PROFESSIONAL Editor Required

[Mark Stewart]

Microsoft is downsizing, and the wonderful MDI product line is one casualty. I am looking for a replacement, but the equivalent capability is very hard to find. Capability must service 24-bit graphics on 64-bit Windows platform. Machine is built to support uncompromised graphics editing. Here are the MDI capabilities that must be replaced.

LAYERS: most professional editors offer formats that save layers that can be re-used across unlimited editing sessions. An application that reads PNG layers simplifies archive migration. Each image object is a layer that can be saved as a layer available across multiple sessions and computers for editing with our editor.

SELECTION: any image object (layer) is selected by clicking on it with any editor tool. Multiple layers can be selected and grouped, and grouped layers can be ungrouped or grouped with other groups and layer (s) and later (in any editor session) ungrouped, while preserving all properties of object layers and groups that are grouped across multiple editing sessions (see layers, above). A selection can be made at any time on any image layer (object). Selection defaults a tranparent background.

CUT AND PASTE TOOL: regardless of layer type or purpose, the cut and paste tool must be able to copy the active layer and paste that layer clipping into any open Windows application that displays graphics. Cut and paste tool can select a rectangular, elliptical or custom pixel-by-pixel or click-by-click manually drawn shape. Any selection cut and paste shape has edges feathered (smooth) by default, but cut-and-paste right-click options 0-100 pixel feathering. Any object can have any portion of its editor focus isolated using the selection tool: holding CTRL and making additional selections from the active object selects multiple parts of the object for treatment; for example, treated by subjecting the selection areas to transparency filters as outlined below. Cut-and-paste is also a simple selection tool, only performing a cut-out when user selects a default cut or copy command.

TRANSPARENCY: simply use menu or transparency tool to create a transparency. Transparency can be applied to any object or group at any time. Applying transparency to a layer group or to a vector layer converts that object to a 24-bit raster. Any image object can have transparency applied by clicking on it and selecting a transparency method. Transparency is applied to an entire selected object or to a portion of an object selected using the cut-and-paste (or selection) tool.

EVEN TRANSPARENCY METHOD: even transparency of the selected object is applied to every pixel of the selected object. A 100% even transparency turns any selected object into a 100% transparent shape and maintains the pre-transparency shape dimensions.

GRADIENT TRANSPARENCY METHOD: gradient transparency applies a gradual fade-out towards one edge or towards multiple edges of the selected object, with transparency graduated from 100% opacity to 0% opacity. Frog-eye, shape and compass oriented gradient angles are additional to left, right, up and down, and horizontal center-out and side-in gradient directions.

ARTISTIC TRANSPARENCY METHOD: a selection of artistic effects like swirl shapes are created with one-click editor object selection or by applying artistic transparency to selection (s) of any object.

TRANSPARENCY BRUSH METHOD: transparency defaults smooth edges but options user selected feathering (0 to 100 pixels). Transparency brush has heads of round, square and assorted shapes.

CLONE: a clone tool by default feathers but options user selected feathering (0 to 100 pixels). Clone brush has heads of round, square and assorted shapes.

CANVAS AND IMAGE: A canvas is the workspace containing all of the objects entered into an image project by its author or design team. An image is the rectangular shape, usually a small portion of the working canvas, where finished design elements are displayed. The canvas boundary reflects machine capability (memory and graphics hardware), while the image boundary reflects project requirements. Canvas is a larger and greater workspace. Image is refined to suit specific commercial and artistic requirements. Our editor must provide a dynamic relationship between the canvas and the image. Typically, the image boundary is maintained by a 100% transparency background layer: right clicking the ‘boundary’ transparency and selecting ‘fit image to selected object' instantly downsizes a multi-layer project’s workspace boundary to project layout, which can then be saved in a suitable distribution format. Naturally, downsizing project ‘display’, at the same time greatly reduces project display ‘size’, reducing file size. But layout saves do not in any way impact return to a full-sized workspace, including the pre-layout layers and filter edits. Undo only applies to the current team or author open file session.

CONSIDERATIONS: The above capabilities enable easy professional multi-image patching and customization beside the one-click selection (optioned, of course) choices of typical ‘sexy’ image effects offered by all so-called “professional” image editors.

Photoshop provides only a very limited professional capability; rather than provide tools like easy mouse cut and paste, forms are often used to enter numerical coordinates. Only certain kinds of Photoshop objects and only under certain conditions can have transparency and/or cut-and-paste applied using poorly organized and never project-oriented task isolated arrays of widely varying and sometimes [often] poorly performing groups of tools and layers. Photoshop user interface is an unfinished mess, as almost the entire Adobe package is compromised, replacing consistent professional editing control with sexy tweaks. I do not want an editor limited to sexy tweaks. I do art, not masturbation. I want an editor with uncompromised professional editing capability. My professional image work is strictly task oriented. [Comment on Photoshop’s blatant preference for sex over professional work is not intended to insult anyone, merely stating fact. Nor is this factual assessment of Photoshop intended to reflect in any way on the choices made by Microsoft that terminated its 'end of support' cycle for a professional image editor. Anyone reading this post is free to draw their own conclusions.]

MDI Cut-And-Paste and Transparency and Clone tools are selected with one click, and then applied to object layers with one click. One-click functionality is essential in the chosen replacement editor, even where certain required actions may breakdown original one-click tool selection into optional multi-click mouse and keyboard controls, for canvas and image management as illustrated above.