Paintshop Pro - Wishlist for version X7

[Tadjio]

I agree with ronj. I won't be paying a monthly fee to use PS so it's the end of the line. If we can make PSP more like PS then let's add 2 things that PSP doesn't have; Layer Styles and Clipping masks.....that would be great!

Please can you explain what you are looking for with "Clipping Masks"?

[hartpaul]

Thanks for that comment Tadjio. I was bitting my tongue as to whether to make a comment or not. I Googled Clipping masks in Photoshop and came up with this:
http://www.photoshopessentials.com/basi ... ssentials/

As usual with many photoshop tutorials they take something simple and make it difficult as well as adding a few more features (inner glow in second example) . I copied the images used with the dog and it was much simpler to get exactly the same result in PSP in a smaller number of steps.
1. Promote dog layer to raster.
2. Make new raster layer on top and drag to bottom.
3. Make ellipse selection and move by right click drag to get it in centre.
4. Switch to dog layer and use move tool to drag dog inside the selection area.
5. Invert selection and hit delete key. Selections none and you can even now delete the lower transparent layer. Gives you the same final result without the supposed advantage of the clipping mask?
Or is there something else that the use of the clipping mask can do.

The second example is just as simple in PSP. Why do photoshoppers make the simplest tasks so complex?

[LeviFiction]

One way of thinking of a clipping mask, and I wouldn't blame anyone for mocking this example, is a reverse mask. In normal masks you mask away the top layer using a mask applied to that layer but you manually create the shape.

What a clipping mask does is it masks the top layer to the visible areas of the bottom layer. This can be very handy at times, and at other times just a hindrance. For example. The dog one that they did, why use a clipping mask instead of a regular mask? Hartpaul shows how to repeat almost the exact same steps using just selections, but if you wanted non-destructive editing a mask would be the way to go. It allows you to change your mind later.

But, in cases where the shape of the area is very important let's say that the shape is actually a cut-out from another image, and the shape could change, performing that change on a mask could be difficult. Not impossible, just difficult. A clipping mask removes the headache of worrying about getting the mask to fit the bottom image. It will always fit the bottom image.

---

If you wanted to get a similar effect using a regular mask.

1) First select the layer you want to use as the mask.
2) Next hit Ctrl + A to select the entire layer
3) Hit Ctrl + F to float the layer - this will only select the opaque portions.
4) Hit Ctrl + Shift + F to defloat the layer. This will leave the selection in place and let you use it on a different layer.
5) If you already have a mask fill the selection in with white, inverse it, and fill the inverse with black.
6) If you do not already have a mask, select the layer you want to clip to the bottom layer.
7) Select New Mask Layer -> Show Selection

That will create a new mask, and group it with the top layer. And should identically match the shape of the layer beneath it. True, it's not as dynamic as a clipping mask. But it would work if you wanted to use masks.

[brucet]

On my wish list are more options under Adjust/Hue Saturation/Hue saturation lightness. Rather than a 'simple' drop down with colour choices I would like to see those choices in the form of sliders.
Give me a bank of sliders that control ALL of the current options so that I can fiddle away to my hearts content.

regards

[Cassel]

Just to the Clipping Mask idea, I have created a script for PSP to somewhat simulate this effect. I called it Clip to It. It is not perfectly like Photoshop, but I think it is pretty close:
http://creationcassel.com/store/index.p ... cts_id=253

It might be close to what you are looking for, and once you bind the script, it becomes a one click process.

Of course, it would be better to have that function integrated into PSP directly! I totally agree.

[sheilsoft]

Please, please, please...

This causes me a lot of extra clicks...

In the next version, can we please have a preferences option to remember the last Open file location, and Save As location.

Every time, I have to continually navigate up and down through my folders. VERY annoying and time wasting. It's a simple fix.

Did I say PLEASE?

Rgds,
Howard

[MarkZ]

In the next version, can we please have a preferences option to remember the last Open file location, and Save As location.

Every time, I have to continually navigate up and down through my folders. VERY annoying and time wasting. It's a simple fix.

Did I say PLEASE?

Rgds,
Howard

Howard:

I had a lengthy exchange with another user who had the same problem as you, that X6 does not remember the last folder used. He could not find a way to solve this.

I use mainly Collections but have also tested with the Computer option in Manage and the program always opens with the last folder used. If folder "Testing" is selected when I close the program, that is the folder that is selected when I restart. I just did a test with File/Open where I selected a folder in My Pictures that I have not used in a very long time. I had a different folder selected in Navigator from Computer and one that I do not have in Collections. When I restarted X6 the folder selected in Manage was the same as when I closed. And when I selected File/Open, the folder I had last used there was what came up. As far as I remember X5 worked the same for me.

So it appears you have a buggy version - I wonder how many other users are over-working their carpal tunnel because of this bug.

[Monteiro]

Give shapes to text or letters as in Adobe Photoshop Elements

[Tadjio]

In the next version, can we please have a preferences option to remember the last Open file location, and Save As location.

Howard, could you please explain a little more? Is it in Edit Mode or Manage Mode?

In Edit Mode I find that X6 always remembers the last Open and SaveAs locations although the behaviour has changed from earlier versions where Open File stayed on a folder that you last used it for, rather than the folder last used.

In Manage Mode I do have a problem with Navigation "Computer" (as opposed to "Collections") where X6 forgets what folder I last used when I close PSP and re-start.
This does not happen to me with X5 SP3. Others don't have this problem so it may be a Windows 8 issue. Corel have acknowledged this saying "This issue has been put into our bug tracking system".

[Fortkentdad]

A Panoramic button - yes you can do it manually but something like what Elements offers - something better than M.S. I.C.E.

A nudge option for fine adjustments - use CTR Arrow key for example for fine placement.

Support for RAM Disk for scratch disk with autoback up feature.

Integrate to Aftershot

better face recognition.

[ARTefAKT]

Would like to have direct values for cropping a picture, not only the predefined values.

[pinobot]

Preview zoom factor in large steps, no not 100%, 101% ,102% but 100% ,200%, 300%.
Aso make the buttons to change the zoom factor bigger, they are really small, i looks like they haven't changed with the higher resolution of the screens.

[Alejandro]

I would like to be able to zoom in and out the images even when an adjustment window is opened.

I would like to have a clipping warning system (for clipped highlights, shadows and over saturated pixels) as some other programs have (particularly to be used with Levels). I can provisionally open a threshold adjustment layer to somehow do the trick, but it is not very comfortable to be doing so in such manner.

[Tadjio]

I would like to have a clipping warning system (for clipped highlights, shadows and over saturated pixels) as some other programs have (particularly to be used with Levels).

In Levels try holding the CTRL Key down while you slide the Shadow and Highlight sliders. This gives you the clipping in glorious technicolor...

[dsigman]

How about Focus Stacking.