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Last post Author Topic: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)  (Read 87649 times)

tomos

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #100 on: September 28, 2010, 03:59 AM »
Rob, if I may veer towards what I think Sagelight needs from a practical - I mean UI - point of view. You may well have these covered already!
I think these (especially the user shortcuts) would need to be implemented before any major price hike

  • User shortcuts
  • This is more a 'would be nice' request:- the ability to show a folder of images (as thumbnails) within Sagelight, OR, the ability to open files via drag drop from file manager. One can then have Sagelight & File manager windows showing to keep track of files & different versions & open files easily. This is more for when Sagelight is NOT the default image editor. (BTW I notice that 'fit to screen' doesnt work when SL is not a full-screen window.)

FWIW I may just fit into the cheaper version target (not sure till I see versions) - but I dont use RAW. I'd still consider the above to be very important in terms of using the programme - as opposed to just trying it out on one image to see what it does.
Tom

Rob Nelson

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #101 on: September 30, 2010, 07:11 PM »
Rob, if I may veer towards what I think Sagelight needs from a practical - I mean UI - point of view. You may well have these covered already!
I think these (especially the user shortcuts) would need to be implemented before any major price hike

•User shortcuts
•This is more a 'would be nice' request:- the ability to show a folder of images (as thumbnails) within Sagelight, OR, the ability to open files via drag drop from file manager. One can then have Sagelight & File manager windows showing to keep track of files & different versions & open files easily. This is more for when Sagelight is NOT the default image editor. (BTW I notice that 'fit to screen' doesnt work when SL is not a full-screen window.)

FWIW I may just fit into the cheaper version target (not sure till I see versions) - but I dont use RAW. I'd still consider the above to be very important in terms of using the programme - as opposed to just trying it out on one image to see what it does.

Thank for the suggestions.  I agree with both ideas, but I do want to mention (especially since you don't use RAW) that there is a browser that comes up when you open a file that will show all of the thumbnails.  It's the standard Windows browswer, which I generally like, but I am not happy that Windows 7 (as far as I know) did not include independent global/thumbnail callback support (just when you click on the image).

But, having said that, I have already planned a browser that fits into the spectrum of how Sagelight wants to define itself.  As I split the software this become much more necessary, especially since I want to introduce a more rapid approach where you can make a certain level of changes (i.e. anything in the Quick Edit mode and the upcoming Kayak Mode which is quite extensive) as you scan through images.  Kind of like Lightroom (et. al), but as an side-functional 'stage' or sub-function, where you can then come out and do the more aggresive things like cloning, Dodge and Burn, Masking, Undo Brush, etc. that can't as easily be saved as profiles that you can click back-and-forth between.


In terms of price...

A lot of this is the topic of the next message, so I'll put a lot of the context in there, if that's ok.

But, I just want to say that price has been the number one issue for me.  I want to keep it low, but I just can't do it.  I've been told by everyone I've showed it to in the industry that the price is currently too low.  The real answer is to split the product, and that's what I am in the process of doing.

The issue, though, is the technology issue.  For example, this page (http://www.sagelighteditor.com/vibrance.html) discusses just one of the things that's coming with version 4.  Since it's an advance on the vibrance technology (i.e. in Lightroom), and Lightroom retails for $299, charging $39.95 for something that already has things Lightroom doesn't has been causing problems. 

I mentioned in another note that my thought was that I wanted to charge as little as possible, thinking that it would lead to more sales, and it turns out to be the opposite.  I've done a large amount amount of research on this in the last year, and it turns out that as you charge lower for a product that people look at it differently and look for different things (or not at all, depending).

I guess my thought is that Sagelight definitely needs some things -- even some basic things -- that aren't currently there, but there's also a lot of high-end things that are definitely competitive, as well as many things that are powerful and specific to Sagelight.   That's why I have the lifetime version going right now.  Some way to keep it low into the future for those who have it or buy it, at least before 4.0 is released in a few weeks.

As soon as 4.0 is released, though, I am focusing solely on those basic things (like addressing more user-based components like better saving options and more preference abilities, etc.).

Rob
 


 



Rob Nelson

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #102 on: September 30, 2010, 07:41 PM »
Hi, Dormouse.

