Phantasm Live Effect vs. Filters

All of the live effects in Phantasm can also be applied as filters, through the menu items in the Object > Filters > Phantasm menu. In general, filters can be thought of as live effects which are applied to a base object and then immediately expanded. Thus, a file could be shared with users who do not have Phantasm installed while letting them directly edit an art object on which Phantasm was used (normally, the user would only be able to delete the object or expand it before editing, which is generally undesirable because it might expand things like text into outlines). However, there are several other differences:

Objects with existing live effects: Filters always operate on the base artwork; they do not “see” the changes made by any live effects applied to that artwork. Thus a Phantasm Hue/Saturation filter applied to an object with a native drop shadow would alter only the base object, with the drop shadow then being re-applied to it, whereas applying the Hue/Saturation as a live effect would change the color of both the base object and the drop shadow (unless the Hue/Saturation were to be dragged above the Drop Shadow in the Appearance panel).

Phantasm Live Effects vs Filters

Symbols and Graphs: These objects can only be affected by live effects, not by filters.

Linked Images: A linked image can be affected by a live effect (if the Auto Rasterize checkbox is enabled), but not by a filter.

Text selections: A portion of text (selected with the Type tool) can be changed using a filter, but not with a live effect.

Envelope Distort Objects: To alter an Envelope Distort object using a filter, you must first choose Object > Envelope Distort > Edit Contents.

Blends: Applying a color adjustment to a blend as a filter alters the start and end object colors; Illustrator then re-blends between them. Applying a color adjustment to a blend as a live effect alters the color of each step in the blend as well.

Actioning: Applying a live effect to artwork cannot be recorded as an action in Illustrator, but applying a filter can be.