The main purpose of the plug-in management window is to list the FxPacks that are currently installed on your system, and let you perform certain actions on them.
Each FxPack installed on your system is listed by its name and version number. A status message below the name provides additional clues regarding the licensing or compatibility status of the plug-ins. Plug-ins built for FxFactory are available inside supported hosts only if they are installed properly, and if your system configuration meets or exceed the plug-ins' requirements.
When you select a given FxPack, a small preview of its contents is available on the right-hand side of the window. You may also search for a given plug-in (or plug-in category) by using the Search box available in the window. The following example shows the result of searching the "FxFactory Pro Pack" for all transitions:
Below each plug-in's name, FxFactory lists its type (filter, generator or transition) and group (e.g. "NI Transitions"). The group denotes the location inside the host where you'll be able to find and use the plug-in:
FxFactory supports three kinds of plug-ins: freebies, commercial plug-ins and FxFactory Pro plug-ins. You can tell these different categories apart because they are represented by different icons in the Plug-In Management window:
Free Plug-Ins
Commercial Plug-Ins
FxFactory Pro Plug-Ins
The checkbox to the left of each icon lets you control whether the plug-ins in that FxPack will be available inside your supported hosts.
If you are experiencing any problems with a given set of plug-ins, the FxPack icon and status message may provide useful clues to fix the problem. For example, the screenshot below shows the FxFactory Pro Pack when two days are left in the FxFactory Pro trial period:
Notice how the icons sports a "Pro" label, indicating that the plug-ins in the "FxFactory Pro Pack" can be unlocked by purchasing FxFactory Pro.
The FxFactory Pro trial period begins when you first install FxFactory. During the FxFactory Pro trial period, all Pro plug-ins will be fully functional. When the trial period expires, their output will contain a watermark (the Noise Industries logo). With the exception of the watermark, a plug-in's functionality remains identical even after the trial period has expired, giving you a chance to try and test plug-ins as long as needed.
To unlock FxFactory Pro plug-ins, you must purchase a registration code to FxFactory Pro and activate your license.
The next example shows the "idustrial revolution Volumetrix" plug-ins, currently licensed to "Johnny Editor":
Notice the small price tag next to the box, which denotes a commercial plug-in package. Commercial plug-in packages may be unlocked independently of any other FxFactory product, by purchasing a license. Some commercial plug-ins (such as Volumetrix) are distributed with the main FxFactory installer. Additional ones may be found online by clicking the "Download More Plug-Ins" button.
Commercial Plug-ins come with their own trial period, which usually lasts 15 days. The trial period begins the first time you install the plug-ins. Commercial plug-ins remain fully functional during this trial period. When the trial period expires, they render a watermark in the output. To remove the watermark, you may unlock commercial plug-ins by purchasing a registration code and activating your license.
The last example shows the "FxFactory Freebies" plug-ins. "FxFactory Freebies" is available as a free download from the Noise Industries website. You may activate free plug-ins by completing a free registration process. Notice that the icon is grayed out, to suggest that the plug-ins will render with a watermark until the free registration process is complete.
Once the free registration process is complete, the icon will reflect the new activation status:
Why are certain plug-ins disabled?
FxPack icons may be grayed out for a variety of reasons:
- The FxPack is a commercial product (e.g. FxFactory Pro) whose trial period has expired.
- The FxPack is a free product whose registration process has not been completed.
- Your system configuration does not meet the minimum requirements set forth by the plug-ins. Unless the proper upgrades are applied, your system may be incapable of running the plug-ins. The status message will provide an explanation of why the minimum system requirements are not met.
You may also notice that individual plug-ins within an FxPack may be unavailable inside a given host. A plug-in may have higher system requirements than your system currently provides. For instance, many FxFactory Pro plug-ins are only available on Mac OS X 10.5 "Leopard":
The Hexagon Wipe transition requires Mac OS X 10.5. In the example above, FxFactory is displaying a warning because the system is running Mac OS X 10.4, and therefore the plug-in will not be available inside supported hosts until the operating system is upgraded to the required version.
Downloading and Installing More Plug-Ins
To find more plug-ins for FxFactory, click the "Download More Plug-Ins" button. The FxFactory website lists additional plug-ins that you may download to your desktop. When the download is complete, you may install the plug-ins simply by double-clicking the FxPack icon in the Finder:
When you double-click an FxPack, FxFactory will install it for you. If necessary, FxFactory will also ask you whether you want to use a newly installed product in trial mode, whether you want to complete the registration process right away, etc.
Some of the FxFactory plug-ins you will find online come with a dedicated installer. In that case, follow the instructions that come with the installer.
More Actions
Additional commands are available by selecting any of the installed FxPacks and right-clicking on the FxPack icon (or clicking on the action menu above the listing denoted by a "gear" icon):
The action menu replicates some of the features found elsewhere in the plug-in management window (e.g. opening Pro FxPacks, purchasing and registering commercial FxPacks). It also contains the following unique commands:
- Reveal in Finder locates and displays the FxPack file on disc, and opens up a Finder window at that location. This option is useful for copying the FxPack to other disks for backup purposes.
- Send via Email composes a new email message and attaches the FxPack to the outgoing message. This option is useful for sharing FxPacks with other FxFactory users.
- Info - points your web browser to a page with information on the currently selected FxPack.
- Buy Now points your web brower to a website where a registration code for the currently selected FxPack can be purchased (registration codes are only required for Commercial FxPacks).
- Delete FxPack deletes the FxPack from your system. This option will remove the plug-ins from FxFactory and it is not undoable.