Neue Testversion 25.00b10

[Gerhard Huber]

Hallo,

es gibt wieder eine neue Testversion 25.00b10.

Windows:
https://www.pl32.com/beta/pl2500b10.zip

macOS:
https://www.pl32.com/beta/plx2500b10.zip

Neues:

• Ebenenliste, Vorschaubilder transparenter Ebenen: Es gibt verschiedene Optionen für die Darstellung der Transparenz
• Diverse Fehlerbehebungen und kleinere Verbesserungen

[Herbert123]

Thank you once more for the update!

I have noticed though that the document background colour no longer accepts the transparency value? It is either ON or OFF depending on whether the opacity slider is <128 or >128.

Could that be fixed?

[Martin Huber]

I have noticed though that the document background colour no longer accepts the transparency value? It is either ON or OFF depending on whether the opacity slider is <128 or >128.

You mean the background color in the Document Attributes?
In the past, you could set a transparency value there, but if I remember correctly, PhotoLine has never used transparency differently than it does now.
What should a value of RGB(0,0,0,128) do? Create a transparent document filled with semi-transparent black? Or create a opaque document filled with 50% grey?

What do you use the document color for? In my opinion, it is a relic from the past, and I would like to see it replaced by a transparency switch.

[Herbert123]

I have noticed though that the document background colour no longer accepts the transparency value? It is either ON or OFF depending on whether the opacity slider is <128 or >128.

You mean the background color in the Document Attributes?
In the past, you could set a transparency value there, but if I remember correctly, PhotoLine has never used transparency differently than it does now.
What should a value of RGB(0,0,0,128) do? Create a transparent document filled with semi-transparent black? Or create a opaque document filled with 50% grey?

What do you use the document color for? In my opinion, it is a relic from the past, and I would like to see it replaced by a transparency switch.

No, you are right: transparency behaves as it always has. I was presenting to a group, and opened the file in a new PhotoLine installation, and the default transparency grid was waaay too harsh on the eyes, and while I was presenting, I tried to reduce the strength of that grid using the opacity in the document's background colour. Obviously that did not work - it's part of the preferences.

As for the removal of the background colour option: please reconsider... I use it to change the background colour on a regular basis, since I have many different types of documents that I work with, and depending on the type I actually DO change the colour.

For example:

- a spritesheet that requires a obvious green or purple background. Just set it in the document background colour, done. Then export. No need like in other design software to create a separate background object or go into the preferences to change the colour.

- working on a regular print document with a white background, but with screens being so bright nowadays, while working on the document I change the background colour temporarily to a neutral grey, or so. Then when I am finished, switch back to white.

- I use it to quickly switch and compare different background colour settings in designs. Set background colour to a specific palette colour (for use in retro game graphics, for example).

- to check how a logo or a certain transparent illustration works against a different background colours.

- to simulate the paper colour of print work that is designed to be printed on coloured paper.

And so on...

It is just super duper handy to be able to do this! In other design software it just takes more time and is a hassle. And there is no need for an additional object.

I would actually welcome the use of transparency - that the transparency grid becomes more-or-less visible through the background colour.

But in any case please do not remove the background colour option with a simple transparency switch.

*edit* If you decide against having the transparency slider affect the overall background colour transparency, a simple transparency switch could be helpful instead of having to deal with a slider - which is indeed obscure.
So the colour field and a transparency switch could be a good solution.

[Vivi_Ram]

I am trying to create a perspective grid by morphing two lines.
The morphing itself works properly. Crash happens when you do the following:
1. Select on of the two lines that was used in morphing and transform.
2. Now select both the transformed line and the morphed steps.
3. Go to Morph Marked Vector Layers >> Crash.

Another way to repoduce the crash. Morph two vector objects. Select the both vector object and the intermediate steps in the layers panel, and go to "Morph Marked Vector Layers"... I know this is the wrong way to do what I am trying to do. But it still shouldn't produce a crash. It should simply not allow me to morph.

Essentially, when you try to morph between already morphed layers, you get a crash.

[Vivi_Ram]

I am working on a photo manipulation ad and ran into a very frustrating bug. Every time I want to distort a masked image, the mask goes away and the entire background reappears. At the moment, I am working rasterised copy of the image as a workaround, but this means that even the smallest change has to be made from step 1 on the original masked image. See below.

layer.jpg

Another problem I ran into was the perspective distort using the layer handles. I am unable to reset just the distortion. If I reset scaling, it returns to the initial state without any transformation. This means I cannot compare before and after. Please could you fix this? Perhaps provide an option for separately resetting just the distortion without resetting all transformations?

[Vivi_Ram]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HNWIpc ... drive_link - Here is the file. It has a number of problems.

1. Distortion is killing the mask.
2. No way to reset just the perspective distort as far as I can see. I'd love your suggestions.
3. Gaussian blur is not working within the clip mask layer. Move it outside and it works perfectly. None of the adjustments work when the layer is inside a clip mask.

