Comparing Infinite Texture Panel & Boris FX Optics
CAVEAT: I've been using Infinte Texture Panel nearly nine months and Boris FX Optics barely more than nine hours, so I'm not yet up to speed on Boris FX Optics. I've used Boris FX Optics only as a Photoshop plug-in, not the Lightroom plug-in or the standalone version.
CONTEXT: This comparison of the two products takes into account only the features and capabilities that would be of particular interest to tabletop photographers. Both products offer lots of opportunities for use with most types of photography, but those comparisons are not made here because this thread is about tabletop photography.
Strengths in Portfolio of Textures
Infinite Texture Panel's portfolio strength is its patterns (random or not) of light though they do offer textures based on some everyday subjects such as animals. The strength of the Boris FX Optics portfolio is its simulated gobos that create the effect of light passing through day-to-day objects such as window shades. (My image two posts above of the wine bottle with the red background is an example of a simulated gobo.)
Finding the Texture(s)
Using the AI-powered search in Infinite Texture Panel, whether based on an image you provide on your own or an image provided by the software, is effective, lots of fun and quicker than I expected at finding a texture that meets my needs. Finding an effect in Boris FX Optics is also easy thanks to its numerous categories and its simulated gobos listed in their own group. Both applications provide the method of searching for a texture by typing a word (example:
smoke). Depending on the word you conduct a search on, either product may find you nothing, something similar to what you are looking for, or a few images that exactly match the word you searched.
Operational Differences
Infinite Texture Panel provides only the textures; all manipulation of the textures when adding them to your image is done within Photoshop. Boris FX Optics operates as a Photoshop filter that when opened displays a separate window with its own user interface. That interface allows you to do all the manipulation within Boris FX Optics using layers to make all the changes that could be done in Photoshop. Alternatively, you can use that interface to only find textures; you would then immediately return to Photoshop to do the manipulating. If you choose to do the manipulating within Boris FX Optics, I've reviewed videos of some masking technology that looks unbelievably easy and far more intuitive than anything I've seen on the market.
Imagine sunlight passing through a partially opened window blind, resulting in the shadows of the blind's slats being displayed on the subject. Now imagine that the subject is a head-and-shoulders sculpture of Beethoven. The shadows of the blind's slats would bend in conformance with the curves of the bust. When using a Boris FX Optics simulation of a gobo in that situation, the software automatically bends those shadows to conform to the shape of the subject. This capability is not available in Infinite Texture Panel.
Boris FX Optics offers many opportunities for manipulating an image with or without adding a texture. Examples include blurring, hue, graduated filters, film simulations, lens corrections and intentional distortions and other tools to make stylistic changes. As a reminder, Infinite Texture Panel provides only the textures.
Infinite Texture Panel provides over 70,000 textures (but doesn't manipulate them). Though Boris FX provides "only" 160 filters including the simulated gobos, it provides thousands of presets that automatically manipulate the scene with or without adding textures.
Boris FX Optics can be operated as a standalone product or as a plug-in to Photoshop or Lightroom. One license allows you to install all three versions. Infinite Texture Panel operates only as a Photoshop plug-in.
Temporary Internet Service Required
Both products require you to be connected to the Internet to select a texture because both companies store their textures on a server. Once you have added a texture to an image file, the Internet connection is no longer needed.
Both products allow you to save textures as favorites, making it possible to quickly find the textures you already know you like.
Price
As of now, the cost of the perpetual licenses are as follows:
- Inifinite Texture Panel: $172 including the 25% discount
- Boris FX Optics: $149
Both companies offer subscription licenses that can be reviewed at their website.
Conclusions
Some die-hard tabletop photographers such as myself can make use of the textures provided by both products because each product has features and capabilities the other one doesn't have. Depending on your current needs, you might prefer just one or the other -- Infinite Texture Panel for its more than 70,000 textures or Boris FX Optics for its simulated gobos. If you are not a Photoshop user, you're limited to the Boris FX Optics standalone product, so your choice might already be made for you.
; not so for the vellum.
