FotoSketcher 4.0 Beta 1 is here (Windows & macOS)!

Hello everyone,

I have some very exciting news to share today! After months of hard work and development, I am thrilled to finally announce the release of the first Beta version of FotoSketcher 4.0.

This is a huge milestone because, for the first time, FotoSketcher is truly cross-platform. Whether you are running Windows or using a Mac with Apple Silicon (Intel Mac will be supported at a later date), you can now run the latest version of the program.

Since this is a Beta 1 release, there are bound to be a few rough edges. As usual, I am counting on you to give it a try and let me know if you encounter any bugs or issues. 
Your feedback is incredibly valuable to help me polish this version for the final release.

You can download the beta versions here:

• Windows: https://fotosketcher.com/beta/FotoSketcher_Windows.zip

• macOS (Apple Silicon): https://fotosketcher.com/beta/FotoSketcher_MacOS.zip

Thank you all for your continued patience and support. I really hope you enjoy experimenting with this new version!

Best regards,

David

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P.S. Quick installation tip:

Since these are portable versions (no installer needed), here is how to get started:

• For Windows: Right-click the downloaded .zip file, select Extract All..., and save it to a folder of your choice. Then, simply open the folder and double-click FotoSketcher.exe to launch the program.

• For macOS: Double-click the .zip file to unzip it. You can then drag the FotoSketcher app to your Applications folder or run it directly.

  • Note: If you see a warning that the app "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified," don't panic! Just Control-click (or Right-click) the app icon, select Open from the menu, and click Open again in the dialog box.

 

#FotoSketcher #FotoSketcher4 #DigitalArt #PhotoToPainting #macOS #Windows #AppleSilicon #BetaRelease #PhotoEditing #IndieDev #FreeSoftware #ArtFilters 

 

FotoSketcher MacOS and Windows: Progress Report & Beta News

Here is a quick progress report as I move closer to the next major milestone: the Beta release!

I am happy to report that Painting 8 has been successfully improved and ported to the new platform. To date, the development version of FotoSketcher includes:

• 11 Artistic Effects: 3 Pencil Sketch, 3 Pen & Ink, and 5 Painting effects.
• 2 Photo Filters: Orton and Vibrance/Sharpen.

 

New Features Finalized

I have also wrapped up work on several essential tools:

• Full menu system & clipboard support.
• Drag-and-drop functionality for source images.
• Text and Frame tools (including custom frame loading).
• Texture loading and application.
• Printing support.
• Split view mode (Source on the left, Result on the right).
• Crop, rotate, and "Use result as source" (F12).

Technical Updates

• Transparency: Alpha channel support is now active for most effects.
• Custom Brushes: Brushstroke-based effects now support loading custom brushes (transparent PNG images, usually converted from Photoshop .abr files).

Next Steps Before Beta Launch

Before releasing the public beta for Windows and macOS, I am focusing on:

• Minor UI improvements.
• Better thread management (to prevent concurrent processing issues).
• General stability improvements.

The Roadmap Ahead

Looking further into the future, my roadmap includes layer management (merging effects), scripting support, new effects, and a new mobile UI for potential iOS and Android ports.

Stay tuned for exciting updates in the near future! :) 

FotoSketcher alpha release - for Windows and MacOS

Merry Christmas everyone!

I've donned my best Santa Claus suit to bring you a gift today. ;)

Development of the new multi-platform version of FotoSketcher is progressing well, and an alpha release is now available for you to test. While it appears stable, it still needs a bit of polishing and a few features are not available yet (printing, for instance).

However, the following effects are working right now:

• 3 pencil sketch effects
• 3 pen & ink effects
• 3 painting effects (watercolor and brushstrokes)
• 2 photo filters (soft glow—à la Orton—and vibrance/structure)

Some of these effects are very similar to those in the current Windows version (3.98), while others are brand new or improved.

Most importantly for macOS users, this alpha release should work on any Mac with Apple Silicon (M1 to M5 chips). I intend to compile a test version for older Intel-based Macs soon.

