Paintshop Pro - Wishlist for version X7

[trueblue]

Have just ONE version that works with both 64 and 32 bit versions as with other software.

Update radically the Art Media and Brush Tools. Including the Retouch Tools. These are so basic and poor and really need revamping.

Have a better touch sensitivity with a graphic tablet and pen.... it's very poor currently.

Give users the option to have different colours of workspace.

All text in PSP must be larger. Text under the Organizer is illegible.

Context Menus should be white with black text.

Organiser Paletter should have a white background with larger black text below.

Duplicate and Offset does not function on the Tools Options Palette.

Increase the size and possibly colour Vector Nodes.

Enable the Organizer trays to remember files from hard drive.

Restore Mirror / vertical and horizontal

More choice of docking palettes and toolbars.

Fix FIberOptix so part of filter isn't chopped off in the selection.

Enable to create and save swatches.

Reducing names of commands, ie: Foreground Stroke Colour, so on and so forth. Just keep names shorter ie: Foreground!!

Fix Colour highlight in the layers palette. In X5 the colours remained on the layer. In X6, the colours disappear when another layer is selected. Corel know about this!!

Screen Capture feature needs a good overhaul to enable the user to capture parts of the screen and not all of it. PSP disappears when screen capture activates which means you can't capture anything from the workspace. This doesn't make sense!

Tolerance required with the Smart Selection Brush.

[LeviFiction]

I'm not sure what you mean by the first one. All programs I'm familiar with contain different versions of the program for 64-bit and 32-bit (e.g. Photoshop, Anime Studio, MotionArtist, etc). What software are you thinking of? From what I know about these things a single version of the program can't be both 32-bit and 64-bit. Even if it was, it would just making PSP that much more complicated and increase the number of problems exponentially.

[photodrawken]

trueblue,
Those are the absolute worst suggestions I've ever heard.

Your first suggestion for one program that is both 32- and 64-bit is utterly nonsensical and shows a total ignorance of reality. Some of the subsequent suggestions aren't much better....

I'll limit my specific criticism here to your awful user interface requests:
1. The text does not need to be larger. It's fine as is and does not distract from the image being edited as it would if the text were large.
2. Neither the context menus nor palettes should ever have the old-fashioned distracting white backgrounds which are also tiring to the eyes. In fact, the opposite is true -- the leftover dialogs for the adjustments and effects that still have the old white backgrounds must be updated to the modern dark interface.

The purpose of a dark user interface is to ease eyestrain, not distract from the image, and allow more accurate colour and brightness judgments of the image. This utility has been proven time and time again for the past decade by video editing programs, RAW image processing programs (like Lightroom and RawTherapee), and even programming environments like Visual Studio.

In short, a user interface must fade into obscurity when you're focusing on editing an image.

[Joelle]

Good grief Ken, desist.
No need to attack Maureen, she is perfectly entitled to her point of view.
If you feel that Maureen has suggested something that isn't to your liking, you could at least be courteous enough to tone down your comments.

I think an apology is in order.

Joelle

[photodrawken]

Sorry, Joelle, but no apology is forthcoming. I made no personal attack, just strongly objected to some opinions. All opinions do not necessarily deserve respect -- I'm told that some people believe the Earth is flat. That opinion should rightfully be treated with contempt.

[BrianCee]

While it is true Ken that we do not have to respect other peoples opinions or suggestions what is almost universally accepted in civilised communities is that other people do have a right to opinions and to make suggestions which even if we do not like we discuss them in a polite non-aggressive way - you do not seem to think your post is aggressive but I can assure you that several other users do - you could have made your points in a much friendlier way

You dismiss Maureens wish for a programme which will run on both 32 and 64 bit - can you guarantee it will never happen - are you prepared to put down $1 million to say it will never be possible for programmes to run on more than processor at the same time.

I very well remember the very first computer I worked with - it was housed in a 4 storey building about 40ft wide and a quarter of a mile long (for real) the ground floor was packed with rechargeable lead acid batteries to ensure the supply was always on - except for one small room at one end which contained a diesel driven generator - in case the electricity supply failed . the next floor up was packed end to end with steel cabinets full of clicking relays and flashing red lights - the floor above contained rows of the biggest tape-to-tape machines in the world with something like around 12inch diameter reels and a gang of men constantly changing them so that the computer could access the right piece of memory. and on the top floor a giant console staffed by around 6 operators who watched a row of fuzzy green on green screens about the size of a dinner plate. Oh how they laughed and chided us when we suggested that it would be good if the computer could be moved from building to building - couldn't be done they said - any thought of actually carry a computer in our pocket was way way out of window.

