Most of the available protection schemes use a so called ‘mounted scheme’ (the protection program adds code to your program that makes it encrypted, compressed and debugger protected). When your program is started this code unpacks, decrypts and adjusts your application back to its original state.

In such a case a cracker’s actions are obvious: he suppresses the anti-debugging tricks and dumps the unpacked and decrypted application code. Then after having disassembled and analyzed the code, he simply needs a little patching and he gets a fully functional unprotected copy.

What are the weak points of such protection?

• Protection code added to an applications is usually more or less standard and soon or later it becomes the subject of detailed analysis. Once the security code is analyzed, reverse engineering of the protected application becomes a snap. In addition there are many automatic deprotectors that crackers can use for most popular protection solutions. • Protected code of your application is encrypted. But before it can be executed the protector has to decrypt it and pass the control to it. This moment can be intercepted by an intruder so he can get the access to the original code for analyzing/modification.

EXECryptor uses a conceptually new approach to protect software applications. The core of the protection technology is a brand new concept of the code transformation called "Code Morphing". This technology protects the code on the CPU-command level. It is known the x86 processors command system is redundant and allows the execution of the same ‘code’ using various different system commands. It breaks up the protected code into several processor commands or small command snippets and replace them by others, while maintaining the same end result. Thus the protector obfuscates the code not on the source level but on the level of the CPU commands.

The Code Morphing is multilevel technology containing hundreds of unique code transformation patterns. In addition this technology includes the special layer that transforms some commands into Virtual Machine commands (like P-Code). Code Morphing turns binary code into an undecipherable mess that is not similar to normal compiled code, and completely hides execution logic of the protected code.

Unlike other code protectors, there is no concept of code decryption with this system Protected code blocks are always in the executable state, and they are executed as a transformed code. The original code is completely lost and code restoration is an NP-hard problem.

In addition you do not have to worry about the size or speed of your program because you don’t need to transform its entire code. You have to protect only critical parts of your code, responsible for serial number verification, trial expiration date, and other evaluation restrictions. The rest of application code remains intact and software execution speed remains the same.

Below is a code sample generated by Delphi and a partial (the full listing contains over 500 instructions) listing of the transformed code.

Source code:

writeln(’Test OK’);

After compilation:

mov eax, [$ 004092ec]
mov edx, $00408db4
call @WriteOLString
call @WriteLn
call @_IOTest

After the code transformation (partial):
xchg [edi], dl
db 3
add al, $30
xlat
call +$000025b2
jmp +$00000eec
call +$00000941
or al, $4a
scasd
call -$304ffbe9
rol eax, $14
mov edi, [ebx]
jmp +$00001738
mov ebx, eax
shr ebx, $03
push ebx
jmp +$0001b5e
call -$000001eb
jmp +$00003203
jmp +$00005df8
call +$00000910
adc dh, ah
fmul st(7)
adc [eax], al
les eax, [ecx+$0118bfc0]
stosb

http://www.strongbit.com

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta, Solomon and CRM are strategically renamed into Microsoft Dynamics GP. NAV, AX, SL, CRM respectively. We had huge number of calls from current and potential customers who needed to know the answers on a set of very obvious and logical questions. In this small article we’ll try to communicate our opinion and what we know from Microsoft channel. As an example we will be focusing on Microsoft Dynamics GP and CRM.

• Versioning. You should not expect version nullification (or coming back to version 1.0). All the products will be released with their expected versions: Great Plains 9.0, Microsoft CRM 3.0, etc. So – you should not expect revolution – it will be evolution as it should be.

• Pricing. This is more delicate questions, and we need to wait a bit with Microsoft to confirm the price schema for the Microsoft Dynamics products. As we know Microsoft SQL Server Standard and Enterprise price list will increase in average 25% in December with the release of MS SQL Server 2005. So if you plan to optimize the cost – you should purchase MS SQL 2000 or if you have it – be sure that you have (or purchase) software insurance – in this case you will have upgrade to MS SQL 2005 and you should do it before December.

