Rationalizing and Simplifying the UI/UX of PL in 2025: A proposal

[Vivi_Ram]

Great! Thanks.

You can basically set up multiple fills for the same vector shape. You can have, say, a pattern fill first, then a gradient on top, and now you can set certain stops to be transparent to reveal the pattern below.

By the looks of your screenshot, I reckon it's possible in pl already.

Mirror duplicate is an interesting one. Probably possible through scripts?

Also, finally, going back and working the old freehand select tool, I realised how fun it is to duplicate objects using Alt key. I'll show this later, too.

Finally, smudging is the opposite of morphing or blending. You start with one shape only and from that extrapolate shapes. In any direction.

[shijan]

There is no special Mirror option in PhotoLine. But it is possible just create Virtual copy of a layer and flip it.
smudging, interesting... by the way, in PhotoLine it is possible to morph multiple objects one to another and to another... not too fast and easy because first you need to morph 2 objects, than another 2, and so on pair by pair...

multi morph.jpg

[shijan]

Great! Thanks.

You can basically set up multiple fills for the same vector shape. You can have, say, a pattern fill first, then a gradient on top, and now you can set certain stops to be transparent to reveal the pattern below.

By the looks of your screenshot, I reckon it's possible in pl already.

sort of possible to add multiple fills too, but no blending options. Only opacity could be changed in color editor.

Also, finally, going back and working the old freehand select tool, I realised how fun it is to duplicate objects using Alt key. I'll show this later, too.

In PhotoLine use Ctrl+Shift+mouse drag to duplicate. Alt key reserved for snapping.

[Vivi_Ram]

That's not it. By duplicate I mean, node editing duplicate. For instance, you create many variations of a single vector shape without altering the original whole holding alt and editing nodes.

Say you you have square. Hold alt down and edit node, the resulting shape will be a duplicate. The original square will remain same.

As I said before, compared to freehand, even very modern programs have only primitive pen and select tools

Morphing is extremely janky and limited in PL. Xara has the single best blend tool I've seen and used. Allowing you to even change the profile of blend. That is, deciding how the steps of the blended objects should be arranged. You can control this through a curve. This, for 30 year old tool, is quite brilliant. Even illustrator doesn't have it.

Illustrator however allows blending symbols. That's also quite brilliant. Even the steps of the morph are symbols

[Vivi_Ram]

Note to self: Find and replace for vector objects based on un-named stroke and fill colours.

[Vivi_Ram]

Complex multi fills are already possible in PL. You can even control transparency between fills. What would be great to control is the blend mode. Imagine, how much cleaner the layers would be!!! @Martin & @Gerhard!

Complex Multi Fill .jpg

[Vivi_Ram]

There is no special Mirror option in PhotoLine. But it is possible just create Virtual copy of a layer and flip it.
smudging, interesting... by the way, in PhotoLine it is possible to morph multiple objects one to another and to another... not too fast and easy because first you need to morph 2 objects, than another 2, and so on pair by pair...
multi morph.jpg

Vector shapes which have filters or adjustments applied cannot be morphed with other vectors. This results in the adjustments being restricted to the masks of that first vector object. This is obviously not a bug but an inherent limitation in morphing. But! this is exactly why we need vector feathering. In the case of vector feathering and transparencies, they're treated as vector properties and all the steps inherit the properties too. This is useful for non-destructive, complex, and custom shadows. At the moment, PL does not have a transparency tool. PL can of course allow opacity in gradients. But transparencies provide you an extra layer of control for the same vector object. You can apply a gradient with solid fill stops (or combined with transparent stops) AND then apply a transparency on top to control how the gradient itself looks independently. A radial gradient can have a linear transparency or vice versa. And all of these are propogated in blend steps to help create extremely complex effects that are otherwise impossible to create in any other way.

If users wish to accomplish this however, there's a workaround. Use multi fill, and control transparency of the object through this. But this will only control the transparency of the fill part. Controlling the edges will be a lot harder without a dedicated transparency tool. Masking, as already discussed will not allow you to propogate the properties in the steps.

Just some thoughts.

[Vivi_Ram]

Recorded this video to explain why Bezigon tool is such an extraordinary option for vector curve creation. https://youtu.be/LMDO98vUhSI

[Vivi_Ram]

Another candidate for your consideration: Non-destructive boolean operation. It goes with the overall philosophy of PL and offers a lot great flexibility. And it's proven to work well already in other software.

[Vivi_Ram]

https://www.vgc.io/news

Yet another vector project to keep an eye on for innovative stuff. And the guy is a total mensch for releasing the code as open source.

[shijan]

Another candidate for your consideration: Non-destructive boolean operation. It goes with the overall philosophy of PL and offers a lot great flexibility. And it's proven to work well already in other software.

All Layout->Vector connection tools (except Cut) are already non-destructive. They create special Path Group and you can change vector blending mode of layers in that group anytime later.

Screen Shot 2025-02-12 at 5.01.48 PM.jpg

[Vivi_Ram]

Doh!!! Escaped my attention.

[Vivi_Ram]

Using lunacy for app design, noticed a feature that PL users might appreciate.

You drag the handles to resize the canvas, you get snapping points in the background for various sizes of paper and screen sizes. Instant. On screen. Supremely elegant... For resizing.

Here's how it can be improved. You allow custom size presets and make it available on screen in the same way.

[Vivi_Ram]

Vector shapes which have filters or adjustments applied cannot be morphed with other vectors. This results in the adjustments being restricted to the masks of that first vector object. This is obviously not a bug but an inherent limitation in morphing. But! this is exactly why we need vector feathering. In the case of vector feathering and transparencies, they're treated as vector properties and all the steps inherit the properties too. This is useful for non-destructive, complex, and custom shadows. At the moment, PL does not have a transparency tool. PL can of course allow opacity in gradients. But transparencies provide you an extra layer of control for the same vector object. You can apply a gradient with solid fill stops (or combined with transparent stops) AND then apply a transparency on top to control how the gradient itself looks independently. A radial gradient can have a linear transparency or vice versa. And all of these are propogated in blend steps to help create extremely complex effects that are otherwise impossible to create in any other way.

If users wish to accomplish this however, there's a workaround. Use multi fill, and control transparency of the object through this. But this will only control the transparency of the fill part. Controlling the edges will be a lot harder without a dedicated transparency tool. Masking, as already discussed will not allow you to propogate the properties in the steps.

Just some thoughts.

Discovered something insane while playing with clipping. I do not know if any other program has this level of insane morphing. Xara can perfectly morph between two objects one of which has a blend clipped inside it, and feathered. Not only is the morph fully editable, you can even change the steps of the blend within the first clipped shape without opening any groups, or touching layers. You can furthermore edit the feathering of any of the three objects. The two objects which are morphed at the outermost level, or the morph that is clipped within the first shape of the outer morph! NOW, THAT, MY FRIENDS, IS IMPRESSIVE!!!! Here's the x-ray view of what I mean.

Blend of a blend clipped inside a shape which is then feathered.jpg

In colour.jpg

If that above explanation confused you, here's the blow by blow.

First I took two circles, one yellow and one green. Morphed them with 50 steps. Then, I took a blue circle and clipped the morphed Green-Yellow circles into the blue circle. Then, I took a new yellow circle. Applied a feather to it. And created a 5-step morph between the two. Every step of the way, the result was right. Tell me that's not impressive.