Paint Shop Pro X3 Wish List for Future Version

[sjj1805]

Every so often I have contact with a Corel employee or software engineer regarding new versions. It is always handy if I can point them to a thread such as this.
Please keep any suggestions sensible - plus this is not a place to complain about what YOU may consider to be bugs or faults. Those items should be placed in a new thread or tagged onto an existing one dealing with that same issue.

A link to the Previous wish list thread is here:

[pdxrjt]

1) A number of cameras I have come with automatic panorama makers. They work fairly well, but I would prefer if that was a feature integrated into PSP.

2) Having the key words a) be so you can select a previous category rather than typing it in (so you don't have to type in landscape every time.... and, like me, misspell it occasionally!) b) have the photo labels something that are searchable in Windows, instead of just PSP.

[calpon]

dual Monitor support. I would like to have Organizer and Full Editor opened at the same time

[pdxrjt]

I have dual monitors and it already does that in PSPX2...the problem is that the organizer and editor are mutually exclusive in PSPX3...nothing to do with dual monitors....unfortunately!!

[df]

1) Make all of the tools support 16 bit colors (or however it's worded). Most of the tools in PSP X that are included in X3 are the same tools, with the same limitations.

2) Make the program compatible with more third party plug-ins.

Actually if you just do number 2 you'd probably sell more copies as people would have an alternative to that overpriced product from that other manufacturer. But that's just my opinion.

[pdxrjt]

1) Make all of the tools support 16 bit colors (or however it's worded). Most of the tools in PSP X that are included in X3 are the same tools, with the same limitations.

2) Make the program compatible with more third party plug-ins.

Actually if you just do number 2 you'd probably sell more copies as people would have an alternative to that overpriced product from that other manufacturer. But that's just my opinion.

Agree with both of these.

[pdxrjt]

Okay--nevermind. I was messing around with PSPX3 and found out it could already do what I wanted!! Hmmmmm, all this time and I never knew it!

[Micksan]

A decent customer support. I am away from home and have been having with install problems. Wasted 76 minutes ,with 3 call , on ignore trying to get help. The chat session keep looping me back to the main support page. Tried that route several times in the past 3 days . Like their products , but customer support needs a major over haul

[Tim Morrison]

I think the program is missing several things that it needs. The new emphasis seems to be on digital SLR users, so some of these suggestions are for reversing of the dumbing down of tools and filters that took place in previous versions that Corel aimed at novice snap-shooters.

The thing that PSP needs more than any thing else is a public beta so that the released program is far less buggy. It has almost become a tradition of PSP that a new release will screw up EXIF support.

A panorama tool. This needs to be able to automatically align a group of images in the same sort of manner as Autostitch.

Additions to the Raw Lab, especially highlight recovery, a dropper tool for colour balance, curves adjustment (or better still the Histogram Adjustment tool) and an automatic levels setting. Also higher quality previews and better demosaicing.

All tools to support 16 bit per channel images. (Especially the Histogram Adjustment tool. No program has a better tool for this purpose, but it is being let languish in limited, 8 bits/channel state. An updated version would make a brilliant addition to the Raw Lab and Smart Photo Fix).

Restore the ability to sample curves points from the image and numeric entry of curve points. This was requested for years before being introduced in PSP 9 then was removed in PSPP XI when the curves dialogue was turned into a Photoshop look alike, that was dumbed down compare to both the older version and Photoshop.

Restore the ability of using two monitors... the Organizer and other palettes on one and the image on another.

I like the Graphite look, but the X2 version was a better colour than the X3 version... especially the white text on black in the menus.

Some way needs to be found to reduce the size of the download and increase the speed of the extraction process of the installation files from the download. It takes about half an hour to extract the 900MB installation files from the 400 MB download file, but it would have only taken me 8 or 9 minutes to download the extra 500MB. Currently it is quicker to install Windows 7 (or even Windows XP) than to install PSPP X3.
Perhaps PSP itself and the project creator could be separate downloads. Perhaps Corel could take another look at the multilanguage support. Although it is convenient for them to just make a single version, for me it means I have over 200MB of wasted space for files to support languages that I will never use.

The crop tool needs the ability to numerically enter the crop coordinates restored.

The Layer Styles need numeric input. Currently they are not usable for reproducible results and can't have settings described in tutorials.

A Vignette tool that can both remove unwanted darkening of the corners of an image, and introduce it if required.

More adjustment layers, especially for a new improved Histogram Adjustment tool, Local Tone Mapping and Vibrancy.

A film strip of a folder of images available in the full editor.

Tools to backup, compact, clean and repair the Organizer and Raw Lab databases. This should include a tool to schedule regular backups.

A full Paint Shop Pro user site like those Corel provides for WordPerfect, CorelDRAW, Painter and Painter Essentials.

Improved plugin support. It's probably not possible to add support for the new type of Photoshop plugins, but the support for the older type needs to be updated to allow them to be used on 16 bit/channel images and to allow plugins to access EXIF data.

Expand the information saved in customised workspaces to include all the General Program Preferences.

A Help file that is usable when there is no Internet connection.

Ideally a full paper manual, or at the very least a PDF version. It would be very simple to create a PDF file from the current internet only help pages.

[OldRadioGuy]

I want to second Tim's well-considered list of recommendations for PSP. They would improve the program tremendously and go a long way toward boosting Corel's reputation with PaintShop Photo Pro since acquiring the program from Jasc.

As a PSP user from the very early days, I like the addition of the automation tools that make it easier for newcomers and longtime users alike to perform some operations. That's one of the reasons I use scripts often -- to save time. The new market is DSLR users, and the competition is providing the automation tools, like panorama, for example. Corel's mistake here was to strip muscle from some of the basic tools that Tim mentions.

On the work area color issue, perhaps the better approach would be to provide an adjustment slider, allowing the individual user to choose from a light to dark setting. That's how Photoshop Elements does it.

On adjustment layers -- PhotoLine has 34 different function layers, PSP 9. Corel is far behind on this one.

I would add one item to Tim's list -- Add additional adjustment options to the Object Remover tool to improve its function.

Bob

[df]

If the future versions actually worked for people that would be an improvement.

[BarneyL]

Top two PLEASE PLEASE return two X2 features to X3!

-Making the organizer a PALETTE option in the full editor, so I can have it at bottom of my screen and still do my work as I do on my other (home) PC where I have X2

-Returning the 'search field' to the organizer, in the header, rather than in a separate pop-up box. It's SO easy to start typing a word for a photo search and have them pop-up. Sometimes a mistype can bring lag time, but for the most part it's a real time saver.

But esp. item 1 - I have convinced work to let me use (and for them to pay for) PSP, because I've used it for a decade-plus and love it. But as usual, no upgrade lacks a 'gotcha,' and the total separation of the organizer and editor is one for me. Please??

[LeviFiction]

Better updates on scripting. You keep adding commands to scripting so they can be recorded, but you don't keep up with the documentation. And there are a few unlisted features that would be nice to be able to look up without searching through what source we can find.

Also apparently ReturnLayerProperties doesn't return information on Layer Styles. Of course that won't really matter for advanced scripting if you just have exact settings options available for Layer Styles anyway.

Recording scripts is nice but I like being able to add conditionals and do some real decision making scripts. And to do that I need good information on scripting. The commands list for version X and 9 are of limited use.

[aafuss]

Face recongition /taggingin the organizer.

Some other software (iPhoto on the Mac and Picasa) can do this.

Regular RAW compatibility updates to support new cameras.

[garyb]

I would like to see the program run a little faster. It seems to take quite a while for it to start, especially the project creator.