• Customization. The paradigm shift is toward Microsoft Business Portal, especially for Great Plains and Solomon, where you will see employee self service functionality, plus Fixed Assets (GP). Also BP is Microsoft Sharepoint application and so it is ready for your developers (compare to IBM Lotus Notes Domono – now you can go ahead with Workflow and document approval cycle design). Also applications will be exposed to XML web services – GP through eConnect or Object Integration manager

• Upgrade. Great Plains is strong in its upgrade path. You should expect Microsoft Great Plains Utilities to do upgrade – we will confirm the versions path in the future releases. Microsoft CRM 1.2 will have direct upgrade to Microsoft Dynamics CRM 3.0

Pease do not hesitate to call us: 1-866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally. We are serving USA Nationwide: CA, IL, NY, FL, AZ, CO, TX, WI, WA, MI, MA, MO, LA, NM, MN, Europe: Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, OAE, Bahrain), Asia: China, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, South & Central America: Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Chili, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains could be considered as generic ERP platform to be tailored to fit specific industry and market niche. Being mature MRP system and so having a lot of third party modules, Great Plains could fit the unique industry requirements combining these third parties and custom coding. New version: Microsoft Dynamics Great Plains 9.0 will have more options for C#/VB.Net developer, including more exposure to .Net XML web services and Visual Studio. However the GP workstation client code is Microsoft Dexterity written application and we will be focusing on Great Plains Dexterity customization.

• Industry Specifics. Recycling containers are rented to customers and based on the balance customers might become vendors – we send customer or vendor invoice and receive or send payments. Clients typically pay for container rent and at the same time – we pay to the client for the recycled materials collected

• Service Module. We can use GP Service Advantage Suite or WennSoft Service module to account sending service crews onsite.

• Fixed Assets. We also could deploy Great Plains Fixed Assets module to account and depreciate leased and insured equipment. Fixed Assets serves as assets depreciation tool, so it might not be enough to track assets by projects

• Invoice/Credit Memo. Based on the net results for the month – we should issue invoice or credit memo to the customer and the challenge is – it should be all originated in one screen to automate the user interface. The best way is – Dexterity screen where you get Service Invoice/Order from WennSoft or Service Advantage Suite (in some cases you should send it first to Great plains SOP). In this screen you should be able to enter positive and negative quantities and net it to either invoice or credit memo.

• Customer/Vendor Consolidation. In Great Plains in order to return money to the client you should use customer/vendor consolidation and transfer credit memos to vendor invoices. Please note that Customer/Vendor consolidation module is available for Great Plains Professional (it is not available for Great Plains Standard)

• Payroll and Contractor Expenses. Great Plains Business Portal has employee self service and you can have your contractors and employees to enter their expenses, such as driver tolls and mileage. Another way is to use Great Plains Integration Manager to feed expenses into Payroll or Accounts Payables module

Please do not hesitate to call us: 1.866-528-0577, 1-630-961-5918, help@albaspectrum.com

Andrew Karasev is Chief Technology Officer at Alba Spectrum Technologies ( http://www.albaspectrum.com ) - Microsoft Business Solutions Great Plains, Navision, Axapta MS CRM, Oracle Financials and IBM Lotus Domino Partner, serving corporate customers in the following industries: Aerospace & Defense, Medical & Healthcare, Distribution & Logistics, Hospitality, Banking & Finance, Wholesale & Retail, Chemicals, Oil & Gas, Placement & Recruiting, Advertising & Publishing, Textile, Pharmaceutical, Non-Profit, Beverages, Conglomerates, Apparels, Durables, Manufacturing and having locations in multiple states and internationally. We are serving USA Nationwide: CA, IL, NY, FL, AZ, CO, TX, WI, WA, MI, MA, MO, LA, NM, MN, Europe: Germany, France, Belgium, Poland, Russia, Middle East (Egypt, Saudi Arabia, OAE, Bahrain), Asia: China, Australia, New Zealand, Oceania, South & Central America: Mexico, Peru, Brazil, Venezuela, Columbia, Ecuador, Chili, Paraguay, Uruguay, Argentina, Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico

If you are a database designer or developer, you may be racking your brains trying to find the most suitable software to help you with your database design-related tasks. There are pretty many tools for designing and modeling database structures available in the market. However, the question is what features and facilities they offer, what the quality is, how easy-to-use (or complicated…) their interface is, how many databases they support and finally what the price and maintenance costs are.

Putting myself in your shoes, I can imagine how tired you can be of evaluating tens of database modeling tools that don’t live up to your expectations and if do, their price is not acceptable. (Believe me, I have the same experience…) Let’s face it, considering all the aspects mentioned above, the offer suddenly narrows down especially if your budget is tight…

I don’t want to make any marketing research or analyze all database modeling tools in the market. I’ve just wanted to draw your attention to one, quite inconspicuous db modeling tool – CASE Studio 2 (CS2). As a user of this software, I’d like to share my experience on this product with you.

