what is new in version 13.5?

[lutz]

what is new in version 13.5?

thanks in advance!

[Gerhard Huber]

what is new in version 13.5?

This information is now available in "Announcements"
A list with pictures will be available soon on the home page.

Gerhard

[Koyaanis]

WOW!

I was wondering why you've been so quiet. You've been BUSY!!!

Downloading it now to see what all it can do.

Your "What's New" list makes it seem almost like a new editor!

[Koyaanis]

Well, I got to check out a few of the new features. Being able to resize some of those tool windows is a HUGE improvement. NICE! And all the extra layer options now ... you guys are making the best into the best of the best.

That new slider on all the tool's preview windows to set what you want for before/after views? WAY COOL!!! What a nice way to efficiently make everything have before/after views. That "mark extreme values" button in all the filter dialogues, yet another great feature. It's so easy when using filters and tweaking tools to end up clipping valuable data. And the "reset" options, again, what a great addition. You made so many improvements that I'm forgetting some that I tested and liked. These definitely stand out in my mind so far though.

But I did find a problem ... when checking out the PaintShopPro import mode. When I use it on .psp (or .pspimage) files, it seems to always drop interpreting the Red data layer. the red in any PSP image comes back as solid red. And while I don't see any evidence of it importing all the vector and layer data into their own layers, at least it's nice to be able to get the images from that format. I suspect the problem is that there's SO many versions of .PSP files and none of them were backward-compatible. (PSP users that did use its proprietary format learned, after just a few versions into the game, to always save their images in an earlier version type. Waiting for them to sort out any standard, which they never did.) I thought the Tubes in PSP were saved in a layered format, which doesn't import into PL32 layers, but it'd be easy to divvy them up from the composite again. So Tubes works just fine in that regard. All RGB layers seem intact in tubes. So that's nice, and usable.

Anyway, just wanted to congratulate you on making your great program even greater!

(I'll test more as the days go on, but I have other pressing needs here at the moment. I'll check out the other great improvements as time permits. Also, time permitting a week or so from now, I'd be happy to send you a small sample image of *.PSPIMAGE files in various version formats for testing if you'd like to fix/improve that feature.)

[Gerhard Huber]

I'd be happy to send you a small sample image of *.PSPIMAGE files in various version formats for testing if you'd like to fix/improve that feature.)

yes, please do so.

Gerhard

[lutz]

Thanks for the resizeable and improved tool windows!

[lutz]

Among other improvements of 13.52:
"- New Layer: New layers now have the resolution of the document for default"

I am not sure if I can see this effect. When I was reading it , I was actually hoping the "Create Layer" dialog-box that always pops up when a new layer or even a new working layer is created would have disappeared.
Could we get an option in the settings that makes this dialog box a choice and not the default? It is pretty annoying and it was also quite confusing when I started out using photoline since it presents options like the pixel dimensions and resolution that usually are never changed ( and these settings would remain still available in the layer properties dialog).
This dialogbox is a perfect newbie deterrent in my experience.

It would be great if one could rename layers directly in the layers/channels docker by clicking into the name, similar to file renaming in Windows explorer.

[Gerhard Huber]

I am not sure if I can see this effect. When I was reading it , I was actually hoping the "Create Layer" dialog-box that always pops up when a new layer or even a new working layer is created would have disappeared.
Could we get an option in the settings that makes this dialog box a choice and not the default? It is pretty annoying and it was also quite confusing when I started out using photoline since it presents options like the pixel dimensions and resolution that usually are never changed ( and these settings would remain still available in the layer properties dialog).
This dialogbox is a perfect newbie deterrent in my experience.

Is it such a big problem to click the OK button? I think an option to remove the dialog would never be found and therefore will stay in the default value. I myselfe won't miss the dialog, because I often want to create a certain image kind.

It would be great if one could rename layers directly in the layers/channels docker by clicking into the name, similar to file renaming in Windows explorer.

I will see if it is possible for version 14.

Gerhard

[lutz]

Hello Gerhard, thanks for the reply.

No, the problem is not the effort to click the OK button. It is more "psychological" and I believe this dialog-box is quite confusing for beginners.

The only thing one intends to do is to create a new layer (one has chosen already which type of layer, and hopes to be done with it) . Then the next step presents suddenly a multitude of choices that a newbie certainly cannot understand:
" Is the new layer the correct resolution? Yes or No? BTW, I actually do not know the resolution of my original image. So, am I doing something wrong here? Do I have to look it up? It says Grey Image - can this be correct? - but actually it does not provide me any other options this time. Has to be OK then, I guess. Proportional?? Mhhm, sounds certainly better than disproportional - likely to be what I want. etc. "

There might be clear message missing for beginners that says: Do not bother - do not worry at this point.

However, I would suggest to switch this dialog off by default (would be more elegant, too) and leave it to the experts to invoke it. Only experts will want to play with the options anyhow.
Perhaps there could be additional menu items for or a "New Layer Advanced" (with all the options) or "New Text Layer" in layers menu . In this case, I assume the dialog box would be missed only by very few experts using Photoline for graphics design and layout.
(For working layers the advanced options might be helpful on even fewer occasions, or?)

[Hoogo]

I mix colored layers and grayscale layers quite often, I use them with multiply to darken or lighten parts of a picture, so that dialogue looks quite handy to me. I never cared about the dpi's, I just don't touch them, and it always worked as expected.

[lutz]

Hello Hoogo,
nothing would prevent you from mixing B&W and color layers? (Just go to layer > convert layer type; ??? or have a new menu item: "New Layer Advanced" [including all the current options]?)

"I never cared about the dpi's, I just don't touch them, and it always worked as expected." (But some people might assume these settings have their necessity at this place and might be important?)

OK this works fine for you, with plenty of experience. However, this was not my point. Beginners are mostly unnecessarily confronted with lots of detailed settings that they do not have to touch or worry about (every time they create a new layer or even a new working layer). For experienced users, it is only an annoying additional click. Why confront all users, and especially beginners, by default with an option (for example the dpi that you are always ignoring) that is only helpful on the rarest of occasions?
My impression is that avoiding distractions is a good way to enhance user friendliness. Just a suggestion.

Hoogo,
how about a tutorial about your dodging and burning technique with layers on "multiply" etc. ?

[Hoogo]

User friendliness depends on the experience level of the user and its very much a matter of habit. A "new layer"-wizard for example might be helpful for beginners, but I think such wizards become annoying after a while, a normal dialog is faster and easier to use - just for example.

You would use "convert layer" or "new layer advanced" to minimize distraction in the dialog. I would kick "convert layer" from the program and allow converting in the properties dialog to minimize distraction in the menu, that would save a whole menu entry. But on the other hand that could be bad for beginners who might not realize that a layer type can be altered. And I would kick the "Advanced layer properties"-dialog, too, and put the few data into the standard "layer properties"-dialog to have just one dialog for all properties. I'd even add the layermode and the kind of working-layer into that dialog. No matter what property I would look for, it could be found there. That's just opposite to you, although both ideas should decrease distraction.

Changing something is always tricky. the best way to find if something is in use is to change it and look who's crying.

All in all I think that the worst things are options nobody knows about because they were too hidden or too much cklicking for too little effect. To make things easier for beginners I would concentrate on the "hidden" features like double-clicks on curves or the context-menu of the layer-tool and stuff like that.

Hm, tutorial about the dodging and burning? Not much to say: Add a new grayscale layer without transparency. Choose multiply, fill it with white and paint it black to burn. Dodging is better done with a working layer "histogramme correction". Pull down the upper intensity slider to brighten the picture. Fill the layer with black and paint with wite to dodge.