Thank you again.

P.S: I get why the distortion is killing the mask, because the mask is not getting distorted along with the image. It should.

[bkh]

P.S: I get why the distortion is killing the mask, because the mask is not getting distorted along with the image. It should.

The mask is distorted correctly. The problem seems to be that the mask is only applied to the original image, but not to the results of the adjustment layers. Not sure if this is a bug or intentional behaviour of a layer mask.

Btw, the problem has nothing to do with distortion, it already happens with the unscaled layers.

If you use a clipping layer and put everything (undistorted sources) into a group (see screenshot), you achieve what you want by distorting the surrounding group.

Screenshot 2025-10-25 at 19.05.59.png

[Herbert123]

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1HNWIpc ... drive_link - Here is the file. It has a number of problems.

1. Distortion is killing the mask.
2. No way to reset just the perspective distort as far as I can see. I'd love your suggestions.
3. Gaussian blur is not working within the clip mask layer. Move it outside and it works perfectly. None of the adjustments work when the layer is inside a clip mask.

Thank you again.

P.S: I get why the distortion is killing the mask, because the mask is not getting distorted along with the image. It should.

That is not how the layer stack in PhotoLine works. As BKH pointed out, you need to create a structure based on groups.

BKH showed one solution. An alternative is to use cloned instances of the original mask and use that throughout to control the masking. Changes to the original mask then cascade. More complex, yet more flexible and quite powerful. Each clone can be adjusted separately on top of the original mask.
_

2025-10-25 20_24_58-PhotoLine 25.00b10 (64Bit) - [Photo Manipulation Ad - Range Rover.pld.jpg

[Vivi_Ram]

@bhk and @Herbert123: Thank you both. Both of your solutions are more elegant than my initial layer stack. I also never thought of using masks in that way. When I carefully think through the benefits of this approach, I can see how it is way more flexible than the more straightforward approach.

Problem solved.

I still don't see how to compare perspective distortion done with layer handles. Resetting this goes back to the initial state. Is there a way to do it?

Thanks!

I managed to get it to where I wanted.

layer.jpg

[Herbert123]

I am trying to create a perspective grid by morphing two lines.
The morphing itself works properly. Crash happens when you do the following:
1. Select on of the two lines that was used in morphing and transform.
2. Now select both the transformed line and the morphed steps.
3. Go to Morph Marked Vector Layers >> Crash.

Another way to repoduce the crash. Morph two vector objects. Select the both vector object and the intermediate steps in the layers panel, and go to "Morph Marked Vector Layers"... I know this is the wrong way to do what I am trying to do. But it still shouldn't produce a crash. It should simply not allow me to morph.

Essentially, when you try to morph between already morphed layers, you get a crash.

I tested this, and I can't get it to crash. Will test more later.

[Vivi_Ram]

Try this @Herbert123:

Morph between two vector objects. Then, IN THE LAYER STACK, select both the object and the intermediate steps. Now go to: "Morph between marked vector layers." Instant crash. Every time.

[Herbert123]

Try this @Herbert123:

Morph between two vector objects. Then, IN THE LAYER STACK, select both the object and the intermediate steps. Now go to: "Morph between marked vector layers." Instant crash. Every time.

Yep, I am able to replicate the crash now. It seems to happen when I select the object lowest in the stack first, and then the top one.

But it ONLY if:
the bottom layer is clicked first, and;
the top one is selected by clicking the checkbox, and
the morph function is called from the Layout-->Vector-->Morph menu.

It never crashes when the top one is selected first, and then the bottom one with the checkbox. Or if the bottom one is selected by clicking the layer itself, and then <shift? -clicking the top layer to select it.

And here's the reason why it crashes: open the layer properties. Select the top layer, and notice that "Morph Marked Vector" is active at the bottom of that layer properties panel. Double-click that entry - and you access the Morph dialog (this is how I edit morphs: I never use the menu except for the initial setup).

Now select the bottom layer first. No such entry in the layer properties. Which is correct, since the top layer is assigned this property.

So what happens when we select the bottom layer first, and then select the top layer (with the morph property assigned to it) next by clicking the CHECKBOX of the layer?

The layer properties fail to activate the Morph Marked Vector property - because the top layer isn't actually the active layer. We have no access to those properties. But by FORCING the matter, i.e. calling the morph function in the menu, we tell PhotoLine to nonetheless change those properties.

But that results in a NULL or INVALID OBJECT return to that function/method - which in this case isn't caught by the code. Hence, it crashes PhotoLine.

[Vivi_Ram]

Suggestion: What do you think of a "new beta available for installation" notification, which can be turned off in the options? I personally would like this.

[Herbert123]

Suggestion: What do you think of a "new beta available for installation" notification, which can be turned off in the options? I personally would like this.

I'd rather have other issues and features that actually help my/our work on first.