I used Photoline for all the graphics conversion and creation in my first Construct game Victor.
Version 18 of Photoline is out now! This time 15(!) new beta versions were made available to registered users (including myself) and tested through their core. This update focuses on workflow improvements accross the board, as well as adding interoperability with other editors.
One of the old-age criticisms made against Photoline (the limited configurability of the user interface) is now, for the most part, history.
Photoline already supports a full 8/16/32 bit per channel workflow, allows the user to set any layer to any image mode in the same document (each layer can be set to RGB, CMYK, Lab, Grey or Monochrome), and delivers a mostly non-destructive workflow with full adjustment layers and layer effects, as well as virtualized/cloned layers. A layer supports any number of layer masks and layer mask groups. Layer masks behave like any other layer, and also support adjustment layers and layer effects.
An impressive list of new features:
- the user interface's look has been updated. All panels are dockable and can be moved around individually
- the interface can changed to a dark theme (colour of the interface is controlled with a slider)
- non-destructive distort tool
- straighten tool
- the brush settings have been expanded to include dynamic settings like random position, colour, brush angle, and so on.
- a new more flexible hue editor
- boolean operations for vector objects
- external editors and plugins can be invoked. For example, send a layer or the complete file you are working on to (let's say) Krita, make changes, and send it back to Photoline
- multiple windows per document, and each window can display a different page you are working on. Incredibly handy when working with cloned/virtualized layers/groups of layers! Place all your source images on one page, and use clones on the other pages.
- guides and grids can now be dynamically activated while holding down the <alt> key. The exact behaviour is configurable
- WebP import and export. The web export also supports this new web format
- pdf import and export was updated
- metadata now uses the xmp standard. auto-completion of meta data in the information dialog
- vector layers and gradients now work in full 32 bit per colour
- adjustment layer mask softening setting
- move and zoom with the hand tool can affect multiple windows now. Handy when you are working on a mask in one window, while checking the result in the other (windows)
- display layer masks in one window while showing the result in another window.
- virtual copies/clones of a layer or group of layers now update in realtime when the original is adjusted.
- virtual layers can be used to create mirror painting setups with any number of axes
- mask layers are now displayed in the channel pane
Other smaller workflow enhancers:
- pages can now be named
- curve editor usability enhancements: holding down the <shift> key limits movement in vertical axis only. Esc cancels.
- cloud filter now supports gradients and 48bit (16bit per channel)
- document list can be converted to a tab-like configuration
- content lying outside the work area can be hidden now
- panel layouts can be reset back to their original state
- the ruler origin can now be adjusted
- create your custom tool bars.
- automatically saving a pld file alongside a format like jpg. When you open the jpg the pld file with full editability
is opened instead allowing you to work on the original layers.
- MacOs Retina screens: zoom works on physical pixels
- colour adjustments affect layer effects now
- colour temperature range increased from 2000 to 20000
- extended colour selection: values can now hold <0% and >100%
- brush cursor adjusts dynamically while painting/drawing. Very handy when working with a wacom tablet and pressure
- documents that are activated now check if they were changed externally and, if so, Photoline will ask you whether you
want to update to the most current version or not.
- single-click now sets the colour in the colour selection dialogs.
- TIFF with psd support. Read: photoshop tiff compatible
- tools like the finger painting now work with full 96bit internally (32bit per channel)
- vector editing improvements
- SVG import has once again been improved
And many, many bugs were corrected, as well as many other small improvements.
pl32.com/pages/rnote.php
Available NOW for Mac and Windows, and runs in Wine for Linux. The installation file for Windows is 21mb(!) ;-p.
pl32.com
A fully functional thirty days trial version is also available for download.
There is no subscription option :-) Once purchased it is yours to keep and use.