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Microsoft Is Redesigning the Paint App For Windows 10 (theverge.com) 118

Microsoft is redesigning the Paint app with Windows 10 in mind. As mentioned in the leaked video posted by Twitter user WalkingCat, the "ability to create in 3D" is one of the biggest new features in the works. The Verge reports: A launch video notes that the new "Paint Preview" app includes all the familiar features of the regular version of Paint, but Microsoft is adding in 3D object support. Paint Preview users will be able to create 3D objects, and annotate them freely. Microsoft has a range of markers and art tools to help artists create objects, and brushes that can be used directly on 3D objects. All of the tools appear to be pen- and touch-friendly, with an interface that mixes 3D models, 2D images, stickers, and community tools for 3D content. Microsoft appears to be testing early "alpha" versions of the Paint app, and the videos indicate it could be ready to be released publicly soon. The timing of the Paint videos come just hours after Microsoft revealed it's planning to hold a special event in New York City later this month. Microsoft is widely expected to unveil a new Surface device at the event, with rumors suggesting it will be an all-in-one desktop PC.
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Microsoft Is Redesigning the Paint App For Windows 10

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  • But (Score:5, Funny)

    by alzoron ( 210577 ) on Saturday October 08, 2016 @02:04AM (#53036453) Journal

    If they make Paint better then I can't blame my bad drawings on my refusal to buy or download a decent program.

    • Re:But (Score:5, Insightful)

      by negRo_slim ( 636783 ) <mils_orgen@hotmail.com> on Saturday October 08, 2016 @02:11AM (#53036463) Homepage
      Don't worry it doesn't sound like they are making it better at all.

      Layers > 3D content
      • They should just take Paint.NET, rename it Paint for Windows 10, and be done with it. And as you point out, adding a 3D option to a piece of crap is about as useful as filming a crap movie in 3D. Or, as one t-shirt pointed out, "if you can't make it good, make it 3D".
      • by MercTech ( 46455 )

        And they will probably drop support for my most common use of MS Paint; saving a window screen print to a jpeg to document errors in the OS.

    • Re:But (Score:4, Funny)

      by freeze128 ( 544774 ) on Saturday October 08, 2016 @02:12AM (#53036469)
      Don't worry. We all understand that as technology improves, and programs start to do amazing things, there will still always be people with no talent.
      • Re:But (Score:4, Insightful)

        by Kjella ( 173770 ) on Saturday October 08, 2016 @05:49AM (#53036843) Homepage

        Hand an artist a pencil and he'll do amazing things. I have a friend that can do a fantastic touch screen drawing in less than a minute just to send a Snapchat joke. Sure using MS Paint instead of Photoshop would be like running with a lead vest, but I don't think you're fooling anyone by blaming the tools. It'd be like blaming poor code on the lack of an IDE, would anyone here buy that? No. Unless you're talking to a PHB, in which case you can blame whatever you want.

    • Adding too many features will confuse user, hope Microsoft will make it easy of use, so even a child can use paint app.
      • ...so even a child can use paint app.

        But that still makes it too difficult for Marketing.

      • by AHuxley ( 892839 )
        16 bit support and layers with a nice GUI?
        Photoshop version history
        https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]
        • by donaldm ( 919619 )

          16 bit support and layers with a nice GUI? Photoshop version history https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/... [wikipedia.org]

          That is nice but you do know that you have to pay for the product unless you are the type of person who likes to have that jolly green parrot on their shoulders. Me I will stick to The GIMP [wikipedia.org] since I don't have to worry about a parrot doing it's business on my shoulders.

          • Re: (Score:3, Informative)

            Or paint.net which is free and actually has an easy understandable gui.
            • The best part? paint.net was made by a Microsoft intern as a summer project. I have no idea why Microsoft did not choose to take over the project and ship it, even if it was alongside of paint.
    • Now, all the MBAs will think they can do CAD.
    • You could add a bit of new-user wizard polish, but otherwise, why are you bothering?

  • by Anonymous Coward

    Use "Paint.net" instead. Microsoft made the most pathetic and basic paint program possible when they had the programmers available to make photoshop-league art tools. If they thought paint was an expectable tool to ship then frankly, I don't want to hear about any so-called improvements that they're going to make on it.

    • by Calydor ( 739835 )

      You know, if Microsoft was specifically selling MSPaint as an image editor, then you would have a point. But it is a basic tool to perform basic tasks from the people who made the operating system. If you want advanced features, then you go and buy something like Photoshop from the guys who make a living making an image editor.

  • by saiful76 ( 1929216 ) on Saturday October 08, 2016 @02:16AM (#53036477) Homepage
    There's already a better replacement available: Paint.NET http://www.getpaint.net/ [getpaint.net] This tool is almost equivalent of what Notepad++ can do compared to Windows Notepad.
    • That's a replacement for the old Paint. It doesn't do what the new Paint can do.

      • That's a replacement for the old Paint. It doesn't do what the new Paint can do.

        The new Paint is a new thing and shouldn't be called Paint. Paint.NET is the clear successor to Paint.

