Wish list for Paint Shop Pro version X8

[csh2000]

I would love to see Corel incorporate the align photos from HDR Merge into Align Layers in Paint Shop Pro. Also of value to me would be the ability to create Luminance Masks.

[bobthegoat2001]

I like the Manage and Edit to remain where they are, but I'm not sure about Adjust.
I can go quickly through viewing lots of images in a folder, even full screen, using Manage, and just click Edit when the right image is reached. Very simple, fast, and practical for me.

The thing is for me, I use a program called ACDsee. When I'm browsing my photos in Windows Explorer, the photos open in less than a second (that's one of the reasons I like ACDSee). When I want to edit the image I'm viewing, I can open it directly into Paint Shop Pro. So for me, the manage in PSP redundant.

How about, similarly to Adobe Bridge, when you're browsing photos in Manage (app), have the photos open directly to PSP? I think this way it would be beneficial to both of us, quicker speed in PSP and still have the ability to use Manage.

[dcadint]

As I have been using Paintshop Pro I have found some features missing that are available in other image editing software. In many cases I have had to switch to Gimp or Photoshop to get done what I need done because Paintshop is missing these critical features. Below is a list of features
1. In Paintshop one has to set the gradient angle and pattern repeat in Gradient Materials dialogue. Then no matter how you use the bucket or brush tool the pattern will always be applied at that same angle with the same repeat pattern regardless of your stroke. In Gimp and Photoshop you don't set the angle or repeat pattern. The starting point and angle is set by the brush tool by the brush stroke. In Photoshop the bucket tool has a drop down gradient option and in Gimp there is a separate gradient tool but in both cases the starting point and angle of the gradient is set by dragging and releasing the mouse across a selection and the repeat is set by the length of the drag. It becomes very tedious in Paintshop to go back and forth between the image and gradient dialogue to get a new angle set.
2. In Gimp and Photoshop I can use the selection tools to outline an object and then convert the selection to a path. Works great for converting objects in an image or parts of an image to vector art. Not having this ability in Paintshop is a big disadvantage.
3. In Gimp and Photoshop there is a tab for the color channels in the layers dialogue that shows the RGB or CYMK channels and in Gimp it also displays the masks below the channels. In Paintshop one has to choose the image->split channels menu and it will split the image into separate images by color channel that can then be edited and then re-merge the images which can be tedious. In Gimp and Photoshop its easy to switch to the channels tab and pick a particular channel and then use it to create a selection and then a mask. The workflow is faster and more intuitive then having separate images. I would love to see a Color Channels tab in the Layers dialogue.
4. I would like to see a tab for managing saved selections in the Layers dialogue so I can quickly bring up a saved selection. Would be great if there were a drop down in the Selections tab for creating a path from the selected saved selection (see #2 above regarding converting selections to paths). Having to go through the menus to get to it is a bit tedious. Another option would be to place it under the Channels tab mentioned in number 3 above since I believe the selection info is saved in the alpha channel as I recall, but either a separate tab or included in a channels tab would be a big help to workflow.
5. It would be nice if I could edit the selection created by the edge seeker option just like one can edit the nodes in a path. Gimp's edge seeker tool (the scissors) depicts a node for each length of the selection and one can add nodes after closing/completing the selection. This allows one to fine tune the selection.

Finally, a nice to have would be support for the DDS file format and DXT1, 3 and 5 compression. Would make Paintshop more usable for game developers.

[DPainter]

I second all this 100% being a producer of gaming components.

As I have been using Paintshop Pro I have found some features missing that are available in other image editing software. In many cases I have had to switch to Gimp or Photoshop to get done what I need done because Paintshop is missing these critical features. Below is a list of features
1. In Paintshop one has to set the gradient angle and pattern repeat in Gradient Materials dialogue. Then no matter how you use the bucket or brush tool the pattern will always be applied at that same angle with the same repeat pattern regardless of your stroke. In Gimp and Photoshop you don't set the angle or repeat pattern. The starting point and angle is set by the brush tool by the brush stroke. In Photoshop the bucket tool has a drop down gradient option and in Gimp there is a separate gradient tool but in both cases the starting point and angle of the gradient is set by dragging and releasing the mouse across a selection and the repeat is set by the length of the drag. It becomes very tedious in Paintshop to go back and forth between the image and gradient dialogue to get a new angle set.
2. In Gimp and Photoshop I can use the selection tools to outline an object and then convert the selection to a path. Works great for converting objects in an image or parts of an image to vector art. Not having this ability in Paintshop is a big disadvantage.
3. In Gimp and Photoshop there is a tab for the color channels in the layers dialogue that shows the RGB or CYMK channels and in Gimp it also displays the masks below the channels. In Paintshop one has to choose the image->split channels menu and it will split the image into separate images by color channel that can then be edited and then re-merge the images which can be tedious. In Gimp and Photoshop its easy to switch to the channels tab and pick a particular channel and then use it to create a selection and then a mask. The workflow is faster and more intuitive then having separate images. I would love to see a Color Channels tab in the Layers dialogue.
4. I would like to see a tab for managing saved selections in the Layers dialogue so I can quickly bring up a saved selection. Would be great if there were a drop down in the Selections tab for creating a path from the selected saved selection (see #2 above regarding converting selections to paths). Having to go through the menus to get to it is a bit tedious. Another option would be to place it under the Channels tab mentioned in number 3 above since I believe the selection info is saved in the alpha channel as I recall, but either a separate tab or included in a channels tab would be a big help to workflow.
5. It would be nice if I could edit the selection created by the edge seeker option just like one can edit the nodes in a path. Gimp's edge seeker tool (the scissors) depicts a node for each length of the selection and one can add nodes after closing/completing the selection. This allows one to fine tune the selection.

