How would you "simplify" PSP?

[Nev]

Hi there,

Personally, I don't think this question gets asked enough, so here goes. How would you "simplify" PSP? Here's a couple of angles to look at the benefit of simplification:

• > for the sake of reducing clutter
  > for the benefit of increasing performance (less load time)
  > for the sake of ease of use and learning
  > etc.

Thanks,
nev

[LeviFiction]

Remove the advertisements built into PSP? Sorry, it was just asking to be said.

My question back to you is, what gets loaded at the beginning and what gets loaded on an as-needed basis? There are also risks to "simplify" because if you remove functionality in an attempt to simplify you could make the software worse. Like when they removed features from Crop, Levels, Curves. The software actually got less powerful, still usable and simplified. Removed features that were under utilized, but still useful and potentially time-saving if used properly.

Do Plugins get fully loaded upon startup? Or only when activated? Can some effects be moved into plugins of their own? Are any of the effects currently available already duplicated sufficiently in the KPT plugins? (Of course those would have to be upgraded to 64-bit)

Combining like tools?

Make all preset shapes, rectangles, circles, symmetric shapes, and actual preset shapes, a single tool where you can select the type of shape from the tool options bar?

Make background erasing just a mode of the eraser tool?

Create an effects or adjustment brush that has all of the modes instead of different brushes for each mode. Then expand it to include effects that are not currently included.

Decrease the number of different options in the Resize dialog. I mean, there's no need for a "by one side" or "by percentage" mode. You could literally just make it a checkbox or drop-down in the main pixel mode.

Quick add swatches to currently selected palette instead of a pop-up box that asks every time.

Quick add all complimentary colors to currently active palette. Instead of only one at a time, or at least let us select multiple swatches to add all at once.

The ability to use multiple social media accounts under a single service, sometimes you do work for more than one Flickr, Google+, or Facebook account. The ability to unhook a social media account from the service. Maybe the ability to view these directly in the organizer....I know that'll just add bloat.

[Cassel]

Just a few ideas to start:

- bring back the option to add icons with one click: Changing that one by one is tedious, and having icons is helpful to users

- make the Layer Styles settings consistent with their counterparts (like the Drop Shadow and the Inner Bevel)

- bring back a way to see more than 6 gradients/patterns/textures in the "new" Material Properties window: in older/classic versions, we get an expandable window to see many more of those. With only 6 items at the same time, it requires a LOT of scrolling and makes it harder for the user to "compare" the different swatches especially if one has dozens or hundreds of supplies (at least, the Classic Material Properties still show many more, why reduce that for the "newer"?)

[hartpaul]

For some decreasing the load time might be very helpful. I have Irfanview as my default image viewer just for that reason. double click an image and I can see the image in less than 1 second. I can also do a brief simple crop and resize as well and then save it in the time that PSP is still loading.

What does PSP load on cold startup? Are these all necessary for all sessions and all people..

Perhaps have modular sections with the ability to add / remove some modules.

eg I am loading 100 images and only require to be able to crop, apply levels, lightness contrast, RGB , hue saturation ligthtness and Unsharp mask.

At this stage I do not require anything loaded for Picture tubes, preset shapes , brushes etc.
That might be the case for the next 5 sessions.
Then the sixth session I need to use picture tubes - I click on the picture tube tool and there is a short delay while the picture tubes are loaded and the tool options set up.

Another person might only want brushes , resizing and preset shapes and the pen tool. In their case any photo effects and the time spent in loading them is wasted.
For each person you could click a button to keep the selection of tools you want available as a start up load. This is possibly like the saving of a workspace .

So being able to have loaded only what I need and the options of changing / adding to that would avoid loading unneeded functions and hopefully speed up loading time drastically.

[Nev]

Remove the advertisements built into PSP? Sorry, it was just asking to be said.
My question back to you is, what gets loaded at the beginning and what gets loaded on an as-needed basis? There are also risks to "simplify" because if you remove functionality in an attempt to simplify you could make the software worse. Like when they removed features from Crop, Levels, Curves. The software actually got less powerful, still usable and simplified. Removed features that were under utilized, but still useful and potentially time-saving if used properly.

Do Plugins get fully loaded upon startup? Or only when activated? Can some effects be moved into plugins of their own? Are any of the effects currently available already duplicated sufficiently in the KPT plugins? (Of course those would have to be upgraded to 64-bit)

This question is obvious but the answer is far less straightforward. Figuring out what could and should load on start-up is pretty complex and we're constantly looking into that - at least ever since I joined the team. Hopefully, I can get back to you with some concrete evidence in the near future.

