Hot Spot Studio 2.1.886

Overview

Hot Spot Studio is a little freeware utility that can create some fun images. The app works around the idea of placing spotlights on the work canvas and then letting the program render these lights using custom lighting formulas to create some unusual effects. Each version is different from the next which makes this a good application to play around with for a few hours to see what you can come up with. There is support to save images in several formats inclding PNG, TIFF and JPEG.

Installation

The installation package is an archive which unzips to create a folder of its own. The EXE and related files are situated there. The program doesn't need installing and therefore is a portable application that can be easily moved between PCs and included on USB flash drives.

Interface

The interface has three tabs at the top for Design, Rendering, and About.

The Design tab has a light bar where the user can click on the area of it that has the shade that they are looking for. The size of the light can be adjusted with the slider or through the numerical readout. The intensity can also be adjusted using the slider or via the numerical readout. Light can also be set to be absorbed if it is deemed similar. In the canvas area, the background color can be set or a background image can be loaded in to make things ever more interesting.

Right clicking on the canvas can create a beam of light. This can then be dragged around the canvas to reposition it. With all the settings in place for the image, the Render Picture button can be selected to create the final version. It is then possible to save the final version.

Pros

• Create fun colored spot lights on a digital canvas
• Import background images or add a background solid color
• Add circles or light and then move them around the canvas
• Generate a final spotlight version
• Save as a TIFF, PNG or JPEG file

Cons

• Pretty basic on the graphical side but fun for young kids to play around with
• Add more than one spotlight to the canvas, but only one of the spotlights makes it on to the final rendering

Conclusion

Hot Spot Studio is a pretty basic picture tool that is more like a picture game than a graphical package. It is certainly not a graphical editor per se. Add spotlights in different colors, include a background color or wallpaper, then render a final version. Good for kids.