Pixelmator Pro image tool with CoreML, Metal 2 enhancements coming in the fall to iOS, mac...
The Pixelmator developers have turned to Apple's CoreML machine learning toolset, and are releasing Pixelmator Pro in the fall to directly combat Photoshop's market dominance.
Announced on Tuesday, The new Pixelmator Pro has a redesigned interface and look. The older version's floating tool palettes are gone, in favor of expanded sidebar selections, and a new tab feature allows to switch between versions of the active image as work progresses.
A series of new tools allows the user to design layouts, and create vector graphics like Adobe Illustrator as well. Retouching images, and digital painting remain at the core of the app, and have been improved with the new version.
Pixelmator Pro retains nondestructive image editing, like its predecessor. A new Recipes feature allows users to save developed effects, use them in other images, and share them with other users.
Also added are custom key layouts for the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar, iCloud sync between iOS and Mac, and split-screen multitasking on the iPad.
Apple's CoreML has been utilized for a repair tool to remove and replace aspects of a photo. CoreML also facilitates a new quick selection tool, label layering based on content, and automatic image straightening based on horizon detection.
Pixelmator will still be maintained after Pixelmator Pro's release, according to the company. A specific release date is not yet known, nor is pricing.
Announced on Tuesday, The new Pixelmator Pro has a redesigned interface and look. The older version's floating tool palettes are gone, in favor of expanded sidebar selections, and a new tab feature allows to switch between versions of the active image as work progresses.
A series of new tools allows the user to design layouts, and create vector graphics like Adobe Illustrator as well. Retouching images, and digital painting remain at the core of the app, and have been improved with the new version.
Pixelmator Pro retains nondestructive image editing, like its predecessor. A new Recipes feature allows users to save developed effects, use them in other images, and share them with other users.
Also added are custom key layouts for the MacBook Pro's Touch Bar, iCloud sync between iOS and Mac, and split-screen multitasking on the iPad.
Apple's CoreML has been utilized for a repair tool to remove and replace aspects of a photo. CoreML also facilitates a new quick selection tool, label layering based on content, and automatic image straightening based on horizon detection.
Pixelmator will still be maintained after Pixelmator Pro's release, according to the company. A specific release date is not yet known, nor is pricing.
Comments
(Meanwhile, on an iMac late 2012, Aperture is still working after MacOS Sierra upgrade.)
Maybe I missed it?
The CoreML features will be really useful once the machine learning algorithms are able to detect, mask and remove complex objects accurately. This is an example of Apple's work on AI:
https://developer.apple.com/documentation/vision/classifying_images_with_vision_and_core_ml
Instead of Not Hotdog, they went with Is Banana:
They use a convolutional neural network for image analysis and they have an offline data set with 1000 object categories:
https://developer.apple.com/machine-learning/
This type of image detection is used for self-driving vehicles so they know what objects are around them:
https://hackernoon.com/creating-insanely-fast-image-classifiers-with-mobilenet-in-tensorflow-f030ce0a2991
http://selfdrivingcars.mit.edu/deeptesla/
One of the simplest benefits is the auto-layer naming in image editing but it can make very advanced tools for editing images especially coupled with Siri. You would be able to ask Siri to remove or move an object in a photo and it would be able to figure out where it was and do all the actions on it. If depth sensor data is added in to iPhone photos, doing perspective correct adjustments and surface editing (e.g shadow projections) will be even easier. Apple's portrait mode is just a basic example of computational photography, once all of these components come together, there's a lot more advanced and accurate things that can be done.
This Pixelmator Pro gives me a bit of pause, but I wonder if the sentence about vector features is like vector features in Pixelmator, or if they are actually going to finally do something about it that area. (Same with CMYK, etc.)
So, this could get interesting.
I'm happy the floating tool palettes will be replaced with one unified app. They used to get lost in the screen estate of the 5K iMac.
As @Frank777 pointed out, I really wish CMYK support comes. If you want to call it Pro, I would assume it is going to come.
I'm willing to pay as much as it used to cost for a Photoshop single user licence for this. I just hope it doesn't move to a subscription model anytime soon.
I'm kind of on the fence. I already use Pixelmator and a few other dedicated non-Adobe apps. Though, if I go Adobe, I get the whole suite, graphics libraries, access to tons of tutorials and community support, compatibility (file and skills) with a huge user community, etc. It's a question I've been pondering for some time now. Just go with Adobe CC, or pick the best of each non-Adobe app?