Large List of Suggestions and Requests for PhotoLine Tools

[Herbert123]

Request/Idea: Cloner Adjustment Layer Filter.
I guess this essential option could be very very useful when create symmetry/clone based art. The idea is pretty simple - apply Cloner Adjustment Layer Filter to any Layer or Group, choose clone mode, choose amount of copies and other parameters.
Here is video Example how cloner tool works in Cinema 4D. Love to see some similar tool in PhotoLine in 2D space: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-NmyqkZBDkg

I asked for this exact same feature (and referred to C4D as well, I believe) many years ago.

[shijan]

Small bug: "Alignment" in "Line Style editor" applied to Text object don't works.

[shijan]

When i noticed that there is a Page Curl effect in PhotoLine i was really happy. But in reality it appears totally useless and produce low quality and very limited results. In designer's work there are a lot of situations when quick nice looking "classic" Page Curl effect required. This may save a lot of manual work.
As i know there are not too many external plug-ins exists for this effect. The most popular is AV Bros. Page Curl Pro http://www.avbros.com/english/pagecurlpro/index.html But it is very outdated, formally Windows only (only support legacy 32 bit version on macOS) And also UI is very confused:


I guess PhotoLine have all required sources for this effect (Distort, 3D lighting, nondestructive editing), so maybe it is possible somehow in future to improve or redesign Page Curl effect to make final result look more friendly? Like this:

[Gerhard Huber]

Request/Idea: Rounded Polygon vector shape tool to quickly create objects with rounded corners.
Currently it is only possible to create objects like these with applied outside outline with round joins, next use Vector->Vector Outline and next delete internal points. Not too convenient way to go.

you can create such forms with the Vector Star Tool

DreieckAbgerundet.png

[shijan]

Request/Idea: "Apply in Linear gamma" toggle in Scale/Rotate dialog.
Currently it is possible to process Scale/Rotate in Linear gamma, but only in non-automated way:
- Convert original sRGB image to sRGB color space with Linear gamma.
- Scale/Rotate
- Convert back to original sRGB color space with sRGB TRC.


Linear gamma is perfect for image downscaling. Some advantages described in 'Gamma error in picture scaling" http://www.ericbrasseur.org/gamma.html and many other similar articles.
Here are some tests with images taken from https://sourceforge.net/projects/testimages/files/

scaled from 1200x1200 to 300x300 with Bicubic in Linear gamma:


scaled from 1200x1200 to 300x300 with Bicubic in sRGB gamma:

[shijan]

Request/Idea: Convert with Color Profile tool specially for Color Swatches samples.
This little menu tool will help to preserve the appearance of saved color swatches samples when image converted from one ICC profile to another.

Here is step by step concept:

- Right click on color in Color Editor or multiple selected color samples in Color List.
- Click on menu item "Convert with Color Profile"
- "Convert with Color Profile" pop-up window appears.
- Select ICC profile "From"
- Select ICC profile "To"
- Click OK

- Color coordinates now changed, but visual appearance of the color sample remains the same.

Example sketch:


Another possible useful idea: Option to quick convert multiple selected colors in Palettes to different color models RGB/Lab/CMYK/Gray/HSV. Example sketch:

[shijan]

Request for Squircle (also named as Superellipse) vector shape tool. Guess this could be an optional "Superellipse" slider (or checkbox?) in current Rounded Rectangle tool.
This sort of shape used in iOS icons. Also may be useful when need to draw something like vintage CRT TV screen shape. Some info and formula here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Superellipse
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Squircle
https://sheepairsupport.com/blogx/the-h ... format=amp
Online generator http://da.procato.com/superellipse/

[shijan]

Request/Idea for new type of gradient that can follow vector object path and look the same as Layer Style Shadow Outside/Inside. Formally it could be named as "Vector Shadow Inside/Outside"
Here is explanation of pros and cons of current existing tools:

[Hoogo]

You can make something similar by morphing 2 copies of that vector of different size.

Vector morph.png

[shijan]

You can make something similar by morphing 2 copies of that vector of different size.

