Great tools, great capabilities, but . . .
Regarding the interface: when you select the Sharpen filter, a dialog comes up which specifies "Size" and "Intensity". When you select the Sharpen filter while using the filter brush, the dialog is for "size" and "Special". Huh?
Go to the manual:
7.7.7 Sharpen/Sharpen
The Sharpen filter enhances the structure of an image resulting in more contrast. This way it is possible to emphasize the hair of someone or to make unsharp, nearly unrecognizable objects better clearer. This way you can render prominent elements, which should attract the attention of the viewer.
This can happen in such a detailed way, so that only experienced people are able to recognize the manipulation.
The first sentence is fine. The first part of the second sentence is essentially meaningless! You are going rto emphasize the hair? The whole picture is sharpened so other elements will be emphasized too . . . unless you are using the filter brush and brushing the sharpness ONLY through the hair. However, this section is not about the filter brush, it is about the filter generally. The third sentence attracts the same criticism. The fourth sentence? HUH???
And that's it. Where is the illustration of the effect? Where are the instructions on how to use the "Size" and "Intensity/Special" numbers? It's all very well to say we can try it and see the differences. Maybe. If so, don’t produce a manual at all. The manual is supposed to tell us how to use the program.
Try:
7.7.10 Blur/Soften
The Soften filter reduces the contrast in an image, so that the content of an image becomes blurred. You can use this filter, if you want to attract the attention of the viewer to an object in the foreground. Therefore you use the soften filter on the background, in order to make it less eye catching.
Another field of use is to create a certain romantic touch by softening images.
How do you apply it to the background? With the filter brush, of course. Some might do it with a mask. Maybe -- I'm not a great mask man. But either way, the manual must tell us what to do. That's a manual's job.
Try section 7.7.16 Soften/Blur. You want to apply it to simulate depth of field? How does that happen? How do we manipulate size, intensity, and bias for different results? And you must have a soften layer working, it tell you in the end. What is a soften layer and how do you do it? Point us to the appropriate manual section which explains that, or explain it here. With illustrations.
Please. The manual and interface oddities really, really let this excellent app down.
Cheers, geoff