Wish List for PaintShop Pro version X9

[JoeB]

I assume you have also enabled "Pointer trails" in those same Pointer Options (Control Panel > Mouse > Pointer Options)... That at least makes it more visible as the pointer moves around the screen.

Actually I haven't also enabled Pointer Trails. I tried that but found it much too distracting even using non-graphic programs. It's even worse in graphic editing - for example, try using the freehand selection tool in freehand mode and the trial makes it harder to see exactly what you're tracing around. Also, on my older system, it actually slows down the pointer movement noticeably - very much a resource hog. The Ctrl key tap to locate the cursor is all I need. When actually using the cursor to trace, paint, etc., I don't lose track of it because it's front and center focus for me while doing those tasks.

[brucet]

Guys I use a tablet. Precise cursor. It's not just a case of finding the cursor but using it. I do a lot of freehand selections. It gets real tiresome keeping track of a very fine white cross.

regards

[ehume]

I would like to do non-HDR stacking of photographs. Most especially, I would like to see processing a bunch of photos so everything will be in focus, similar to Helicon Focus. In stacking, I would like to see auto-align continue.

If there is a mainstream PP app like PSP that can process a stack of differently-focused pictures of a scene, then camera makers will be encouraged to produce a progressively focused stack of images.

[flagpole]

Protexis anyone?

[Rick_R]

Panorama stitching.

We've asked for that for years and I gave a detailed response several versions ago why it's not going to happen. A summary is this:

• Adobe can spend lots of money adding a feature to Photoshop because that's a pricey professional tool. Adobe just disables parts of the PS source code when they create Photoshop Elements.
• On the other hand, because PSP was originally developed by a completely different company and is aimed at the low-end market, it has a completely different code base than Corel's professional line. So adding any feature requires custom coding.
• Corel has to offer features similar to PE to remain competitive. So they have to decide where to spend their time, money, and other resources when PE adds a new feature.
• People who get to the point of doing panorama stitching probably also own a copy of PE. So they would have that capability, even if it's in a competitor's product. If you buy PSP, Corel really doesn't care if you also buy PE.
• There are several freeware programs that do panorama stitching. So even if a user doesn't own PE, the capability is still easily available.

[Rick_R]

A multi-point straightener.

Currently, you can only take a line a put one end at one place and the other end at another place and then click "Apply."

That's great if the only problem is that the entire image is tilted. I do a lot of image retouching of documents related to genealogy. Often there is some curvature to the page or at least the line. It would be nice to be able to set maybe four points and then Apply and the program would adjust those to be straight and adjust the image slightly too.

I know that significant correction of curvature requires screwing with warp mesh, but I'm thinking for slight problems, where there would be a maximum of 5% - 10% adjustment to make the line straight.

[Rick_R]

Ability to change the color of the line used in the straighten tool. (And probably also the perspective correction tool.)

It would be best to be able to change it on the fly, and not have to keep going to Preferences, although setting it in Preferences should be available.

I do a lot of work with black and white images of old documents such as censuses, government forms, etc. It's a real pain trying to distinguish the black tool line from loads of long lines on a form.

[Belle]

A multi-point straightener.

Currently, you can only take a line a put one end at one place and the other end at another place and then click "Apply."

That's great if the only problem is that the entire image is tilted. I do a lot of image retouching of documents related to genealogy. Often there is some curvature to the page or at least the line. It would be nice to be able to set maybe four points and then Apply and the program would adjust those to be straight and adjust the image slightly too.

I know that significant correction of curvature requires screwing with warp mesh, but I'm thinking for slight problems, where there would be a maximum of 5% - 10% adjustment to make the line straight.

Rick - hi. I also work with genealogy records and wholeheartedly agree that a multi-point straightener would make it so much easier on my eyes...and mood.

[Ken Kantor]

My main wish is for a way to organize and access frequently-used effects and presets. It can waste a lot of mouse clicks and keystrokes when using the same effect often. Repeatedly accessing certain plug-ins is a good example, where a "Favorites" list and a deeper quick-access history would save me a ton of time and effort.

(Also, take the "Get more plug-ins" option off the working menu! )

Thanks!

-k

[JoeB]

My main wish is for a way to organize and access frequently-used effects and presets. It can waste a lot of mouse clicks and keystrokes when using the same effect often. Repeatedly accessing certain plug-ins is a good example, where a "Favorites" list and a deeper quick-access history would save me a ton of time and effort.

I'll second this suggestion. At the very least I would like to be able to use the Customize option to arrange the effects in the order I want so that I could move my most used plugins towards the top. At present you can rearrange the main Effects menu but not the sub-menus within it.