    • Unix port?

      It is open source and part of it was able to compile in Mono under Linux. What happened? Slashdotters would take it more seriously if they could run it on Linux. I wonder if it uses some proprietary .NET SDK that is not in Mono.

      • There is Pinta, which aspires to be a unofficial port of paint.net. But it is slow coming, and many features aren't present that are in paint.net. But it's WAY better than almost anything else, aside from Gimp (but it's way easier to pick up and use).

  • Paint redesigned? Wow! What a great time to be alive. These are truly the killer features.
    • by mwvdlee ( 775178 )

      They could have changed it 10 years ago and nobody would have noticed.

      • I see what you did there!

        Some people noticed. Things like png support and proper resizing have made it a vastly more useful quick tool post-XP.

    • You jest, but what is needed in all computers when you first unbox them to make them useful?

      Steam + Office + some kind of image editor.

      • I've never used any of those. How about a development environment. Even gwbasic.
        • by tepples ( 727027 )

          Without an image editor, how do you make icons for the graphical application that you make in the development environment?

          • by DMFNR ( 1986182 )
            REM Like this?
            SCREEN 7
            FOR y = 1 TO 16
            FOR x = 1 TO 16
            READ z
            PSET (x, y), z
            NEXT
            NEXT

            And a whole bunch of DATA commands?
        • I'm going to go out on a limb here and say most people are not developers.

  • by Indy1 ( 99447 ) on Saturday October 08, 2016 @02:33AM (#53036537)

    Not like there's a billion other things that 10 needs fixed.

    The GUI is a confusing cluster fuck.
    Windows "Apps" are a joke, and need to be killed.
    Windows Update continues to be horribly broken.
    20+ years of bloat keeps stacking up higher and higher.

    But M$ decides they need to reinvent the wheel..er paint. Genius idea there!

    • Well, otoh there is probably only one or two engineers assigned to that task...
      • by Anonymous Coward

        In corporations of Microsoft scale, nothing new is done by one or two people. First there will be a three layer management staff with their assistants and yes-men and each manager will get at least seven underlings. After two years of re-inventing the wheel and countless useless UX experiments the corporation will lay off the staff and buy a horribly expensive startup company that has powerpoint slides of a similar software. After company merger, they will lay off the staff from startup and start from phas

      • by Misagon ( 1135 )

        Well, otoh there is probably only one or two engineers assigned to that task...

        That would still be one or two more engineers than quality assurance of Windows updates.

      • Whereas I'm sure there are 500 designers involved in the "flat UI" look, doing everything in their power to make Windows 10 look like Windows 2.

    • That's quite interesting since what you're talking about is either not broken or by design.

      The GUI is a confusing cluster fuck.

      The only problem is the jarring differences between the settings and control panel. The rest of the GUI is pretty much windows 7 with some weird tiles no one uses in the start menu.

      Windows "Apps" are a joke, and need to be killed.

      ... agreed.

      Windows Update continues to be horribly broken.

      I assume you mean the inability to control it. This is by design. Throwing resources at a system that is broken by a policy decision won't do anything because effectively Windows Update is finished according to what they want. Th

  • by ace123 ( 758107 ) on Saturday October 08, 2016 @02:40AM (#53036549) Homepage

    Lightwave vs Notepad: http://web.archive.org/web/200... [archive.org]

    This was back after XP came out and Notepad was starting to experience some feature creep in XP Notepad, like the view menu or the ability to edit unicode files. I don't think anyone expected one of the classic windows apps like mspaint to actually get 3d support.

  • by Anonymous Coward

    How is it possible that one of the biggest software companies in the world makes such a useless app like paint always was.

  • I'd been waiting for this update since ages
  • This huge enhancement will bring me back to Windows. Paint was the only part to holding me back!
  • Why would I want to touch the screen of my Windows computer with a pen/stylus? I prefer my hands not getting killed with pain, thank you.

  • by zifn4b ( 1040588 ) on Saturday October 08, 2016 @05:44AM (#53036825)
    Based on the video, it looks like the only reason Microsoft is interested in re-vamping Paint is to make a more compelling reason to use Surface.
  • ... the UI couldn't get any more unusable for the occasional bits of minor work most people ever actually fire paint up for instead of getting hold of something better.

  • Microsoft has been looking for a killer app to get people to move to Windows 10 and Surface. They may have just found it. Way to go.
  • Humans in large groups make terrible decisions because they are both risk-averse and prone to follow pleasant illusions.

    Paint does not need a redesign; it needs fixes to the broken parts of its interface, and basic capabilities like smart select and layers.

    Microsoft should also realize that people like it, much like Notepad, because it is a light app. Users love things that are simple, work right the first time, and are always fast because they are not bloated.

    In fact, the best advice anyone could give Micr

  • Downloading it now! Because it was nothing but the poor quality of the paint app that was keeping myself and billions of others away from Win 10.

  • What does "for Windows 10" even mean?

Keep up the good work! But please don't ask me to help.

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