Future Development

[Gracey]

Hi

I've been running the trial version of PhotoFiltre Studio for about 6 days now and am giving serious consideration to purchasing it. I am not a designer or illustrator, but a photographer and I have been looking for something that comes close to PS; that feels like PS; that has the functionality of PS, but is just slightly simpler, and PFS seems to fit those requirements.

I have been a PSP user (version 7) in the past (find their colour profiling a little off), and also for about a year Photoshop CS, so I have a lot of experience to use for comparison; I've also tried "Gimp", while it has some good functionality the user interface bugs me enough that I am not happy with it.

PhotoFiltre has most of the functionality I am looking for, is simple to use, and more than reasonably priced - with some further development it could give PS "a run for the money". The purchase information says that updates are free, which appeals to me also. I wonder about a large "update" or improvement (upgrade) to the program - I gather if that were a purchase item, I assume it would be equally affordable. I find that PS upgrades cost as much (or more) than many complete programs; I also have no use for "Illustrator" which it comes bundled with, thereby driving the cost up even further.

My current "nitpics" with PhotoFiltre are fairly minor - the cross hair style for some of the tools is difficult to work with (clone brush). The ability to choose your shape (cross hairs, circular, square etc) for all tools would be more precise I think. The blur tool has only a few selections for size, and one for shape (that teardrop shape is fairly uncomfortable for me) - what exactly (pixel wise) is "precise" and what is "extra large"? The ability to select the pixel size you require would be more helpful. I'd also like to see the ability to assign colour profiles - there is a function to select "rgb", but an actual profile function would be nice (I work mainly in sRGB).

I am not a big filter/plug-in user, but the ones I used frequently in PS work in PhotoFiltre (virtual photographer) and PF's "black and white conversion" plugin works rather well when you don't want to fiddle on your own.

I guess really, my question is this:

"While I can see from reading the forums (I don't speak french but I can understand a little of what is in the french forums, and of course have read the english one) whenever there has been a "bug" or problem discovered in PFS, it is fixed pretty quickly, and a set of updated files are posted. I would like to know if there are plans for further development of PFS to add functions that aren't currently there?"

Given the cost of PFS, these really are "nitpics" I guess - it costs less than a lot of things I have purchased, but I prefer really to ask questions before I purchase something (even something inexpensive) than to be "surprised" later...some surprises you like, but others you don't

One other thing...as a freelance photographer I would be using this in a professional capacity - I am assuming this would be acceptable with the license purchase?

Thanks
Gracey

ps: even though using the english forum, all the board instructions are in french - I am fairly seasoned on forum boards, but frequently refer to the bbcode pages - which are also in french here - any chance for an english translation for the bbcode page?

also babelfish...doesn't take into account syntax, grammar and lots of other translation idiosyncrasies...sometimes what you get is...well, 'babel'

[ricochet]

Welcome Gracey on PF forum

[Gracey]

Thanks very much - nice galleries. You've got some beautiful work there.

The tutorials look interesting - I translated them into english via google - mostly understandable.

Thanks.

[ricochet]

Thanks very much Gracey for your comments, i hope to see your pics soon

[Heis Spiter]

ps: even though using the english forum, all the board instructions are in french - I am fairly seasoned on forum boards, but frequently refer to the bbcode pages - which are also in french here - any chance for an english translation for the bbcode page?

Use English language in your profile.

[Tom]

My current "nitpics" with PhotoFiltre are fairly minor - the cross hair style for some of the tools is difficult to work with (clone brush). The ability to choose your shape (cross hairs, circular, square etc) for all tools would be more precise I think. The blur tool has only a few selections for size, and one for shape (that teardrop shape is fairly uncomfortable for me) - what exactly (pixel wise) is "precise" and what is "extra large"? The ability to select the pixel size you require would be more helpful. I'd also like to see the ability to assign colour profiles - there is a function to select "rgb", but an actual profile function would be nice (I work mainly in sRGB).

Welcome Gracey,
=> cross hairs more precise : the location of this tool is exactly of one pixel. What could you find more precise ?
The clone stamp brush works with blur edges, and you can however define his relative size.
But the real good way to be more precise is the scroll wheel which allows to quickly zoom the picture.
=> The ability to choose your shape (cross hairs, circular, square etc)
This can be done in the windows properties of your mouse.
=> The blur tool has only a few selections for size
Don't forget the undo button (or Ctrl+Z), so you can test a size, undo, and test another. This way is frequently better to chose the convenient size than a size in pixel especially with a blur edges tool (clone stamp, blur or smudge tool).
=> most generaly
You can also, for any filter processing, use the Fade function (Shift+Ctrl+Z) or menu Edit/Fade, to adjust effect in accordance with your own taste.

"While I can see from reading the forums (I don't speak french but I can understand a little of what is in the french forums, and of course have read the english one) whenever there has been a "bug" or problem discovered in PFS, it is fixed pretty quickly, and a set of updated files are posted. I would like to know if there are plans for further development of PFS to add functions that aren't currently there?"