This tool has been designed by Charonware, s.r.o., a software company established in the Czech Republic (member of European Union), and is really worth taking up.

The main CS2 features include particularly: Entity relationship diagrams (ER diagrams), automatic generating of SQL (DDL) scripts, generating of HTML and RTF reports and reverse engineering. CS2 allows users to create ER diagrams for more than thirty databases like Oracle, MySQL, MS SQL, Advantage, Interbase, Informix, Firebird and much more. Also, you can take advantage of the reverse engineering feature and load already existing db structure to CS2 very easily. After ER diagram is created, you are allowed to generate SQL scripts automatically.

Besides these main features, I’ve come across another great one - the possibility to customize the software as I need. Via the CS2 Templates Editor, you can modify system templates, import new templates that are available for free on Charonware’s website, or even create your own templates. CS2 also contains MS Scripting dialog for modifying the scripts.

This way you can customize generation of SQL scripts, modify design and content of HTML and RTF reports etc. This feature makes this product much more flexible and more responsive to each customer’s needs and requirements, which I really do appreciate.

Among other helpful features belong: export into XML format, support for text objects like triggers, procedures, views, sequences etc., Data Flow diagrams, Model conversion, Version Manager and more.

Information on CS2 can be found on Charonware’s website (http://www.casestudio.com). Except the free CS2 trial, there’s also a great range of online resources including support documentation, movie tutorials, add-ins, scripts etc.

My friend says: "When you feel like you’re working hard but not getting what you need, it’s pretty frustrating. I need a software that is stable, allows me to do just what I need, is easy to use and… that I can get at a good price!" - That’s it!

Taking into account the CS2 features, functionality and price (Apropos, Charonware provides free updates and free, time-unlimited technical support!), CASE Studio 2 comes out very well!

###

Thierry Brochot is a freelance consultant of database-related issues with a focus on designing and developing database structures.

Indian software outsourcing industry has grown to become world leader in Offshore Software Development. It has seen many different trends technology wise as well as ups and downs. Test driven Software Development also known as first test programming or first test development, is an approach that hinges on identifying and writing a single test prior to writing just enough functional code to break that test. In other words, it is a way to think through the design before one writes the functional code, although it’s not obvious from the name, in Software Development goal is actually one of specification, not validation.

While popularized Test driven Software Development in extreme programming defines two simple rules. The primary is that one should write new business code only when an automated test has failed. And secondary thing is that, it should eliminate any duplication that one finds. The deep explanation how these two simple rules generate complex individual and group behavior is as follow:

1) The Software Development must provide rapid response to small changes as one needs a fast compiler and regression test suite.
2) The design organically, with the running code providing feedback between certain decisions.
3) Write own tests code because one can’t wait 20 times a day for someone else to write for them.
4) Your Software Development designs must consist of highly cohesive and loosely coupled components to make the testing easier.

First of all, the quickly adding of code is just enough to fail. One can not write new functional code, even a single line unless; it has run a test without failure. The second important step involves running of tests; either all or some, see the new test failure. After that, make a little change to the functional code which is just barely enough to enable code to pass the successive tests. Next, while running the tests and, if one has lined up all ducks in a row, see them all succeeding, if something waddles out of place, one needs to repeat step three once again. In the fifth optional step, there is factorization of the code to remove any duplication in Software Development.

Test driven by Software Development is most significant benefit for efficiency in the real world. With the full suite being run several times a day, although there are larger systems out there, so this Software project makes it clear that test driven can work for nontrivial systems.

Replacement for Traditional Testing: Although test design in Software Development is a programming technique, you also gain 100 percent unit-test coverage for the code if that’s done correctly and perfectly, which is important by product. As with traditional testing, a successful test finds one or more defects, and when a test fails, one can make progress because they now know that it requires resolving the problem.

Replacement for Software Development Modeling: Verbal thinkers learn better from text than from drawings. Keep the team members in mind when one determines their choice of development approach. While the enhanced test design Software Development with modeling to great success, creating models with project stakeholders to help explore their needs and then moving on to a test-driven approach for implementation.

Chet-

Tatvasoft - Offshore Software Development Company from India

http://www.tatvasoft.com

Aliases? I thought this is about IntelliCAD. And this isn’t the secret service or so. I know. But aliases have to do with IntelliCAD.

If you want to start a command, then you can click on a button in one of the toolbars. But you can also type a key in the keyboard.

