PhotoFiltre - excellent raster graphics editing tool

[tomos]

PS just tried Stardownloader - it won't work via Context Menu in FF 2 BUT if you install it and run the leecher as a standablone, you can enter the url and it works. I've just noticed that there is a filter that will allow you to define what you want and ignore other things like urls and site graphics. This may be a feature of the Pro version only though (a quick look at the website if uninformative)...

Anyway, I just successfully used Stardownloader Pro download them all (and filter out the graphcis, etc.).

Hope this helps...

-Darwin (May 24, 2007, 08:55 AM)

Thanks Mike,
that's a handy tip for lazy beggars like me 

I'm a bit embarrassed to be so lazy as to not want to go through them & pick out what I wanted,
but,
in fairness - just had another look - & most of them seem worthwhile 

[AbteriX]

Re the plugins page -
http://www.photofilt.../plugins.php?lang=en

does anyone know is there a way to download all 36 plugins at the same time
maybe some download manager or FF extension would do that ??

-tomos (May 24, 2007, 04:02 AM)

Hi Tom, in the last few years i always use DownThemAll, a FF extension, for such issues.


And now i remember i had an Extension to export
all links to an new Tab (to store the list)
but i can't remeber the name of it. 

[tomos]

Re the plugins page -
http://www.photofilt.../plugins.php?lang=en

does anyone know is there a way to download all 36 plugins at the same time
maybe some download manager or FF extension would do that ??

-tomos (May 24, 2007, 04:02 AM)

Hi Tom, in the last few years i always use DownThemAll, a FF extension, for such issues.

-AbteriX (May 24, 2007, 10:18 AM)

Thanks Abterix!

[tomos]

I'm embarrassed to say
- after getting all that help from Darwin and Abterix -

that
if you go to the bottom of the Photofiltre plugins page they have a
"PhotoFiltre Plugins Pack"

well,
it was helpful to learn about downloaders ... thanks guys!
I actually used the DownThemAll extension cause it was easier to install
....
& of course it downloaded the packaged plugins as well as all individual plugins   

EDIT: corrected link

[Darwin]

Dang! I was sure that there was such a plug-in/option but when I went looking for it after you posted about it, Tom, I couldn't see it either! I'm embarrassed as well... Anyway, I'm glad you found it.

[luc]

Inspired by your interesting review I gave PhotoFiltre a try and I agree with you on the very pleasant speed of this application and its ease of use.

However, it has been mentioned in several times in this thread that Photofiltre would be somehow equivalent to the likes of PaintShopPro.  I disagree here because several very important tools are still missing from PF Studio 9. For example white balance, tone curves and a denoising tool seem to be missing.  The tone adjustments are restricted to gamma and levels (under a misleading name) and "more shadows"  "more highlights" commands. The sharpening options are also very reduced (sharpen, sharpen more) with the reinforce tool (likely an USM version) producing not so impressive results.
Somehow there seem to be some masking options implemented but there seems to be no straightforward way to use them as masking layers.

My impression is that the best argument for photofiltre is indeed speed and user friendliness as long as one wants to restrict oneself to comparatively simple editing operations. A comparison with PaintShop Pro, Photoline 32 or PhotoImpact is still a bit far fetched.  It compares well with the free Paint.Net because of plugin support and speed, but Paint.net seems to develop faster.

[Darwin]

Thank you for the comments, Luc and welcome to Donationcoder! Take a look at the plug-ins for Photofiltre at http://www.photofilt.../plugins.php?lang=en. There are a couple of white balance tools listed (though I haven't tried them). You're right about Photofiltre not being directly comparable to PaintShop Pro and the like, but as far as I can tell, there are an awful lot of people using it, or even Paintshop, for basic editing tasks, so Photofiltre is a cost effective and less bloated alternative for users like them.

As for PaintShop Pro, I took a leap of faith and downloaded the trial for X2 and wound up paying for an upgrade. I am pleased to be able to report that it is MUCH quicker and less resource hungry than either X or XI were.

[Darwin]

Just to update the thread a bit, Photofiltre Studio X has been released, with the following enhancements/bug fixes (from http://www.photofilt...dio.com/evols-en.htm):

Version X / 10.0.0 (Avril 2009)

- Better compatibility with Vista
- Adding precision to 1/100 for the Gamma Correction function
- New function Save in > PngData
- Adding precision to 1/1000 for the selection ratio
- Improvement of the function Transparent gradient / layer menu (8 directions)
- New button in the layer navigator to select a layer
- Better compatibility when opening PNG images
- Adding the option Animate selection (menu Selection)
- New menu group to setting layer order (menu layer)
- Improvement of the functions Perspective correction and Horizon correction
- Bug fixing on internal clipboard
- Adding the option Hue for the layer adjustement type
- Possibility to modify the background opacity in RGBA mode
- By default the images are opened in 16M (GIF with transparency are forced in RGBA)
- Icons in 16M and big size for Vista (48x48)

FWIW I no longer use PhotoFiltre as I’m on Vista 64bit and have gone into minimalist mode WRT software installations. I *was* running PhotoFiltre 9.x under XP until a couple of months ago, but uninstalled it before passing the notebook onto my mother. I never had an problems with it!

[mrainey]

Is there any thorough English documentation available for the free version?

[PhilB66]

The freeware version Website has downloadable tutorials.

[Darwin]

Thanks for posting that link, PhilB66 

[mrainey]

Yes, thanks.

[fenixproductions]

Does free version still not support layers?

If yes I will stay with Paint.NET or Artweaver…

[Darwin]

AFAICR, no, the free version does not support layers. However, it's been a long time since I tested it and I am not sure what, if any, updates have been made to the free version. As you'll note, the Studio version has moved on considerably (at least WRT release numbering  ) since my review!