Good list (at least first 7 items).
Also:
“Optionally being able to limit manual cropping to the image borders, particularly after rotation and/or perspective correction.”
is complicated issue. I would rather have adjustable cropping with inpaint option for empty corners. That is how I usually prepare perspective correction photos – fake some foreground so that image area is not cropped too much.
This can be done with ICE. First, duplicate the file. (ICE will not work with one file). Second, open both files in ICE and stitch. Third, rotate the image a few degrees. Fourth, apply a crop. It will extend beyond the border of the image. Fifth, click Auto-complete to fill the voids.
It may not give good results, particularly if the fill areas are large or if there’s a lot of detail to be filled, but it might do what you want.
There are a few problems with that. First, aim is to do corrections within Photolab. Second, ICE is windows only.
I don’t think that this is really complicated. The required basics are already there - there’s an automatic function (active once right after rotation or perspective correction) that’s even considering the aspect ratio as well. However, as soon as one starts cropping (or refining) manually, there’s no support any more to not inadvertently exceed the image content.
IMHO that’s such a basic and self-evident core function that it’s really interesting we are talking about this for such a long time now…
Well, this is complicated. And faking or creating content that’s not really there is not one of the core functions of a RAW developing software, IMHO. If one needs that, it’s more a picture editing task (i.e. PhotoShop etc.). To avoid that as far as possible, I normaly use (ultra) wide angle lenses in critical situations so that I still have enough real content after perspective correction.
For the time being, I think it’s sufficient that PL can crop beyond the image borders, so you can fill the corners using other programs (and with whatever content that PL will never “correctly” guess).
I like ICE for panorama stitching, but not for filling in areas outside the edges of the original photos. The result could be worse than it is, but I find it needs a lot of touching up at best. More often, I don’t like the result at all and just do it myself - IN PHOTOLAB. 
Yes, a dedicated pixel editor will let you create as big a canvas as you want to paint on - and ICE is one such tool - but if you composed the image well enough to begin with or don’t mind creating your canvas in another program, then you can rotate and correct perspective in PhotoLab, then keep a good amount of black edge in the frame whether you crop or not. Export to TIFF, then edit the TIFF file in PhotoLab and use the repair/clone tool to paint what you want in a way that blends details together believably, avoiding repetitive patterns and unnatural edges. Sometimes, this will take a while - but this is the art of digital painting and can be done well enough with PhotoLab’s limited toolset. The result is more creative than computer-generated filler can be and holds up very well to scrutiny.
I agree … and design consistency would address this problem.
With global adjustments, slider values can be adjusted using the cursor keys (up, down, left, right) - if this behaviour was the same for local adjustments then it would be easy to fine-tune adjustment values.
You can vote for this here … 10 votes already there, as of now.
Yes, that’s sort of true, Mark … but I still don’t find it easy to make “fine” adjustments - and esp. not to the degree referred to in @man’s example (above).
And, regardless - - UI consistency should be a design priority.
John M
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John,
I agree it can be difficult but the further to the right you move the mouse pointer, the higher the degree of accuracy. I use local adjustments a lot so I have developed the skill to use them to my satisfaction over time, but it still isn’t easy.
Mark
Some of these items resonate with me as well.
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It’s so frustrating having to click in the picture area before I can hit right arrow to go to the next picture. Lightroom allows Alt-right-arrow from anywhere
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When I’ve figured out the white balance adjustment to compensate for the photo being taken through glass, I want to be able to apply the correction to a goup of pictures without worrying that I’m also adjusting exposure or any other settings.
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Comparing images. This is a biggie for me. When I’m shooting in low light, I will take at least two shots for each scene. That way, I increase my chances tha at least one is sharp. I then want to compare shots side by side at 100% zoom and reject one of the pair. My only option currently is to import all of the images into lightroom and do the sorting there, and then use the information from lightroom to mark the rejects in Photolab.
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1 i use the filmstrip changing images so don’t know.
2 you have to test it but a workaround is find the right numbers, then select all images you want to effect, type in those numbers again in wb and all selected images has these numbers as WB.
This works for all kind of input. I think, don’t use it much so please test first 
3 i don’t have LR so i use a viewer the comparing images is a memory filler if DxO uses the same correction actions which it does now when selecting a image, see the small “plop” every time you change a image. For four it has to calculate four at ones. Stil i want this too…
And @John-M ,
The pull right action for smoother, smaller steps adjustment is not a intuitive motion and not consistent in other parts of the dxo UI. It’s a solution to keep the menu as small as posible over the image.
Solution 1 create a solomode and enlargement when you select a slider, so only that slider is visible and bigger so more easy to adjust.
Solution 2 move the controls into a tool window as all other controls are. Let it open and close at the top right when you select local adjustment, in fact move that topbar button to the right toolbar and when you click to activate the controls appear underneeth it.
Hi Peter,
I reckon Solution 0 is best; Make UI for slider adjustment in LA mode consistent with behaviour in GA mode AND with behaviour in Nik Collection tools … This would not impact menu size at all.
John M
Hi John,
Yes, but i am not a fan of scrolling a lot.
So my solution 2 is somewhat what you sugesting but it’s sticking at the top.
We have already the grouplist toolwindow/palette local adjustment.put the sliders and such in there.
Stick that on top right above essentials palette and use the activate button to open and close it.
(i am a fan of this behaviour for more tools. In fact it would be great if when i hit horizontool(or any other toolcommandbutton in the topbar) the palette window move’s temperally up the list just above the essential palette. Deactivate and it move’s back to original place in the paletterow. Duplicate is also ok.)
2 you have to test it but a workaround is find the right numbers, then select all images you want to effect, type in those numbers again in wb and all selected images has these numbers as WB.
This works for all kind of input. I think, don’t use it much so please test first
There are no numbers to copy when you are processing jpgs 
But what does work is to select multiple images first, and then make the adjustment on one of the images 
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For comparing images, I discovered FastrawViewer. It seems that other users have also discovered it.
see Focusplane marker? and FastRawViewer
The focus peaking options are really nice, and by flipping back and forth between candidate images, one can generally see which is sharper. It also has an option to move rejected images to another folder, so it provides an easy way of culling images before processing them in Photolab.
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You can compare between 2 to 4 imiges at the same yime
Isn’t that fast stone image viewer?
Whoops yes which is why I find it the best program, I have both, for culling.
I believe you are correct, Fast raw Viewer doe not have a direct compare feature unless one was added very recently.
Mark
I also have both.
Mark
I confirm it has not
The way to compare 2 images in Fast raw is two launch 2 sessions.
Easy to compare in fast stone but to my knowkedge not a derawtiser