Three Reasons To Learn Paint Shop Pro

In 2007, I made the decision to learn more about graphics. My daughter was always doing nifty things with her photos and I was intrigued. Curiosity turned to passion, particularly for Paint Shop Pro graphics software. No, this isn't a paid post. Along with many other PSP users, I'm enthusiastic about the software and would like to share my enthusiasm with others. Paint Shop isn't the only graphics software available. Here's a few reasons that I recommend it.

1. Versatility - Whether you are cleaning and cropping photos, designing a web page or creating images from scratch, Paint Shop Pro will simplify your work.
2. Friendly - There is a learning curve associated with any graphics software, but I've found Paint Shop Pro's to be the easiest. Although it is capable of producing some sophisticated effects, the basics can be learned in a short period of time and will provide an amazing amount of functionality. Partnered with Jasc's Animation Shop, it can be used to produce your own animated images.
3. Inexpensive - Its capabilities are close to that of far more pricey software, such as Photoshop.

So where do you find Paint Shop Pro? Check back tomorrow and I'll tell you about your choices.

Revisit, Return, Revamp

It's been over two years since I began this blog. Health issues, an interstate move and a need to rethink my approach stopped its progress for a while. Now that my health has had some improvement, we've settled into our Tennessee home and I've given a lot of thought to this blog.

Within a few months of learning Paint Shop Pro, I became interested in writing my own PSP scripts. I had never written Python code, but spent a career in computer programming and web design,so my interest is not that surprising. It gave such power to image creation, particularly in the area of animation, that I wanted to share my knowledge with other PSP enthusiasts.

While there is some interest in scripting, particularly among scrapbookers, there are far more folks who simply want to fix a photo, reposition an image or add a simple effect. I've taken that into consideration when planning changes to this blog. Future posts will include information on acquiring PSP, basic skills, PSP resources and even some freebies.

I hope you'll check back regularly to see what is new.

Wednesday Where

in the World Wide Web . . .

can you find a text-editor that works well with Python and a lot of other languages?

If you caught yesterday's post, you heard about my struggle with Python and whitespace woes. But the woes disappeared when I found Notepad++.

Notepad++ is simple to use and reminiscent of it's unplussed namesake. Unlike some Python-aware editors, it doesn't require that you install Python to use it. It has a lot of wonderful features too. One of my favorites is the zoom feature, great for my less-than-perfect eyesight. The zoom also comes in handy when I want to capture screen shots. You can choose color-coded syntax for over forty languages and change colors to meet your own preferences. And if needed, you can even define your own languages.

You can use the View menu to display indentation guides and white space. I always turn this on when writing scripts, since it makes it easy to spot places where there might be mixed leading spaces and tabs. And the TextFx menu has an option to convert spaces to tabs.



If you'd like to check it out, you can download Notepad++ here.



Once you've installed Notepad++, you'll need to change the Python Source Editor in your File Locations and have it point to Notepad++.exe. If you used installation defaults, it should be located in your Program Files.

Hope you'll check out this easy, functional and free text editor. And that you'll stop by tomorrow for Thursday thoughts.

Tuesday Tips

Watch Your Whitespace

is today's tip. And a very important one when using Python script.

When I first started playing with scripts, I couldn't figure out why I was having a problem. When adding a simple loop in the code, I suddenly had a lot of error messages. But when I looked at my script, I couldn't see anything wrong. Eventually, I read that Python didn't handle mixed white space well. You can use either spaces or tabs for indentation, but beware mixing them.

I learned about using a Python-aware editor. That solved a lot of problems, particularly on scripts that I recorded and edited. But when I tried to modify a script that I hadn't created, I frequently got errors again. Since I didn't have any control over which editor other folks used in their scripts, I was puzzled as how to solve this problem.

Then I found an easy to use text editor that can take a script with mixed white space and correct it. With one easy command. And it's not an editor that is exclusive for Python. It provides color-coded syntax for HTML, Javascript, Perl, ASP, PHP and many other languages.

If you'd like to know Where in the World Wide Web I found this editor, just check back tomorrow. Did I mention that it's free?