Working out the correct pricing strategy for a product is extremely complex with many factors involved. My example above was just to illustrate that, at this stage in Sagelight development, the optimal strategy will be the one which maximises the sales and reputation. Being seen as cheap does not work because people will just think the product has little value; a higher price means that some people may evaluate and choose it. One off sales may or may not work, depending (for your long-term purpose) on whether those sales are to your target demographic.

Yes, I agree.  Pricing has been very difficult, and the real issue is that -- at least for my quest to get some of the higher-end functions recognized -- the price has been too low.  I mentioned in the last note that I showed it to some people in the industry. These were people in the right area of the business with a good knowledge of the market, and I heard the same thing from them: the price is too low.

Well, I think that's shame, but I have spent the last year deciding what to do about it.  I think you hit it on the head when you mentioned splitting it into two versions.

My perception of your real target demographic (from Sagelight's features, the forum and most of the blog) is that it is to technically competent people with a real interest in photography and who spend a reasonable amount of time and money on it (there aren't too many other people that interested in RAW yet)

It turns out that Sagelight appeals to two specific groups, which is really what I wanted to do.  I just didn't realize I was putting two editors into one product which would cause conflict issues.  Sagelight appeals to beginners, but also to hobbyists.  I have found out over the last year or so (since Sagelight has been a real bonafide venture; when it was Lightbox, that was just the initial entry) that I've been straddling a fence.  Anytime I'd do something to make it easier, it wouldn't necessarily be appreciated by a hobbyists, and vice-versa.  It's kind of weird.  If I look at it, I can see that I've been writing the software trying to keep more beginners in mind, but all of the blogs have been about using it from a technological perspective.  For example, masking typically doesn't interest a beginner, but I use it all the time in my examples.

I see a lot more people interested in RAW.  I think it's growing.  Though, the differences between the images with my little canon powershot with CHDK vs. the JPEG were so clear, I thought I'd get more of a response from the article I wrote about using CHDK.  Oh, well!


This group is quite demanding and will tend to ignore products that seem too cheap or too simplistic

Yes, exactly.  And I think I've been writing Sagelight around that group.  I mean, I've been putting the power into it, for sure, but I think I've been making it less elegant for non-beginners in the process.  I've been taking care of that, and version 4.0 is definitely geared for hobbyist-level functionality.

my suggestion would be to plan 2 versions - one for DSLR & the other for P&

Yes, I'm very glad you mentioned that.  That is the current plan.  The current plan is to have a simpler version that stays in the same range (perhaps a little less), and this new version that has a lot of high-end functionality.  I've not really been able to push on the options as much as I want because of the issues discussed above, and this version allows me to just go for it in terms of offering and enabling some more advanced things, like various Color Space modes, etc.

I assume many fewer features than PS (currently there's very little of the creative/drawing/compositional features: SE is very much a photographers' tool) - which reduces price - but is a very specialist tool - which conversely increases price (basically because the potential number of sales will be much smaller).

That's been an issue in terms of how to price it, for sure.  At first, with Lightbox (and perhaps the very first initial version of Sagelight), I felt that there were some elements missing that I needed to fix.  But, Sagelight is getting more mature.   Since it's just programmed by one guy at the moment, of course there are going to be things that aren't in there that would be nice.  For example, had I had the time, I'd have an Exif editor in there, which I currently don't, as it's lower priority than, say, the High Pass functionality I just put in -- though, as I mentioned, once 4.0 is released, those smaller items will be the priority.

There are definitely many things Sagelight doesn't that a product like Lightbox has... But, on the other hand, Sagelight has some quantitatively and qualitiatively higher functionality than Photoshop and Lightroom, too.  Though I don't have the Lasso Tool (on purpose), for the purposes of enhancing pictures, the masking is far more extensive.   The autobalancing, as far as my results show, is much more accurate overall.  And then there is just the general congolomerate.

This new version will feature not only the advanced on the vibrance technology, but also a much more aggressive and extensive layer-based system with the same basic controls as Lightroom (i.e. Local Contrast (i.e. clarity), Vibrance, Blacks, Saturation (which is also an advanced on the technology), High Pass filter, as well as a host of other functional modes.  But, instead of one slider to control it, you can see and control the shape of the mask for each element, as well as be very specific with how the algorithm is doing it's job.  For example, with the Local Contrast feature (aka clarity) you'll be able to control how Sagelight is determining the edges, as well as control the radius and steepeness of the local contrast curve.

