[Shardz]

App: Tiny Planet FX Pro v2.2.6
Developer: Lyrebird Studio
Category: Photography
Price: $2.99
IAP: N/A

Tiny Planet FX Pro is a unique application to convert digital images into small worlds utilizing a set of interesting filters and effects. The app gives you a choice of source input to manipulate current existing images on your device, and also includes a handy camera to capture an image through the app itself. Once you have a source image selected, you are presented with a screen with different cropping options to set how the app will manipulate and stitch the image for further editing. There are several different aspect ratios available to set the height and width of a fully adjustable crop box with relative corner handles to accurately select a desired portion of the image for the effect. This process takes some practice to gain a decent understanding of what the app requires for best results and a good deal of trial and error will ensue in doing so. This step is quite important to gain expected results as the relative height values on the ends of the image need to match to smoothly out into a true globe. Of further interest, I have found that a creative approach can yield surprising results if you deviate from standard procedure. Tiny Planet FX Pro is a package of filters which can generate much more than a simple globe floating in space; experimentation is key to creating some interesting results.

Once cropping options have been decided, you are then presented with a screen displaying the rough effect of your image, along with editing tabs to tweak the effect in the flavors of basic and advanced. The basic tab offers options for zoom, rotate, twist and spin; all allowing you to accurately position the globular output to center properly on the screen, and to achieve a desired focal point. These parameters are self-explanatory to give you a good starting point for the advanced tab, but you may always return to this screen to adjust to your heart's content. The advanced parameter screen offers warp, twist and bulge options that form the core of the strangeness of Tiny Planet FX Pro. Warp will zoom in and out while moving the seam of the filter up and down, creating the most diverse results out of the entire package, which I also find the most interesting. The twist slider will create a spiral effect around the edges of the image, lending yet more bizarre distortions to what you already have thus far. Bulge tends to create a tunnel effect that appears to push you through your source image and eventually launches you out the back end, similar to a camera traveling down a tube. In conjunction, these three advanced filters form the core of creativity Tiny Planet FX Pro offers to allow great fun in experimenting with the different parameters.

Once satisfied with what you artistically created, you may either save or crop then save, giving you yet more fine tuning control over the final product. Once you decide to save your final image, you are then presented with a list of numerous options to either store your result on your device or SD card, or send it via email or to several social networking destinations. Please keep in mind that you are initially given resolution choices as you select your source image; none of those available are what I would consider to be friendly for most social networking sites as the images output in large resolutions. There is a setting in the options screen to turn off high resolution output, but you might regret that decision later if you wish to print or edit the image later. Overall, Tiny Planet FX Pro is a fun app for manipulation of digital art and photography, which can yield some extremely interesting images that are nowhere near the original source material. If you enjoy generating and designing interesting creative digital imaging and love to play with filters for hours on end, then I highly recommend Tiny Planet FX Pro as it's worth the asking price.

Pros:

• An interesting and unique way to generate digital worlds.
• A decent array of stylized filters and options to manipulate.
• Great exporting options and full support of social networking.
• Allows for complete artistic control to create new stunning art.

Cons:

• Requires great experimentation of parameters for best results.

Reviewer rating:
Device/OS used: Samsung Galaxy Note 3, Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 2012 / KitKat v4.4.4, Lollipop v5.1.1

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Mobilism: Tiny Planet FX Pro v2.2.6