NPS Frequently Asked Questions

This page lists some common questions I've been asked about NPS. If you have any other questions, feel free to contact me.

What is NPS?

NPS is an image editing and drawing program which has been nicknamed "Microsoft Paint on steroids". True to its name, it has a user interface that resembles the familiar one of Microsoft Paint, but it is far more powerful.

What does "NPS" stand for?

"NPS" stands for "Nookkin's Paint Shop," which is the name used in previous versions of the program. NPS is still sometimes referred to as Nookkin's Paint Shop.

Why should I use it? Photoshop is way better!

It's really a matter of personal preference and "job requirements." NPS is obviously no competitor to Photoshop, but then again NPS doesn't cost $600 and consume large amounts of disk space. Even if you don't plan on using NPS on a regular basis, I strongly encourage you to at least check it out.

When did you start working on NPS?

I started working on it when I was 13 years old, and have worked on it throughout the years.

What's the deal with NPS codename Obsidian? How is it different from NPS 2.1?

NPS codename Obsidian is a complete rewrite of the RatTamer-Lagoon codebase (which has its roots in the first version of NPS that I wrote when I was 13). Due to the many issues with the old code, NPS is being rewritten from scratch using VB 2008. Please see the NPS codename Obsidian page for more information.

The current version of NPS available for download (2.1) is somewhat out of date and is no longer being actively developed. Due to the lack of fairly "basic" features such as zoom and PNG support, it may not be a good candidate for replacing even Microsoft Paint as your image editor... but NPS 3.0 will fix that. Version 2.1 runs without problems on Windows XP through 7.

What are the system requirements of NPS 2.x?

NPS 2.x does not have high minimum system requirements, and will likely run on computers that do not meet even these modest specs. However, as with any program, it will perform considerably better on a faster computer. Here are the suggested minimum requirements:

Operating system: Windows 2000, XP, Server 2003, Vista, Server 2008, 7. (NPS runs on Windows 98, NT 4, and ME, but support for these operating systems is being phased out.)
CPU: 600 MHz. or faster
RAM: 128 MB or more
Hard Disk Space: 10 MB required
Graphics card: Any display adapter that supports 24-bit color and 800x600 resolution.

NPS 3's requirements are still being determined, but if you have a system with the above specs running Windows XP and above, you should not have any issues.

Will NPS run on Wine?

NPS 2.x has not been tested to run on Wine or Darwine. I have gotten it to run before, so it is possible, but this configuration is not supported. NPS 3 will not run on Wine/Darwine because it is a .NET application.

How long did it take you to make NPS?

It's difficult to say. I started several years ago, though I did not work on it nonstop. I have been working on it, on and off, for the past 4 years.

Can I add more features to NPS via extensions?

Yes. You can add filters and add-ins to NPS 2.x (which can both be used for processing images). Instructions for doing so can be found in the NPS Help System.

NPS 3 includes an entirely new extension model which will allow you to add file handling plugins, import/export plugins, filters, general add-ins, and more. The Obsidian Extension Model is still being developed, and thus no more information is available for the time being. Note that NPS 3 will be fully compatible with filters and add-ins for older versions, but these add-ins may not support all features.

How much are you selling it for?

Nothing. NPS is free software.

Can I redistribute NPS?

I encourage the distribution of NPS. You are welcome to link to the download page and share the link with others. You may also copy the binary installation package and distribute it directly to individual persons.

However, please do not upload any NPS binaries to another server, and do not include them in any software packages or compilations, without my express permission.

Where can I download the source code?

NPS is free software, but is not open-source. Please don't ask for the source code for version 1.0 through 2.1, as I will not be releasing it.

There is a slight chance that NPS codename OBsidian will be open-source. If you are looking forward to an open-source NPS, please contact me and let me know!

The source code for the Brighten filter is included with NPS 2.x. You can use this code as a base for creating your own filters and add-ins for NPS 2.1 or Nookkin's Paint Shop 2.0.

What is "PANGO"?

If you are still using Nookkin's Paint Shop 2.0 or 1.x, you will notice several references to "PANGO." I have been asked many times what this is, so here's the simple answer:

When I originally envisioned NPS, I imagined a powerful subsystem in it that would allow advanced extensibility through the use of a scripting language and more. This was named "PANGO", which stood for (I was 13 when I made this up) "Powerful And Nookkin-like Graphical Object" system. In these versions of Nookkin's Paint Shop, "PANGO" was just a blanket term for all of the code that involved extensibility, image filters, and related dialogs.

If you've done any work in Linux or Gtk+ applications, you have probably heard the name "Pango." I didn't find out about the Pango text rendering library (http://www.pango.org) until after I created PANGO, and this is one of the reasons that contributed to me later dropping the "PANGO" name entirely.

Which versions of NPS are supported? Why are you dropping Windows 9x support?

I do not plan on developing any major future versions of NPS using VB6, since the language is no longer supported by Microsoft. Version 2.x will continue to be supported after NPS 3.0 is released, but don't expect any huge changes.

I am writing NPS codename Obsidian in Visual Basic 2008 and C# 2008, both of which require the Microsoft .NET Framework. I am still unsure about which version of the Framework to use, but if I opt for version 3.5, then you will be unable to install the Framework on anything below Windows XP, and hence NPS will not run. If, on the other hand, I choose to use 2.0, you will be able to install NPS on Windows 9x, but I will not actively support this configuration due to the sheer age of this system.

Got more questions?

Please post a comment below and I will do my best to answer!