View source for V0.7.4 to v0.8.0 UI Changes

Summary: HueForge UI Updates (v0.7.4 - v0.8.0)

Overview:

This document summarizes the key user interface (UI) changes and new features introduced in HueForge between versions 0.7.4 and 0.8.0, as detailed in a recording of a live office hours session. The primary focus is on the new "Color Match" functionality, along with improvements to file handling, image editing, and core workflows. The speaker emphasizes the importance of the new UI elements and provides a detailed breakdown of how to use them. He notes that some bugs still exist and will be addressed in an upcoming hotfix. The emphasis is placed on a move towards smaller, more focused updates rather than large releases.

Key Themes and Ideas:

Enhanced Project Management:
Browse Projects: Replaces the traditional "Open File" with a more visual "Browse Projects" (Ctrl+B), displaying project thumbnails for easy identification. This feature loads the last saved project folder and also helps find the project folders.
Browse Example Projects: (Ctrl + Shift + B)
Thumbnail Capture: Thumbnails represent the view when the project is saved (including zoom level). This helps users better remember projects.
Centralized Storage: Log files and project files are now stored in a centralized location, streamlining file management.
Project Images: Project images can now be embedded within the project file, simplifying file sharing and reducing dependency on external PNG files.
"you may save image inside of the project file which means you no longer have to worry about that PNG file it doesn't get renamed the project it just gets encoded and put inside the project file"
Exporting Project Images: Project images can be exported from project files, useful for extracting images from shared projects or for use in other applications. Also can export edited images, though a bug was discovered here and will be fixed.
Image Editing & Brightness Adjustments:
"Edit Image" Tool: Introduced to address how brightness compensation works within color match. Rather than altering the mesh itself (which would affect colors), the image is edited beforehand.
Alternate & Content-Aware Modes: Two brightness adjustment modes exist: "alternate" (a stronger, blanket shift) and a context-sensitive mode (adjusting brightness more subtly based on pixel values).
"one of them is kind of context sensitive to what the actual pixel values are and the other one is not and is more blanket"
Bright Adjust: The Bright Adjust tool works better now on the image itself rather than the mesh, and is preferred.
UI and Workflow Improvements
Options Menu: New options related to saving the image inside the project file and displaying images at print size.
Show Image at Print Size: Will show the print at the resolution equal to the print size, allowing for better understanding of how it will actually print.
"when you're trying trying to find in color match like why this spot here is not rendering at the same height that you think that it should...it's easier to find it if your image is exactly the same resolution as this image or as the sorry as the actual print"
Preferences: Several new options added to preferences, including "Use image size" and "Load image with default size".
"if youve set your image up to be a particular size and you want it to fit in into some particular print...this is great you use the image size and it'll actually bring in the image and respect that DPI setting"
The "Load Image with Default Size" option scales images to fit within a defined size during import and is recommended for general use.
Image Updates: Hueforge will check for image updates in external image editors and prompts the user if an update to the loaded image is available. Options are given on whether or not to auto-reload.
Slider Handles: The UI has been updated to make it clearer that the vertical order of sliders is what matters not their left-to-right position.
"the sliders don't matter from left to right it doesn't matter what order they are left to right it matters what order they are top to bottom"
Direct Filament Drag: Filaments can be dragged directly onto the slider bar.
Slider Manipulation: Control+click (Command+click on macOS) allows for moving sliders. Alt+letter shortcuts on the slider area are for sorting, inverting, resetting, and clearing the slider history. Right-clicking a slider now makes it disappear, while right-clicking a slider region can be used for inverting that region (only when on the colorware core.)
Core Switching: Cores are now switched by clicking directly on them.
Color Aware & Color Match Core Functionality:
Colorware Region Control: In the colorware core, the regions themselves are now also controls, where they can be inverted. This will swap the blending so the white is on the bottom and black on top, allowing users to get smooth continuous meshes.
Mesh Core: Mesh cores are now shown simultaneously with color cores so that users can see what colors are being matched in real time. Non-filament colors can be dragged from the image itself onto the mesh core.
Finding Closest Filament: Right-clicking a non-filament color on the mesh core allows users to find the closest matching filament color from their library.
Layer Disabling: Layers can be disabled using the "D" hotkey or by right-clicking on a layer itself, to tell color match not to match to that particular layer. This is helpful for fine-tuning outputs and making sure black is on top in silouette images.
"what it says to color match is you can't match to this layer so the layer will still be printed but it will never be um picked to be the top of the mesh"
Slider Locking: Sliders can be locked to prevent accidental movement via the mousewheel or control/alt + mouse wheel
Slider Zeroing: Sliders can be brought to zero with the Z hotkey.
TD Adjust: TD can be adjusted using the mouse wheel in increments of 0.5.
Color Replacement: Filament color can be replaced by dragging a different filament color onto the slider, while retaining the TD from the original color.
Color Match Algorithms: Four color match algorithms are provided (CAB, Default, HSL, and Dot Product), each with different strengths and weaknesses. CAB is generally considered the best but slowest, while dot product is the fastest and is often good for similar shades.
Spike Removal: The "moderate" spike removal setting is often the best for color match, but is also the slowest.
Stairstep Algorithm: A "stairstep" algorithm is available in the luminance box for creating a posterized effect.
Bright Enhance: Bright Enhance and Midtone enhance/supress are suggested for use on color match images for good results. Algorithm 2 is generally smoother and preferred.
Color Shift: A color shift function is available in the color match menu, which will apply to the image.
Other Features and Fixes:
TD1 updates: There is now an option to backup the license for the TD1 to app data local, and a recovery option in case of corruption. There is also an option to update the firmware via downloaded file, though some bugs are present and will be fixed.
AMD Fix: An option is available for users with older AMD graphics cards, which forces it to use a less efficient but more compatible method. The max number of triangles can now be adjusted in the same menu.
Filament Library: The filament library is still due for an overhaul. The speaker wants to make it easier to use, and allow for turning off filaments.
Hotfix: A hotfix is planned to address various bugs and minor issues discovered in this update.
Key Takeaways:

HueForge v0.8.0 brings significant changes focused on improving workflows and adding advanced control, especially within Color Match.
Users should familiarize themselves with the new file management, image editing, and core-switching mechanisms.
The "Edit Image" tool and layer disabling functionality provide more control over color blending and print outputs.
Performance considerations may influence the selection of color match algorithms.
This briefing should provide a good understanding of the key changes and how to use them within the new HueForge version.