Paint.NET v3.20 *ALPHA* is now available

[Rick Brewster]

Get it either from the website (http://www.getpaint.net), or from within Paint.NET itself. Note: Make sure you have "Also check for beta releases" enabled. You can access this option by going to Help -> Check for Updates, then clicking on the "Options" button.

Please be sure to report any compatibility problems with plugins.

Change log:

* Note: New features will be displayed in English through the Alpha and Beta release(s). The final release will include full translations for the other supported languages.
* New: Ability to do 'Fixed Size' and 'Fixed Ratio' selection drawing with the Rectangle Select tool
* New: Added selection 'combine mode' (replace, add, subtract, xor) to the toolbar. This makes this feature much more discoverable.
* New: Added magic wand / paint bucket 'flood mode' (contiguous, global) to the toolbar. This makes this feature much more discoverable.
* New: Mandelbrot and Julia fractal render effects.
* New: Implemented new property and UI systems that makes it much easier to develop effect plugins. Authors may now specify properties with default, min, and max values and the UI for this will be dynamically generated. (instead of the author having to spend hours writing WinForms code)
* New: Better error handling for plugin effects. They will no longer crash Paint.NET, and will provide easier access to the diagnostic and support information.
* New: If a plugin fails to load, then a "View Plugin Load Errors" item will be added to the File menu.
* New: Added 'Coverage' property to the Add Noise effect.
* New: Added 'Center' (offset) property to Radial Blur, Zoom Blur, Bulge, and Twist effects. This allows you to set the center of rendering, complete with an image underlay preview.
* New: Added ability to do counter-clockwise rotation in the Twist effect. Also added ability to change the size of the twisted area in the Twist effect.
* Changed: In Frosted Glass effect, the performance was highly optimized. Increased max radius to 200 (instead of 10), and added 'minimum scatter radius' and 'smoothness' properties.
* Changed: Enhanced all built-in effects and adjustments (except for Layers, Curves, and Rotate/Zoom) to use the new effect UI system.
* Changed: Reorganized Effects menu into categories: Artistic, Blurs, Distort, Noise, Photo, Render, Stylize.
* Changed: Command link buttons now look better in Windows Vista.
* Changed: Moved 'Median' from the Blurs menu to the Noise menu.
* Changed: Rendering for the 'angle chooser' control is nicer now.
* Fixed: Header label flickering in some parts of the UI.
* Fixed: Some window activation issues with the Save Configuration Dialog if you switched to another program and back while it was open.
* Fixed: Some buttons and checkboxes were not honoring the theme animations in Windows Vista.
* New: Added text to installer to remind people that Paint.NET is free of charge, and if they paid for it (other than to donate), then they should ask for a refund (e.g. eBay swindlers).

Note: The new plugin system is still subject to change. Plugins written for this alpha are not guaranteed to work with the Beta or Final releases (although I will of course do my best to avoid breaking things).

[TheVoid]

Oooh! *Quickly Downloads* Thanks Rick!

[Helio]

Where has the Check For Updates feature gone.... ?

[Rick Brewster]

It's in the Help menu, as usual.

[Helio]

Not for me!

...

?

[Rick Brewster]

If you're using that modified version that was posted in General Coding, it might not be there. (See, told you it would cause trouble!)

Solution: Just go grab it from the website.

[Helio]

Alright.

(you mean the modified shape tools?)

[Myrddin]

Funky as ..., Rick! Thank you.

By the way, getting a 404 error with the built-in updater, I'll download manually.

[Rick Brewster]

Thanks. Thought I fixed that -- I only uploaded 1 fixed manifest though instead of all of them.

[Helio]

Got it. I can tell you one thing without even using it, the new selection options are going to be great!

And Check for Updates is back

[jerkfight]

Yeah... its out THANK YOU RICK.... Thanks i owe you so much

[Hellfire010]

*downloads*

Doesn't mean I have to break all the existing plugins ...

I know, but didn't you say they could add a snippet of code to add certain features, like choosing the center or something? One would think, to improve your plugin, you would update it with this snippet of code. I was just thinking a lot of people would update theirs to add things like that. I don't know... :\

Not that I have a problem with it, I just figured I'd put it out there.

[Rick Brewster]

Yes, of course you can do that.

Just think of the bajillions of people who visit the forum and only download the plugins, and never visit the forum ever again ...

[pyrochild]

didn't you say they could add a snippet of code to add certain features, like choosing the center or something? One would think, to improve your plugin, you would update it with this snippet of code. I was just thinking a lot of people would update theirs to add things like that. I don't know... :\

Adding a control to choose the center of an effect does not automatically make the effect work. It's still up to the plugin authors to modify their algorithms to work around a center.

[Myrddin]

Wow, can delete a few effects which are now replaced by the added functionality of the built-in ones.

Also the selection modes are amazing and the plugin error console works like a charm - purposely invoked a crash in GREYCstoration (which also appears in the Plugin Load Error console; something we may never see an update to ).

All hunky-dory and nothing to fault, even been using the largest pictures I own to test the new effect features and not one problem.

EDIT: actually, one problem with Sepia. I run the effect, undo and it produces the same fault the new Film Noir plugin experienced by barkbark. Also, to be honest, and this could be me, but Sepia looks more like Black and White now... Tried and tested with three totally different images of varying size, colour and format.

EDIT: In order:

Sepia trouble | Black and White | Sepia as applied, no undo.

EDIT: updated image.

[toe_head2001]

Are the effect dialog windows supposed to be resizable, or is that a bug?

[Hellfire010]

didn't you say they could add a snippet of code to add certain features, like choosing the center or something? One would think, to improve your plugin, you would update it with this snippet of code. I was just thinking a lot of people would update theirs to add things like that. I don't know... :\

Adding a control to choose the center of an effect does not automatically make the effect work. It's still up to the plugin authors to modify their algorithms to work around a center.

Yes, I know. Anyway, now that I look at it I don't think there really are as many effects that would use a center point as I thought.

[toe_head2001]

Hey, this version kills the HD Photo plugin. Update Please.

[Rick Brewster]

Are the effect dialog windows supposed to be resizable, or is that a bug?

This is on purpose, for now at least. Not sure if I'll keep it that way.

[Rick Brewster]

EDIT: actually, one problem with Sepia. I run the effect, undo and it produces the same fault the new Film Noir plugin experienced by barkbark. Also, to be honest, and this could be me, but Sepia looks more like Black and White now... Tried and tested with three totally different images of varying size, colour and format.

Confirmed. Sepia is currently equivalent to B&W and screws up the history stuff. I've filed a bug. Thanks!

[I Like Pi]

Thanks Rick!

One little thing: The first reset button in the old effect config dialogs doesn't animate.

[Crazy Man Dan]

Something I noticed during the automatic "Check for Updates" download process. While the file is being downloaded, the "Cancel" button spasms between "Cancel" and "Close."

Otherwise, seems to be happy as a clam.

As to the GREYCstoration load error - the plugin itself seems to work fine. Is PDN trying to load the EXE that has to be in the Effects folder and throwing an error?

[david.atwell]

This is such a nothing that I can't believe I'm posting it...but the icon for "global" flood type is aliased.

Anyway, PdN 3.20 has exceeded expectations, as expected! ;-) Can't wait for the final!

[pyrochild]

I haven’t found a pair of icons that I really like for this yet, so the lightning bolt and globe are currently just stand-ins:

[david.atwell]

I remembered that, but I'd forgotten it was both...I guess the globe just seems to fit.

Ironically, the lightning bolt looks fine, even though it doesn't fit at all...