[Rick_R]

NOTES LAYERS

These would be raster layers that only support basic freehand line drawing, text entry with the ability to underline and paste text into the notes layer and possibly copy from the layer. Maybe the ability to set 100% opacity or Transparent background. Probably the ability to set the font face and size, probably in Preferences, not on an image-by-image or layer-by-layer or multiple fonts in a single Notes Layer.

They would not print out when an image is printed. One option would be to have the Notes layers separately printable, one layer after another, like sheets in a book, not on top of each other. Also, the ability to "show all notes layers" or "hide all notes layers."

I realize there is Image Information and the user can add vector or raster layers and then turn those off. But that involves a lot more "manipulation" than a basic Notes Layer would.

[WillyV]

Auto save is another slow process. It freezes the interface until it finishes. It should be a background process like in MS Office.

I very much agree and did some measurements to visualize this problem.

When Autosave is set to every 5 minutes, PSP freezes every 5 minutes. Not just for a few moments but for around a minute! With two unsaved images autosaving took 50 seconds. Adding another image increased the time to 85 seconds. Of course these are just a few incidental measurements, so at the moment I'm not implying that the time used increases by the image.

But in any case this is a serious deficiency. I have been using autosave in Word for many years with a 2 or 3 minute setting without ever being bothered by it. It just does its job very quickly and quietly in the background and there isn't even any noticable delay when typing text.

Here is a graph from Process Explorer which clearly shows the problem. Every 5 minutes PSP increases its CPU use to 25 % and stays on this level till autosave has been completed:

Autosave is an important functionality which I really want to use. But as of now PSP is unavailable to me for 1 minute out of every 5 minutes, 20 % of the time with this setting.

That is very, very unacceptable and I expect Corel to finally solve this in X9.

Willy

[Ken Kantor]

A few more:

- Easier selection of settings below 100 on brush and tool sizes. I often use sizes between 5 and 50, and dialing them in can be quite fussy. A log sizing scale might be good.

- A "randomizer" brush.. just like a smudge, but not requiring motion. It would shuffle the pixels within its boundaries, to an adjustable extent and, perhaps, based on selectable criteria.

- Lose the dual-pane comparison panels. A check box or screen click is a much better way to A/B many effects, and allows a bigger image area.

- A tool to partially or totally eliminate colors outside of a specified range. (This might be possible already, but I haven't figured it out. The range of the color-based "selection" option is difficult to dial in.)

- Improved PS plug-in compatibility. (NIK, DXO, etc.)

Thanks!

-k

[JoeB]

A few more:

- Easier selection of settings below 100 on brush and tool sizes. I often use sizes between 5 and 50, and dialing them in can be quite fussy. A log sizing scale might be good.

There are already several methods of changing brush and tool sizes, so I'm not sure what else could be much easier. If you know the specific size you want you can just type it into the size box. If, like me, you have a general idea of the size but require fine tuning to get it exact when the brush is actually on the image, you can type the general idea into the box, or drag the blue slider, of drag the slider in the dropdown, and then use the scroll wheel to increase or decrease the size until it fits the size that looks good on the image without regard to what the number is in the size box.

- Lose the dual-pane comparison panels. A check box or screen click is a much better way to A/B many effects, and allows a bigger image area.

I agree that dual pane is unnecessary because it does take up space that's not needed. The biggest problem to me is that, even with single pane, there are often too many options below the pane that take up space that could be better used if the preview could extend further down. With a single pane it would be nice to have the option to arrange these options along the left or right side (where there is more monitor real estate.

I also agree that a screen click is the best way of comparing A/B (original vs. effect), which is what I often do with layers and switching a layer on and off to compare the layer below. However, screen click also works in the different effects panes to get that result. Simply click and hold while making a slight movement of the mouse and you'll see the original. Release the mouse button to see the effect.

- Improved PS plug-in compatibility. (NIK, DXO, etc.)

Plugin compatibility is the domain of the plugin developer, not that of those who produce graphics programs. If a plugin developer wants to make the plugin compatible with a variety of programs that developer has the option of coding it accordingly. I'm afraid you can't expect graphic program developers to create patches each time some developer comes out with a new plugin or a variation of an existing plugin.

[Ken Berry]

- Improved PS plug-in compatibility. (NIK, DXO, etc.)

I'm not sure what further compatibility you can expect from the NIK filters in particular. As you may now, the entire collection is now free. I have installed them all and all of them work just fine in PSP.