SpiceFX FAQs -- Frequently Asked Questions

Product FAQs

• What's the difference between a Wizard and a Pack? Wizards make CUSTOM titles, transitions, and effects for Movie Maker -- giving you the power to create a 'just right' look for your projects. Packs are collections of PRE-MADE transitions and effects. Packs are not adjustable or customizable, but include lots of handy presets for common visual needs. And they include several types of effects (such as Animation, Correction, and Cosmetic Effects) and transitions (such as Particles, PageFX, and DepthFX Transitions) that are not available in Wizards. It's really best to have BOTH.

• After installation, where will SpiceFX appear? New effects and transitions will show up in the Video Transitions and Video Effects areas of Movie Maker and are identifiable by the small "pixelan.com" in each icon. To access the Wizards, double-click the Wizards for Movie Maker icon on your desktop.

• Is SpiceFX only a download? Yes. It is a single 20 MB file. You can even download it on a different computer, if necessary, then transfer the downloaded file with a USB key, CD-R, or other media onto your Movie Maker editing computer before installing.

• Does SpiceFX have special hardware requirements? Any XP or Vista computer with Movie Maker 2.0 or later is fine, EXCEPT XP 64-bit systems. (For Windows 7 or Window 8 or Windows 10, see below.) That means virtually ALL Windows PCs over the past several years. Note: PageFX and DepthFX Transitions (Packs T6 and T7) will be installed only in Movie Maker 6.0 running on Vista or Windows 7 or later. Also, the FilmTouch Wizard requires a DirectX 9 or later video card and is a free extra available only with a WIZARDS Bundle or POWER Bundle purchase. If you do not have a compatible video card, no worries -- all other portions of SpiceFX will be unaffected and will install/operate fine.

• Is SpiceFX compatible with Windows Live Movie Maker in Windows 7 or Windows 8 or Windows 10? Windows Live Movie Maker was a complete re-write of the Movie Maker program by Microsoft. Windows Live Movie Maker needs more development work by Microsoft before it will become a very useful video editing tool -- or to match many of the key capabilities of prior Movie Maker versions. Windows Live Movie Maker lacks a timeline and also does not accept any add-ons or plugins currently (other than for social networking) which greatly limits its potential editing power. Fortunately, Windows Movie Maker 2.6 (or 6.0) from Vista is still available, is more powerful than Windows Live Movie Maker, and can be manually installed into the later Windows versions easily. SpiceFX 6 add-ons will then install and work great. Click here for step-by-step details.

• How is the DEMO different than the purchased version? PACKS: They are identical, except demo Packs show an "X" over their output. Purchasing one or more Packs will automatically remove the X, and remove any demo items not purchased. WIZARDS: They are identical, except demo Wizards do not export any custom results into Movie Maker. However, one of the Wizards -- TranJelly LE to create beveled transitions -- is FREE and fully-functional, yours to keep even if you do not buy SpiceFX. If you later uninstall the SpiceFX demo, you can optionally choose to keep TranJelly LE. It's our way of saying 'thanks' for trying the demo.

• Does SpiceFX work with any media/image? Yes, ANY video or still-image clips in the Video track of the Movie Maker timeline can be enhanced with SpiceFX 6. And that is true for any output size Movie Maker supports, such as DV, HD, 16:9 wide screen, etc. Although a Wizard's built-in preview only displays still-images for reference to help you customize an effect, the exported results in Movie Maker apply to video clips, too.

• Does SpiceFX work in any program other than Movie Maker? No. But we offer other cool plugins here.

• How do I see the SpiceFX version I have installed? Click the Pixelan logo in the lower left corner of the Wizard window.

• How do I uninstall SpiceFX? Choose Uninstall SpiceFX from ../Program Files/Pixelan/SpiceFX for Movie Maker.

• Where can I find help about using SpiceFX? Click here.

Buying FAQs

• What happens if someday my computer crashes and I lose the downloaded file or serial number? Use our re-download form to get a free re-download anytime. There is no risk! : )

• Can I install on more than one computer of mine? Our license allows use in two different computers of the same user (such as a laptop "for the road" and a desktop at home) IF the two computers are not used AT THE SAME TIME to edit in Movie Maker.

• Do you have educational pricing? We offer nice discounts on school site or lab licenses. If you have such a situation, please contact us and mention how many editing stations you may want to purchase for.

• Is SpiceFX for sale elsewhere? They are only available direct from us.

•What is Pixelan's return policy? Most plugin companies insist downloadable products may not be returned under any circumstances. After all, there is nothing tangible to 'return'. At Pixelan, your happiness and satisfaction is very important to us and we treat you as a long-term relationship, not as a one-time buyer. Therefore, if you somehow become unhappy with your purchase within 10 days, we will do our best to resolve it to your satisfaction. Your best protection is to be proactive -- to download and try the SpiceFX 6 DEMO before buying to see if this plugin will meet your creative needs and its hardware-acceleration is compatible with your computer. The demo is easy to install and is identical to the purchased version but shows an X over its output. Installing your purchase will automatically remove the X and uninstall the demo, or you can manually remove the demo anytime via your Windows control panel.

• What is Pixelan's privacy policy with my order info? Please see here.

• I feel uncomfortable purchasing on the Internet. Can I buy by phone? Sorry, no. But please be reassured by the following: our customers have ordered online from us for many years and there has never ever been any problem of any type. We have been in business for 20+ years and are one of the longest-established visual effects plugin companies in the world. Our order pages are fully secure using all the latest web technologies. And your payment information (if paying by Paypal) is not even held by us, or (if paying by credit/debit card on our upgrade or special order forms) is held by us for only 30 days then discarded.