Before purchasing PhotoImpact Ver. 11 ???

I purchased the "Downloaded" version of the "New Photoimpact 11" and found when I tried install on "Windows ME" I was informed it only supports Windows XP or Windows 2000. [Just before I downloaded the program I checked for the download System requirements and was informed me was suitable for Windows Me]

Be carefull the "System Requirements" as shown on the "Buy" page [Just under the PhotoIpact Icon] suitable for Windows 98/ME/Xp .... appear to be not correct??
I had another look and within the "System Requirements" link [Shown on another related page RH side Menu] = "Box Version" for Windows 98 SE, 2000, Me or XP = "Download version" being suitable for Windows 2000, XP

Sent Ulead a question to their Support staff why the difference between the "Boxed" and Downloaded" versions? It has been a few days and no reply which is at the moment has peeved me off!!!.

After you read the related problems with the Version 11 on the "Uleads Web Page Forums"
http://phpbb.ulead.com.tw/EN/
I feel no one would purchase the Ulead PhotImpact 11 update program untill Ulead overcome all the associated program problems?

:D That's why I'm never the first to jump in....

Well, as I know it from use daily for many years, PI6 was quick, but 7 supported the new browsing, and 7 was also when the app bulked a tad, and began to become sluggish at startup...

this said, personaly I use version 8, and I have no difficulties , nor do I require more app than what v8 delivers... it's only slow at startup, after that things go great, and our machines are modest, 1.8 ghz AMD...

basically, if one is doing 2d matte paintings or what not, then they would use the appropriate set of tools, and sine PI never had the paint set of paint sets, then might I suggest the free to use... Deep Paint 2

If you are doing vector art, then there are also better apps to be found for these tasks... take XaraX for example ;)

Photo work, concept desktop design , and single table graphics are where PI really shines for me personaly, and I find the rest just bloat really...

sorry to hear of your difficulties...

What Gidgit said... :)
I also tend to stick with basic functions. I stick with PI because I'm familiar with the tools, but I am not blind to its limitations... and yes, before purchasing PI, I would also recommend checking out Xtreme. Right now, it's more tempting than PI11.

Well, I may have been too hasty here a tad... hehe, just went to the ulead uk site and downloaded the trial for v11... so far I like what I see... I am running it on my wifes machine, a P111 1ghz, and all seems hunky dory thus far...

New UI is kinda nice, feels smooth, makes more sense than the previous versions in some ways, more tools exposed...

Will have to put it through a few days testing to see just what is what for sure as far I make use of this app anyhoo...

till then :)

Quote:

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Originally Posted by gidgit

If you are doing vector art, then there are also better apps to be found for these tasks... take XaraX for example ;)

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May be going a bit o/t here but your quote above interests me Gidgit?
I have been using PI for a while and find the vector drawing in PI excellent.
My work is only for my own enjoyment but still I am trying to improve the standard of each drawing completed.
PI 10, I found harder to use because of the smaller editing nodes, so use PI 8 almost exclusively now. (PI 11 doesn't appear to offer any improvement for "Path drawing")

I have just purchased Xara Xi a few days ago and this was mainly because of the "Stroke shapes" ability of Xara as I like to "doodle" with cartoon drawings.
Am quite excited now after reading your comment, to find just what Xara can do that is better than PI re. vector art.
Attached pic was done using PI 8.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4...irPI8image.jpg

That's a beauty, Kiwi. :cool: .
I also like the feel of PI8's vector tool. But it lacks boolean operations and blendshapes. So doing precise vector graphics is harder in PI. Thus you're forced to rely on creative workarounds, which is better, imo....:)

That is a very nice example of what can be done with most any decent app, and a user with talent Kiwi, thanks for sharing this :)
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There's little doubt that PI is the more robust app for the most part, and as Gman has indicated, there are workarounds... and pi is just so handy because of the whole gaumet of tools right there only but a few clicks away...

however, that's one of the problems when working with shapes and doing different coloring tests and what not... PI has more clicks, and/or travel to do so , more tools, but non the less.... working with the on object, multi level click through manip/trans handles, in Xara, is quicker than clicking through in PI... by far

Take working with gradients on shapes for instance... there is really no comparison, Xara is just plain fast and intuitive when working with gradients... couple this with, the up front manip/trans handles c/w last tool with picker etc.... and this, over x number of shape designs c/w gradients, determines that your workflow has gained speed conciderably...