I was going for $79.95 because I thought Lightroom was $100+.  But someone recently corrected me and told me it retails for $299.  I would like to keep it low, but I just honestly don't know when those anti-competetive issues we've discussed take over! (I'm not considerig anything close to $299, though.. ha.)

Given that you want to drive numbers, I would suggest that SE's price spends much (not necessarily most) of the time at the low end of that range

That's true.  I've done that on purpose, and so far I think it works against itself.  I mean, I'm happy to do it, but when it turns into a bad sales decision.....

quite a few ways of doing this that don't look like sales such as offering signed-up beta testers a very substantial discount

I'm glad you said that.  I am thinking about that with the initial release of version 4.0.  It will need to be beta-tested, and it might be a good way to get a feel for what the price should be as I get feedback?

The absolute target for now should be increasing reputation and sales to people who will contribute to the buzz around the product rather than the short-term absolute amount of $

I think that's why I'm late on version 4.0 (other issues that happened aside), because I have develop a lot of new technology, and I want to make sure it gets in there in the best way possible.  For example, I really wasn't planning to put in the idea of doing user/mouse-drawn curves (since I have the sliders and they can be much more accurate), but this has now become such a tool for controlling the results of many elements (for example, edge masking, etc.), that it is now an integral part of the software that I can just call up as an object to control whatever can be controlled.  But, the other side is doing in a way where it's available, useful, but not so obtrusive that it just makes things look very complicated from the start.

One of the main things I've learned over the last few months is about compartmentalization -- the idea of making things as easy as possible with just one slider and a bunch of defaults, but then making a way to change and control those parameters: if you want to.

Unfortunately, that will require an active forum & blog & relevant contributions on photog sites (at least until there are enough users doing that).

I'm glad you mentioned that, too.  I will be writing a ton of articles once I release 4.0.  But, I will also be back heavily on Sagelight's discussion board (I will turn it on a day or so) and the blog.  I wanted to wait until I have 4.0 released, but I think it's better to do it now.  Otherwise, I'd be too overwhelmed once I did release it. ha.

Thanks again for all of the thoughts and advice.  I am getting more confident about what's working and what isn't working.

Rob
« Last Edit: October 01, 2010, 09:12 AM by Rob Nelson »

Lutz_

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #103 on: October 01, 2010, 12:25 AM »
Rob, I just wanted to mention perhaps you could use some more  simplified nomenclature - e.g. currently there are the "quick edit mode" and "pro quick edit mode"?  Is there also a "pro slow edit mode"?

Rob Nelson

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #104 on: October 01, 2010, 10:18 AM »
Rob, I just wanted to mention perhaps you could use some more  simplified nomenclature - e.g. currently there are the "quick edit mode" and "pro quick edit mode"?  Is there also a "pro slow edit mode"?

ha... What kind of names (besides "pro slow edit mode", which I like) do you have in mind?

The Pro Quick Edit mode was supposed to suggest that the approach used was more advanced, like using more white-balance-based controls rather than curves, and using different formulas for the curves and that sort of thing.

The Pro Quick Edit mode in the new version is the basis for the split in basic vs. advanced areas, and is now called the Kayak mode (since the new product when it is released will be called Kayak).  So that hopefully will separate the two ideas and make the idea of a "Quick Edit Mode" more relevant.

Actually, I am interested in finding another name for the Quick Edit Mode, if you (or anyone else) has any ideas?

Rob


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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #105 on: October 01, 2010, 10:29 AM »
Rob,

It may be less confusing to name all modes something like "Basic" and "Advanced", with basic using mostly default, common settings and Advanced being much more user-configurable. For non-experienced users Basic would be desireable, while users with more experience would most likely have a lot of detailed settings they want to change from Basic.

Just a thought.

Thank you.

Jim

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #106 on: October 01, 2010, 05:47 PM »
Hi Rob,
I would suggest to keep the nomenclature as short and distinct as possible. As Jim suggested, Basic and Advanced modes are just fine but perhaps a bit boring. I do not have a good idea of your planned UI design but I cannot associate anything meaningful with "Kayak mode" although the name is certainly attractive.  Reducing the current nomenclature to Quick mode and Pro mode would at least spare the users one or two redundant words each time. But are these two modes the only ones or are there any others?
« Last Edit: October 01, 2010, 07:35 PM by Lutz_ »

cmpm

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #107 on: October 02, 2010, 02:13 AM »
Instead of two different modes, I was thinking two different menu choices.
Basic and Advanced, or Quick and Detailed, depending on your thoughts of how to satisfy two groups of users.
The main idea is just to change the menu layout and not having two programs.
Just one program with simple and advanced menus.

