"Edit with Paint.NET" button in the context menu

[Sixtyforce]

NOTE: I wasn't sure where to stick a thread like this, so if it's out of place, I'll be more than okay if the thread gets locked, deleted, moved or otherwise.

 

After a bunch of poking about online, I found out how to use regedit to add custom buttons to the right-click context menu in Windows. I created one which opens a file in Paint.NET. (I'm a nut for small, convenient UI tweaks like this, so I just couldn't help myself). It'd be cool if they implemented a feature like this in stock Paint.NET one day. It's a feature I've been longing for. Now, this button will appear for every file under the sun that's right-clicked, so it's up to you to know that the file you're opening is gonna work with Paint.NET, but I plan on making it so that the option only appears on compatible file types. (Actually, I might actually keep it the way it is, in case someone has a file type compatibility plugin like for Photoshop's PSDs).

Here's what it looks like in the menu:

And here's a download for the .reg if one should wish for it: https://www.dropbox.com/s/ismo3l47y6abaeo/openPDN.reg?dl=0

[toe_head2001]

Okay, but compatible filetypes already have the 'Edit' context menu item. Though it lacks the icon and "... with paint.net", it works fine.

[Sixtyforce]

Doesn't it just open those with mspaint?

[toe_head2001]

Not if you have paint.net set as the default editor for those filetypes; which can be done by the paint.net installer.

[Sixtyforce]

The "Edit" button is opening stuff in mspaint for me. I think I did un-check an option like that in the installer. I thought those boxes would've also made it so that it would always just open image files in Paint.NET regardless, even if I just double-clicked on them, so I unchecked them. I also just re-installed PDN and checked those boxes to see if it'd work, and it didn't. Plus, as I said earlier, it'd be a good tweak for just in case you have a plugin that makes PDN compatible with a file type it wasn't previously. Just using PSDs as an example, clicking the "Edit" button in the context menu opens them in Photoshop, when I'd prefer (In most cases) to edit them in Paint.NET.

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I run several versions of PDN. Adding a right-click option for the different versions would make my life easier. Thanks for the tip @Sixtyforce

[xod]

Some specifications:
If you have pdn installed on a different partition than C, you will need to edit the .reg file using Notepad and change the path. Then save and run the .reg file.
Then, in the context menu, the icon will be displayed correctly.
After testing in Win 10, it does not seem to work. The system still requires to indicate with which program we will open a png or jpeg file.

 

Edited July 10, 2018 by xod
Added image.

[thomporter]

I just wanted to add, setting Paint.net as the default editor isn't necessarily what some people are looking for.  I prefer using a lightweight photo viewer as the default "editor", as I usually just want to see the pictures/images.  Previously I would right click, find "open with" in my far too complicated context menu, then scroll over to Paint.net.  I absolutely LOVE having this option.  Many thanks to the OP!!

[Ego Eram Reputo]

Hi @thomporter welcome to the forum

 

This thread is five years old, so we should consider it closed. If you want to start this conversation anew, please start a new thread.