But now - how much computer power do you have in your smart phone - it's probably about 1000 times that of the building full I remember.

Turning to photography - I can well remember when no self respecting photographer would use any thing other than a plate camera - one or two on the fringe strayed into using 120 or 620 roll film and thought they were adventurous - when it was suggested it would be good to be able to see your photograph before it was actually developed people laughed - it can't happen they said. Along came 35mm film - childs toys said the experts - you'll never get a decent photo from a negative that small - but 35mm film blossomed and became almost universal - again it was suggested that it would be good to see your photos in camera so you could delete them before they were printed - never going to happen said the luddites - but then what happened - along came digital cameras and suddenly we could view our photos in camera - not only that but we no longer needed messy wet dangerous chemicals to print them. now any mobile phone without a half decent camera in it will not be around for very many minutes - and your phone does videos.

do you remember the first "portable" video camera - you actually had to carry a suitcase with your to hold batteries and recorder while another device nearly the same size with a lens on the front sat on your shoulder - "it will never take on said the critics - no one will carry a video camera - we wished for smaller video cameras - "Bosh your talking rubbish" they said ha-ha - can you take videos with your phone now Ken.

On the subject of mobile phones - I have heard people say - "Oh the early ones where the size of housebricks " - - NOT TRUE - the first one I used was the size of TWO house bricks - one was the battery and it was connected by a curly wire to a handset of the same size - we wished it was smaller and easier to carry - impossible said the critics - how big is your phone now ?

The point of all the above is that in this ever changing technological age you cannot condemn any suggestion for improvements - it is only by people having "Wishes" that things advance - I am willing to bet that at this very moment some one some where is working on a 128bit system which may well encompass all previous options - who can say - my very first home computer was 8bits - with around 32K of memory - if numerous users had not "Wished" for better we may well still be back there.

Maureen would like bigger text and wants to change UI colours - you don't - but does that make you right - it is your opinion that changes are not required and I respect your right to that opinion - given the thousands of people around the world using the programme there is a good chance that there are many other people who agree with Maureen - maybe the final outcome is user adjustable text size and user adjustable colours in the UI - but unless someone asks for it it will not happen.

So please if you do not like some ones wishes then by all means say so - but a simple "I do not like that idea" or "I don't think that is feasible at the moment" is much better and will be accepted as your opinion instead of causing resentment and upset as you have.


The above post has also been sent to photodrawken by means of a standard forum warning

[photodrawken]

The following message has also been sent as a private message to BrianCee in response to his private message to me. Since Brian also saw fit to post his private message in the public forum, I feel I should do the same:

Hi Brian,
I accept the "Board Warning" you have issued -- that's your right, but I do not retract or apologize for my response to the original opinions.

I do think my response was aggressive and strongly worded, and that's a Good Thing because I feel strongly about the issues raised. I repeat what I said in another post that my response was in no way a personal attack. I never said "You are a blah, blah, blah". My reply was pointedly directed at the stated opinions and never at the person who issued those opinions.

I will take your $1 million dollar bet that there will never be such a thing as a program that is both 32- and 64-bit. You mention computing history, so out of all that history tell me how many programs were 8- and 16-bit, or 16- and 32-bit at the same time. Yes, that's why I say it will never happen because it flies in the face of reality.

Opinions over UI colours can differ, of course, but I can and have backed up my opinions with facts, while those who disagree are never able to back up their opinions with facts. The point is that if someone says they think the Earth is flat I see no reason to quietly mumble "Gee, I don't think that's entirely correct at this time", however "polite" that response would be. There are opinions that are correct and opinions that are incorrect. If some people can't accept that, that's their problem, not mine.

[BrianCee]

I will take your $1 million dollar bet that there will never be such a thing as a program that is both 32- and 64-bit. You mention computing history, so out of all that history tell me how many programs were 8- and 16-bit, or 16- and 32-bit at the same time. Yes, that's why I say it will never happen because it flies in the face of reality.

YET is the keyword - way back we didn't know how to transmit TV - YET - now it's routine

we didn't know how to make digital cameras - YET - now we all have them

we didn't know how to do heart transplants - YET - routine now

just because we don't now how to do something NOW doesn't mean it will NEVER happen

[photodrawken]

just because we don't now how to do something NOW doesn't mean it will NEVER happen

Sure it does. We don't NOW know how to freeze water so that it does not expand, but I think it's a safe bet that that will NEVER happen.

