Paintshop Pro - What do you REALLY like?

[Cassel]

I just noticed that a lot of the lists made are WISH lists, for things PSP does NOT have. I am sure this can give a good idea of what users want, but with all that, what are things that users REALLY like about PSP? What things do you find sets this software apart from others? What are things that you would REALLY want a development team to leave UNTOUCHED? Maybe those developpers were not told before the facts, what we, the users, didn't want them to touch. Maybe they improved in a way they thought was helping, but only got the feedback that we didn't like this or that after the fact.

So, what features do you REALLY like and REALLY want to keep in future releases?

[df]

Customizable workspace.
Can open PSD files.
Retains older tools from older versions.
Scripting, a HUGE plus over other elements

This could easily be a list of things people take for granted.

[Cassel]

This could easily be a list of things people take for granted.

That is exactly why i started this!
My list would also include the scripting ability. I LOVE scripting and with coding knowledge it can be soooo powerful.
I like the brush variance as it adds so much flexibility.
Ability to save workspace WITH the images open!
The history palette: great to undo many steps at once instead of going ctr-z 20 times.
Customizable workspace also. You can create your own menu with the tools and commands you use most instead of retrieving them with multiple clicks.
Binding scripts for even faster access.
TUBES, and mostly the directional ones. They are unique to PSP and can be sooooo great.

I`ll name some more later.

[Simone Corel UK]

At the end, I always come back to PSP because

• Crop tool and its last used function
• High Pass Sharpen
• Highlight Midtone Shadow
• Fill light/Clarity
• Black and White Film
• Straighten Tool
• Zoom in and out using the scroll wheel
• Color Changer
  and much more

[allicorn]

Another vote for SCRIPTING. There are things I simply wouldn't ever do if it weren't for PSP's scripting because it would be too laborious and error-prone any other way. Either that or I'd end up spending time writing custom software to do it.

I guess I'd say the Selection menu, particularly Selection->Modify. I use those things so much - just about all of them - when working with images. PSP's powerful and flexible raster selection capabilities really do create a lot of fascinating and useful ways to interact with aspects of images.

File->Save Copy As. Simple, but genius! Having two different current directory memories to play with is a huge time saver. Much less hopping to and fro between directories or having to manage "favorite" or similar.

Interface customization too, fair point. Lets really not lose that because - in combination with scripts - it lets PSP users tune the program to the way they use it themselves, creating efficient workflow.

[Trygve]

I like the easy and simple flow in altering and handling photos.

Espesially I like:
Fill light/claryty - it does a remarkable job on dark photos!
Enhanchement shortcuts via Enhancment button
Local tone mapping
Scripting/scripts
Good price/great value for money

Corel has done a very good job after taking over PSP.

[JStanley]

deleted

[BrianCee]

A number of posts have been moved from this topic to the 'Wish List' topic - this topic is for discussing things you like about Paintshop Pro - suggestions as to what is wrong with Paintshop Pro and what could be improved should be posted in the 'Wish List' topic or if appropriate in a new topic.

[kelda]

I use PSP for both my business and for digital scrapbooking. The latter is a PS dominated hobby (PSE for the bulk of my fellow scrappers), but I find that PSP can do a lot more than PSE. I basically haven't found anything PSP can't do in that respect, including opening up .psd files. Now that it's faster, it's a lot easier when I'm working with 30+ layers at a time. I also liked the price...

The selection tool's ability to be edited is awesome.

[joangm]

Can open Ufo files (Ulead PhotoImpact)

[df]

The history palette. There are a few things I find particularly helpful or useful in the History palette.
Being able to select steps, skipping some, and undo is a real bonus.
Being able to select steps and apply them to another image, or to all other images open, is a real bonus.
Being able to select steps and save them as a script to use on whatever image you want, or even in batch, is a real bonus.
Being able to select steps and save it to a Quickscript is a time saver for the appreciated script part of it.

Every time I try to use another program I find myself really missing things like this.

Having the history be part of the actual image, and not part of the editing session as a whole, is something I never thought of, and I REALLY like that. Never would have thought about it if it weren't for trying ASP. I mean, if you hit undo 5 times you expect the last 5 steps in the history palette to undo, not the last 3, then jump to another image and undo one step there.

[Auser]

The look of Paint Shop Pro X3 - which you seemed to remove.
(Well, really the look of Paint Shop pro 6 - before the bloatware, but I guess that boat has sailed)

[JCA]

From all versions of Paint Shop Pro that I've used, I like:

Overall simplicity and intuitive user interface.. I've probably never ever needed to use any kind of manual/instructions to use the program or any of its features
Being able to use MB1 and MB2 to paint with two different colors
Unsharp Mask, Gaussian and Motion Blur, User Defined Filter, Curves, Brightness/Contrast, Add noise, Texture and Edge preserving smooth
Colored Edges, Offset, Balls and Bubbles, Chrome, Kaleidoscope
Scripting, Batch Process and Rename
Customizing key shortcuts
Selection Expand, Contract
Layers, Masks
Smudge and Warp brush
Being able to use plugins.. though I only have NVIDIA Normal Map Filter and the ones that came with the X4 Ultimate.
Brush Variance
The basic tool settings, etc can always be easily visible
The panels don't go stupidly over the image
Being able to do own brush shapes (though I've been sort of lazy about these and just used the defaults, but maybe that will change)

In the X4 I like:

The name is back to Paint Shop Pro
The installer worked as expected (X3 installed very weird into multiple subfolders, which it did even if I told it not to)
Being able to put Materials and Brush Variance to the same location as tabs to save some vertical space
The new adjustment layers: Local Tone Mapping, Fill Light/Clarity
The tabbed images, though I did find that feature in X3, but that was like week before I bought X4...

From some earlier versions I liked:
The default brushes like Sponge round, Dry Brush... these I'm copying from the old version to the new.. why were they removed, bring them back!

Probably there are other stuffs I like, but these are probably the main reasons I've continued to use the program.

[hipshot13]

The thing that has kept me from upgrading from X2 and one I cannot function without is the Adjust, color, fade correction function. It's gone in X4 being an underwater photographer this function is indispensable for bringing color out in this environment.
I also miss the old file manager that I could move to the right side of the screen and thus control my photo screen size ratio and also being able to move other menu items to the right and auto hide them

[LindaSue]

The thing that has kept me from upgrading from X2 and one I cannot function without is the Adjust, color, fade correction function. It's gone in X4 being an underwater photographer this function is indispensable for bringing color out in this environment.
I also miss the old file manager that I could move to the right side of the screen and thus control my photo screen size ratio and also being able to move other menu items to the right and auto hide them

X4 has Fade Correction and it works exactly like it does in X2.