Filter Forge Inc. has released Filter Forge 5.0, a Photoshop plug-in that allows computer artists to build their own filters in a visual editor or download thousands of user-submitted filters from the online library.

This release introduces Randomization Enhancements, a bunch of new components (Bomber Plus, Map Switch, Modulo, Bricks, Tiles and Pavements Plus) and much more. For more information, visit the Filter Forge website at http://www.filterforge.com or read further.

Randomization Enhancement includes the ability to protect filter settings from randomization, the ability to quickly randomize specific parameters, and a simplified randomization settings menu. New components will give filter authors more freedom in creating new versatile filters and the end-users will benefit from this new feature as well. The first filters for the 5.0 version have already been submitted to the library and the folks at Filter Forge Inc. say they’re expecting much more.

Now there’s the ability to Save Default Values for a particular component. Filter authors will find possibilities to utilize several dozen of new slave components — the concept which initially appeared in Filter Forge 4 and was expanded in Filter Forge 5. Four of these slave components enable an entirely new class of effects that depend on exact pixel coordinates and produce a constant pixel look regardless of the image resolution. Filter Forge 5.0 also adds support for the latest host applications and OS versions.

Starting Nov.r 20 all editions of Filter Forge 4.0 are offered at a special 70 percent discount. To buy Filter Forge at a discount, visit the Filter Forge ordering page at http://www.filterforge.com/buy/ .