Looking for PSP X2 Functionality in PSP X3

[djjester]

I've been using Paint Shop Pro since version 4 and most every update I've loved but this time I"m finding myself EXTREMELY frustrated by the UI inconveniences. Does anyone know how I can get back the ability to move objects around on my screen using arrow keys? This is a feature I use a lot in every previous version of PSP I've used, with my copy of X3 all I can do is move the scroll bars. I can get better exact movement for alignments with arrows than I ever could with a mouse.

Also with the new text editor is there any way to get the ability to cycle through fonts without having to click and reselect the text over and over? It used to be I could highlight the text, click the font name and then tap the down or up arrow key to move through my fonts alphabetically. It allowed me to quickly preview fonts and decided what I wanted best.

I'm not seeing any improved functionality in X3 to make it worth the aggravation I'm seeing to stick with X3.

[LeviFiction]

I'm not sure what you mean with the arrows. My arrows work fine as far as I can tell.

But as for the text...no. The problem is that every time you select a new font and it updates the text the text regains the focus. It's actually built in that way. Not even using the shift+click method to get the textbox back fixes this issue.

[djjester]

I'm not sure what you mean with the arrows. My arrows work fine as far as I can tell.

In PSP X2 if you create a vector object you could adjust its location on the canvas by using the arrow keys, in PSP X3 all I can do is shift the canvas around on the screen (moving the scroll bars), not the individual vector objects.

I've been using PSP for a very long time now (since 1998) and for the first time I think I'm going to have to downgrade and not even consider upgrading. I use PSP to create graphics for web sites as much as I do to touch up photos, its been traditionally easier to use and just as powerful as that Adobe product.. now I can't say that anymore and that disappoints me greatly.

Hopefully someone can point me in the right direction and prove me wrong here but so far, "UGH" is all I can say.

[LeviFiction]

I won't argue that X3 has made a number of mistakes. But from what I've read on the forums that's nothing new.

As for moving vector objects. I must admit I never worked much with vectors in X2 but directly after creating a vector object I was no more able to nudge it around then as I am now. Not even in edit mode. Especially not with the pick tool, even though it's supposed to have that ability.

If you want to nudge objects with the arrow keys you need to grab the object selector tool. Just hit the 'O' key and you access the object selector tool and nudge to your hearts content. Also, since it was the original tool for manipulating vectors on the canvas, it has all of the arrangement options for vectors. I really don't know why they hid this tool since the Pick tool doesn't do its job very well, but at least they left the shortcut active.

[teknisyan]

Hello djjester.

Are you using the PICK function when you try to use the arrow keys when moving Vector objects? If you are, I would suggest that you try using the MOVE function instead, you can select that by clicking on the MOVE tool then select MOVE. You can refer to the screen shot for additional details.

screen_027.png (5.41 KiB) Viewed 6111 times

[LeviFiction]

Abiel, the move tool is nice for movement alone. It's also really nice to avoid the transform box from showing up. But the object selection tool offers more than the pick and move tools because it offers the transform and arrangement options along with movement. Switching between the pick tool and the move tool for these options just is not a reasonable way to go. If they want to make the Pick tool work as it says it should in the help files that would be nice. Until then, I'm going to suggest the Object Selection Tool for the flexability and lack of need to switch betweent he tools.

Also after some testing I have found that the preset shape tool does allow nudging after initial creation of the vector. The Symmetric shape tool allows resizing and rotating with the arrow keys after initial creation. And the rectangle, ellipse, and path tool do not allow nudging after creation. So I imagine you're making your vector with one of those three tools.

[djjester]

Thanks Levi, the "O" key works while using the Pick tool, its a useless unnecessary step and poor UI change but at least its not extra mouse clicks. I am indeed creating vectors using the path tool as well as having this problem with text.

I'm still having massive issues trying to figure out what fonts to use, at first I was all for the new method of applying text to the image but now I'm finding it a real pain. I have over 1500 fonts to browse when trying to create text. Without a preview mode where I can scroll through the fonts, the entire process turns into a tedious nightmare.

[Synful]

I have TONS of fonts and when I say tons...I mean I have over 40,000 fonts. I'm a huge font collector. It use to be in X2, you could type text in the text box (that AUTOMATICALLY appeared without having to use the shift key) and then cycle through all of your fonts without having to close the text box to see what the font would look like....each font would appear in the text box, show would it would look like..and if it didn't work, you could use the arrow key and move down one....or up...whatever. I am finding that X3 is just not what I expected....the price is absolutely horrible and it seems like every time a new version comes out...it is worse than the previous version. I am the type of person to always use the most updated versions of all of my software. Unfortunately, I would have to say this is the worst version of PSP yet. Not only are there issues with the text portion of the software, but I find that this version CONSTANTLY takes FOREVER to load...and that's IF it doesn't freeze in the process.

I went out and bought a brand new computer thinking that maybe my older computer was just getting up there in age...so I bought a computer that has 8gb ram and 1TB of harddrive space and 2.8 GHz for the processor...and it STILL does it. And before anyone starts in about how I'm running too many things at once...forget it. If this software can't run on a computer that runs the normal stuff like seamonkey for email/internet, Kaspersky, etc...stuff that the computer normally runs (I'm not a gamer...I only use my computer to PSP) then something is definitely wrong. I keep all my psp stuff on an external harddrive including all of my fonts...I'm just totally fed up with PSP.

[wds937]

... I find that this version CONSTANTLY takes FOREVER to load...and that's IF it doesn't freeze in the process.

... I keep all my psp stuff on an external harddrive including all of my fonts...I'm just totally fed up with PSP.

Just a possibility: Some external hard drives (particularly some USB drives) are known for being slow. Depending on exactly what is on the external hard drive, and upon the specific drive in question, that may contribute to your problem of PSP taking forever to load.

[Synful]

... I find that this version CONSTANTLY takes FOREVER to load...and that's IF it doesn't freeze in the process.

... I keep all my psp stuff on an external harddrive including all of my fonts...I'm just totally fed up with PSP.

Just a possibility: Some external hard drives (particularly some USB drives) are known for being slow. Depending on exactly what is on the external hard drive, and upon the specific drive in question, that may contribute to your problem of PSP taking forever to load.

Thanks for the thought. I considered this possibility, but came to the conclusion, if this was the case, why didn't this happen with X, and X2? Why did it only start happening with X3?