PI8-tut_002/Part 1

PI Version: 8
Level: Beginner
Featured tools: None
Additional filters: Filters Unlimited 2.0
Additional files: Picture. Use any you want.
Tutorial: Copyright © Inge Klement

DESCRIPTION: This program is very handy if you want to use a lot of 3rd party filters together with PI. You can import filters with
the *.ffl, *.8bf, *.afs and *.ffx format.
In this tutorial I want to show you how to import filters into the program (1.part), and how to use the program afterwards (2.part).

I soon found out by trying to import *.8bf format to FU, there were some difficulties importing them through FU. Special with this format is, that you can only import filters from Filter Factory, which usually can be identified by their size ... 48kB or 56kB.
Other filters with the *.8bf format, which are not from the Filter Factory, cannot be imported (filters like EyeCandy, Kai's Power Tools, Fantastic Machines, Dragon Fly, et cetera).

Take a look at the screenshot below. On the bottom of FU you will find a button called Database. By clicking this one you get a menu with New/Open/Delete and database names. The original database is called ICNET-filters.db, which the filters that came with the program. Included with Filters Unlimited 2.0 are 350 filters. FU can use a lot of databases. The number of databases and filters within each is not restricted, from what I understood from the manual. TIP: I recommend making a new database before importing, so you can keep the original filters from FU inside their own database. As you can see on the screenshot below, I haven't done that and I really admit it took a while to get the hang of importing, because of that.
	As you import *.8bf format filters, they import under the name of the writer and/or the group name they've got, and I guess there are not too many people out there to know which filter belongs to whom. (A lot of filters have very similar or identical names too!) I renamed the original filters in the middle of the process so it would make my work easier ... and it did. (I just put FU_ in front of those filters, which came with the program.) You can also set up another database (see next paragraph) and call it "Imported Filters" or however you want to categorize your filters and/or databases.

	Now we will make a new database. Click on the button called Database and you will see a pop-up window called New Database. Give your database a descriptive name ... I called this one "Test" ... and click OK. For yourself ... find at once a name you want to use later on, because if not, the database "Test" could stay for a while. :))

	Your next screen should look like this one. As you can see, FU made a new database with the name Test.db, and of course it's empty. The next step will be to import our first filter into our new database. Click on the Import button, and a window called Open will appear. Find the folder were you've unzipped the filters you want to use, select the right file format (afs/ffl/ffx or 8bf) and click open. For this tutorial I've picked the Toadies filters, which are in *.ffl format.

	The next window that appears is a little bit special for *.ffl filters. You get a list with all filters included in Toadies. You can select all of them by clicking the Select All button, or you can pick the ones you want by holding down the Ctrl button at the same time as you click on the chosen filters. By clicking the Import button, FU imports the filters into the database.

	Here you can see the filters Toadies, which I've imported to my database, called Test.db. You can now start to use them immediately, or you can continue importing other filters you want to add to FU.

That's it for the 1.part of this tutorial. Now you know how to import filters into the program, and in the 2.part I want to show you how you can make use of this filters. HAVE FUN!!!
If you need any help with this tutorial - or want to make suggestions to improve it - please email me!