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cam2pc "roadmap"

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 8:05 am
by nabocorp
Hello,

I wanted to share with you what I have in mind for the next versions of cam2pc. The list of features describe here only includes big stuff that will bring added features to cam2pc. Existing features tweaking are not listed here.

First I think the cam2pc 4 series has seen a good improvement now almost a year after 4.0. I still think some features are missing so I think I will do a last 4.x release (4.5 therefore) to implement them. The list of features that I have currently in mind are:
- Integration of IPTC metadata
- Implement a good media search tool
- Add viewing of Photoshop PSD files and Paint Shop Pro (PSP) formats

Next it will be time for cam2pc to reach a new milestone. This new version will start the 5.x series. Upgrade policy for registered users has not been even thought of so do not ask. We are still months away from this so please be patient. The kind of things I would like to add are:
- Calendar view
- Keywords tagging
- Attached audo file management
- Optional fancier look to be ready for Longhorn
- More image editing features
- ...

Feel free to post any feedback on this. You all know that I have always listened to my users and that I will continue to do so!

Regards,
nabocorp

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 1:06 pm
by drace
supporting the Photoshop PSD format is a very good idea :)

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 2:44 pm
by nabocorp
drace wrote:supporting the Photoshop PSD format is a very good idea :)


As in many software the PSD support will be limited: Photoshop by default includes in the PSD file a flattened preview. If this option is disabled in Photoshop then most softwares would not be able to preview a PSD file except Photosjop itself because you need the layer rendering engine of Photoshop for this.

However, I already started to work on this and things look good :D

Regards,
nabocorp

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 2:53 pm
by Joost
Just a thought: the very new Adobe Digital Negative (DNG) format...

http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/main.html

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 3:04 pm
by nabocorp
Joost wrote:Just a thought: the very new Adobe Digital Negative (DNG) format... http://www.adobe.com/products/dng/main.html


Yes heard about it. As I hope to do the 4.5 before the end of the year I think that DNG will be included in version 5 only. I do not expect a lot people to convert all their RAW format to DNG that fast!

Thanks anyway for the suggestion.

Regards,
nabocorp

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 3:21 pm
by jstartin
Hello Nabocorp

Firstly, as many tributes on this board attest, cam2pc is now fantastically good at what it does. As an image downloader/renamer it must be unrivalled. As a thumbnailer/full screen viewer it is as good as the best alternatives I have seen. And even with albums, web gallery generation, minor image enhancements etc all added in the shareware version it remains compact, quick to load, quick to operate and easy to use.

I think that last list is crucial. Please be wary of adding too many additional functions if they make for a larger program and slower loading, or overcomplicate the interface.

That said:

Category/keyword tagging - Top of my own wishlist. However you do it please make sure we can rename and move files (including archiving to CD) and still keep the keywords available and linked. If not now then somewhere in the future I want to be able to call up, for example, "Category=People/Subcategory=Friends/Keyword=Bill" and be told which CDs to insert. And I want lots of backups and protection of information that I will have typed in; absolutely bombproof please.

Fancier look - Personally I like it as it is, but I suppose this change is inevitable. No bloating please.

Image editing - some improvement to the existing features WOULD be good. User controllable colour rebalancing (the quick fix colour correction isn't all that good, to be honest). Levels adjustment via a histogram, alongside the contrast and brightness controls. Control of USM radius, amount and threshold.

Additional image editing - top of my list here would be small angle rotation (ie straightening).

I think the above cover most of the "routine" adjustments. To go beyond this would, I fear, risk the speed and "friendliness" of cam2pc, so please be careful! Personally I frequently use PSP's clone tool, scratch eraser, perspective adjuster, layers, and various noise reduction tools, but I do not want all this code to load just to browse or view pictures, or download new ones.

Plug-ins - ability to run .8bf plugins from cam2pc could work.

Printing - user definable (saveable) layout templates with full control of image size and placement. Different sizes fitted onto a single A4 page.

So, go forward, but carefully!

PostPosted: Fri Oct 01, 2004 4:24 pm
by nabocorp
jstartin,

do not worry:

1) I have started cam2pc because I could not use ACDSee anymore!
2) I still want to use cam2pc for my own personal use

=> I will make all my possible to avoid software bloating. Even if some people already consider cam2pc to be bloated (which I can understand), I think I am still on the right side of the edge and cam2pc is still easy enough to use. I think the clear image/album separation helps a lot for this.

