- it supports OpenEXR (essential). Source code for implementation at http://www.openexr.com/downloads.html
- painting tools would be expanded to include features comparable to myPaint/Krita (both open source, source code available for inspection)
- texture map painting tools: seamless painting, normal map painting (http://www.quixel.se/), 3d object import preview pane to preview texture while painting the texture.
- would offer an option to import footage in 16bit/32bit per channel for painting, colour grading and editing (bit like CinePaint: http://www.cinepaint.org/), and a timeline (even a simple one would suffice, not required to do any editing)
I suppose the third wish is going to be the most troublesome one
I am hoping that you devs are working on improving the paint tools. Adding OpenEXR support should be easy to integrate - most important would be an import dialog to choose which layers to import, and an automatic import based on layer labels, for example. Full 3d painting is not required - but some more texture painting tools could be very beneficial.And workflow enhancements I would hope for:
- middle mouse button to pan the image (hand tool)
- a ctrl-click layer function to load up a selection based on its transparency.
- a shift-click layer function to load up a selection based on its luminance values
- improved channel handling. Saving selections in the channel palette, or even better: a separate palette for saving and managing selections, independent from the actual file.
- a canvas rotate option. Essential for painting. Photoline is just about the only pro editor without this option.
In the future (and this would make Photoline *very* wanted by professionals - something we have been waiting for since... well, a very long time, and Adobe isn't about to give this to us), and better than sliced bread:
- full nodes support! That would be the bomb, and make some real headlines for Photoline. You'd be the first to offer that in an image editor. The trick would be to make it very user-friendly. Perhaps a layer node?
Well, one can dream...
But I do believe that if you developers would introduce even half of these features you'd get an large influx of new users. A lot of professional users are begrumbling PH at the moment.