Ai Dreams Forum

Software & Hardware => Graphics and Video Software => Topic started by: GamerThom on February 03, 2006, 01:47:08 am

Title: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 03, 2006, 01:47:08 am
Just picked up some new photo & graphics editing software from Jasc - Paint Shop PRO 9 w/ animation studio.  I got it to use in creating & modifying Head Skins for use in People Putty and making new skins for the fullbods.  It's not an over-priced bit of software - Less than $150.00 U.S. So I will let everyone here know how well it works out for these types of projects. If it works as well as I hope, then it's a pretty good bargain for those of us on less than ample budgets. I'll post my results here before February 14th. Along with a few samples - skins, Textures and backgrounds.
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Duskrider on February 03, 2006, 03:23:13 am
Tom,
I look forward to your report.  :)
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 03, 2006, 07:01:05 pm
Here is what I've got on Jasc's - PaintShop PRO so far.

I started out with the trial version of Pro9 about 2 weeks ago to get a feel for the interface and controls. I have to say it was pretty easy to learn and the interface and utilities are quite good. But the price was a little high for my budget.

Forunately I found a cheaper alternative in PRO 8 version. It's not easy to find, but it is still on the market and there isn't all that much difference between versions 8 & 9. The big difference is that Pro9 can handle a few more file types than version 8, and it has a couple of extra filters. But for the difference in price, version 8 is just as functional and adaptive.

The tools are very good in Pro8 and it has utilities for creating custom brush tips, etc. plus a function for recording tasks and scripts for use in multiple edits and batch processing. It is very customizable with a little effort. Pro8 also comes with the same Animation Suite as Pro9 which creates and saves work in several formats. Work can be converted to Raster Layers for easy manipulation of individual elements and transfered to the animation utility. As I continue to explore and utilize the various tools & utilities I will update this report and notify you as to any bugs which I may run across.

PaintShop Pro 9 retails for between $130.00 & $150.00 (U.S.). But I located Pro8 for order on-line at a cost of $25.00 plus the usual shipping charges and any applicable tax. The on-line store is a U.S. site - nothingbutsoftware.com . It is only available on CD, no downloads. I got Pro8 on sale there for $23.95 + S&H & tax. Not a bad bargain.

Here is a couple of examples of what I was able to do using PaintShop Pro 8 in conjunction with MS PhotoStandard9(basic ver) and People Putty.

I'm sure that the gif animation would have come out looking better if I had taken the time to crop
all the frames to the same size. :)
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 03, 2006, 08:26:08 pm
Here are some additional screenshots showing some of the drop-down tool & utility menus.
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 03, 2006, 08:44:12 pm
I just got done checking the current price of PaintShop Pro 8 as listed at nothingbutsoftware.com
 and they now have Version 9 of PaintShop Pro for $73.00 . Now I wish I had waited a few more days to buy ver9. ???
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: FuzzieDice on February 03, 2006, 09:36:14 pm
I've used PSP for years, since version 4.x. I was beta tester for a few versions and also wrote an accessory software for it as well as lots of tutorials at one time. I used to be well known in that community.

Corel bought out Jasc over a year or so ago. So it's no longer by JASC. Corel.com has the new Paint Shop Pro X (10) now. I'm still using 8.1 though, and use it for a lot of things.

Try using the warp tools as well as the ball effect (in PSP 9, I have no idea where those are in the menus, but look around. The Warp tool should be in with the brushes somewhere, I think).

These you might find useful building heads, warping stuff, etc. Also the brush tool's options palette (you may have to turn this on), let you vary the brush parameters to get certain effects.

I wish I could help with PSP 9 but I don't have that version. There may still be tutorials on the internet though for this version. Thing is, every version, they radically would change things so it was hard to write tutorials but what would happen is the next version would make the tutorials useless. One of the reasons I gave up writing tutorials. Also their tube and PSP file formats would change too, which would make it hard to make new picture tubes (something that I had done  A LOT of in the PSP Heydays).