As for the fancier UI, I do not think I will ever go to a complete custom look like QuickTime, iTunes or even Picasa but I think that the thumbnails view could be nicer.

Stay tuned!

Regards,
nabocorp

PS: histogram display in Image Enhancer will most probably be in 4.5

PostPosted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 1:18 pm
by martin10018
Your plans sound great!

But please: No custom interface - only standard Windows gui elements. I a user wants to change his gui elements he should use WindowBlinds or MSStyles...

PostPosted: Sat Oct 02, 2004 3:12 pm
by angel6700
Hello,

I actually use the freeware version, but really thinking into change to the shareware.

The funcionality you are talking about is just the only thing I needed for buying it. Mainly, the media search tool and the keywords.

Anyway and would like to store keywords of other things in the exxif fields (I think in the sareware version one can write comments into it) and the search also in it.

I think that is mo probably to lost the database information rather that lossing the jpg files...


Thank you for your work, really this is going to be one of the betters Image management programs.

Congratulations :wink:

Angel.

PostPosted: Mon Oct 04, 2004 4:51 pm
by Jan Paul
Hi,

It could be a combination to the two: storing the information into the database as well as in the Exif tags of the picture.
Storing it in the database is great for performance,
storing it in the Exif is good for changing versions etc.
With other programs I found that an external database if often not a reliable place to store this kind of information.

Furthermore I would not like Cam2PC to grow to such a large an extended version as ACDSee. The simple tasks it has now are sufficient, for the very detailed editing of pictures there is PaintShop Pro or Photoshop.
Keep Cam2PC simple and let it do fast thumbnail browsing... There Camp2PC rules!

Jan Paul

PostPosted: Thu Oct 07, 2004 5:51 pm
by jstartin
nabocorp wrote:do not worry:
1) I have started cam2pc because I could not use ACDSee anymore!
2) I still want to use cam2pc for my own personal use
....


Thank you, Nabocorp; I am reassured!

PostPosted: Sun Oct 17, 2004 8:15 am
by Jan Paul
Hi,

Could there be "batch exif" functions in a new version?
ie:
- Delete exif for selected pictures;
- Copy exif from one picture selected pictures;
- Fill specific exif for selected pictures.

Regards,
Jan Paul

careful with the enhancements

PostPosted: Mon Oct 25, 2004 4:19 pm
by prtsbyaj
I just installed cam2pc. I am quite pleased with some of the features. I use PSP and CompuPic Pro on a regular basis.

I see cam2pc as a utility to deal with my digital images, not a full-scale image editor. I would suggest you leave it that way.

Someone once said "If you would be a success, find something no one is doing and do it well". I feel the ability to deal with digital images is challenge enough. To add the other enhancements will bloat the product and put it in the category of an also ran. Forget the non digital formats and concentrate on doing digital image editing and manipulation like
no one else.

A word of advice which I take to heart and share quite frequently - Subscribe to the KISS principle in any task - Keep It Simple Stupid.

cam2pc does its job and is simple - Lets Keep It That Way.

KISS

PostPosted: Tue Oct 26, 2004 7:02 pm
by jan.jedryka
I agree KISS. I do my RAW Conversion in Capture 1 and would not have it any other way because of the use of the RGBI histogram/preview. I would appreciate a find/replace feature on rename. So that CRW_1234.CRW becomes INS-Bee_1234.CRW. A search function on OffLine pics would be nice but I still feel like I'm walking a tightrope here.

I have used the enhance to convert CRW pics and it does a better job than the converter, which doesn't work for me. The colours cannot be fine-tuned, contrast too high, or is it saturation.

Thanks for a consitently good piece of software.

PostPosted: Thu Oct 28, 2004 1:31 pm
by Michael
I would like to have a good search-tool. PSP ore Photoshop display isn't too important for me. There are other things to fix before, like the Canon sound files not properly renamed
http://www.nabocorp.com/phpBB2/viewtopi ... t=transfer
and a bug I reported 1 year ago still exists
http://www.nabocorp.com/phpBB2/viewtopi ... highlight=
%p is loosing his value, I have to use %P instead,