Enhance Photo--Smart Photo Fix

[sconcor]

When I bought PSP X7 last year, I noticed that in Enhanced Photo you can no longer see the effects of changing a layer in Smart Photo Fix, see my post of Januari 17, 2015, 4:05 pm:

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I just bought PSP X7 after having used X3 very satisfactorily for many years, but which is now functioning badly lately. I have Windows 7.
I noticed the following irritating characteristic in X7 today and looking through FAQ I have not found an answer. When I open an image with several layers, and I want to adjust one layer with smart photo fix (spf), then I need to see the effect on the full image, as X3 can do. Also, I may want to change to another layer when I'm done with adjusting one layer. But in X7 when I choose spf, I see the spf tool on the full screen, and the full image has disapeared. Also when I want to change to another layer, I get the PING tone to say that I first need to press OK. Therefore, you cannot use the tool spf and see simulataneously the original image to assess the effect in relation to the full image.
Is something wrong with the installation on my pc, or has X7 lost this feature?
sconcor Posts: 24
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The moderator said it would be reported to the Engineering Group for their consideration. I just downloaded X8 with hopes that it would be resolved. However, no such thing has happened.
Am I the only one who misses this feature? I continue to use X3, which has this feature, but it is now unsupported.
If there are more like me, let's emphasize this lack to Corel.

[hartpaul]

I agree. While I rarely use Smart Photo Fix, this feature (making the preview window fill the screen) has probably fulfilled other user's requests for a larger preview window, but has gone too far and takes over so that you cannot see the layer palette til the operation is completed.
The full screen non resizeable preview also occurs in a number of other effects applications.
In the case you have mentioned I can see a need where you are using three images on different layers for example such that only one third of each layer is visible (Select and delete 2 different thirds of the top two layers).
Then as you use the effect on one layer you want to apply the effect to match brightness or some feature of one layer (third) with the other two layers.
With a full screen preview you cannot see anything else to match.

[sconcor]

What a pity,isn't it. I am a bit surprised, that smart photo fix is so seldom used. I design subjects for my panting class with various parts from many pictures, and never are the components compatible in terms of colour warmth, tone or contrast. Therefore you absolutely need this feature to check the overall effect on the whole of the design, with all of its layers. So I lumber on with X3, even though it is no longer supported by Corel. Big sigh.

[hartpaul]

I can beat you there. For basic processing I use PSP X2 where Save means Save and not a switch to Save As as it now does in X8 (no purpose in having the Save button in X8 if it does essentially the same as Save As).
I also find that my X2 loads faster than some of the later ones and has less overhead.
The extra beauty of PSP is that you can have a number of versions open at the same time, so you can have one open and the other open and minimised to the task bar. You can easilt copy an image from one to the other apply a later change and copy back again.