Request: 'Shapes' and 'Alpha Blending' for Spotlight feature

[budz45]

Hi,

This is two requests in one but they are both enhancement requests concerning the same Spotlight feature.

I reckon the future Paint tool that will come to XnViewMP would include better support for Shape Selection tools (I reckon ). If implemented, this same 'code' could get re-used in other areas of the XnView family.

I have made two mock-up screenshots using the Spotlight feature itself to highlight the two area changes of proposed enhancement.

1.) Shape Selection (for Spotlight)

spotlight-mock1.png (9.19 KiB) Viewed 1864 times

Normal -------------->this is the standard square selection
Normal (rounded) -------------->standard square selection with rounded corners
Free -------------->free-hand drawing-selection, this may be or may not be a bad idea
Circle -------------->helpful for using on rounder objects in pictures with more detail (e.g. peoples faces)
Oval
Diamond
Triangle


2.) Alpha Blending (for Spotlight)
Alpha Blending will basically add a faded 'blur' effect to the inside of drawn spotlights on pictures. I have used this feature as a default in a screen-capture editing software and it is nice.

spotlight-mock2.png (8.98 KiB) Viewed 1864 times

edit-fat-cat-istock.jpg (55.44 KiB) Viewed 1863 times

soft line-blur effect is the alpha blending

Spotlight as a tool is so useful, especially for educational purposes. I am thankful that it is in XnViewMP
This is my final request for Spotlight.

[budz45]

and Alpha Blending is known as "Blur edge" in the 'Spotlight' feature featured in the editor Faststone Capture 7.9, so Blur Edge might be a more fitting name.

Also the 'Spotlight' of Faststone Capture's editor can Greyscale the Background to produce a useful effect which visually draws the user to the spotlighted area:

[budz45]

Hi,

Paint.NET has a very nice combobox menu of it (see below screenshot):