[Tadjio]

Well done, Brian, for bringing back memories of where we have progressed from
(the IBM mainframe I first worked with was at Fort Dunlop, Birmingham, just as you describe;)

I support Maureen in her wishes and in particular two issues:-

1) 64-bit PSP has brought problems - I haven't installed the 32-bit version and 64-bit doesn't see my Scanner.

2) Text and Icon sizes - Corel have made many changes in this area over the versions X2 to X6, not always for the better for myopic people like me.

If Corel are made aware of feelings about these two issues then hopefully improvements can be made but if they aren't aware...

[LeviFiction]

Let us lay the first one to rest for now. The limitations of 32-bit to 64-bit are inherent in the OS as well as the software. The OS creates a specialized process type for 64-bit programs and one for 32-bit programs. This is why 64-bit programs cannot run 32-bit plugins. Because 32-bit programs cannot run in a 64-bit processing space. The OS has to recognize each type and create the proper executing space for it. The only way 32-bit and 64-bit can run from a single program is under 1 of two scenarios.

1) If that program is a starter. This hides the fact that there are two separate versions and gives the illusion of starting PSP in a special mode versions a special version. But of course that's a cheap trick, and I can make that if you think it would help you.


2) If the program could distinguish which version of 32-bit or 64-bit you wanted to run in. It would then report itself as 32-bit or 64-bit to the OS and have to double-up on many portions of its variables and memory handling to use the proper memory addressing. Very unlikely in and of itself, impossible to imagine from Corel.

Version X7 will be limited by these same requirements from the OS and how the two systems integrate. The only way 32-bit and 64-bit will be allowed to co-mingle is if Windows allows 32-bit processes to be run inside 64-bit processes in the way required by plugins. This is, after all, the only real reason they want 32-bit in a single program with 64-bit so that they don't lose the compatibility with older software that won't or can't make the switch.

I won't say it'll never happen, but the chances are remote due to history and need. An OS producer has their reasons for not allowing this intermingling, most likely due to some impossibility or the challenges involved in performing it accurately. It is far more likely 32-bit will just fade into the background and everything will go 64-bit. The complaints will still be there but in the end we'll just accept it and move on.

-----------

Since the first is most likely motivated by the need for 32-bit programs. I will say that the best way for Corel to get 32-bit plugins working with a 64-bit piece of software is an intermediary program. Using protocols to transfer data between them, the 32-bit program will access and share 32-bit data with the plugins and with the 64-bit software. Probably just by saving images to the HDD in a temporary location, much like the script on these forums does for the Nik software. But targeted at plugins in general over one specific stand-alone application.

[photodrawken]

Let us lay the first one to rest for now.

I agree.

As an addendum to your technical explanation, it's interesting to note that even the .Net Framework won't allow one program to be both 32- and 64-bit. Although the Visual Studio .Net compiler has three options:
1. Compile for x86.
2. Compile for x64.
3. Compile for either.
it can do that only because .Net languages are compiled to an intermediate language, which is what is run on the target machine. At that time the .Net Framework's Just-In-Time compiler on the target machine compiles the intermediate language code into machine-specific native code which will be executed as either 32- or 64-bit.

[kyork]

HI,
Seeing that we have recently purchased several copies of PSP X5 and X5, it would be nice to see this in an update. I will try to keep this simple... and say Why at the end.

When in the manage tab, thumbnail view, after scanning folders to tag faces...
1) The info window should also show the Path for the image under the General tab.
a) If you want to take it one step further: Do a comparison of all folders for highlighted thumbnails
b) Compare all files in folders to see if there are multiple duplicates... or list folder contents side by side.

2) There should be an option to Move all selected files to one same location for comparison.

3) Maybe have groups that are not used for recognition - so you can group multiple people in them... like Friends of my brother whose names I do not know.... etc.

The reason: lets say you have over 3,000 photos. some are duplicates Some have 5 copies, some of which are negatives that were scanned. Now you are looking for the best ones to keep. with several dozen folders some organized, some not... it gets tricky to quickly pick the right one.

Thanks,
Kevin

[DigitalDave]

1. Ability to save .png files without dimensions converting to metric.
2. One checkbox which would turn on all menu icons. One at a time takes way longer than it should.
3. Ability to define workspace background color.

Many thanks.

[trueblue]

This is MY wishlist and I'm entitled to say what I would like to see in PSPX7 just as anyone else.

You were really out of order in your reply.

I can accept that you or anyone else may not agree with me, just as I may not agree with you or others.
I think I have enough respect for others not to ram down their throat that their opinions are stupid.

It's a very lofty position you have put yourself in Ken to be so right, and I am so wrong.