Image editing in PSU??

[Shutter Bug]

This may seem like an odd question since it isn't the purpose of this tool really but ... does anyone use the photo editor features of Photo Supreme? I'm currently doing an evaluation of the product and I was hoping to do some lightweight editing (red-eye, crop, basic adjustments) with it also but I can find no documentation about it.

I totally understand that is not the main function of the tool but sometimes it's nice for "quick snaps" kind of editing to just be able to stay within the tool. The two things I haven't been able to figure out in that realm are:

1) How to save the edits to a different filename? I can see how to save to a different folder, but not change the filename. My workflow is to just put a -e1 at the end of the filename when I have an edit but keep it in the same folder... but I don't see where to do that.

2) When using the auto adjust -- it doesn't seem to do anything ... or at least I can't figure out yet how to make it update the preview shown if it is doing something.

I'm sure it's pilot error on my part but any help ... or pointers to documentation of the edit features, would be appreciated.

[snowman1]

I use it - the vast majority of my edits are simple ones, typically just cropping and tweaks to exposure. PSU is ideal for these, plus it's great that the edits are virtual.

Yes auto-adjust does do something! You should be able to see the effect by clicking on each of the three sub-buttons to toggle them on and off. Of course depending on the individual image the effect may be small. I sometimes use it because it's so easy but it's a bit of a blunt tool and the other options give more control.

You can materialise the edits - either to the original file or to a separate file - using the save dialogue (the diskette symbol).
You can also materialise the edits to a file using the share dialogue, meaning that when you share your pics the recipient sees the "edited version" so to speak.
And you can also re-enter the Adjust panel at a later point and use the save dialogue to materialise the existing virtual edits as if you had just made them.

The adjustment tools may be a bit quirky, and could maybe do with a bit of polishing, but they're very useful indeed for a whole host of adjustments. Obviously people requiring advanced editing, layers and masks for instance, will need to use something like photoshop (or GIMP in my case as I can't justify the cost of photoshop!) but I find the PSU tools a great addition to PSU.

As always the "tips" tool can be very helpful if unsure what an option or button does ("help">"tips").

[Shutter Bug]

I use it - the vast majority of my edits are simple ones, typically just cropping and tweaks to exposure. PSU is ideal for these, plus it's great that the edits are virtual.

Yes auto-adjust does do something! You should be able to see the effect by clicking on each of the three sub-buttons to toggle them on and off. Of course depending on the individual image the effect may be small. I sometimes use it because it's so easy but it's a bit of a blunt tool and the other options give more control.

You can materialise the edits - either to the original file or to a separate file - using the save dialogue (the diskette symbol).
You can also materialise the edits to a file using the share dialogue, meaning that when you share your pics the recipient sees the "edited version" so to speak.
And you can also re-enter the Adjust panel at a later point and use the save dialogue to materialise the existing virtual edits as if you had just made them.

The adjustment tools may be a bit quirky, and could maybe do with a bit of polishing, but they're very useful indeed for a whole host of adjustments. Obviously people requiring advanced editing, layers and masks for instance, will need to use something like photoshop (or GIMP in my case as I can't justify the cost of photoshop!) but I find the PSU tools a great addition to PSU.

As always the "tips" tool can be very helpful if unsure what an option or button does ("help">"tips").

Thanks for the reply.

Hmmm, that's all very odd. I've tried it on multiple photos and I'll click all 3 sub-buttons as you describe, click apply, I see no change, and then go to the filters pane and toggle "Auto Effects" off and on and I literally see no difference. I've even tried the toggle before I hit apply and I see no changes either. I'm purposefully trying it on some very underexposed photos where I would expect it to be able to help at least some but I can't see that it is doing anything. I'm sure I'm doing something wrong but I can't figure out what.

I see the diskette icon and I hit save image as, but the only option I see is to change the file type, the quality level, and whether to keep the metadata in. Ahhhh ... wait, I see now. You have to hit Save in that dialogue box and THEN the dialogue box for filename and directory come up. I was expecting that the "Save" button on that first screen was the "commit", not the path to get to the next screen. Mystery solved on that one.

One more question ... is there an undo on the edits? I guessed on the sliders to double click on it to reset to zero but I didn't see a way to go back to how it was. So if I upped the exposure to 35, and then tried going up to 50, I didn't see a way to say "no, I didn't like that, go back to where it was before I made that change" (meaning the 35).

Thanks for the help.

[snowman1]

That's odd that you don't see anything at all with auto effects. For me, when I click on one of the three sub-buttons the following happens:
- the text for that button turns blue indicating the effect is "on";
- the change is visible in the image (though sometimes not or very little, if the algorithms result in no substantial change);
- the histogram shows the change.
Clicking apply applies the changes but the above happens before clicking apply, in effect previewing the change.

The undo can be very problematic on some of the effects (one of the "quirky" areas I'd like to see improved in an ideal world). What you describe with sliders, no, it can't generally do that and I do sometimes end up fighting the tool trying to amend or cancel changes I've previously made.

Even with its minor faults I find the adjustments tools very useful, I really like that they are virtual changes, all held in PSU, easier and less messy than editing with an external tool and re-importing, or importing an edited version in a separate file.