I beg you: stop asking "Open" or "Add as layer"!

[DrOfProduct]

Dear Paint.Net masterminds, I've been a user for many years, enjoying the app, but this has always driven me nuts.

 

I've dragged thousands of images onto the Paint.net window and NEVER, ever, did I want to add them as a layer. Ever. If I do, I'd go to the Layers menu or something similar. I never add layers. I only work with simple images. But Paint.Net hijacks this trivial drag-and-drop operation which is used in virtually every app out there, and interrupts it with its prompt.

 

You have to please the majority of users, not the select few who actually drag-and-drop an image to add it as a layer. I bet it's a small percentage of your users.

 

Here are possible solutions:

a. Add a checkbox "Don't ask me again" and add a tip "To add as a layer, use Layers menu". Or,

b. Simply assume users wish to open the picture they drag and drop onto the window?

c. Check if I'm holding down a special key such as <Shift> or <Alt> while dragging and dropping a file, and act differently - that could be the "open file" action.

 

After all, I'd think that I can drop an image onto the Layers toolbar/panel or use another trivial way of adding it, without breaking the most obvious way to actually open an image.

 

Thank you for all your hard work, and cheers!

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by DrOfProduct

[Pixey]

1 hour ago, DrOfProduct said:

similar. I never add layers. I only work with simple images.

 

Well, guess what?  Most of the users on this forum DO add layers and I think we are the majority and you are the exception.

[Tactilis]

3 hours ago, DrOfProduct said:

But Paint.Net hijacks this trivial drag-and-drop operation which is used in virtually every app out there, and interrupts it with its prompt.

 

When the dialog appears, all you have to do is press the letter O to Open (or A to Add layer).

Or just press the Return/Enter key or the Spacebar to accept the default action, which is to Open.

It's a trivial action to take.


 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Tactilis
Clarified that Spacebar can be used as well

[DrOfProduct]

Forcing the user to make a choice every time and interrupting their (work)flow isn't ideal for usability. Imagine if your doorknob asked you every time: "Do you want to open the door or just polishing me?" -- and you do want to open the door in most cases.

 

The best solution is to simply add a checkbox: [x] Don't ask again, and everyone will be happy.  (I don't know if Paint.net tracks user actions, but I'd be curious to see the rate of "Open" vs "Add as layer" 🙂 )

 

Everybody's workflow and needs are different. That's why apps have configurations, settings, and smart defaults. I wouldn't even be posting on here if there was an override or setting for this Open/Add Layer behavior.

Edited November 10, 2023 by DrOfProduct

[DrOfProduct]

34 minutes ago, Pixey said:

 

Well, guess what?  Most of the users on this forum DO add layers and I think we are the majority and you are the exception.

Yes, but imagine building a product that suits almost everyone's needs? I proposed a perfectly valid - and standard - solutions to please you, the multi-layer folks, as well as the non-Photoshoppy users who still enjoy this app very much 🙂

 

Naturally, it's almost silly to complain about an already-powerful and user-friendly app, but is there such a thing as "too much" of a good UX?

[Tactilis]

3 hours ago, DrOfProduct said:

I've dragged thousands of images onto the Paint.net window and NEVER, ever, did I want to add them as a layer.

Then why not just set the image type (.jpg / .png / .whatever) to Open in Paint.NET?

Then just double-click the image in File Explorer or, if there are multiple images to open, just select all of them and press Enter.  You'll never need to do the time consuming drag and drop operation again.

[DrOfProduct]

7 hours ago, Tactilis said:

Then why not just set the image type (.jpg / .png / .whatever) to Open in Paint.NET?

Then just double-click the image in File Explorer or, if there are multiple images to open, just select all of them and press Enter.  You'll never need to do the time consuming drag and drop operation again.

 

Because I use another viewer, which is far more convenient, for viewing images. And I use Paint.net, the editor, to edit images. You get the idea 🙂 Again, we're talking about forcing a different behavior onto users. But here's another solution: Paint.net can check if I'm SHIFT+dragging, CTRL+dragging, or ALT+dragging, and act differently. That's how I wrote some of my apps. So if I'm holding down the <ALT> key, that could be the "open file" action. All other types of drag-and-drop could show the wonderful prompt that everyone loves so much 🙂 

Edited November 11, 2023 by DrOfProduct

[Tactilis]

1 hour ago, DrOfProduct said:

Because I use another viewer, which is far more convenient, for viewing images. And I use Paint.net, the editor, to edit images.

You get the idea 🙂

Yes, I do 🙂

Then why not leave the image type associations as they are so that the image opens in your image viewer and then, when you specifically want to open in Paint.NET, just right click the file and click Open with | paint.net

 

That's still a lot less mouse movement than drag & drop and you won't get the Open/Add layer dialog.

 

Edited November 10, 2023 by Tactilis