GimPhoto roadmap after GIMP 2.6.0 release
Many GimPhoto users asking about GimPhoto update for using the new GIMP 2.6.0.
If we follow closely with GIMP 2.6.0 release news on the forum and read many users experience that following the news, we can realize that there is still many troubles exist on this new release so GIMP dev. team react fast with this bugs error reports with new release GIMP 2.6.1 soon after GIMP 2.6.1 release. This happen because there is about 2 BIG changes is happen on the GIMP 2.6.0, first the most important one is GEGL, GIMP starting 2.6 is starting to use new GEGL 32bit engine for its graphics processing (but this is not enabled by default) and second is GIMP User Interface improvement (i hope the new GIMP UI is better than PS interface then i can retire GimPhoto ;)
Because of this 2 big changes, GIMP 2.6 is a moving target.
GEGL on GIMP 2.6 beside bring better image quality also means GIMP will demand more memory (about twice from GIMP 2.4 memory requirement, maybe this also explain why GIMP 2.4 is require less memory than PS 7) and also it will need more processing power (slower when perform image processing) because GIMP 2.4 doing 8bit processing and GEGL doing 32bit processing. I think GIMP 2.4 is still usable mainly for lower pc, netbooks, or for doing web graphics that not demanding on image quality because GIMP 2.4 is lighter and faster.
Because GimPhoto is one man effort then i always try to search the most stable release, this mean many users already use it without troubles and its has been proven stable for every functions (no more new features implemented, each new release only for bug fixes because new features mean new bugs possibility and also not to mention there is possibility to introduce another bugs to already existed features)
Like Gimpshop that using GIMP 2.2.11 that is great because there is no more release for GIMP 2.2.
I always looking for GIMP release that stable and if possible is lasting forever (maybe 2.4.7), this because everytime i create new version of GimPhoto i must starting the GIMP modification from all the beginning so i will save a lot of my time and GimPhoto release will have longer lifetime if i only modify the stable and proven GIMP release like Gimpshop do with GIMP 2.2.11.
I already can do a LOT of things using the current GimPhoto release.
But many still underestimate it, maybe there is lack of documentation or tutorial for explains the GIMP or GimPhoto capabilities... maybe I should write more tutorial or even a user manual.
So for the next released of GimPhoto, i will use GIMP 2.4.5.
And i also improve GimPad for Windows and looking possibility to create GimPad for Linux (this will need to coding it from scratch).
For GIMP 2.6.0, sorry guys, we still need to wait and see...
Maybe there is GimPhoto for GIMP 2.6 or maybe we directly jump to GIMP 2.8, like always, just look at this site for the latest news.
17 comments:
This was very informative zenith. Thank you very much for make some things and your ideas clear. Looking forward your future release of GimPhoto no matter what release it will be :-)
JiriH
JiriH,
thanks a lot for a very supportive comments, this means a lot to me ;) thanks!
Why not make GimPhoto open source and let other people contribute?
-- ray
Ray,
GimPhoto already a open source, you can download the source at http://www.gimphoto.com/2008/05/gimphoto-source-code-release.html
GimPhoto is minor modification of GIMP then the modification at GIMP source code is very minimal (only disable menu icons to speedup menu rendering), other modification can be done without recompilation.
I don't know if user is needed to contribute at source code because GIMP source code is very complex and very difficult for me to understand, until know i still do trial and error to find the right code to do modification.
I will be very happy if there is experienced programmer with GTK and GIMP that interested to help me to add features such as layer group, layer adjustments, actions, modification for toolbox, etc :)
Can You Please make a linux version on gimp 2.4 but with --without-dbus --without-gnomevfs --disable-python
Not everyone has python, and gnome, dbus etc, most the small linux distro's 200MB and under don't use any of that and it stops this program from working, It just crashes as soon as you open a page.
Thanks for everything
Anonymous,
sorry for very late response.
thank's for you suggestions, i will try to provide package without dbus, gnomevfs and python for GimPhoto for Linux.
just a great work!! thanks you so much.
Gimp 2.8 release date is estimated at late 2010 or early 2011. Any plans for updating GimPhoto to use Gimp 2.6.8? Does the Gimp team plan to release any more 2.6.x?
Thanks for your hard work so far. Free raster editing needs all the support it can get!
Anonymous,
Thanks for your kind words :)
sorry, but for GimPhoto based on GIMP 2.6, i prefer to wait until GIMP 2.8 released.
@Zenith:
I agree, Gimp 2.6 is IMHO too little of the future and too much of the past but with disadvantages from both sides. 2.8 is very promising, it's a long wait till the expected release date but it's worth waiting for. Actually I believe you can already prepare for that future. The early beta sources are already available I believe?
success
Maggy
@Zenith
What I forgot to write: I think it will be best to keep the current version available for all those who do not have the latest multicore computers with several GB's of RAM. I know there are still people using CP/M, DOS and Commodore 64 computers now, I guess Windows 2000 and XP will still be around when I'm long gone.
But for those who do have the latest hardware I hope a GimpPhoto based on Gimp 2.8 will be available "soon" (= 2011 or 2012?)
Maggy,
yes i agree that GIMP 2.8 will be a very interesting release, but i don't want to steal the show :)
in the world of open source the users response is very valuable so i decide that GimPhoto will never using latest version of GIMP, GimPhoto will only using older version of GIMP as its base :)
So Zenith, are you saying Gimp users have asked you not to use the latest version? I remember there was some grumbling about GimpShop when it was being developed, but I'm kind of surprised people would still be so irrationally protective. Things like GimpShop/Photo only make the software more attractive and help make the user base grow.
We have Gimp Paint Studio, too, and I haven't noticed any hatred towards it.
Tonttu,
actually that is my decision, because modifying GIMP takes a lot of time, so i prefer to select most stable older release for modification, such as 2.6.8 is a good candidate :)
but for now i still struggle for preparing, compiling and packaging GimPhoto 1.4.3 for MacOS X with my very limited free time :(
Tonttu,
everytime GIMP released new version, everybody download it, talk about it, and all GIMP users give appreciation to the release, thanks to GIMP dev team for great new features, etc.
that is what i mean about user responses and in the free open source software world that is no money involved in it, that responses and appreciations from users is very valuable.
i only don't want GimPhoto steal that moment from GIMP because GimPhoto is only a modification from GIMP.
without GIMP there is no GimPhoto.
Ok thanks for the explanation!
For your attention, there is a growing need (in open source) for the kind of tool set you are providing, as Krita team announced they will not be concentrating on photo editing: http://krita.org/
Tonttu,
thanks for your information, i will try my best to improve the next version of GimPhoto.
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