Dormouse

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #108 on: October 02, 2010, 02:40 AM »
For 2 different modes, you could also consider Auto Vs Manual (photogs, at least, have a clear idea of this difference).

I would also suggest that, if you want to aim at two different demographics, you do have two somewhat different programs. Extra features will be needed in the complex one (eg emphasis on raw), but possibly also the UI, given the different levels of expertise and interest and features wanted. This is one area that I think Adobe do quite well with PS & PSE (and even + LR as a different prog that uses some of the same technology). It means that each target gets the product they need focused on their needs without one of them being an afterthought.

Curt

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #109 on: December 06, 2010, 02:06 PM »
Special Sale!

Get a lifetime version of Sagelight for just $39.95 (limited time)
Buy Sagelight Image editor now for $39.95 and get a lifetime license with free upgrades.

2010-12-06_210626.gif


Why the Sale?

What better way to introduce you to the power of Sagelight? Sagelight is getting compared to editors like Lightroom, et. al., more and more these days... There will be a pre-4.0 release very soon, and the price will raise to $79.95 upon the initial 4.0 release.  
-Sagelight homepage

His blog was last updated November 14, 2010, so something is going on. Other than that it is difficult for me to see if Sagelight 4 is going to become a reality any time soon, or never. Should I take the lifetime offer?
 :tellme:

Edited: I already have the 3.1 Gizmo version.

http://sagelighteditor.wordpress.com/
http://www.sagelighteditor.com/
« Last Edit: December 06, 2010, 02:16 PM by Curt »

tomos

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #110 on: December 06, 2010, 02:23 PM »
Other than that it is difficult for me to see if Sagelight 4 is going to become a reality any time soon, or never. Should I take the lifetime offer?

but was there a concrete (pre-release) lifetime offer ?
Tom

Darwin

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #111 on: December 06, 2010, 02:28 PM »
Other than that it is difficult for me to see if Sagelight 4 is going to become a reality any time soon, or never. Should I take the lifetime offer?

but was there a concrete (pre-release) lifetime offer ?

Yes - see here (info is on the right hand pane of the page)

tomos

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #112 on: December 06, 2010, 03:02 PM »
Thanks Mike,
I might chance it seeing as I paid a bit for the Gizmo one and only have to pay the balance
(sent him a mail to confirm)
Tom

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #113 on: December 06, 2010, 03:05 PM »
If you are concerned that v4 might never see the light of day, you could always wait for the pre=release to come out. The implication seems to be that the new pricing will only come with the actual release. OTOH, the lifetime offer could go any time.

Curt

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #114 on: December 06, 2010, 03:20 PM »
The implication seems to be that the new pricing will only come with the actual release. OTOH, the lifetime offer could go any time.


-that was precisely my concern; the lifetime offer gone when pre-4 is launched - that is, before we know for sure 4 actually will come.

Rob Nelson

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #115 on: December 06, 2010, 04:30 PM »
Hi, Everyone.

I thought I'd let you know where everything is at with Sagelight.

  • 1. Sagelight Version 4.0 is very much alive.  It has been delayed by some factors, not all of which I can go into, but I can go into one:
  • 2. Because it's been delayed for various reasons, I was able to keep up with development.  I have developed a very large volume of code and technology.  The technology has been along two lines: powerful functions and making them easy to use, but also a lot of core image processing math -- I've developed a lot of new technology designed to keep images more pure but also to make things more intuitive and easy to use.
  • 3. I am just a few short days away from the pre-release I've been mentioning, and will hopefully have a beta of it out in two days.
  • 4. One of the delays has been that the new technology is extensive and fairly complicated.  Writing it in SSE2 code and SSE4 code has been quite a task (actually, I'm surprised at the increase in speed you can get out of SSE4 vs. SSE2).  Since Sagelight supports non-SSE4 computers, it means having two routines for each function that uses SSE.
  • 5. Much of the UI has been revamped, particularly in what used to be called the "Pro Quick Edit Mode" in order to make it the default mode.  I've added a layered system with Local Contrast, Soft Light, Hard Light, Smart Contrast, Saturation, Curves, etc., all with controllable mask layers.
  • 6. Once I get this pre-release out, then I will be updating into Version 4.0 fairly constantly.  The main issue about not having a release for a while is that I revamped the engine and internal UI, so it took awhile to put it all back together.   That clearly wasn't the best plan -- so, now that it is all-but put back together, future releases will be far more discreet so I can keep updates on a much more regular schedule.
  • I am 99.5% done with this pre-release, and I don't think it will be more than 2-3 days before I have it out.