Combining like tools?

Can you elaborate on this? Again, I think this is an obvious suggestion but how would you personally combine the like tools?

Thanks,
nev

[Nev]

For some decreasing the load time might be very helpful. I have Irfanview as my default image viewer just for that reason. double click an image and I can see the image in less than 1 second. I can also do a brief simple crop and resize as well and then save it in the time that PSP is still loading.

What does PSP load on cold startup? Are these all necessary for all sessions and all people..

Perhaps have modular sections with the ability to add / remove some modules.

eg I am loading 100 images and only require to be able to crop, apply levels, lightness contrast, RGB , hue saturation ligthtness and Unsharp mask.

At this stage I do not require anything loaded for Picture tubes, preset shapes , brushes etc.
That might be the case for the next 5 sessions.
Then the sixth session I need to use picture tubes - I click on the picture tube tool and there is a short delay while the picture tubes are loaded and the tool options set up.

Another person might only want brushes , resizing and preset shapes and the pen tool. In their case any photo effects and the time spent in loading them is wasted.
For each person you could click a button to keep the selection of tools you want available as a start up load. This is possibly like the saving of a workspace .

So being able to have loaded only what I need and the options of changing / adding to that would avoid loading unneeded functions and hopefully speed up loading time drastically.

Thanks for your reply, hartpaul.

Yes, we've looked at approaches similar to what you're suggesting here. To extend this a bit more, I would like to know at what level would you expect a user to have the ability to turn on / off "sections"? For example, modularity at the 1) macro level where you can turn on / off the workspaces, 2) mid level where you can turn on / off component of the UI within each workspace, or 3) micro level where you can turn on / off tools, assets, etc.

Best,
nev

[LeviFiction]

Combining like tools?

Can you elaborate on this? Again, I think this is an obvious suggestion but how would you personally combine the like tools?

Thanks,
nev

I actually did, my examples were combining all of the different vector shapes tools into a single tool that can do all of the vector shapes. Not unlike how the selection tool can do many different selection shapes. Also adding background removal to the normal eraser tool so that one tool can do regular erasing, or background erasing depending on the mode you chose. Things like that.

I also suggest working on the naming of options in the background eraser tool to make them easier to understand. Many users still use a small hardness on the background eraser brush in hopes of getting a softer edge as they erase, they don't understand that "Sharpness" stands for the edge sharpness.

Make the pick tool react the same way to vectors and rasters. Right now, if you have a vector selected you get all of the distribution and alignment options but none of the deformation options. And if you have a raster you get all of the deformation options and none of the alignment options. Just make the tool work the same way for all objects raster or vector. Suddenly we can quickly distribute rasters across the canvas or align layers to the canvas with a single click. We can also access far more precise deformation options for vectors. This gives us more without hurting the current processes of anyone. And without complicating the UI. It also becomes more intuitive for users.

[Joelle]

In the old days PSP was only an image editor, a very good one at that.
If the user wanted a file manager they could download Photo Album.
Now we have a bloated version which forces Manage (a file/photo manager) on us.
Make the two separate again.
An optional download for those users (not me) who like the Manage system.
I never use it. As I said, PaintShop Pro is an image editor, that's what I originally bought it for.

Joëlle

[Jean-Luc]

Thanks for your reply, hartpaul.

Yes, we've looked at approaches similar to what you're suggesting here. To extend this a bit more, I would like to know at what level would you expect a user to have the ability to turn on / off "sections"? For example, modularity at the 1) macro level where you can turn on / off the workspaces, 2) mid level where you can turn on / off component of the UI within each workspace, or 3) micro level where you can turn on / off tools, assets, etc.

Best,
nev

I am for the "modules" too. In my case, I use almost the time the Edit mode. Loading the Manage and Adjust mode is a lost of time, I think. But I know users who use only the Manage mode and never the Edit mode. So switching off some modes may reduce the load time and perhaps the activity of the program (I don't know if it could affect the lag time). On the first load of PSP, we should select which mode we want to use for the next session (like the language switching) and it would stay so until we change it.
You could also add the modularity for the mid level and the micro level. Why not ? I know, we can adapt ourself the workspace but all is loaded in memory and only invisible in the workspace and still there in the background.