Downloads:

Windows: https://fotosketcher.com/beta/FotoSketcher_Windows.zip

macOS (Apple Silicon): https://fotosketcher.com/beta/FotoSketcher_MacOS.zip

 

I hope you enjoy playing with this brand new version of FotoSketcher! I would be grateful for your thoughts, suggestions, and - hopefully not too many - bug reports.

Have fun!

David

   

 

  

 

 

New felt-tip marker effect

Hi all,

A new effect has been added to the upcoming multi-platform version of FotoSketcher : felt-tip marker pen.

So currently, there are 4 sketch/drawing effects, 2 pen & ink effects, 3 painting effects and a couple of photo effects (Orton filter and vibrancy).

Stay tuned for Windows and MacOS test versions soon.

All the best,

David 

 

 

FotoSketcher multi-platform quick demo video

Hi everyone,

The next version of FotoSketcher is making steady progress! I’m excited to share that I’ve successfully run it on MacOS and Android, as well as Windows 11 of course.

To give you a glimpse of what’s coming, here’s a short video showcasing the new interface in action. I hope you enjoy this sneak peek!

Stay tuned for more updates as development continues.

 

All the best,

David 

FotoSketcher multi-platform work in progress

Hi all,

As you may know, I've started working again on the full rewrite of FotoSketcher to make it multi-platform (and with a more modern and clean codebase).

The desktop (Windows and MacOS) user interface is progressing well, with most basic features now working.

Here is a snapshot of the future interface (placements of many elements will change).

 
Still a long road ahead, but progress is steady.

As for porting the effects, I currently have three or four that are working, but still need optimizing.

A new black and white stippling/dithering effect is now almost ready, here is an example (click on image to see full scale):

All the best,

David 

Working on the the future multi-platform version of FotoSketcher

Hi all,

Whilst I'm putting the finishing touches to FotoSketcher 3.99 for Windows, I have also made progress on the future multi-platform version (Windows and MacOS, and possibly mobile as well). 

Here is a teaser: my coding environment ;)

All the best,

David 

 

 

FotoSketcher 3.98 alpha 3 available for testing

Hi all,

An early test version of FotoSketcher 3.98 is available for download here: https://fotosketcher.com/FotoSketcher_3.98_alpha3.exe

It is not yet fully optimized, but should be faster than alpha 1 and alpha 2.

This should solve a persistent and stubborn bug that has been reported by many Windows 11 users, where Painting 5, Painting 6 and Cartoon 1 effects would produce random horizontal lines.

Windows 10 users were unaffected.

 

As usual I would be grateful if you could give me some feedback on this alpha release :)

All the best,

David 

 

FotoSketcher 3.97 is officially released

Hi all,

FotoSketcher 3.97 for Windows is now officially released!

For MacOS users (with M1, M2, M3 or M4 Apple processors), FotoSketcher for Windows can run on your Mac.

You first need to install the free program Whisky available here: https://getwhisky.app/

Once installed, download the current portable Windows version of FotoSketcher and execute it on your Mac. It works well and fast.

Here is a list of changes in this release:

• the "No effect" filter (which used to simply copy the left image to the right pane) can now be used for more than just adding a frame or texture. It can also modify the luminosity, contrast, color saturation, sharpness and color vividness of the source image. 
• minor UI improvements 
• correction of the brushstrokes frame preview not working
  
• bug fixes, including a couple that could crash FotoSketcher 😬

 

 

Verona

 

Have fun with FotoSketcher! 

Best regards,

David

FotoSketcher 3.97 beta 1 available for testing

Hi all,

FotoSketcher 3.97 beta 1 is now available for testing. You can download it here: https://fotosketcher.com/FotoSketcher_3.97_beta1.exe

This version corrects a rare but nasty bug that could crash the program when applying texture to the image.

Some minor UI changes have been made, and the "No effect" filter (which used to simply copy the left image to the right pane) can be used for more than just adding a frame or texture. 

It can also modify the luminosity, contrast, color saturation and sharpness of the source image. 

This can be put to good use with the manual brush or scripts (F5 key). 

Also powerful when using the F12 function key, which swaps the left and right images.  

Have fun,

David