Need a "straighten" tool

[garyfe]

I installed a plug-in (sorry, can't remember which one) that gives me the ability to rotate pictures by hundredths of degrees, but I would like an automatic straighten tool ala PSP. The way that one works is that you draw a line on the picture and it rotates the picture to make the line vertical or horizontal (whichever is closer.) For example, for a picture that has an ocean horizon in it, you could draw the line along the horizon, then hit "straighten", and viola, the horizon is now perfectly level. Or do similar drawing the line along the vertical edge of a building.

Anybody up for this challenge?

Thanks,

Gary

[Ego Eram Reputo]

I don't recall a plugin that would do this.

You've tried CTRL+A to select the layer and then the Move Tool and the right mouse key?

Edit: wrong tool icon

[garyfe]

No, but that's very cool. Thanks for that hint! (I'm pretty new at Paint.net -- I got disgusted with psp and looked around for something else.)

The tool I was talking about is called rotate/zoom, under the Layers menu. Maybe it's not really a plugin? I only know that I found it after loading a bunch of plugins, but maybe it was there all along.

In any case, what *I* would like is something that does the correction FOR me, rather than me having to eye-ball it.

Gary

[Sarkut]

garyfe,

As an aid to eyeballing it:

On a new (transparent) layer, using the Line / Curve tool while

holding the Shift key down, draw a horizontal line.

It makes a handy guide when adjusting

the horizon with Zoom/Rotate.

[rorrison]

I came to make the same request. I'll try the suggestions here, but a tool that let you draw a line and then straighten it would be great. (I do a lot of scanning of photos, and it's very difficult to get things to line up right on the scanner.) It's tenths or even hundredths of a degree, but when you've got a photo with a border it's very visible when it's off by a tiny bit.

[Crazy Man Dan]

I'm afraid your post breaks our "necroposting" rule, as this thread has been inactive for 8 months. As such, I must close this thread.

To anyone looking for a solution using existing tools, may I suggest making a new layer and using the Line/Curve tool to draw a line following the slanted horizon of the photo you wish to straighten. As you are drawing, the angle of your line is shown in the status bar in the lower left. Remember that angle, switch to the photo layer, and use Layers > Rotate/Zoom to rotate the photo by the inverse of the angle.

It's not automated, but it is the same process an automatic straightener tool would use.