Paintshop Pro - Wishlist for version X7

[bowserb]

I've used PSP since the early 1990's when it was a shareware program. In fact, PSP was the first shareware program that I ever liked enough to buy. It's come a long way since then, and most of the enhancements have been good, some not so good. I have bought every single upgrade. The thing that amazes me here are the demands and complaints I hear, for a $90 photo editor that comes within about 10% of equaling Adobe Photoshop CS6, that sold for $650 (I exclude the new "CC" subscription version for price comparisons, since it is $20 a month FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!) Except for the lack of extensive 3rd party support, PSP is an excellent alternative to Photoshop, and some of its features are better than the Photoshop counterparts (the text tool used to be one of those until a couple versions back).

Anyway, after fixing the bug introduced in the latest patch to X6, I would really like it if less screen real estate were consumed by window borders. The colored border around image windows is at least twice as thick as it needs to be.

[stef252]

A few suggestions:

1.) Further address the program's slowness and lag (in both the 32 bit and the 64 bit versions)

a. make more of the program functions multi-process: making use of more than one processor would probably help
- many of the photographic adjustments are not multi-process
(brightness/contrast, Histogram adjustment and Levels are)
(Fade correction, white balance adjustments, Fill Light/clarity, curves, highlights/mid tones/shadows, vibrancy, local tone mapping are not)
- manipulation and display of layers are not multi-process
- run the temporary save off another process so it doesn't freeze the program while doing the save

b. Make better use of DirectX to accelerate program functions: particularly Layers
- X6 requires only Direct3D 9 (Direct3D 9 was released by Feb 2003: 10 yrs later .....)
- Require Direct3D 10 / Drop legacy XP support (XP is 12 yrs old and no longer supported by Microsoft ... )
- Direct3D 10 is more efficient than its predecessor and makes better use of modern (circa 2009+) hardware
- Direct3D 10 introduces Direct2D to better accelerate 2 dimensional graphics

2.) Allow 32 bit plugins to run in the 64 bit program along side of the 64 bit plugins
- yes, it can be done
- LaunchBox (AlphaPlugins, http://www.alphaplugins.com) will run 32 bit plugins in 64 bit Photoshop and Lightroom
- Doesn't (demo) seem to install for PSP and even if it did why should we have to pay extra for basic compatibility???

[Dave Deamude]

I would like to see the ability to create a slide show using various effects, such as panning, zooming spinning, and having control of the focal point of where each of the effects is based.
It would be good if frames were not dependent on a background but could be treated as an individual object.
When composing the slide show keeping each of the pictures being used in their own separate files until such time you want to create it as an automatic show or video, much similar to the way Windows did it in Vista. I'm sure that Corel could do a much better job.
Dave D

[vciro]

I'd like to be able to be able to see both highlight and shadow clipping right on the image while making adjustments.

[MarkZ]

I'd like to see all the niggling problems and errors fixed before the developers even start to think about new features. There have been dozens of problems reported, some seemingly easy to fix, and they persist years after being reported.

[bobtail]

I can change the tone of most of the work space except for the working area 'window' which stubbornly remains pale grey. In X4 this changed with the rest of the GUI. We need to have the choice in the whole workspace.
Also agree with the need to integrate aftershot pro.

[LeviFiction]

bobtail - if you right-click the workspace around the canvas the context menu will include options for changing the color from pale grey to a darker color.

[bobtail]

Excellent. Thank you.

[Bonjovicrzy]

I am back ,, and reporting more wishlist .. .. I have been running PSP x6 more .. and still love it but have run into a few fixes I would like to see some new but mostly older ones like .. to see PSP x7 to have all the bugs fixed .. that PSP x6 and past versions have a few more workspace colors that is lighter .. besides black or gray .. the black hurts the eyes and do not like the gray to well .. past version had a cream or tan color that I loved and easy on eyes want the old textbox back I know you can right click and get it ,, but want the option to have it hate the new text on the screen .. get the old mirror and flip back without a script .. like in the old PSP the new is not the same ..

** I have enough icons on pc desktop hate having two for only psp plus have 32 and 64 bit screens to bridge & work together for plugins while working on projects without having to close project and program and opening the the other while working that is a pain .. I use the 32 bit screen more then 64 bit because of plugins I know people say it can not be done but it can be done something like LaunchBox does http://www.alphaplugins.com/products/pr ... prod_id=19

but have a few new additions that Photoshop does .. this is my wish list . since Photoshop Cloud .a girl can dream even if it is big.

I run into goodies that I would love to use in PSP specially PS shapes, and styles & Actions without having have another plugin or program to do it

[ronj2]

I would like to see the ultimate version actually be an ultimate version and give us more high-end features and improvements to which many are listed in this thread. Adobe has it's PS split into two versions why not do the same with PSP? charge more so there will be money for development to move ahead with real innovation instead of bells and whistles. Make PSP Ultimate the new PS since a person can't purchase any new versions of PS anymore. I'm hoping PSPX7 is going to be a real upgrade with major changes.

[awm03]

One feature I love in AfterShot Pro that I would like to see in PSP: when you click on an adjustment slider, the setting is returned to as shot in camera. Useful for when you've tried an adjustment (let's say saturation), don't like it, and want to go back to the original.

[RipM]

Lots of good ideas in here, so I'll just throw in a couple I didn't see.

1. An option to lock the crop setting. If I drag a corner outside the image area after selecting an aspect ratio (X4 and X5), it snaps back to the edges, but usually switches to Free Form, so any additional tweaking of the area doesn't honor my choice, and if it shows "Last Applied" I don't even know. Alternatively, this could be handled as a bug fix (seems like this fairly common action shouldn't change a selected aspect ratio).

2. An option to resize or alter the position of a selection, or to alter its shape by repositioning the line, adding and repositioning points for a point-to-point selection, etc.

3. More powerful and user-friendly text appearance tools. For example, I'd like to have an option to add a halo effect around the letters without remembering to create the text as floating then pick a drop shadow 3D effect with 0 horizontal and 0 vertical offset and a blur large enough to give the desired result given the font size. Something similar to Microsoft's Word Art would also be useful. Line spacing options would also be much appreciated.

4. Option to create custom shapes for the scratch remover.

5. An option to blur red-eye corrections only on selected edges, or a feature that can automatically differentiate between skin and pupil areas - to avoid blurring into an eyebrow or eyelash. Also would love something that attempts to automatically set the pupil and glint lightness based on the image. And perhaps something other than a perfect circle for Auto Human Eye, ideally something that recognizes skin boundaries, since it's not very often that the entire pupil is visible.

Could be some of this is already available and I just haven't figured it out, so looking forward to replies.

[LeviFiction]

Well, don't know if it helps. But a non-text specific option for creating a halo around the text. Layer Styles Outer Glow, if applied to a vector layer will surround the text with a halo. However, you'll want to turn off anti-aliasing when you do that. You'll want to make sure no other vectors are inside the vector layer.

[Dizzie]

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!

[Kathy_9]

There are some layer styles (reflection, outer glow, bevel, emboss, inner glow & drop shadow) available in PSP. There are 3 ways to access them:

1. Layers - > Properties - > then click the Layer Styles tab on the Layers Properties dialog box
2. In the Layers Palette double click the layer you wish to apply styles to to bring up the Layers Properties box
3. Click the icon on the Layers Palette that looks like a pin sticking in a blue circle to bring up the Layers Properties box.

If your layers palette is not visible you can turn it on by going to View -> Palettes - > Layers