Paint.NET .pdn file history retention

[thomasbhacker]

Can anyone tell me whether or not it's possible to keep the edit history as part of a .pdn project file?

I would very much like to be able to back track the history of past project files in order to use the same (or similar) effects and edit settings on future projects.

For now, I make screen captures and text files of the settings that I use. This works for the most part, but it's time consuming and disruptive to the editing process.

[pyrochild]

Not possible

[D3T0N4T0R]

Well... you could type it up in a notepad type file as you work, so that if need be, you can then re-create the image, making any necessary changes.

And if you make something really awesome, that would make writing a tutorial for it easy!

[Rick Brewster]

There's another thread on this somewhere. Summary: not ever gonna happen.

[Sozo]

I imagine it would make for prohibitively large file sizes, as well as all sorts of other possible issues. Just save new copies as you work.

[jerry533482]

Now here's what I don't understand; why would PDN have to keep a copy of EVERY SINGLE edit; why couldn't it just keep instructions, or commands, on recreating what was made?

I don't get it why you guys haven't already considered this.

[becauseilearn]

Now here's what I don't understand; why would PDN have to keep a copy of EVERY SINGLE edit; why couldn't it just keep instructions, or commands, on recreating what was made?

I don't get it why you guys haven't already considered this.

Because that requires PDN to be omniscient in order to know which edits were required and which had no effect on the final product. I think omniscience is slated for V 5.0, but I'd have to look at the road map.

[jerry533482]

HaHa. But seriously, what if future plugins were designed to accept internal commands (like DOS)? All you'd need is some ASCII characters to recreate your pic.

Another idea: file>export history list as TXT...

[KeyLogic]

I logged in to ask this very question, but I see that it was already asked.

I too would like the "file>export history list as TXT..." if it is at all possible.

[pyrochild]

If you're willing to limit yourself to a history of just Effects and Adjustments, my ScriptLab plugin can save and load "history" files, or export (but not load) them to plain text files. This would require doing all that work within the ScriptLab plugin, though, which is less than ideal.

I don't get it why you guys haven't already considered this.

It has been considered, and decided against. That is not the same as not being considered.

[becauseilearn]

It has been considered, and decided against. That is not the same as not being considered.

I would think that the prohibitive part would be not just writing out the various tools/effects/adjustments used in general, but also having to record the specific options used within them. That means any layer settings, magic wand tolerance . . .

You might get a 1 gig text file describing how you managed to eke out a 150 px X 50 px image.

[Simon Brown]

For now, I make screen captures and text files of the settings that I use. This works for the most part, but it's time consuming and disruptive to the editing process.

You could use TimeSnapper to make automatic screenshots.

There's another thread on this somewhere. Summary: not ever gonna happen.

Here they are.

[jerry533482]

You might get a 1 gig text file describing how you managed to eke out a 150 px X 50 px image.

How on earth would a plugin with just 2 or 3 slider tabs need that much space? Does it have something to do with noise settings and random #s?