Monday Mix-Ups

Give it a TRY

Last Monday, I talked about Simple filters - easy to use and easy to script. After showing how to add the filter to the script, I mentioned that it was important to check that the script user has the Simple filter available on their computer. Today, I'll show you the simplest way I know to do that.

Python has a very handy command called try. If you "try" a command and it doesn't work, it won't cause errors in your script. Even better, you can specify an action or actions to take, which will replace the command which didn't work. Here's what it looks like:

In the example, I've told Python to substitute Colorize and Blinds, if the HorizontalGrain effect doesn't work. It will also print a message to the Script Output Palette.

(Note: I'm not showing the substitute effect settings in this example, but you would want your script to include these.)

Notice how the HorizontalGrain effect is indented under try: and the substitute effects are indented under except:. The indentation tells Python which commands are included in the try and except processes. When the indentation stops (line 17), Python will continue executing the commands regardless of whether the HorizontalGrain or substitute effects were used.

If you didn't want to use a substitute, you might include a Message dialog box in the exception section. You could show where to download the effect, then cancel the script. If you haven't ever used a Message box or cancelled a script, keep checking back. I'll be showing how to do that in future blogs.

I'll be back tomorrow with Tuesday Tips.

Monday Mix-Ups

Keep it simple. That's good advice for many things in life. But today, I'm referring to Simple Filters, a free and easy-to-use plug-in for PSP. It's called Simple, because there are no plug-in settings for the filters. Run the plug-in, get an effect.

Simple Filters also simplify life for the PSP scripter. These filters can be recorded in your scripts without any concern for settings. What could be simpler?

I like the Horizontal Grain effect which was used on the image above. By reducing opacity to the original and effect layers, it can also be used to create some lovely backgrounds. Here's all the code that's required to apply the filter to an image.

If you're sharing the script, then you'll need to check that the user has the Simple plug-in installed. More about that in the near future. Despite the name, the effects created with these filters are very versatile. Check out the Simple Filter Site to download the filters and see examples of applied filters.

Have fun and check back tomorrow for Tuesday Tips.

Sunday Starters

One of my favorite childhood toys was a kaleidoscope.  The outside was made of brightly colored cardboard, but the inside was the real mystery.  I remember profound disappointment when I opened one.  I still didn't understand how it worked.  And, of course, it never did work again. Back then,  I was able to replace it by savings two weeks allowance (10 cents total) and making a trip to the aptly named Five & Dime store.  I certainly got a shock the other day when I came across ads for kaleidoscopes that were in the $100 range.  I looked a little more and found some that were meant for children.  These weren't nearly as pricey, but still cost more than I'd want to pay for a cardboard toy.

I wondered how hard it would be to make a kaleidoscope.  "Quite difficult" was my first impression. Directions for children's crafts included 3 pieces of mirrored glass.  Not near our 6 year old's fingers!  Others included several components that would have to be purchased.  How does that help save money? I finally did come up with some instructions that were acceptable and I'm sharing them below.   But in the process, I came up with some other sites that provide a lot of online kaleidoscope fun.

Create A Kaleidoscope

I had lots of fun with this kaleidoscope, from the Childhood section of the Victoria and Albert Museum site, is my favorite. Use the mouse to drag toys into a workspace. The toys are reflected in a virtual kaleidoscope. Color, background and reflection controls add even more variety. Simple enough for a young child to use.

Kaleidoscope Painter

Create a kaleidoscope-like pattern by moving the mouse over the workspace surface. There are options for brush size and one option that just let's you sit back and watch. It's easy enough for children to use - as long as the adult will relinquish the mouse!

For those who like jigsaws, check out the kaleidoscope jigsaws at MyPuzzle.org. You can select the number of puzzle pieces, as few as 16 pieces for the younger puzzle fans.

If you still want to make one by hand, check out this version at Cool Kids Craft Ideas. This one uses materials you probably have at home already. The instructions are clear and even a young child will be able to do most of them. It's got my vote!

See you tomorrow for Monday Mixup.