MetaCreations Ships Kai's Power Tools Version 5; World-Famous Photoshop Plug-Ins for Creative Content in Print and on the Web.

CARPINTERIA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 2, 1998--MetaCreations Corp. (Nasdaq:MCRE) Wednesday announced the release of a new version of Kai's Power Tools (KPT), a set of 10 plug-in applications for use within Adobe Photoshop.

The new version, KPT 5, provides professional designers and illustrators, Web authors, photographers and digital artists with brand-new powerful effects to enhance their digital creative content. KPT 5 is perfect for creating easily reproducible Web buttons, eye-catching banners and unique backgrounds.

"The definition of KPT has always been `tools to create something totally new' and I am very happy that this iteration will be even more unique than many expect," said Kai Krause, chief design officer of MetaCreations. "We hope that designers all over the world will quickly embrace these as must-have tools in the pursuit of visual beauty."

Introduced in 1992, the award-winning Kai's Power Tools offer artists and designers unique tools to help them create powerful images. KPT-generated effects are used to enhance artwork used in print, multimedia projects, Web sites and broadcast television projects. In addition to working with Adobe Photoshop, KPT 5 will work with any image editing application that is 100 percent Adobe Photoshop plug-in compatible.

"The new KPT 5 filters provide me with a comprehensive suite of image manipulation options. It has great potential as an Internet tool and will likely become a staple in the tool-bag of Web professionals," said Mark Sturgell, owner of NetMar Consultants, Dayton, Ohio, and a beta tester of KPT 5.

KPT 5 New Plug-In Applications

KPT 5 includes 10 new plug-in applications, divided into real-time 3-D tools, particle growth effects and professional blurs. To give digital artists more control over these effects, the KPT 5 interface has been refined to offer precise access to numerical values, real-time interactive previews of all operations and user-customizable options.

New plug-in applications featured in KPT 5:

--   KPT ShapeShifter creates shapes and objects with refracting glass
     edges; 3-D light sources on beveled metallic surfaces; soft,
     curved and lit Web buttons; and text. Resulting elements carry
     their masks with them, which makes compositing a snap.
--   KPT Orb-It explodes a source image into thousands of spheres with
     variations in size, density and realistic 3-D lighting. Produce
     fields of bubbles, raindrops and giant lenses; incredible text
     effects; and mind-boggling distortions.
--   KPT FiberOptix creates anything from furry text to green shag
     carpet, pink plastic silly string and lush creeping vines. Every
     strand and fiber is a true 3-D object. Masks are generated from
     the 3-D data, enabling easy compositing.
--   KPT Blurrrr is a professional suite of nine filters including the
     classic zoom, spin and other indispensable blurs updated with
     real-time previews, pro-precision 64-bit color and 128-bit math
     with new algorithms and variations.
--   KPT Noize includes a large collection of noises, the best source
     for textures and painting effects. Select a noise and an apply
     option, then add it to the image for a large array of effects.
--   KPT RadWarp warps the edges of an image to correct or create a
     camera effect known as a "barrel distortion." Also use it to
     quickly create cool text effects.
--   KPT Smoothie cleans up "dirty" masks in seconds instead of hours.
     Kai's trick to ultra-smooth edges on black alpha masks is now a
     real-time plug-in application.
--   KPT FraxPlorer is the new, definitive Fractal Explorer featuring
     real-time fly-throughs, 1,000-percent-larger previews, a
     never-before-seen infinite zoom tool and brand-new fractal
     styles.
--   KPT Frax4D lets anyone explore 3-D and 4-D fractals in 3-D space.
     Create 3-D fractal sculpture and wrap with any environment maps
     (such as gold, silver or gels) to create incredible images.
--   KPT FraxFlame creates ethereal fractals that look like natural
     phenomena. Choose from a selection of different flame styles,
     then explore the fractals and render them as images.

System Requirements:

Windows: Pentium 166 MHz (or compatible) or faster, Windows 95/98/NT4, Photoshop 3/4/5 or 100-percent-compatible host, 32MB RAM, 50MB free hard disk space, 24-bit color video, color monitor, CD-ROM drive. Recommended: Pentium 266 MHz or faster, 64MB RAM or greater.

Macintosh: PowerPC-based Macintosh, Mac OS 7.6.1 or later, Photoshop 3/4/5 or 100-percent-compatible host, 32MB RAM, 50MB hard disk space, 24-bit color video, color monitor, CD-ROM drive. Recommended: 64MB host application RAM or greater.

Pricing and Availability: KPT 5 is available now through national retail outlets, in catalogs and direct from MetaCreations at a suggested retail price of $199. Upgrades to registered users of KPT are available for $99.

About MetaCreations

MetaCreations, the "Creative Web" company, was founded in 1987 and designs and develops award-winning desktop software tools and enabling technologies for creating, manipulating and delivering 2-D and 3-D digital images and real-time, interactive 3-D Web content. MetaCreations offers a complete product line of graphics software for both professional users and consumers, and its products are available in more than 70 countries.

The company has headquarters in Santa Barbara County, Calif., and has development centers in Scotts Valley, Calif., and Princeton, N.J., as well as an International Operations Center in Dublin, Ireland. MetaCreations can be reached on the World Wide Web at www.metacreations.com.

Note to Editors: Kai's Power Tools and KPT are registered trademarks of MetaCreations. All other trademarks or registered trademarks are the property of their respective owners. Copyright 1998 MetaCreations Corp. All rights reserved.