X1 may already have built-in support for an external bitmap editor

[rubem]

Hi all,

I've read all the posts in the "Broaden Xara X's appeal" topic. Doing this made be quite curious about XPE since many users (including myself) would love to replace it by the external bitmap editor of their choice instead. But now I have strong reasons to believe that XPE ITSELF MAY ALREADY HAVE BUILT-IN SUPPORT FOR EXTERNAL EDITORS. Just read on.

Just make the following simple test: Open XaraPhotoEditorHost.exe in the C:Program FilesXara X1Xara Picture Editor folder. This will display a standard Open dialog. Then select a bitmap file (PNG, BMP, GIF or JPEG will work) and press OK. Alternatively you may copy a bitmap file to the XPE folder and just drag it to XaraPhotoEditorHost.exe in Windows Explorer. Anyway, this will open the image in a standalone XPE application window. You will see several buttons that are unavailable in the internal XPE (the one called from Xara X1), including one called "Edit this photo in another program". Hmmm... Click it and... nothing happens. I've made some tests and changes to the XPE configuration files, but I couldn't make this feature work, or even make the button appear inside Xara X1. I don't know if the feature is implemented at all, but the icon is there so at some moment it was meant to work. Other "extra" buttons don't seem to work either, except Open, which creates a new window that contains also the Accept button.

Funny thing is that you can even find help for these "extra" buttons in C:Program FilesXara X1Xara Picture Editorhelp_enu, although they are not linked to the other HTML files.

Anyway, this strongly suggests that implementing an external bitmap editor is just a step away, don't you think?

I very much hope we'll see this feature implemented in Xara X2!

P.S. Now if only there was a way to use the old bitmap editor from Xara X instead of XPE... Oh well... http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/confused.gif

[rubem]

Hi all,

I've read all the posts in the "Broaden Xara X's appeal" topic. Doing this made be quite curious about XPE since many users (including myself) would love to replace it by the external bitmap editor of their choice instead. But now I have strong reasons to believe that XPE ITSELF MAY ALREADY HAVE BUILT-IN SUPPORT FOR EXTERNAL EDITORS. Just read on.

Just make the following simple test: Open XaraPhotoEditorHost.exe in the C:Program FilesXara X1Xara Picture Editor folder. This will display a standard Open dialog. Then select a bitmap file (PNG, BMP, GIF or JPEG will work) and press OK. Alternatively you may copy a bitmap file to the XPE folder and just drag it to XaraPhotoEditorHost.exe in Windows Explorer. Anyway, this will open the image in a standalone XPE application window. You will see several buttons that are unavailable in the internal XPE (the one called from Xara X1), including one called "Edit this photo in another program". Hmmm... Click it and... nothing happens. I've made some tests and changes to the XPE configuration files, but I couldn't make this feature work, or even make the button appear inside Xara X1. I don't know if the feature is implemented at all, but the icon is there so at some moment it was meant to work. Other "extra" buttons don't seem to work either, except Open, which creates a new window that contains also the Accept button.

Funny thing is that you can even find help for these "extra" buttons in C:Program FilesXara X1Xara Picture Editorhelp_enu, although they are not linked to the other HTML files.

Anyway, this strongly suggests that implementing an external bitmap editor is just a step away, don't you think?

I very much hope we'll see this feature implemented in Xara X2!

P.S. Now if only there was a way to use the old bitmap editor from Xara X instead of XPE... Oh well... http://www.talkgraphics.com/images/smilies/confused.gif

[gwpriester]

You seem to have stumbled upon something Rubem.

I do think that part of Xara Ltd.'s thinking was to market XPE as a stand alone application to be used outside of Xara X1 so that could be why it works as a separate application.

As for the old bitmap editor, I'm not so sure I'd want to go back to it. I think that XPE is a big step forward and when you use that and John Horn's Xeus, you have a powerful set of image editing tools.

Gary

[AndFarr]

I take the simple approach to this problem.
If I need to edit a bitmap in another program, I just copy and paste it into the bitmap editing progam ( I usually use Corels Photo-Paint) which I have running concurrently with XaraX1.
After I make my changes I copy and paste it back.
No drama, no waiting, done! - AF

[ivan louette]

Cut and paste externally doesn't handle alpha channel !

kindly,
ivan

[rubem]

As for the old bitmap editor, I'm not so sure I'd want to go back to it.

The old editor popped up much faster, and there is at least one thing that it did which the new one does not: change color depth.

I think that XPE is a big step forward

Agreed. I just wanted them to finish it...

when you use that and John Horn's Xeus, you have a powerful set of image editing tools.

I'll take a look at Xeus, thanks.