Aperture 3 was such a huge update over Aperture 2 that it addressed many concerns that users had about the software. Apart from the software bugs that plagued the initial release, now that 3.02 is out, it seems fairly stable (although some people are still having issues). As always though, there’s always room for improvement. So how would you Improve Aperture (stability and performance aside)? What features would you like to see in the next release? Have your say in the comments below. To get the ball rolling here are a few of my own suggestions….
1. Fix the display over-sharpening bug. I know not everyone is having it but it’s still annoying for those of us who are.
2. Allow you to copy and paste brush strokes between adjustments
3. Have brush strokes automatically scale to the size of an Image when you paste them as part of an Adjustment Preset
4. Allow third parties to write Adjustment “Brick” plug-ins. (This could be a disaster for stability mind you)
5. Allow you to control the shape of the Vignette (so you can do more of a rectangular vignette)
6. The option to remove the cork board from the “Faces” display. This is Already there! Oops. Thanks to Thomas in the comments for pointing out that one!
7. Ability to add grain to an Image
8. Improve the web publishing section
9. An iDisk based online backup service (Yeah, I know – pushing it a bit – but how cool would that be?)
10. Output Sharpening when exporting Images.
So there’s my top ten. I could go on and on, but I shall pass the torch over to you readers. I know some will say that it’s only been a short while since 3 came out, but it’s just some harmless fun, and it’s always interesting to hear other people’s ideas.
#6 is already there. was one of the first things i did in ap3.
Tx Thomas ! You make my day !!!
Doh! Didn’t know you could do that. Duh
The only thing I really still miss in Aperture is a perspective correction tool (it does not even need to be lens correction)
#5 – isn’t this also included: you can brush-in/brush-out vignetting? (not sure because I don’t have Aperture on the computer I work now)
True, but that’s not really what I had in mind – I mean more like the way you can do in camera raw, and plug-ins like SilverFx Pro. Aperture’s vignette is fine – but it tends to favour the edges more. I know you can brush in a vignette – but it’s still only the vignette as is. You could stack more I suppose – And yes – you could just brush in a curves or a burn to get the same effect but it would be nice to be able to do it with a slider.
Ahh yes. Now I understand what you mean. Indeed, looks like edges receive more vignetting in Aperture.
#8 – Yes, the feature of creating a Web Page for publishing of a gallery to your own site hasn’t improved at all since Aperture 2. The gallery created is very non flexible. At least, I’d like for it to have Automatic Resizing like the MobileMe Gallery does.
I’d also like the preview window in Adjustment Presets to be larger. Now it can be quite difficult to see differences between similar adjustments.
In addition to the excellent ideas above, I would like to see a Graduated ND Filter effect produced in a similar manner to Ligtroom 2. At first I didn`t believe I would miss this option, but I do!
Having used Aperture since 1.5 & Lightroom since the first Beta, it has been very interesting watching their respective development. I used LR exclusively since v 2.1 but am now very happy to be back using Aperture again! You know, when I now go back to LR, I realise how much more I prefer the Aperture experience! Ap. 3 is now a delight to use.
Yeah – I’m with you on that one. It’s the one thing in Lightroom that I really wish they’d brought into Aperture. I should have put that in my list too!
I am just getting ready to upgrade my library and I would have loved to have the “constrain to” left unchecked in the cropping tool. I believe I read it is still automatically checked in Aperture 3 and it is a real pain to have to uncheck it constantly.
Would love the ability to apply an image to a “layer.” I’m thinking, for example, of applying a texture to an image. Or even the ability to composite images. I know, I’m basically asking for some PhotoShop within Aperture. But for my purposes, composites and adding texture overlays is the only reason I might need PhotoShop — I’m striving toward a PhotoShop-free workflow. Might not be possible technically or might be beyond Apple’s intentions for Aperture, but sure would be wonderful.
“Would love the ability to apply an image to a “layer.” I’m thinking, for example, of applying a texture to an image ”
Dont know if this should be that difficult to do, because you can already add a image as a watermark when you want to print your photo, and you can adjust the opacity of the watermark, allowing you to see the ‘bottom’ image ‘ underneath the watermark, thereby having ‘two layers’ to your image, so they should just take the watermark feature out of the print dialog box and add it to the ‘main’ program/editing screen, and then you have 2 image/layers combined,
then they should just add the ability, to edit the watermark(layer)
And then allow you to add more than one watermark[layer:-) ] to your image allowing you to build multiple layered images, and this should give Photoshop a huge run for their money.
But I’m no computer programmer, so don’t know if this is at all possible
Ability to export slideshows directly to MobileMe, with video and transitions. The only way I’m able to get it done is to export the slideshow as a movie, then switch to QuickTime Player to share it with MobileMe. Problem is that Aperture loses track of it once it’s exported.
Radical feature request: I’d merge Aperture with iMovie. The HD video in a slideshow feature is so well done, I want more.
I think an Aperture -> Final Cut workflow would be more likely. These are the semi/pro software packages and I would love to be able to tweak and incorporate video and photo slides shows in Final Cut, using those tools (I’m thinking Final Cut Studio here) to add minor motion graphics and pro voice over.
