Use Paint.Net to Highlight key areas in an image to get your point across

Earlier, I mentioned how important communication is to software engineering. A key tool in communication is being able to highlight portions of images.  For this task I use some basic features of Paint.Net.  In the below image I want to draw your attention to the name of the dress, and the name of the color of the dress. Without these highlighted regions, it's likely your eye wouldn't have picked up the points I wanted you to see.

To perform these highlights in Paint.Net do the following:

• Copy image into Paint.Net
• Select the ellipse tool
• Specify Fill Options as Draw shape with outline
• Set Secondary color(the fill color) to yellow
• Set transparency to 50 %
• Draw ellipse

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Cool Tools: VirtuaWin

Virtual desktop software allow you have several desktops, and switch between them easily.  This is the equivalent of virtual memory, but for desktop real estate. Good virtual desktop software allows you to move windows between virtual desktops, and will have good usability including hot keys.  VirtuaWin is a great free virtual desktop app for windows,  go install it .  Once installed you should do the following:

•     Customize the notification area to always show the VirtuaWin Tray Icon


•     Use C-A-Right, C-A-Left, C-A-Up, C-A-Down to navigate between your desktops


•     Left Click on the VirtuaWin icon to interact with your windows


•     Right Click on the VirtuaWin icon to play with settings

Enjoy, and be sure leave comments if there are tools you'd like more information on.

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Cool Tools: Paint.Net

Paint.Net is a nice compromise between advanced picture editing software, and picture editing software usable by humans. The biggest problem I had with paint.net is figuring out how to download it. In what I assume is an attempt to make advertising dollars, this website exists that make it impossible to download Paint.net without accidentally downloading crap.  Here's a direct paint.net download link.



Update here are my usages of Paint.Net:

• Highlighting portions of an image 


• Other you'd like to see

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