Suppose you want to start the Line command. You can click on the Line button in the Draw 2D toolbar. But you can also press the L key.

Press the L key and press the right mouse button. Or the Enter key. And the Line command is started. You can now draw a line or lines.

The L key. That’s called an alias. It’s an alias for the Line command. There are many aliases in IntelliCAD. You can have a look at them.

Click on Tools in the menu bar and on Customize in the pull down menu. The Customize dialog box opens. In it are four tabs.

Click on the Aliases tab. You’ll see two list boxes. In the listbox at the left are all the aliases. In the other listbox are the commands.

Click on an alias in the list box at the left. The command that belongs to the alias will be highlighted in the list box at the right.

All the aliases are stored in the IntelliCAD program. But you can change that. Maybe you want to change an alias.

Click on the New button. The Alias edit box below the list box at the left will be activated. Here you can type the name of the new alias.

Next select a command in the list box at the right. And then lick on the Assign button. The command is now assigned to the new alias.

You can check what command is activated by using an alias. Click on the name of an alias in the list box at the left. The command is highlighted.

In the Customize dialog box you find the New button, the Delete button, and the Assign button. You know how you can use the New button and the Assign button.

The Delete button can be used to delete an alias. Select the alias in the list box at the left. Next click on the Delete button.

At the bottom of the dialog box are four more buttons. There you find the Close button, the Import button, the Export button, and the Rest button.

The Close button is clicked to close the Customize dialog box. You were doing something with aliases and now you want to go back to IntelliCAD.

Let’s first talk about the Export button. You have created your own aliases. And now you want to save them in a file.

Click on the Export button. The Select Alias File dialog box opens., In it you can give the alias file a name and select a folder.

The alias file can be saved in two formats. You can save it in the ICA format or you can save it in the PGP format. That’s an AutoCAD format.

This is how these files look. I only give the first five lines of each file. You can recognize the alias and the command that’s connected to it.

 ICA file[IntelliCAD Custom Alias File]nAliases=247 [Alias-0]Alias=3ALocalCommand=3DARRAYGlobalCommand=_3DARRAYPGP file; BricsCad Generated PGP file.3A,*3DARRAY 3DFACE,*FACE 3DLINE,*LINE 

Now the Insert command. You have created your own aliases. And you have saved them in a file. Now you want to use that file.

Click on the Import button. The Select Alias File dialog box opens., You can now select your alias file. It is opened and used.

All the aliases are generated by the IntelliCAD program. They are not stored in a file. And now you have created your own aliases.

If you want to go back to the way as generated by IntelliCAD, then click on the Rest button. The aliases you created are removed.

Aliases. As you can see. It has nothing to do with the secret service. It has everything to do with nIntelliCAD.

It is in fact a feature that is also found in AutoCAD. Some users prefer to use the keyboard to start a command. True. It’s quicker.

=======================================================
Jos van Doorn. IntelliCAD dealer. I’ve got a shocking report. About AutoCAD. Get it. Send me an e-mail with "Shocking Report" in the subject line. Send your e-mail to:

mailto:cad-solutions@hotmail.com
=======================================================

Jos van Doorn. IntelliCAD dealer. I’ve got a shocking report. About AutoCAD. Get it. Send me an e-mail with "Shocking Report" in the subject line. Send your e-mail to:

mailto:cad-solutions@hotmail.com

Pay cuts for CEOs? Sounds good to many rank and file workers indeed. CEO pay in the United States has outpaced the rest of the workforce and now the average CEO makes 300 times their counter parts at the lower levels. Let’s face it a company’s job is to make money and a public company’s job is to increase shareholders value and quarterly profits. If all the money is going out the top end then, we need to cut costs there. Performance based pay is one thing, but when a company is not doing so hot, why should the CEO be paid so much? Well if you are wondering that, then you are not alone, in fact you find some friends in this line of thinking at the top as well. Warren Buffet for instance and if you read his papers on Corporate Governance and essays you will see what I mean.

Today we are replacing manufacturing jobs with robots, which do not complain, call in sick or go on strike. We never have to worry about lifetime pension contributions, employee lawsuits or sexual harassment. In fact we do not even have to worry about on-going education, as we can simply pop in a new program into the robotic machinery to continue the efficiency needed in Finite Capacity Scheduling models.