PSP is still a great program though. I think easier to learn that The Gimp (they have a Linux and a Windows version). And as you know PSP is far more affordable than Adobe's PhotoShop.

I've seen people do some great paintings in PSP as well as some 3D stuff. In fact, here's a picture of a lady I painted in PSP one time. I used a mouse though as at the time I didn't have my graphics tablet.

Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 03, 2006, 09:44:06 pm
I opted for PSP 8.1 FuzzieD, just because of the price. I've already located all the tools and their subsequent user settings.  Like I said and you agreed with, it's a great little program and easy as hell to learn and use.  8)

Yeah, I also know about Jasc being taken over by Corel, but on the PaintShop Pro Series packaging they
are still using the Jasc branding label. I think they are doing that so as not to confuse it with Corels own
original line of Graphics Suites.
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Freddy on February 04, 2006, 12:25:51 pm
Looks like a nice program.  I am a Ulead user and have been happily scrawling away on it for a few years now, but I am always looking at new things, I discovered Canvas a while ago too which is a nice program with some nice paint effects.  Looks like PSP is another one I can add to my collection! Thanks for the review, it's good to read and while I'm on the subject thanks for contributing so much to the site  :)
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: doc on February 04, 2006, 01:15:50 pm
I have been using Paint Shop Pro 7 since it came out and I am still pretty content with it. Before that I used the shareware version of PaintShop but it regulary crashed on my computer. What keeps surprising me is that Paint Shop is actually the only serious drawing program that can be found in shops in my country. I never encountered a boxed version of PhotoShop for example.

I wonder why that is? Any ideas?
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: doc on February 04, 2006, 01:20:57 pm
Let's face the facts, gang. If this splash screen doesn't convince you to buy this program, then what??  :D
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Duskrider on February 04, 2006, 03:29:46 pm
I'm impressed!!!
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: ALADYBLOND on February 04, 2006, 03:41:05 pm
i use ulead , fauve mattise, print shop 11, and picture prep, and some hp photo imaging. i go from one program to another by save or copy and paste until i get the desired result, since each one has a little something else to offer.~~alady
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Freddy on February 04, 2006, 04:53:17 pm
I also get tired of seeing Photoshop just about everywhere too so I like to avoid it.   ;)
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: doc on February 04, 2006, 06:04:35 pm
I also get tired of seeing Photoshop just about everywhere too so I like to avoid it. :wink

Uh-oh, you meant Paint Shop, right? PhotoShop is much more expensive.

Alady, you said: Print Shop. That name brings back some very old memories, like even before Windows existed, and I could only choose between black & white or 16 radioactive colours for drawings.
I think the artist in me has been traumatized by having to use that program in the past.
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: ALADYBLOND on February 04, 2006, 08:39:13 pm
im so sorry doc, maybe it has had an effect on me i didnt realize. :zdg_huh~~alady
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 04, 2006, 10:43:30 pm
I know what you mean Doc. Up until 5 years ago I was still using one of
the first ATARI computers, you know, the one with 3
interconnected old style floppy drives. I had the original PRINTSHOP by
Broderbund on floppy, thats what I started out with.
Then I got an old IBM E26 (K6 processor) and rebuilt it), I still use it. But I
prefer using the one I'm on now, It's a cheap little
eMachine that I spent a year upgrading and modifying to my own specs &
requirements. I've replaced everything on it except
for the PC board and CPU.
There used to be a nice little free graphics editing program available for
download on softwarearchives.com , but that site
no longer exists as a free site. I still have a copy on my "F" drive in a zip folder.
It's called UltimateFX, it's shareware and is
fully operational. If anyone would like to try it I can make it available for
download on here under this heading,
it is only 2.1MB in size very manageable on a highspeed connection.
If the moderators here do not mind me doing so.?Or e-mail it if your IP allows for
that large an attachement. If not then I will try to make it available at SaveFile.com
since I am planning to put my heads and skins there anyhow, that's if i can ever
get them all organized into zip folders.

