Corel PaintShop Pro X4 - Custom Crop Factor

Corel PaintShop Pro X4 - Custom Crop Tool Preset

I've been wondering if this is possible for some time - I worked it out last night.

My PC screen is set to display in 16:9 format, therefore I crop a lot of my images to either 3:2 for printing or 16:9 for desktop display. By default there is no 16:9 option in the Crop Tool.

Here's how to add 16:9 as an option:

In Windows Explorer, navigate to:
...Program Files (x86) > Corel > Corel PaintShop Pro X4 > Languages > EN > Presets > Metric

(Your navigation path might be a little different due to country and installation preferences, but you should get the gist)

There will be a number of * PspScript files - open one in Windows' Notepad, it might look something like this:

from PSPApp import *

def ScriptProperties():
    return {
        'Author': u'Corel Corporation',
        'Copyright': u'Copyright (c) 2003-2004 Corel Corporation  All rights reserved.',
        'Description': '',
        'Host': 'Paint Shop Pro',
        'Host Version': '8.00'
        }

def Preset_Crop():
    return {
        'CropRect': ((0,0),2125,1535), 
        'Mode': App.Constants.CropMode​.CustomPrint, 
        'Units': App.Constants.CropUnit​s.Centimeters, 
        'PrintWidth': 18, 
        'PrintHeight': 13
        }

def Do(Environment):
    App.Do( Environment, 'Crop',         Preset_Crop())

My first thought was "why not just crop it in free form and save it as a new ratio from the drop down menu?"

Now I see why: for some reason that option no longer exists. Can't save new ratios to the drop down list in X4 or X3.

I had several custom ratios that I'd saved in an earlier version, probably PSP X or X2 - for some reason Corel has eliminated the option.

Irritating!

Thanks for the tip - guess I'll be doing it your way in the future...

-js

Whilst the above method works I am a bit puzzled.

The figures you have put in "CropRect" are 100 times the print size.

The original figures are approx 118 times the print size ( but not in all cases).

I tried playing with these "CropRect" figures, while the originals are both in proportion to the print size it doesn't seem to make much difference if they aren't.
If you change these to larger values then the image seems to take up more memory (shown in "Image Information") but the image size and pixels per cm remain the same.

Have you any idea what the "CropRect" figures are actually doing.

I'll admit my solution is not based on a full understanding of the script system, although I do have a little coding knowledge.

The 'CropRect': ((0,0),1600,900), defines a rectangle, from 0.0 (bottom left) to 1600,900 (top right).

I used a similar size (number) to the samle I chose to make a copy from.

I'm not sure what the print width & height are, but it seemed, prudent to change them.

The file name; Preset_Crop_16 x 9 cm.PspScript appears to gemerate the list item entry (after the _).

It all seems to work (for me at least).

I know I can also specify a custom crop factor in DPP

Lawrence

Trugga wrote in post #15049897
I'll admit my solution is not based on a full understanding of the script system,

I can believe that because it does seem a bit strange (the working of the script, not your understanding)

Trugga wrote in post #15049897
The 'CropRect': ((0,0),1600,900), defines a rectangle, from 0.0 (bottom left) to 1600,900 (top right).

That makes sense but doesn't seem to apply, try putting different values into these, even 0,0 and you will find that it is the Print width & Height that are controlling the end result.

It is the CropRect that is still a mystery to me.

It might be than CropRect simply defines the default starting position and extents at the other corner of the crop rectangle which is visually superimposed and to be applied to the image; you might have (300,300) and (1900,1200) for example as the abolute coordinations of the rectangle displayed more centrally rather than assuming it starts in one corner.

OTOH, the two numbers might represent the starting position, and then the size, so that (300,300) starts the rectangle, and (1600,900) is the delta value from the starting location which defines the rectangle default position.

Wilt wrote in post #15051473
It might be than CropRect simply defines the default starting position and extents at the other corner of the crop rectangle which is visually superimposed and to be applied to the image; you might have (300,300) and (1900,1200) for example as the abolute coordinations of the rectangle displayed more centrally rather than assuming it starts in one corner.

OTOH, the two numbers might represent the starting position, and then the size, so that (300,300) starts the rectangle, and (1600,900) is the delta value from the starting location which defines the rectangle default position.

Both of your suggestions are quite logical but ....

Putting values of (0,0)0,0 [or any other numbers] into CropRect makes no apparent difference either to where the crop box appears on the screen or to the size or aspect ratio of the resultant crop.

I don't know why we are bothering with this when PSP X4 will do it for you:

1. Open crop tool

2. Select Free Form

3. Adjust width and Height in boxes on toolbar

4. Select maintain aspect ratio

5. click on Presets on toolbar

6. click on disk icon, name your new preset and save it


Just out of interest take a look at the new script file you've just produced.
It's at MyDocuments/CorelPaint​shopPro/14.0/Presets

Now try to understand the CropRect and print size figures !

Ramon-uk wrote in post #15053072
Both of your suggestions are quite logical but ....

Putting values of (0,0)0,0 [or any other numbers] into CropRect makes no apparent difference either to where the crop box appears on the screen or to the size or aspect ratio of the resultant crop.

<shrug> so CropRect and its implementation are still a mystery.

Ramon-uk wrote in post #15053121
I don't know why we are bothering with this when PSP X4 will do it for you:

1. Open crop tool

2. Select Free Form

3. Adjust width and Height in boxes on toolbar

4. Select maintain aspect ratio

5. click on Presets on toolbar

6. click on disk icon, name your new preset and save it


Just out of interest take a look at the new script file you've just produced.
It's at MyDocuments/CorelPaint​shopPro/14.0/Presets

Now try to understand the CropRect and print size figures !

Aha! So that's where they moved it!

-js