About the lifetime version sale.

I've been doing that for a couple reasons.  One, I have been delayed on getting version 4.0 out, so it's my way of saying thanks for waiting.    But, also, I really don't like the idea of raising the price. I think it's necessary because I think it's been proven to me that to keep it cheaper causes higher-end features to not get looked at.  I saw this first-hand with the original version Lightbox.  So, I am very happy to give out the lifetime licenses for $39.95 for the time-being until I get to a certain point with getting version 4 out. I appreciate the support, and I do believe it will be well-worth it in just a little while when I get out a few planned updates.

I will be ending the lifetime promotion and the current price at some point in the near future, which is a little undefined.  But, here is the basic schedule, and I won't change the pricing until at least pre-release #2, and then will figure out how to work it out incrementally after that.

1. pre-release #1.  Has a revamped UI in the "Pro Quick Edit Mode", Power Curves, Vibrance, Vibrance Curves, user-loaded/saved profiles, 3 new saturation algorithms designed specifically for color reproduction, a number of other technology items like Highlight Preservation.  Direct C*I*E LAB and HSL color space modes, as well as XYZ, Yxy, HSB, HunterLab, YCrCb, and other modes via the Power Curves.  Re-designed masking and resizable mask display windows.  Overflow display (for lost black points & white points), a number of general items like more Photo Filter algorithms designed for perceptual-based color, Separate Channel Display (in RGB, C*I*E LAB, and HSL color space modes).  A number of other things.

2. pre-release #2.  This adds some things I couldn't get in this first pre-release, and should come 2-3 weeks after pre-release #1.  Notably, this adds Edge Sharpening in the L channel, with a user-defined/shaped mask for the edges.  A multi-processor version of CLAHE, a derivative of which also turns out to be quite amazing for local contrast, high-pass blending functions (for CLAHE, but also general masking, which has some very interesting qualities), more blending modes (difference, high-pass, soft-light, etc.), various UI updates (based on requests), downloadable tutorial templates/profiles, and a RAW control-panel with demoasic selections, as well as an algorithm to detect highlight overflows for RAW files (that will suggest you reload it with Highlight reduction on where it will  help)

3. 4.0 Release.  This is the official release of version 4.0.  This major component in this release is the layer system that will replace the UI in the Pro Quick Edit Mode (called the Kayak Mode now) that will become the default, or at least switchable with the Quick Edit Mode.  This will work a little like Lightroom in some sense (as a context), where you have controls like the Local Contrast Slider, Vibrance, Saturation, Soft Light, Smart Contrast, etc., but will be plug-n-play where you can add and remove layers (for example, it is very convenient to have two local contrast layers, one with a higher radius, one with smaller one, etc.) as well as adjust the mask and curve-mask (where it exists) for each layer, and change the order of most layers.

After that, I have a number of items I will steadily add to it since I have the engine back together in its new format.  It's always been layer-based, but this makes it much more powerful!

Anyway, I'll have the pre-release out in just a couple days now, and I will put up a video later with a demo of what I'm working on.  I think I have just one example up right now at www.sagelighteditor.com/newsagelight1.html (as well as the one pointed to at http://www.sagelight....com/discussion.html).   I'll put the discussion board back up when I get this pre-release out.

Well, I hope that helps!  I've been working very hard on version 4.0, and your support has been very appreciated.

Rob
« Last Edit: December 06, 2010, 04:33 PM by Rob Nelson »

Curt

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Sagelight license key?
« Reply #116 on: December 06, 2010, 06:15 PM »
Thanks for assuring us of version 4, Rob.

Kind regards from newly Sagelight lifetime license owner, Curt  ;)

Edited:
Extra glad to see the low price even included VAT.
« Last Edit: December 07, 2010, 09:38 AM by Curt »

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #117 on: December 06, 2010, 06:22 PM »
Any hint as to how long the 39.99 lifetime sale will last?  I want to buy a copy, but I would like to put it off as long as possible.

