AuthorTopic: I'm making a paint program, so useful tools, ideas and features required please  (Read 156498 times)

Offline Jad

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Changable color for the background of the workspace part would be nice, actually O: Especially if transparent colour would show up as the same, that way you don't need to make huge sprites to see how it looks against different backgrounds.

A little redundant though.

I'll be sure to try it out when you've got something tryable (: I admire your effort lots <3
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Offline Ryumaru

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This is really shaping up man. :]
Did you say the window will be resizable?
My thoughts are just echo's of the others: changeable background colors and the tile thingy :P
Also, I like the embossed icons :]

Offline surt

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Both of the new screens look a magnitude improved and I'd be quite happy with either, also it looks plenty conventional to me, not much different from my GGale setup.

If you wanted a simple MDI without going with child windows you could use a simple split view system which could allow views of different canvases or multiple views of the same canvas. Even with a limitation of two panes you could have your reference image or preview in the spare pane, or have a DPaint/GrafX2 style zoom pane.

Even if you are to restrict the view to one image at a time it'd be nice to be able to have multiple images loaded and easily switch between them (that's how I usually work in MDIs anyway).

I think Kazuya's suggestion is more along the lines of what Pro Motion has (can't reach the site to get the name of the feature), where duplicated parts of the image (as delineated by the grid) are tracked and any change to one part propagates to all its duplicates, whereas I was suggesting an integrated tilemap editor (though I may have mentioned both). Either tool would be sufficient (both would be even better ;)). Pro Motion's solution should be easier to integrate into a straight paint tool however, needing no user interface beyond grid settings (which I'm sure you'll already have anyway) and a toggle.

I'm guessing from the "Layers" button that layer controls modally replace the "Box Options" panel. For me, I like my layers always at hand so: 1. I can tell that I'm editing the right layer; 2. I can easily toggle layer visibility; 3. I can easily switch the edit layer.

Nit-picky: for UI simplicity you could replace each of the box option pairs filled/unfilled, square/free, corner-to-corner/centre-to-corner with a single toggle button each.

I also put in my vote for themeable colouring.
« Last Edit: November 26, 2008, 05:18:45 am by surt »

Offline NaCl

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I think a color replacer with different brush sizes would be useful. I GGale I can't figure out how to get a color replacer larger then one pixel. Very annoying sometimes.

Offline Jad

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Seriously, a selection function mimicking photoshop would be GOLDEN

Like you could fill a layer with a dither pattern (dither/transparent), then hide it, select it to paint autodither, etc.

Or select an area of one single colour and being able to paint in that area after you've started doing it as well. (as opposed to graphics gale's color replacement where you can only work on the colour that is currently on-screen. This function is great as well, though.
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Offline happymonster

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Ryu:
The window will be able to set to different sizes in a configuration file. Not sure about real-time resizing, don't think the engine will support that yet.

Surt:
Thanks! I intend to have (at the least) a split screen DPaint/Promotion setting in the Zoom options.

I fully intend to support multiple images and being able to switch between them.

I understand what you mean about the layers, there is an issue of GUI space, I'm rapidly running out of that for 1024 x 768! Also, I have some special ideas for layers which will make things much easier. I'm not going into detail here because I'm worked it out in my head, but need to implement it to see if it would work.

The thing with three toggles for the box options is that to go from an unfilled box to a filled square would take two clicks (one for each of the first two toggles), whereas now it can be done with one click. Because there aren't that many box options I think it's best to have all the options readily available.

Jad:
I'm not sure what you mean about the layer, dither pattern, selection idea. Could you explain that a little more please? :)

Offline happymonster

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BTW:

I said the engine was cross-platform and could be used with OpenGL/Direct3D, well there is a chance that this program will be available for Windows, Mac and Linux. :)

Offline surt

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Crude mockup for low space consumption layer access: http://surtspixels.googlepages.com/Pixe_edit.png
Layers are accessed via layer bar above canvas.
To select layer left-click on preview icon.
Selected layer is highlighted.
To toggle layer visibility of layer right-click on preview icon.
Invisible layers are greyed out.
Layer name displays on tooltip, or names of all layers unfold vertically below preview icons when mouse hovers over layer bar.

This should allow quick access were one would need it.

Offline TrevoriuS

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I'm slightly reluctant of the hue gradient in the tool icons... I generally favour clear representations ,that are absolutely in no way appealing and therefore not distracting.
Taking 96,96,96 grey for the toolbars, default 128,128,128 for transparancy/workspace background (but have it changeable). Then you cna create light grey, or with a hint of colour, and black icons.

Further: sliders, loads of sliders for colour editing :P

Offline Jad

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Setting loop points between two frames of animation would be gold, I just realized O:
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