Wishlist for PaintShop Pro X10

[photodrawken]

I love it for creating masks,

How do you use the arithmetic function for doing that?

I'm curious because I've never been able to get an answer from someone using the arithmetic function about how it can be used, or how it is better than using layer blending modes....

[Dijenga]

Well, I got it to work "somewhat" once I realized that I needed to create a separate image to "subtract" ... in Photoshop it's subtracting a layer, not an image. Lots of fiddling with settings and not very much success, but at least it isn't a black image now.

What I wanted to do involves an inverted layer with subtract blend mode. Not sure how to get the result I am looking for, but will play with it some later on tonite.

[LeviFiction]

It's not better, just different. And with certain missing functions in blend modes it is awesome, but lack of usability makes it frustrating. I combine two channels to create a greyscale image that hopefully, depending on the image, highlights my selected subject while darkening everything else. I can then continue to manipulate this resultant image using the various tools to make a better mask image. From there I can either use "Mask from image" or I can take an existing mask, do Ctrl + A and paste into selection. Whatever method you prefer.

Things like subtraction you could do with selections but that involves splitting the image into individual channels, then making a selection from the highlights of one, saving it, highlights of the other, loading the previous selection with the subtract option.

Arithmetic is just the first step in a long process for creating masks. Really handy when the image has channels that you can combine in this way, not so much when the image doesn't.

It's definitely not as flexible as layer blend modes. But I think they both have their uses, if Corel would add in the necessary extra blend modes and if they made the arithmetic command easier to use. Who wants to guess at values and hope they aren't wasting their time?

[JoeB]

It's definitely not as flexible as layer blend modes. But I think they both have their uses, if Corel would add in the necessary extra blend modes and if they made the arithmetic command easier to use.

Specifically, what would these necessary extra blend modes be that would make it less necessary to do what you do with Arithmetic? Or, for that matter, what others might like to achieve without having to use Arithmetic?

[LeviFiction]

Add and Subtract and division. Maybe a few others, but specifically compared to Arithmetic those three.

Flexibility, layers vs full image. They each have their uses. And the number of people who use Arithmetic at all is so small. I'm honestly surprised Corel didn't try to remove it. The layer modes wouldn't remove it's use, simply expand the possibilities for gaining the same or similar results between layers and immediate viewing. Plus the flexibility of layer options, and it would extend beyond what Arithmetic could do. I can't give you specifics, but considering add and subtract and division are simple functions you're not talking about adding huge amounts of bloat to accomplish what we already can. It adds options.

[photodrawken]

Add and Subtract and division.

Aren't all the usual layer blend modes such as "Lighten", "Screen", "Multiply", etc., enhanced versions of your "Add" layer blend request?

[Dijenga]

It's definitely not as flexible as layer blend modes. But I think they both have their uses, if Corel would add in the necessary extra blend modes and if they made the arithmetic command easier to use.

Specifically, what would these necessary extra blend modes be that would make it less necessary to do what you do with Arithmetic? Or, for that matter, what others might like to achieve without having to use Arithmetic?

Look at the f.64 academy tutorials by Blake Rudis, and you'll see some of the things these other blend modes do. Arithmetic won't accomplish the same thing for me ... it has to be a blend mode and "difference" won't get me where I'm trying to go.

[hartpaul]

So we have people asking for more blend modes, then there are others that suggest that we only "need" about 5 blend modes.

http://www.photoshopessentials.com/phot ... des/intro/

Here the author suggests that all the blend modes apart from Normal can be placed in groups that Darken, Lighten, change Contrast, Compare pixels, Composite modes .

The question then becomes how often you use different blend modes in day to day processing. Of course if you are doing some artistic work and experimenting using different blend modes or following PS tutorials that have a number of different blend modes you might want something different.

[LeviFiction]

Add and Subtract and division.

Aren't all the usual layer blend modes such as "Lighten", "Screen", "Multiply", etc., enhanced versions of your "Add" layer blend request?

Nope. They do similar things, but are not the same. And "Enhanced" is subjective.

"Lighten" grabs the lightest pixels between the two. r = max(Target,Blend)
"Screen" inverts both pixels, multiplies them, then inverts again r = 1 - (1-Target)(1-Blend)
"Multiply" multiplies the percentages of each color resulting in a darker color r = Target * Blend

"Add" lightens the image by adding the pixel values together and clipping the values to 255. In Photoshop this would be Linear Dodge(add) r= min(Target + Blend, 255)
"Subtract" darkens the image by subtracting the pixels from each other clipping the values to 0. r = max(Blend-Target, 0)
"Divide" would be the opposite of Multiply so technically Screen might fit that bill...and might not. r = Blend/ Target

[photodrawken]

"Add" lightens the image by adding the pixel values together and clipping the values to 255. In Photoshop this would be Linear Dodge(add) r= min(Target + Blend, 255)

Thanks for the explanation.

So, I'm assuming that PSP does not have the "Linear Dodge (Add)" blend mode?

[LeviFiction]

Correct. They have regular Color Dodge but no Linear Dodge.

[roberts-end]

Add a resize and DPI options to the PNG Export dialog.
I often work with mixed raster/vector images (e.g. markers overlay on a google map) and then export the vector overlay. Normally the raster image is quite large and I want a much reduced size as png export for the web. Normally I resize the image, export via PNG optimizer and the undo to return to high res image. The problem comes when there is a crash or I forget the undo resize. If the resize could be done in the PNG optimization stage it would be much less error prone. Even better if I could tweak the DPI setting as well to keep the text looking crisp.

[LeviFiction]

An interesting suggestion.

Until they do add this as a feature, if you didn't mind the extra step, you could just save the PNGs as high-res images and then use the batch process to do the resizing on all of them at once instead one image at a time. Of course that only works if you have a consistent width or percentage of the images sizes you wanted to change.

[Bill Piper]

Focus Stacking?

[rgrun]

I have never understood why some feel it is more efficient to use shortcut keys

I use a notebook computer (Thinkpad) and its touchpad. Therefore, my fingers are always over the keys, which makes using "shortcut" keys extremely efficient....

It IS much faster even on a desktop. To the extent possible I learn all the shortcuts I can on the programs I use the most
However to each their own