Adding features like bevel to Style Adjustment, apply mask, refine mask, maintaining Edge Softness of Selection Tools.

What features would you like to see in Pixelmator Pro?
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2020-05-31 18:16:36

No doubt Pixelmator Pro is a great value for the price we pay especially the enthusiasts who are switching from PS due to high monthly fee.
Having said that I would recommend adding the following minor feature to the future versions of Pixelmator Pro that will immensely enhance its the capability.
1) Ability to create actions.
2)Adding the feature Bevel (upper/lower) to Style Adjustment.
3) Provision of Apply Mask capability by using the right click menu. I was able to apply mask by clicking Command Option E on the mask.
4)Ability to Refine Mask including mask opacity. Please consider adding Refine Mask capability which could be accessed by right clicking on the mask.
5) Ability to hold/fix the Edge Softness of Free Selection tool unless a change is desired. This will come handy when different sections of an image are selected in tandem and where same edge softness is desired especially when retouching an image.
6) Improving the Quick Selection. The area selection extends far beyond the cursor with no check on the fuzziness/range of the selection. I rarely use this tool due to difficulty in managing the selection area.
7) The ability to control the colour range of Colour Selection tool by simply using a slider on the same page without having to click on a button "Select Colour Range".
Also, moving cursor (which is in the shape of dropper) changes the tolerance and instantly the entire image is selected. Once the desired colour has been selected the cursor should not remain in the shape of a dropper. I wonder if any Pixelmator Pro user ever uses this selection tool.
8) Last but not the least, the ability to save selection is very much desired. In fact Selection Functions should be grouped under its own Menu in the top menu bar.

This should be enough for now.

Best Regards.

Ali Gohar
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2020-06-01 12:13:36

Thanks for taking the time to share these requests! I'll do my best to provide some info about each of them:
by aligohar 1) Ability to create actions.
We're working on(/finishing up) AppleScript support, which will let you script certain things. In-app action creation isn't on our roadmap just now, but after we add scripting support, we'll see what people need.
by aligohar 2)Adding the feature Bevel (upper/lower) to Style Adjustment.
This isn't currently on our roadmap but we can keep it in mind.
by aligohar 3) Provision of Apply Mask capability by using the right click menu. I was able to apply mask by clicking Command Option E on the mask.
I'm not sure I completely understand this — Add Mask is available if you Control-click a layer in the Layers sidebar. Are you looking for it in a different shortcut menu?
by aligohar 4)Ability to Refine Mask including mask opacity. Please consider adding Refine Mask capability which could be accessed by right-clicking on the mask.
Noted — I'll add this request to our feature request list.
by aligohar 5) Ability to hold/fix the Edge Softness of Free Selection tool unless a change is desired. This will come handy when different sections of an image are selected in tandem and where same edge softness is desired especially when retouching an image.
Just to clarify, are you looking to apply a set amount of edge softness to every selection automatically? So as things are now, you have to use Refine Selection and, after applying your changes, if you add to the selection, you aren't able to apply a set softness to just that area of the selection so it matches the rest?
by aligohar 6) Improving the Quick Selection. The area selection extends far beyond the cursor with no check on the fuzziness/range of the selection. I rarely use this tool due to difficulty in managing the selection area.
The range of the selection is determined by the brush size — you reduce the size, the range should become smaller. But, as the tool selects objects, if you're in an area that the tool determines to be one object, even with a small brush size, it will select quite a lot of the object. If you have any examples of images where you think the tool could do better, we'd love to see them!
by aligohar 7) The ability to control the colour range of Colour Selection tool by simply using a slider on the same page without having to click on a button "Select Colour Range".

Also, moving cursor (which is in the shape of dropper) changes the tolerance and instantly the entire image is selected. Once the desired colour has been selected the cursor should not remain in the shape of a dropper. I wonder if any Pixelmator Pro user ever uses this selection tool.
The range of the Color Selection tool is actually determined by how much you drag the mouse. The more you drag, the more the Tolerance increases. So, with a simple click, you just get just that color selected, but if you click and drag, it selects more and more. The cursor remains the dropper because you can always pick a new color or add to/subtract from/intersect the selection. As far as I understand, you'd like to have a way to make color selections of contiguous areas without having to click and drag but by picking and color and then using a slider to refine it. Right now, the picking a color and dragging to refine it is combined into one action, basically.
by aligohar 8) Last but not the least, the ability to save selection is very much desired. In fact Selection Functions should be grouped under its own Menu in the top menu bar.
Noted, we'll keep this in mind!
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2020-06-01 19:30:37

Thanks for your quick response Andrius,

3) I normally apply given mask when there is no further need to work on that specific mask and thus the effects of the mask are permanently applied to the image on a specific layer. I am able to do the same by Command Option E click on the mask in Pixelmator Pro.

5) While using Free and Quick Selection tool to select different areas of a given image, it would help if one is able to select a set edge softness (for example 30%) for all the subsequent selections. Presently one has to select repeatedly the Refine button every time a new area on the same image is selected. Simply put, once selected, the Edge Softness and other variable should remain constant unless one desires it to change them.
6) I will leave the Colour Selection for now. Its too complicated for me to work with.

One last thing regarding the mask that I would like to add here is the ability to view a mask. In PS if one Option Clicks on a given mask one is able to view just that mask in grey scale. It greatly helps in setting the desired level of contrast of the mask and refining it. If the same ability is added in Pixelmator Pro it will facilitate those who use masks.

Thanks once again.

Ali Gohar
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2020-06-03 14:25:10

Great, thanks for the additional clarification!