Kicking the CEO out the door might be a very inviting idea, as the cost savings would be huge. Artificial Robots could make this a cost-savings reality made in heaven for investors. Cutting a CEO’s pay like Michael Eisner would have saved Disney and unbelievable amount in the 10’s of millions. What about the former Tyco, World Com, Adelphia or Krispy Kreme CEOs; now we are talking, but is it possible to program a computer to do what a CEO does? Well, it could be.

The computer would not need to take a vacation or have an Ego Complex, you could train it not to steal from the company and make sure its mission was appropriate for the delivery of on time, quality goods to the consumer and the lowest possible costs to the company for the best price scenario of what the market will bare, based on the demographic target market and volume needed to maintain and increase market share.

Sounds to MBA’ish; well, isn’t that what we do, train humans to think like that in our Business Schools? If it is only a matter of training and we all know human nature is not the best for all the parties previously mentioned then why not shit can the CEO for a robot? Besides if something goes wrong you can literally axe the robot for a later version right? Actually there are artificial intelligent trading programs, which work with a myriad of complex scenarios, which can beat out any human trader in the stock market.

There are also scientists working on robotic artificial intelligent programs right now to replace these CEOs. Is this a reasonable alternative to seat-of-the-pants, fearless leader, decision-making? Could be. Is it something a small business could use to make decisions too? Ask it a question and it pops out the answer. How about Non-profit groups like the United Nations, such a program instead of Koffee Anan would have prevented the Oil-4-Food Scandal?

These programs will make the need for organizational capital obsolete using data, complex modeling and better decision-making. If Big Blue can make a computer which can beat a Human in Chess, why not one which can beat out the competition, with their over paid CEO?

As a matter of fact lets downsize government. A smaller government saves taxpayers money and who need all those brain dead government bureaucrats anyway? Kick the whole lot out the door as one computer could take the place of 100’s if not thousands of the coffee pot sipping scoundrels in Washington D.C., you see there is a brighter future ahead. You just have to think outside he box. Think on it.

"Lance Winslow" - Online Think Tank forum board. If you have innovative thoughts and unique perspectives, come think with Lance; www.WorldThinkTank.net/wttbbs/

Ever make a cake? (If not, CLICK HERE to download one for FREE — just joking.)

When you make a cake, you take some of this, and some of that, and even a bit of the other. Then you mix all the stuff up into a big goop in a bowl. Finally, when everything’s in the mix, you pour it all into a cake pan where it gets cooked and shaped into the final product.

That’s what browsers are like.

A browser, such as Internet Explorer or Netscape, is used to cook up and shape all the "stuff" it receives when you request a webpage. That stuff can include text, and tables, and images, and bits of information from a database, and Flash content, and Javascript actions, and a whole bunch of other things.

All the stuff sits on a computer called a server, and when you type in a certain domain name or webpage URL address into your browser, the server grabs all the stuff needed to assemble that webpage (that’s like mixing all the ingredients into a bowl).

Then the server sends all the stuff to the browser (that’s like pouring the cake mix into the cake pan).

The browser has the tough job of making sure the final product takes proper shape - this image here, that text there, this font, that size, this color, and so on.

And that’s why browsers are like a cake pan.

Here’s some FREE browsers you can download and use:

* Internet Explorer: http://www.microsoft.com/windows/ie/downloads/default.mspx

* Netscape: http://www.netscape.com/

* Opera: http://www.opera.com/

Copyright (c) Grant Pasay 2005. All rights reserved. You may forward this article in its entirety (including author bio/links) to anyone you wish.

Grant Pasay is a professional website copywriter, advertising copywriter, and SEO copywriter serving clients in Vancouver, BC and everywhere. Grant is also the author of the FREE e-book, "The Internet Is Like A Refrigerator."

For copy that captures your business message without any of the hassle, go to http://grantpasay.com/

Check out Grant’s FREE e-book at http://grantpasay.com/refrigerator/

Although in my previous article I may have made mention to the disadvantages of using Windows Update, lately I have noticed other things about the software that give it both merit and further thought.

Recently I worked on my Dad’s new PC after he tried to switch the ram in his old one while it was on and wound up frying the mainboard, and I noticed a couple things about Windows Update. His girlfriend made sure that his copy of Windows XP home was completely up to date; installing just about every update that existed.

While I tried to explain to her that this was a somewhat paranoid way of protecting his PC, I noticed that without SP2 certain functions of his PC would be disabled, or not work as well as they should. You may notice this as well. For example, if you have a ATI Radeon card and would like the newest drivers - the manufacturer website recommends having SP2 installed as they work best with that platform.

