Mac Transform Improvements

We're excited to unveil the revamped transform tool. As our most commonly used feature, it now boasts a more user-friendly interface, better workflow, and improved functionality.

In recent months, we've invested in improving the Mac experience and the overall quality of the app across all platforms, please do check our updates page to check the many improvements. We're pleased to see a substantial decrease in our crash rate and fewer quality-related feedback. Your input has been invaluable, so please keep it coming! This release is part of our ongoing efforts to enhance the user experience, which is proceeding in tandem with our work on the new renderer. Read about the latest progress below.

We plan on doing an iPhone and iPad update down the line to bring these improvements to all platforms. We didn't want to wait to share these improvements with you, so we're releasing them on Mac first.

Crop Aspect Ratio Improvements

• Custom Aspect Ratio. On a Mac, you now have the ability to adjust the height and width ratio values to your liking. You can make these adjustments to your custom aspect in increments of 1 using your keyboard's up and down arrow keys. Additionally, the “Option ⌥” modifier allows changes in increments of 0.1, while the “Shift ⇧” modifier allows for adjustments in increments of 10.
• More Aspect Ratio Presets. We've added a selection of commonly requested aspect ratios as well as some additional handy ones for analog, print, and cinema. Note that you can click any portrait aspect preset a second time to quickly switch to the landscape orientation.
• Aspect Orientation Toggle. On Mac, you can now conveniently filter the aspect ratio list to find a preset option. By default, the orientation toggle matches the photo's orientation. However, you can alter it at any time to view aspect ratios in the opposite orientation.

Improved Crop Overlay Controls

• More Legible Grid Lines. The grid lines have been made slightly thicker, making them much easier to see on photos with a lot of detail.
• Additional Grid Options. On Mac, we've transitioned to a more straightforward pop-up and added two new grid options for all platforms. The "4x4" option presents a basic 4x4 grid, while the "None" option removes grid lines to minimize distractions and maximize photo visibility.
• Clearer Cropped Area. When cropping, the area to be cropped out is now visually theme aware blended with the background, enhancing focus across all platforms.
• Center Circle Removed from Grid. We decided to remove the center circle control. By ensuring the entire crop area is draggable, we have eliminated another visual distraction, and improving focus across all platforms.

Other Changes

• Editable Slider Values. On Mac, the straighten slider values are now editable. You can click on them, similar to the custom aspect values, and they are now more predictably located on the right. Arrow key shortcuts, along with the Option and Shift modifier keys, function in the same way as they do with the custom aspect input field.
• Flip Horizontally. This option added to the Mac, removes the need to rotate and vertically flip to achieve the same result.

New render engine progress report

It's time for another progress update since our last one in February.

As a refresher, this new engine addresses various issues and enhances quality. Our goal is to expedite and stabilize releases, which were previously delayed and unstable due to infrastructural issues.

We've made significant progress. The engine itself is now feature-complete, and its integration into Darkroom is progressing swiftly. Currently, our focus is on ensuring feature completeness in the app itself, and we are noticing some impressive improvements. For example, we've restored video capabilities, including real-time 8K editing with masks, and the histogram is now functional for video. The list of remaining tasks is shrinking daily.

What's next and when?

Currently, our primary focus is on completing the new renderer. It's a substantial undertaking and we aim to execute it best we can. Once we achieve feature-complete status, we'll shift towards refining and enhancing performance. At that point, we'll begin inviting you to test it. We're looking forward to having you all try it out.

After this, we plan to progress to brushed masks and syncing, as previously discussed. However, Apple's Worldwide Developer Conference is occurring next week. Any newly introduced capabilities at the event may influence our roadmap and its timing.

We're excited about these improvements and believe they'll make a noticeable difference in your photo editing journey. Keep an eye out for further updates as we continue enhancing Darkroom to offer a more connected and intuitive editing experience.

If there’s something you’d like to see in the future please let us know by leaving it on our suggestion board, or by sending us an email or tweet at us.

As always, we’re very thankful for your continued loyalty and support, and look forward to sharing everything else we have in store for you soon.

The Darkroom Team