C

Curt

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #118 on: December 06, 2010, 06:30 PM »
-based on Rob's sections 1 and 2 (pre-release #1 and #2 schedules), I think it is safe to expect the price won't change before next pay-day / new-year. But it is of course not for me to promise ;-)

cranioscopical

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #119 on: December 06, 2010, 07:06 PM »
@Rob Nelson

Thanks for posting about this, Rob.
Looking forward to see what you've been doing with Sagelight!

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #120 on: December 06, 2010, 09:49 PM »
I too, paid for a lifetime license, and since I had an earlier version, Rob kindly refunded me half the price.

But the key still hasn't arrived after 8 days.  I wonder if the automated key mailer is working properly.

Hope I get it soon!

Rob Nelson

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #121 on: December 06, 2010, 10:24 PM »
Hi all.

Thanks for the responses.  

With the price -- yes, it's not going to change tomorrow.  I'm wanting to get this pre-release out and then start work immediately on the next one to supplement it, and then work on the price.  So, it wouldn't be for at at least 2-3 weeks before I'd think about it.

I'm really getting excited to get this release out, so I am working pretty hard on it right now so I can get the new set of developments moving and write about them on the blog and post some videos.  

In fact, that was a topic I was thinking about posting on here:  I am sure this is an issue with a lot of software, especially when you don't have the budget of someone like adobe, Corel, or whoever.  The thing is that a lot of the new features are really powerful, but as that happens (with any software), it becomes a task to keep it as simple as you'd like.  So, I'm thinking about doing quite a few short videos on various feature and putting them up on Youtube.  But, I am wondering what people think on the best way to describe how to use more advanced features in an easy way?  Videos, popup-up help, straight-out instructions?  For example, a lot of people don't really understand what the histogram does, but once that hurdle is crossed, it suddenly becomes a very useful feature!


Curt:  The e-mail server was down.  I took care of it.  Sorry for the delay
dcm:  I've sent the registration code out a number of times.  I just sent it again, and I sent you a personal e-mail the other day.  I think that maybe you aren't getting my e-mails?  I am getting yours, so if you didn't get the message I just sent again with the registration code, please send me an alternative e-mail, or even your phone number, as I do want to make sure it is taken care of.

Rob


« Last Edit: December 07, 2010, 12:28 AM by Rob Nelson »

J-Mac

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #122 on: December 06, 2010, 10:32 PM »
I purchased Sagelight in September - full-price; not the Gizmo promotion - but I cannot remember if it is a lifetime license. I had thought that it was but I can't find anything that says so now. Rob, were previous full-price licenses considered lifetime?

Thanks!

Jim

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #123 on: December 07, 2010, 12:18 AM »
I want to buy a copy, but I would like to put it off as long as possible
heh... this is how I operate, too.  Sometimes I miss out on stuff, though.

But, I manage to get by.

cyberdiva

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Re: Sagelight Image Editor - pay what you want promo (Apil 2010)
« Reply #124 on: December 07, 2010, 02:44 PM »
  So, I'm thinking about doing quite a few short videos on various feature and putting them up on Youtube.  But, I am wondering what people think on the best way to describe how to use more advanced features in an easy way?  Videos, popup-up help, straight-out instructions?  For example, a lot of people don't really understand what the histogram does, but once that hurdle is crossed, it suddenly becomes a very useful feature!
I think I'm the sort of person who would benefit a lot from what you're proposing.  However, I don't think there's a single format that would be best for all kinds of situations.  Sometimes, a video demonstrating what a particular effect is or how someone achieves that effect can be much more effective than written instructions, but at other times written instructions may cover some key points that are passed over too quickly (or just assumed) in a video.  For me, the key element is detail.  I was recently trying to use a piece of software to get a particular effect with graphics.  My attempts were all flawed.  I went to a video that the company had prepared to illustrate how to achieve this effect, but though it showed someone successfully creating what I wanted, it somehow glossed over some of the key steps and was thus of no use to me.  I finally wrote to tech support, and their response spelled out the steps that had not been mentioned anywhere else.  That's what I needed.   So whether it's a video or written instructions, I think the more detailed it is, the better.  (For that reason, I wouldn't think pop-up help would be all that useful.  If it was sufficiently detailed it might turn out to be annoying, popping up every few seconds with another piece of advice.)