I hope will help alleviate some of these irritating symptoms... and hopefully Corel will fix this bug in PhotoImpact

MODES and WORKSPACES

PhotoImpact X3 has the ability for customised workspace modes, choose your own personal settings or Full Edit providing you have all tools available for this tutorial.

 

Before attempting this tutorial, it would be advantageous to read and complete the tutorials listed below so you will have your Easy Palette ready to update.

If you don't know how to set up your Easy Palette and folders on your hard drive, I'd suggest you do this tutorial anaging Your Easy Palette  Although written for PhotoImpact 12, it is applicable to PhotoImpact X3.  Another tutorial for Adding Fills to the Easy Palette  (this is written for older versions of PhotoImpact, but again works equally well in PhotoImpact X3.  Lastly, a tutorial on Making and Adding Presets to your Gallery in PhotoImpact.  These collection of tutorials cover most versions of PhotoImpact, view the Video links above.

STEP 1

Open PIX3, Easy Palette, My Gallery, Presets. (which you should have prepared prior to this tutorial by doing the above tutorials first). 

For the purpose of this tutorial I'm using MaryLou's presets -

 

Open a blank canvas of say 200 x 200, path tool, draw a circle.  Go to ML Preset and double click it.....does the preset add to your path?  I very much doubt it and you will receive this notice:

Reading the information on the small window, is telling you that you need to download the preset you wish to use.  You KNOW you've downloaded and installed it as it's in your Easy Palette.  This is the glitch in Corel's PhotoImpact!  So how can we overcome this annoying problem?  

Click on the Browse button, another box opens - this time saying it "Cannot locate the following file(s)  -  again, you know you've installed them, so now you have to go browse your hard drive to search for the particular file for this preset  (sigh!)

Click on the Browse button.  A Locate File window pops up, go in search for the folder ML Test Presets (or whatever folder/file names you have) once there you will see an image file, this could be a .jpg or .bmp.  Click on it - we are now transported back to the "Cannot locate the following file(s)" box - as your file is in the window, just click OK.  Now you will see that the particular preset loaded onto your path object.  

The above procedure will occur every time you wish to add a preset which is extremely annoying, so here's what you can do to stop that.

 

STEP 2

Open your Easy Palette > My Gallery >My Presets > ml presets.  Right click on the first preset and choose Properties 

once again you will get the browse box again!!  (sigh!)  click on the browse button.  This time, the Material window will open showing the preset in the small window. 

(Here you can ammend the preset to exactly how you would want it - alter the bevel settings, or change the appearance of the preset in your Easy Palette from a circle, rectangle or diamond by clicking on the little icon above the preset window shown with a red circle around it).

 

Click on the OK button bar.  A small window will open Update Easy Palette - click OK.  The preset is now set.

Do these few steps with each preset  -  time consuming I know, but if you wish to not receive the dreaded browse box, then the above will have to be done - until Corel fix this problem.

The above problem and fix also applies to textures and fills added to the Easy Palette > My Gallery.  

Lastly, I would advise you save your Customised Workspace... even if you are using the Full Edit.  PhotoImpact has a habit of somehow resetting itself where you lose all your customised settings.. again, annoying.  Save, save and save after each change you make.  If you don't know how to make and save a Customised Workspace read the tutorial linked above under Modes & Workspaces.

I hope this tutorial helps alleviate some of the  frustrations we have with PhotoImpact. 

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