Not quite as simple as iMovie but I think stellar results in less time.
1/ fix faces (merging faces, face detection, ..)
2/ fix places
3/ fix aperture itself (crashing, performance, corrupt libraries, etc..)
AND FACES should be LINKED to a library,
, you should have the option ( a check box in the LIBRARY and not in aperture PREFERENCES )to have faces turn on/off automatically for different library’s , and not have to turn it on/off as you switch library’s
I want faces ON in my peoples Library,
BUT I REALLY DONT need it ON in my Architectural/ Lanndscape Library (cause there are no faces to detect in that library
AND you need key board shortcuts to select/deselect a face, or reject a face, unless i have missed it
I would really love to have gradient brushes that could be painted in/away. This could for example be used with blur to emphasize short dof on ground and other surfaces that move into the picture, while allowing to paint it out on your subject(s) that you wish to remain sharp and isolated from the background.-
I also would like to see perspective correction.
I may misunderstand you, but painting “in/away” has been part of Aperture 3 from the beginning. Works very well with all Brushes The Blur process you describe is easily achievable.
There are Perspective correction Plugins.
@Nick: Yes, in/away is part of A3, however gradient brushes are not. I’m a Lightroom converter and in the short time since I began using A3 I have really come to love the brush in/away feature. Lightroom have gradient tool, but missing the possibility to brush parts of it in or away making it more or less useless to me. I hope I make myself a bit more clear
I’ll have to check out those perspective correction plugins.
I agree. I would really love to have a gradient tool in the brushes arsenal. That and a better vignetting option.
#2 cutting and pasting the brush strokes would save so much time.
Lift & Stamp. This copies, amongst other things, your brush adjustments. They are then Stamped (pasted) onto the Image/s of your choice. Would cut & paste be different?
He (and I ) mean between different adjustments within the same image. So for example you have painstakingly brushed an area with the darken tool and then you want to use the same area with some other adjustment, say a colour adjustment. Lift and stamp is only for copying the same adjustment to different images.
Ah yes, I’d like that functionality too. Would be great if we could have copy & paste access to the underlying masks so we could apply a mask (brush strokes) from one adjustment to another.
Ok, I now understand what the originator thought they meant to say! Yes that would be quite useful.
Intrigued by other moments on Grad Tool. Having used LR extensively since v 1.0 & Aperture since 1.5, I am at a loss as to why a Grad Tool is so sort after. True I did use this tool in LR 2, but what exactly can,t I achieve in Ap 3 that I could in LR? A different process yes, but the end result is no different. What I think folk are asking for is just a different type of tool that achieves the same result but in a different way.
Nick, I only rarely used the gradient tool in LR. My answer to your question about what could be done in LR that can’t be done in AP? Nothing. Well, there is a gradient tool but lacking the possibility to apply it selectively by masking away bits of it made it more or less useless to me.
Let me explain the why I want it. I’m a sucker for narrow dof and subject isolation but due to several factors it isn’t always possible to achieve when the photos are shot. I often apply a more narrow dof in post-processing with Photoshop but it is a killer for fast and effective workflows. I dream of being able to simulate narrow dof with Aperture, by using blur applied selectively with the brush tool and the gradient tool for grounds, walls etc that move into the picture and therefore can’t have the same amount of blur applied.
How about the option to right click an image and export a RAW file directly into Adobe Camera RAW? Right now when I use CS5 I usually want to use the Photoshop RAW editor first, then go into CS5. To do that you need to save the RAW file somewhere then go to ACR and open it. Once doen you then need to do an import from Aperture.
Do a search for a plug in called “catapult”. It sort of allows you to do this.
I think you should consider approaching this differently. If you want to adjust in ACR, start in ACR. With CS5 open select file from Mini Bridge. Adjust in ACR. Save or Save As. In Aperture Import to Project. You have to use Referenced Files however, something I always do. Another way could be CS5 – File – Open as Smart Object adjust – Save/Save As. This does generate a TIFF/PSD file in the same manner as any other Plugin. If you wanted to you could automate the Import into Aperture I’m sure.
I would really like the ability to give adjustment brocks a ‘surname’. I often use several adjustments of the same kind, curves, colorsync etc., in the same pic and brush them in SMS so it would be nice to add a precise deceiption to each adjustment – at bit like the ability to (re)name layers in the Adobe world.
Sorry for the strange spelling above: it should be bricks and not brocks, color and not colorsync, and and not SMS … Blame it on my iPhone
I would like a big red button (on/off) somewhere for:
when you have selected pictures and make an adjustment to be applied to all pics!
No need to use the stamp tool for minor adjustments.
1. Make it faster.
2. Make the thumbnails across the bottom smaller and the viewing area bigger (like LR).
3. Allow for multiple external editors.
4. Give the damn APIs to Nik so they can write non-destructive plugins, enough with exporting to TIFF. Or just license the U-point technology from them.
5. Write a check to Picturecode for Noise Ninja; this should be built-in.
6. Noise reduction like LR.
7. Lens correction like LR.
8. History palette somewhere.