I would also say that comparing with older versions, we have to do MANY MORE clicks to achieve a task. It is a problem when many images need to be tweaked. Two more clicks multiplied by 200 photos is 400 clicks (unwanted).

I remember also a suggestion made by Spitfrog (French user to user webboard admin) who proposed a cursor with a circle around it containing a selection of most used tools which could be selected rapidly without to go to a toolbar. A very clever idea.

[photodrawken]

...
Now we have a bloated version which forces Manage (a file/photo manager) on us.
Make the two separate again.
...

Congrats, Joelle! You've hit the jackpot!

That is the single most perceptive, far-reaching and beneficial suggestion of all the "Wish List" and "Simplify PSP" messages out there. Integrating a file manager app into the image editor is inherently a bad idea -- when the file manager barfs, the image editor is also adversely affected. Case in point is the bad old days of PSP X3, when the Manage interface would constantly corrupt itself and then corrupt the image editing interface, too....

Even Adobe recognizes this, which is why they at least keep the Photoshop Elements editor and its file manager as separate programs.

Removing the file manager would likely mean a significantly smaller download size, smaller installation footprint, and probably enhance the performance of the image editor in many areas.

These days, there are any number of photo-specific file managers out there. I prefer XnView MP, but there are plenty of choices to suit one's preferences and budget.

[Kathy_9]

In the old days PSP was only an image editor, a very good one at that.
If the user wanted a file manager they could download Photo Album.
Now we have a bloated version which forces Manage (a file/photo manager) on us.
Make the two separate again.
An optional download for those users (not me) who like the Manage system.
I never use it. As I said, PaintShop Pro is an image editor, that's what I originally bought it for.

Joëlle

I agree and only use Edit mode.

[Forriner]

Forgive my anger, but:
I just got a surprise Service Pack 4 for PSP X7. For PSP X7 one may ask? Yes, a so-called "service pack": Nothing but a spam "Welcome" tab/workspace, beside the Manage, Adjust and Edit tabs. You've even added it to the Preferences as default launch workspace. But not an option to dump it where it belongs.
Are too many people opting out of the messages, Corel?
Suddenly my processor spends time servicing PSP while the program is idle, while it didn't do that before this "service" pack. Whose brilliant idea was this?
I skipped upgrading to each new version years ago because of the instability, preferring to wait. So now, instead of working on stability and correcting sometimes decade-old inconsistencies and bugs, you have people adding spam workspaces to older versions. And have the nerve to ask how we would 'simplify' PSP.

[Joelle]

Forgive my anger, but:
I just got a surprise Service Pack 4 for PSP X7. For PSP X7 one may ask? Yes, a so-called "service pack": Nothing but a spam "Welcome" tab/workspace, beside the Manage, Adjust and Edit tabs. You've even added it to the Preferences as default launch workspace. But not an option to dump it where it belongs.
Are too many people opting out of the messages, Corel?
Suddenly my processor spends time servicing PSP while the program is idle, while it didn't do that before this "service" pack. Whose brilliant idea was this?
I skipped upgrading to each new version years ago because of the instability, preferring to wait. So now, instead of working on stability and correcting sometimes decade-old inconsistencies and bugs, you have people adding spam workspaces to older versions. And have the nerve to ask how we would 'simplify' PSP.

Ach jee, ja, ik kan zien dat je erg kwaad bent!

I no longer have any of the older versions (before X9) installed.
X9 works well on my Windows 7 system, but would like to see less 'fluff', especially the Manage/Adjust tabs.
Because I never use Manage/Adjust, I don't see the Welcome tab.

Corel obviously feel they need to 'encourage' their customers to buy more goodies. To me that is counter productive and just annoys people, as it does you (and me and lots of others)

By returning to being just an Image Editor and not all the other things, they might make their customers a lot happier.
Having said this there will be lots of people who'll respond to disagree!

If it is of any interest, X9 is faster to load (certainly on Windows 7).


Joëlle

[mickey_marie_1955]

I would like to see psp open .ufo files without merging them. That would simplify it a lot for me because i don't know what to do with my .ufo files left over from PHOTO IMPACT. I hate having a new program that won't open my old files. Why did I spend the money for PSP?

* NOTE: These are the types of situations that cause people to go for cheats/hacks/illegal codes and such. I choose not to participate in such things because software developers should be paid for their work.

[Jean-Luc]

Nev,
a way to save the Preferences and load them again after a PSP reset could "simplify" the live of many of us...