...then there's what I would deem as a more intuitive shadow, better bevel tool, blend... I mean there is enough right there to get ya going for like ever ;)

Well worth the price of addmission... :cool:

I mean we do have PI for so many other areas of 2d graphics, along with countless of other apps, depending on what one is looking for, or maybe just what one feels like doing for fun on any given day... ;) :)

All this said (phew), I doubt that I will be upgrading to PI 11... V8 is not much different in many approaches to what it is I do with the app... That they bring gradient eye candy to the UI, while not bringing the ease of use for gradient tools to the front is pretty ironic eh? Ah, same text bug on initiation, same multi level click through approaches, same boring unintuitive paint tools... nope, I will wait for a miracle PI to be released :D

PI can do marvelous metals and they are very editable, but now with the addition of plugins with Xara Xtreme, the options are endless.

What it boils down to is to accomplish your ideas, which program seems to be the most efficient.

If I have a lens flare to apply, it will be PI's, unless I build my own.

I suppose that if I was a novice user, then any PI, including the new version, is worth the money spent, however, for those of us who have supported this company since way back, I believe we have been ignored in so many areas, once again.... and personaly, I want ULead to know that I am very dissappointed with giving us eye candy and not the goods that we have all asked for time after time... and that they won't be getting any more of my money until some of these issues are addressed within some future release.

~edits~


... if you look at the 3d industry, it is all about the right tools for the job, and a good fast and intuitive workflow... Wings led the way in modeling, with Silo and C4D quickly adopting a similar workflow, from which it has been a game of progressive leap frog from there... with so many other apps also changing many approaches... from whole modeling toolsets and the core inovations required, such as edge tools, right on out to smart selections, tweak modes and various view modes to choose from...

and... I guess that v11 is going in the right direction with the new various user level toolset options (re -modual like approach, least ways in UI design ;) )... ok, for sure, but...

there are still so many other implimentations that they have missed, from tools still being second and third level to envoke when they should be closer to the user, to tools and extras that could have/should have been updated, right on out to some of the same bugs have followed through from version to version without having to be addressed.. v11 no exception, for example the infamous text tool bug upon initial tool use by session is stil there... geez, what a drag this one never gets fixed, I mean given that the text tool is kinda important eh.

and the paint tools... pretty much second to workflow issues, but second indeed... this issue regarding the paint tools has been going on from the git go of this app... there are many matte painters out there who have never given PI a thought, same same for a whole host of UV mapping types... like this is a whole user group who would likely never give this app a chance... something like an intermediate or advanced user of PI, who opens up other 2d editing apps, looks over the tools, tries a few, then back to PI... only in this case the painter types go back to their fav painting toolsets, and as suggested, PI is not likely the app of choice.... what a drag... I mean the larger the userbase, the more the input, the better the tools... or so the theory goes...

Too true, PI seems to be directed more and more to the point and click crowd. It's being packed with photo and print wizards designed to make the job easier for the home user. Maybe the Ulead people decided they'd never be able to grab a decent piece of the Painter and Photoshop market.
That said, the recent Xara Xtreme also headed in an unexpected direction...
New consumers and wider user base seems to be the way to go...

Yea, new markets... thing is they could have gone and done both directions by now, and kept their regular customers happier in the process. :(

The paint tools should have come in v7... can you imagine the zmerge tool, a more standardized set of paint tools, the new browser toolbar, and the newest web stuff that came with, all coming out in one version. Add to that a better gradient methodology (even Canvas has an easier to use gradient tool than PI ), some first level transition handles on picker c/w last op options like found in Xara, better default settings all the way around...

wow, that would have rocked the 2d world, and certainly would have made up some ground from 5 to 7...

6 was ok in the newer web stuff, and aspect on trans scale, but that was pretty much it eh, give or take whatever...

nah, ULead has milked this way too long, and now needs to really focus in on a set of tools that truly work better in the artist's favour... I mean photo's are cool too, no doubt, but meat and potatoes stuff comes first for an all around editing app with such potential as found with PI... :)