* Here is the text file about the UFX prog explaining some of its components.
*******************************************************
Ultimate FX 1.3 by MEGALUX Ltd.
Paint program for the creative.
Includes JPG/JFIF, GIF, PCX, BMP, PNG, WMF/EMF,
ICO, IFF/LBM, TGA and TWAIN Scanner support,
flexible brush handling, more than a hundred
photo-processing filters and effects, printing
and extensive help system. Multiple undo/redo.
Built-in image browser and image optimization
wizard. Send image via E-Mail and HTML
thumbnail generator.
*****************************************************
Not bad for a free shareware prog. All you have to do is move the
small splash screen asking you to register it out of the way. The
software is fully functional even without registering it.
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Freddy on February 05, 2006, 12:14:51 am
I also get tired of seeing Photoshop just about everywhere too so I like to avoid it. :wink

Uh-oh, you meant Paint Shop, right? PhotoShop is much more expensive.

Alady, you said: Print Shop. That name brings back some very old memories, like even before Windows existed, and I could only choose between black & white or 16 radioactive colours for drawings.
I think the artist in me has been traumatized by having to use that program in the past.? :zdg_hitcomp

Yes I did mean Photoshop and that's also another good reason for me to avoid it   ;D
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 05, 2006, 02:40:19 am
Here is the UltimateFX  zip folder. Just download, unzip it to the directory of your choice,
click on the self-extracting program installer and give it try.

*Please remove this reply and download file if you wish to do so.
Just let me know if this was not something you wish to have on here. :)
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: doc on February 06, 2006, 03:11:44 pm
Thanks for the upload of UltimateFX, GamerThom. I will try it.
And keep us informed about your new website.
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: ALADYBLOND on February 06, 2006, 04:09:19 pm
i have tried to download ufx zip about 3 or 4 times now it downloads to around 550-600kb and says internert explorer cannot download from  this site the server has been reset. is it my computer or something else./ if any one has it can you email it to me /thanks ~~alady
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: doc on February 06, 2006, 04:57:09 pm
I was able to download it without a problem. Too bad I can't send email to your AOL-address.  ::)
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 06, 2006, 06:37:47 pm
Anyone wishing to contact me, but are unable to do so through AOL. May do so at my web-site e-mail on yahoo/geocities, which is -? gamerthom@yahoo.com
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Duskrider on February 06, 2006, 09:18:09 pm

Tom, looks very professional.  I've no idea how to do some of it but I'll have fun making it out.

Lynn, Sent me an e-mail in the morning if no one sends you the program by then and I'll send to you.
Can't now, I'll be out for the evening.

Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Carl2 on February 07, 2006, 07:26:03 pm
All,
  Just upgraded to Paint Shop Pro 9, on sale after the X version came out.  Prior to 9 I was using ver 4 which was the only version I had without a time limit.  I have some skin and cloth samples which I wanted to upload but I am having problems uploading them.  I'd say it's a pretty good editor.
Carl2
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Carl2 on February 07, 2006, 07:32:33 pm
All,
  I picked up Paint Shop Pro 9 a while ago, on sale because of the release of  the X version.  Prior to 9 I was using ver 4, the only one without a time limitation, I also tried a few other samples but  liked Pro. 
Carl2
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: doc on February 07, 2006, 10:14:20 pm
I believe that the makers of Paint Shop come up with a new version every year.
I am not convinced that new versions contain actual improvements.
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: Carl2 on February 08, 2006, 07:37:54 pm
All,
  Glad to see I can reply,  I received some error messages,  I have some cloth and skin samples that I downloaded and have been using with the fullbodygirl jpg.  I'm going to try the files section again, unable to uplaod them a few days ago.
Carl2
Title: Re: PaintShop PRO ?
Post by: GamerThom on February 08, 2006, 11:19:49 pm
                     :) I have a bunch of new full body female skins, backgrounds &
                       character heads available for download over on my new
                       geocities site -  Gamer-T's Character Creations. 
                              Everything there is free to download.  ;D

Here is the new Link to it -
 
              http://www.geocities.com/gamerthom/Character_Creations_Index.html (http://www.geocities.com/gamerthom/Character_Creations_Index.html)