Nice idea, but this is not a quick and easy way to go. Also it is impossible to control morph gradient falloff.
If there is some sort of vector shadow exists in PDF/SVG specification, then why don't add it in PhotoLine?

[Hoogo]

...And another suggestion:

"Layout > vector > cut" works fine.
But I have troubles to select the layers in correct order, I do it wrong more or less all the time.

What if this tool would create 3 layers instead of 2? 2 AND and the remains of both layers?
Imho that would make the other tools except union obsolete.

[borgo1971]

I would like to reiterate the request for the functionality that I would most like to have in PhotoLine: the ability to embed PDF files without breaking them down or converting them with ghostscript. Eventually there may be a function to explode these files later, but very often it would be useful for me to treat them as a single layer, with the possibility of scaling it and using all the effects that can be used for bitmap layers.

[shijan]

I just noticed announcement of new Fujifilm photo camera that can save images to HEIC/HEIF format with 10 bit depth:
"Support for HEIF image format
The HEIF image format delivers 10-bit image quality in files up to 30% smaller than standard JPEG files, continuing to expand Fujifilm’s reputation of deliverying high-quality images straight out of camera."

Similar explanations we can see for SONY cameras:
"Characteristics of HEIF format
When the camera records images in the HEIF format, they have the same image quality as JPEG images, but require a smaller file sizes since the HEIF compression efficiency is about twice higher than that of JPEG. As a result, the camera can save and transmit data very efficiently.
The HEIF format enables recording images with a rich 10-bit color depth gradation expression and is effective for reproducing gradations of the sky where the tones tend to change smoothly."

So i checked some random HEIC/HEIF online examples and they all opened as 8 bit in PhotoLine. Also in PhotoLine i try to export 16 bit document to HEIC format and open it in PhotoLine again. And it also was opened as 8 bit only.

So here is a small request:
Option to import HEIC format as real 10 or 12 bit (up-converted to 16 bit)
Option to export HEIC format as 8 or 10 or 12 bit

P.S. Seems imagemagick had same limitation in past but they fix the problem in 2020:
"The latest imagemagick release fixes the bug so these files are now correctly identified as 10 or 12 bit as appropriate."

UPDATE: Some explanation from Developers about macOS and about possible usage of libheif https://github.com/strukturag/libheif
"On macOS, we are using the Apple libraries for importing HEIC and these libraries deliver only 8 bit with 10 bit images. I have already filed a bug report with a sample project about half a year ago, but I wouldn't hold my breath for a fix. If they fix it, it will probably only be in macOS 13."

"HEIC has patent issues, and we are not open source, so we additionally have license issues and are not allowed to use libheif for export and only with restrictions for import.
For us using the Apple libraries is the only reasonable way of supporting HEIC.

Martin"

[shijan]

...

[shijan]

Raster Lasso Soft Edge problems and ideas:

1. Seems Lasso Soft Edge is 8 bit only, even if used on 16 bit image (Same problem as with Brushes).

2. If create solid color, create Lasso with Soft Edge, then Cut and Paste - soft edges in the hole and new layer will not match. (Not sure if this is a real bug because in other apps they don't match as well, but in each app in some different way):


3. If create large sized Soft Edge around perfect circle - it start to look distorted and very far from perfect circle. Larger soft edge - more distortion. In other apps same soft edge looks more accurate and better preserved to the source image shape.

4. There is no safe limit for Soft Edge. Large sized edges on small sized lassos can overlap in strange way and produce strange looking blended soft edges. It need some sort of protection message like in Photoshop "Warning: No pixels are more than 50% selected. The selection edges will not be visible." Or simply don't allow to create Lasso smaller than Soft Edge (like in Affinity)


5. It would be nice to have some sort of curve editor for Lasso Soft Edge that will allow to control falloff shape. (similar to curve editor that allow to control hardness in Brushes)

6. "Show Mask" overlay works well, but It would be nice also have Soft Edge preview line overlay (similar to hardness preview in Brush circle).