Digital Photographer's Software Guide - Bertemes - Net

SketchMatrix
Vendor: NeuralTek
Purpose: Create a realistic sketch from a digital image
Chapter 14 ■ Art Simulators 177
Description
From a digital photograph, SketchMatrix enables you to produce an instant picture that
looks like a hand-drawn sketch. It also provides several tools that let you refine the
image, adjust the color, and add glazes.
Whereas most image-to-artwork conversion software produces a somewhat lifeless result,
SketchMatrix uses various filters that try to mimic the human touch. The vendor calls
it the “dynamic parameter paradigm,” meaning that you can set different parameters
such as outline, features, shading, and detail, and the software will use the settings to
produce variations in the result. You can also vary the color, focus, intensity, and luminance
of the sketch, applying these effects in a real-time preview mode so that you can
see the changes as they happen.
SketchMatrix comes in four editions: Lite, Personal, and non-commercial/commercial
Artist editions. The more expensive editions have additional features including Variable
Realism and a perspective control.
Comments
Developed in consultation with a team of artists, SketchMatrix produces better results
with freeform objects such as trees or fabrics than it does with the geometric shapes of
architecture. No artist would draw a building with such perfect reproduction of shape
and perspective—there would be no point, as photography does it better. Yet
SketchMatrix can produce an interesting look for brochures, especially if the subject
appears a little too ordinary in the original picture. See the SketchMatrix Website at
www.sketchmatrix.com.
Version: SketchMatrix 2.1 (2008)
OS: Windows 98, ME, 2000, XP, and Vista
RAM: 128MB
Supported file formats: JPEG and BMP
Price level: Lite edition $20, Personal edition $50, Artist, non-commercial license $80, Artist,
commercial license $200
Address: NeuralTek, P.O. Box 582, North Ryde Business Ctr., NSW 1670, Australia
www.blackmagic-color.com