does anybody use Gimp?

[marky]

does anybody here use Gimp?.how does it perform and what features does it have ?.....i use Xnview but would like to try somthing else....just to see.....any comments or feedback on these programs would be greatly appreciated, for some silly reason photoshop will not work on my pc despite havin all the right specs and adobe have not responded to my e-mails(bad,bad, bad customer services!).........thx M

 

[odklizec]

Mark, I tried it some time ago. But I was never able to accept its concept of floated and completely undockable windows. I found it silly and very unfriendly. I like well organized and dockable workflow. And windows floating here or there are everything else but organized. But maybe it's just me?

My personal favorite was always PaintShopPro. But after version 8 it started to be huge, slow and unstable. I once tried the latest version and even thought there are some nice and useful tools, I still think the version 8 was the last usable PSP version.

If I may suggest you something, try a program, where you can save all the development parameters along with processed image. In the past, I sometime created a very nice picture (either color or B&W). But I was never able to to reproduce it again with the same or similar picture. Simply, I forgot all steps and tools I used on the original image Now I'm using Silkypix and I'm perfectly happy! After saving the processed image, Silkypix automatically saves the settings file with all used tools and parameters. And next time I open the source file (either DNG or JPEG), Silkypix automatically loads last saved settings for just loaded file. And you can save/load these settings also manually to/from another file! So once the settings are saved, they are not lost and can be used with any other file!

I'm sure, some other RAW/JPEG developers can do this too (for example Lightroom). But I personally think that SilkyPix is currently the best tool for Ricoh DNG files. It's a tool "Made in Japan" and as we all know, GRD/GX100 cameras are highly popular in Japan. Maybe it's just my false impression, but I think the SilkyPix developers take a special care about Ricoh files?

 

[Colman]

I've been using a combination of iPhoto (for easy pictures) and the Gimp with UFRaw (which is an interface to DCRaw) for RAW processing more difficult pictures and doing the funky processing when it's necessary. Seems to work fine - I think they've done some work on making tool windows and things more dockable.

I'll have a look at Aperture when Apple sort out the RAW import for the GR-D II though.

 

[odklizec]

Maybe I should give the Gimp a try again? If they really fixed the window docking, then they fixed my biggest gripe with this program However, there is still a problem that one cannot save all processing parameters into a separate file. This is a very useful Silkypix feature. But I understand that it would be too hard to implement such feature in program like Gimp. There are too many variables, which cannot be easily saved.

 

[kaigr64]

I tried my best to like Gimp a few years ago, but I just hated so many things about it, that I continued using PaintShop Pro as I had been at that time. I've always seen Gimp as something essential for Linux users, but kind of unnecessary in the Windows/Apple world where there are better options.

 

[marky]

thanks guys......I will just have to try different programs and see which i like, its great to get different peoples opinions who have expereince with them....M

 

[tommy]

I use Gimp exclusively, and it works for me. I have never tried anything else, so my putting up with it might be due to bliss of ignorance. It does enervate me quite a bit that Gimp pops up new windows every time I crop or adjust levels and lots of other common things -- especially since my window manager is set on manual placement of new windows and click-to-focus -- but I've gotten used to it.

 

[marky]

hi Tommy,....i use Xnview and its free to download....i quite like it but thought i'd try somthing else....perhaps if you were to try it you might like it?....one day i will give gimp a try and see if i get along with it......i'll let you know...M