By Jeff White
SpacePaint, as the name suggests, is a photo app that lets you add “fantastic” type effects to your photos. It’s one of many that add outer space type effects.
“SpacePaint is the sweetest app ever!” is what I would be saying if it didn’t fall short in so many areas. With a maximum save size of 1000×750 (on an iPhone 4) and a masking brush that barely works, all that I can really say is, wait for v2.0 and hope for the best.
This is not a review of SpacePaint PLUS by icoderz (which appears to be gone from the App Store), SpaceEffect FX or SpaceEffect FX Pro by click2mobile, or WowFX by Dropico. These apps all seem to do similar things but I have not tested any of them.
SpacePaint allows you to add really well rendered light and smoke effects to your photos. With 90+ elements along with several color gradients and the ability to scale, move and adjust the intensity of each of them, the possibilities are almost endless.
The zoom/scale/move/arrange tools seem to work fine but the masking/erasing tool barely works at all. There’s no way to adjust the intensity of the brush either so you just have to keep scrubbing until your pointer finger is numb or the bit you want to erase is gone. You can draw in the effect the same way you mask it out, which is nice but again…scrub, scrub, scrub.
You can move and scale an effect as much as you like before committing. Make sure you’re happy with the piece before you commit because there is no going back. Once you commit an edit it’s there for good. There is no undo button.
You can layer as many effects as you want. Be aware that when you layer too many artificial white light effects, you also start getting very colorful pixelated artifacts that are never good.
Personally, I like this app. I like the ability to add cool light rings, halos, smoke, fire, bright light streaks and glittery fairy dust to images without having to own expensive editing software. If it had the high resolution rendering capabilities of Alien Sky or Lens Flare and the fine brush adjustments of Juxtaposer, this would be an immediate buy and a 5 star app. For now…wait for SpacePaint v2.0. Supposedly, it’s right around the corner.
SpacePaint is $0.99 in the App Store. Requirements: Compatible with iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S, iPod touch (3rd generation), iPod touch (4th generation) and iPad. Requires iOS 4.2 or later.
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