Yes, as you had seen, frequent updates are published.
A future update in priming :
viewtopic.php?p=65620#65620

One other thing...as a freelance photographer I would be using this in a professional capacity - I am assuming this would be acceptable with the license purchase?

The license is available for any use.
With pleasure to read you soon.

[Gracey]

Thanks for getting me translated into the English - I don't know why, but it feels better.

Thanks for the reply to my long-winded post also, but the cross hairs are not precise (from my experience), I don't mean the actual pixel size, but the shape (the cross hairs) - I can't get into tiny corners as I can with a round brush (probably because I am so familiar with a round brush), even if I zoom in to 500% of the image size. PS has the option to use cross hairs also, rather than tool shapes, but I've found them very clumsy (the cross hairs) as opposed to a circle (in my hands anyway).

Are you saying I can change the cross-hairs to a circular brush in my mouse preferences in windows? Sorry, I am not following that. Can you elaborate a little?

The clone tool I find to have better blending than the clone tool in PS and the ability to select the size is how I'd like to see the other tools.

With respect to the blur tool:

Don't forget the undo button (or Ctrl+Z), so you can test a size, undo, and test another.

That is really a bit of a pain - it would be much easier to select a circle of 20 pixels if that's what I need than test the predetermined sizes. I understand that for the moment it is the way it is, but the blur tool is one I use frequently (great for reducing noise in backgrounds) and really find it cumbersome to have to do that.

=> most generaly
You can also, for any filter processing, use the Fade function (Shift+Ctrl+Z) or menu Edit/Fade, to adjust effect in accordance with your own taste.

Yes, thanks I use that frequently too.

To be honest, going from PSCS to PhotoFiltre was made simpler by the fact tht PF has a very similar user interface, and many similar functions - the "fade" function was exactly where I looked for it first time

Thanks for showing me the next "update" for PFS - though it looks more like something an illustrator would use than anything I would have a use for.

I simply need to edit my clients photos quickly and professionally, so things that are more photo related rather graphic related would be nice for me, but I think that every update that is made will increase it's value to users in general.

Okay...now I'm off to buy my license key

[Tom]

Hi Gracey

I can't get into tiny corners as I can with a round brush

I don't know why, because i can get any corner.
You can zoom till 1600 % and then the pixel is bigger your cross-hair. (the size of the cursor is constant)

Are you saying I can change the cross-hairs to a circular brush in my mouse preferences in windows? Sorry, I am not following that. Can you elaborate a little?

When you open your mouse settings, in Windows, a tab is named Pointers or Cursors. There you can define some models of cursors set, or you can also define a precise cursor for a particular event.
You have just to find on the web your favorite cursor, and save it in Windows/Cursors folder, and then select it in the mouse settings.
I havn't search any one but it would be probable that a free soft does exist to create his own cursor.
Perhaps could you find in the inner folders of PS a cursor "cur extension file" as you wish and paste it in the Windows folder ?
You can try with this ico file (it is a little arrow, on the left top corner of the web page) :
http://jptom.free.fr/Images/arrow7b.ico

That is really a bit of a pain - it would be much easier to select a circle of 20 pixels

Yes i understand your preference, but i think in a few weeks, with a longer experience, you don't mind any more and will become more familiar with it.

I simply need to edit my clients photos quickly and professionally

I think rather like you, because my wife is a quite hard to please client in photo-editing. But i'm not a professionnal.

but I think that every update that is made will increase it's value to users in general.

Yes it's exactly the mind of Antonio (the genius creative of PFS, and a nice guy) and he has not for first intention that PFS would be a professionnal tool, but however a quite good.

[Gracey]

When you open your mouse settings, in Windows, a tab is named Pointers or Cursors. There you can define some models of cursors set, or you can also define a precise cursor for a particular event.
You have just to find on the web your favorite cursor, and save it in Windows/Cursors folder, and then select it in the mouse settings.
I havn't search any one but it would be probable that a free soft does exist to create his own cursor.
Perhaps could you find in the inner folders of PS a cursor "cur extension file" as you wish and paste it in the Windows folder ?

I'll give it a try - I'm not very good with that kind of thing Thanks for taking the time to explain how.

I ordered my license this morning...I thought it would take 3 days, but it has already arrived - so now I'm "legal"

You can zoom till 1600 % and then the pixel is bigger your cross-hair. (the size of the cursor is constant)

At 1600% I wouldn't even be able to tell what I was looking at, but the constant curser size is very helpful - that's an advantage over PS - the "circle" size of the brush or tool increases with the zoom in PS.

and he has not for first intention that PFS would be a professionnal tool, but however a quite good.

Well, you might tell him then that he should consider developing it into a professional tool - I have used a number of them and with a little more work, PFS could certainly be a professional tool.

I can't speak for anyone else, but I'd have been willing to pay a little more for it if it had some added functions. Partly because I like to support projects like this, and partly because Adobe products insert a lot of hidden junk into your images, and their blasted licensing/activation causes problems if you have to do more than a couple of reinstalls. People are getting annoyed about that.

Thanks for all your help.