Recently I was also working on a friend of the family’s PC. It was a IBM Thinkcenter PC; and his USB, audio, and VGA drivers were not working properly. This could be fixed easily with a motherboard system disk, but he didn’t have that. I visited the IBM website to get the right drivers, and it mentioned that the USB drivers were in SP2. As he had a pirated version of XP and could not download SP2, I had to install a stock version of SP2 I had with me.

After that, his USB port worked fine. So, to re-iterate: Windows Update is nessecary, most definetly, for updating to new service packs. Also, windows update is also very useful for finding drivers you might need for legacy devices and onboard devices. For more information related to finding drivers for legacy/onboard devices, refer to my guide on that topic.

Other then that - security updates - not all of them are completely nessecary. I will be writing an article on security updates shortly, so check back soon.

I am a young, aspiring computer engineer into Internet Marketing, hardware, software, web design, SEO and just about anything related to computers. Please come check out my growing PC forum at http://www.markspcforum.com

Making custom brushes is one of the easiest things in the world. Seriously! I don’t know why I’ve read some tutorials that make it out to be this multi-step, intimidating process. Creating your own brushes helps to customize both your artwork and the Photoshop work environment.

The Hard Part

"But … you said this would be easy!!" Technically, yes, but I’ve found that some people actually reach a little stumbling block when trying to think of what would make a good brush. Well, the short answer is ANYTHING! I’ve made brushes out of fuzzy leopard slippers, bananas, old trash cans, fabric swatches, dirt … hundreds of things. It helps to have a scanner and/or a digital camera … that really opens up your possibilities. Just a quick walk around your house might yield dozens of fun textures you can make brushes out of. But, even if you don’t have either of those, you can often snurch some good textures off the internet. Try a google search for marble tile and see what comes up. Sometimes you’ll get a nice big image to work with. I’m not condoning stealing someone’s art photos to rip a brush off with, but if it’s just a sample photo of tile, or fabric, or screen, or whatever, I think it’s perfectly fine … you’ll be drastically changing the image in the next steps anyway.

The Next Steps

Okay, so you’ve got some good textures then? Right, let’s make a custom brush out of ‘em! Open up your image in Photoshop. The first thing you’ll want to do is desaturate the image (Shift+Ctrl+U in PS7). Then cut and paste what you’ve got into a new layer. Now delete the background layer. Once you’re down to just the single layer, mess with the brightness/contrast until you get the desired effect (this will require you to think a little bit about how you might use the brush in the future - will you be wanting to use it as a ‘grunge’ effect … something more technical … etc. etc.)

http://www.jvmediadesign.com/blog/img/tutorials/brush_tut1.jpg ( The starting image)

http://www.jvmediadesign.com/blog/img/tutorials/brush_tut2.jpg (The desaturated image)

http://www.jvmediadesign.com/blog/img/tutorials/brush_tut2.jpg (After messing with brightness/contrast)

The Super Easy Part

Now that you’ve got the image looking like you want, you’ll need to create it as a Photoshop brush. Go to ‘Edit’ then choose ‘Define Brush’. Give your new brush a name and that’s it!! Easy, huh?

Saving All Your Hard Work

There are few things worse than having hundreds of cool brushes gone in an instant. It’s happened to me on one occasion where my hard drive fried out and I didn’t save all my customized Photoshop stuff. So I’m going to help you avoid any tragedies and tell you how to save your brushes.

Once you’ve got an amount of brushes made (I personally like to create ’sets’ of brushes that all kind of work together, or just happened to fit my mood that day!), go to ‘Edit’ then choose ‘Preset Manager’. A window with all your current brushes will pop up. You can click on each little square individually. What you’re going to want to do is shift+right click on the series of brushes you want to save. Once you’ve done that, click on ‘Save Set’, give the set a name and save it to your computer (of course these brush files are what you’re going to want to back up!). There, you’re done!

How To Get Other Custom Brushes Into Your Pallet

If you’ve found a cool brush set on the web and you’d like to use them, after you download the file (usually a zip file), you’ll want to extract them to your Photoshop/Brushes directory. To load a brush set in Photoshop, open the Brushes Palette (’Windows’, ‘Palettes’, ‘Show Brushes’). Select Load Brushes from the menu on the Brush Palette and choose your file. That’s it!

Sherry is the Senior Designer and Creative Director at Southern California studio, JV Media Design.