FotoSketcher 4.30 Beta 1 is ready for testing

Hi all,

The first beta version of FotoSketcher 4.30 is now ready for download and testing. This release brings some new artistic tools, script updates, and a few notable UI tweaks.

Here is what is new in version 4.30 Beta 1:

• Lookup Tables (LUT) Support: Added to the Photo Lab category. This feature allows you to load standard .cube files to apply custom color grading mapping to your images, giving you a wider range of cinematic and photographic tones.

• New "Stylize" Category: I have introduced a new category called Stylize, which currently hosts two brand-new effects:
• Mosaic: Turns your photos into classic tiled mosaic patterns.

• Cartoon: A clean, graphic style with defined lines and solid colors.

• Updated Scripting Engine: The script engine has been fully updated to support LUTs, Mosaic, and Cartoon, so you can now include these new effects in your automated sequences. (Note: I haven't forgotten about providing some ready-made scripts soon!)

• User Interface & Layout Fixes: 

• A blue dot has been added to the thumbnail gallery to clearly indicate which thumbnails are untouched source images.

• I have implemented a potential fix to address window positioning issues on multi-monitor setups.

Still on the to-do list: Before the final release, I need to do more testing to weed out any lingering bugs. I am also working on improving both the Italian and Korean translations, thanks to two kind users who have provided updated and corrected translation files.

If you would like to test this beta version and help find any remaining bugs, you can download it here:

https://fotosketcher.com/beta/FotoSketcher_4.30_beta1.zip

As always, your feedback is very welcome. Please let me know how it works on your system!

Best regards,

David 

A quick look at the upcoming FotoSketcher 4.30

Hi everyone,

I am currently working on the next update, FotoSketcher 4.30, and I wanted to share a brief preview of the changes and new features coming in this version.

Here is what you can expect in the next release:

• 3 New Effects:

  • Lookup Tables (LUTs) support: Added to the Photo Lab category, allowing for custom color grading.

  • Mosaic and Cartoon: These two new styles will be available under a brand-new Stylize category.

• Updated Scripting Engine: The script engine has been updated to support these new effects, allowing you to include them in your automated workflows.

• Performance Enhancements: Code optimizations have been made under the hood to improve overall rendering speed.

• User Interface & Bug Fixes: This version will also include various UI refinements, general bug fixes, and corrections to translations.

Work is progressing well, and I will share download links for testing as soon as a stable build is ready.

Thank you for your continued feedback and support!

Best regards,

David 

Experimenting with mosaics

 

Having fun with scripts

Hi all,

I am currently experimenting with different scripts. I will share them here on my blog and will also write a tutorial to help you create your own.

Stay tuned!

FotoSketcher Studio 4.20: corrected version now available 🪲

Hello everyone,

A corrected version of FotoSketcher Studio 4.20 is now available from the same download link at https://fotosketcher.com/download-fotosketcher/
If you downloaded version 4.20 yesterday, please re-download and re-install - the installer will cleanly update your existing installation.

What was the bug?

Some users experienced a crash (the famous"Access Violation" error message) when changing the application language, or sometimes when closing the program after a language change. The error did not happen for everyone, which made it trickier to track down.

What caused it?

FotoSketcher uses a scrolling text animation for labels that are too long to fit in their space. When switching languages, the program updated the label texts while some of them were still inside the containers used for this animation. On certain system configurations, these containers were not yet fully initialized at that point, causing the crash. The fix was to properly clean up the animations before updating any text.

Why didn't I catch this during testing?

On my development machine, the timing was always just right and everything was initialized by the time I switched languages. On other machines - different graphics drivers, screen scaling, or just different timing - it was not. A good reminder that "works on my PC" is never quite good enough!

Thank you

A huge thank you to David Garcia, who not only reported the bug within minutes of the release but also went above and beyond by exchanging emails with me late into the night, testing multiple debug builds, and helping me pinpoint the exact conditions that triggered the crash. His fast and thorough feedback was absolutely essential in getting this resolved so quickly.

Thank you also to Jack and everyone else who took the time to test the beta versions and the release. Thank you also to Roberto who corrected some mistakes I had made in the Italian translation. Your feedback and kind words mean a lot, and they really help make FotoSketcher better with each update.

Now, time to get some well deserved rest before the next round of improvements.

Happy sketching!

FotoSketcher Studio 4.20: A major release is officially here!

Hello everyone,

I am very happy to announce that FotoSketcher version 4.20 is now available for download. A big thank you to everyone who tested the beta version and provided such helpful feedback. Let's be blunt, I am quite proud of the new tools and improvements in this update. Hopefully I did not introduce too many new bugs...🤞

Here is a breakdown of what is new in this release:

- Three new effects As some of you requested, I have ported two classic effects from the old Windows-only 3.98 version: Watercolor 2 and Brushstrokes 2. I have also added a completely new Comic print effect, which is great for giving your photos a classic graphic novel look.

- Advanced Scripting and Batch Mode The new Script Editor is fully up and running. It allows you to write custom scripts to apply a specific sequence of effects. To help you get started, a reference sheet is included, along with a ready-to-use default script straight out of the box that combines three different watercolor renderings. Best of all, the script engine is fully compatible with batch mode, meaning you can apply your custom sequences to an entire folder of images automatically.

- History Gallery Upgrades I have added a new circular magnifying glass preview for the history gallery. This makes it much easier to inspect the fine details of your different image versions before saving. You can also now set any image directly from a thumbnail in the history gallery as your new source or result image, giving you a lot more versatility in your workflow.

- Menu and Workflow Additions The main menu is now more complete. I have added a "Combine source/result" option (F11) to easily merge or blend your images, and a convenient "Check for update" function directly in the menu so you can easily stay on the latest version.

Other improvements

• The Watercolor 1 effect now works much better when the "Erase background" option is deselected.

• After weeding out the last few bugs, this version also includes various UI tweaks and stability improvements under the hood.

You can download FotoSketcher Studio 4.20 for free here (Windows and MacOS): https://fotosketcher.com/download-fotosketcher/ 

I want to sincerely thank everyone who continues to support the project. Whether you test early versions, share your artwork, or support the software with a donation, it is always greatly appreciated and helps keep FotoSketcher completely free.

Have fun with the new version!