Finally, a nice to have would be support for the DDS file format and DXT1, 3 and 5 compression. Would make Paintshop more usable for game developers.

[deluxe]

My feeling about tools is that everything you need to make an adjustment should be available in the tool. When I use Adjust-Color-RGB I first must use the dropper tool in the main edit window to sample tones. I write the tones down then go to RGB where I manually enter the desired number after manually calculating the percentage amount to enter. This process would benefit from a dropper tool which would give you immediate feedback on color values within the tool itself. It would also benefit me if there was some sort of calculator to give percentage increases to attain a desired number; for instance, the dropper tells me a blue value in the highlight of 221 and I want it to be 245. Ideally, I would plug in 245 and the program would plug in the percentage increase needed.
The white balance tool under adjustment layers is similar except it uses sliders rather than manual entry of numbers. It is a better way of adjusting color because you can address shadows, highlights, and midtones separately. This tool would double in utility just by adding a dropper to sample tones. Without a dropper, I tend to waste a lot of time through trial and error. The tool asks you to input color levels which range from 0 - 100. My assumption is that 'levels' equate to percentage increase over the image baseline as in RGB; if so, the calculator function would also be useful here as well. The Adjust-White Balance function has a dropper and it's very useful for setting correction points, but I don't consistently get the results I want with this tool. Thanks.

[deluxe]

I think curves is the best tool in the box; it's hard to beat for power and versatility. As I posted earlier my efforts would be more focused if there was a way to point to a tone in the photo and see that point on the curve. To expand on this, it would be useful to double click on a tone and have that point set on the curve. To manipulate R,G,& B with curves it would also be very useful to have a dropper to measure color values in the tone, and to have an indicator of the color values on the curve point as it is manipulated up or down. Thanks.

[CMurd]

I have a separate thread going on this topic, but I still want to mention it here.

In PSP X7, the image zooms out when I define a crop area (not always, but usually). I know that this is meant to be a new feature, but it is just an annoyance. I don't want PSP to be anticipating when I should zoom. If I have the image zoomed in and I'm defining a crop area, that's the way I want it. I don't want the program to suddenly zoom out.

The developers need to put an option in Preferences (in Auto Action) to turn this feature off.

Thank you.

[Romag]

I would like better Vector Tools. I have bought CorelDRAW but unfortunately it is overkill for my needs.

I would like Shape building tools that allow you take two closed paths (e.g. a square and path drawn shape) and do the usual things to combine them such as...

• Unite
  Minus Front or Back
  Intersect
  Exclude

Precise placement of vector nodes and handles with co-ordinates based on millimetres, inches and pixels. Currently the joining nodes and moving them around can sometimes be a problem, as they appear to be offset from the node you want to join them to.

Better handing of vector outlines (and fills) for Vectors and Text

• option to have the fill overlap the outline
  multiple outlines per object
  multiple fills per object
  offset
  inner line
  layer ordering of the fills and lines within that object

Full .SVG support both importing and exporting of vectors.

.AI import and export in so far as is possible.

I would like better handling of Fonts. Handling of professional Fonts which come with ligatures and optional characters. Better kerning.

I love using PaintShopPro, I have done for years. Please make these things better for me so I can produce more art. Thank you.

[Jean-Luc]

SCRIPT ICONS :
Possibility to replace script icons with our icons.
Could be a single drag and drop in the Customize section or could be empty places where we could place our icons.
Actually, when many script icons are used, it is difficult to remember the content of each icon.

Cordialement,
Jean-Luc

[Jean-Luc]

PREFERENCES SAVING :

The ability to save the Preferences settings (and to load again after a reset).

Jean-Luc

[hartpaul]

I will second that Jean Luc.
Each time install a new version of PSP, or have to replace / reinstall on a new drive or reset program to default, I have to go to File > Preferences > General Program Preferences and change those again.
It would be good to have perhaps a script that would take these requirements and save that ina file that can be transferred from version to version and re read by the script and applied.
Since the General Program Preferences has been much the same in the last 5 version of PSP this should be possible.
some of my changes are:
open in Edit mode
Auto Preserve off
don't show splash screen
Default Resolution to 300 pixels per inch
Manage - all unticked
Never with Automatically show palettes
etc
These are saved somewhere already, as when you close and reopen the program the choices remain selected. So that needs to be saved in a separate movable file that can be read in each version and applied. A special script would seem the way

[LeviFiction]

Give a day and I can easily make a script that will save your current general preferences into another script. I just need to remember where I put the command APIs.

[Tadjio]

Give a day and I can easily make a script that will save your current general preferences into another script. I just need to remember where I put the command APIs.

That would be extremely useful

[Kathy_9]

Give a day and I can easily make a script that will save your current general preferences into another script. I just need to remember where I put the command APIs.

Including file locations?

[Monteiro]

Marge images. like this: