PictureAlbum preview

Here is a screenshot.
And another.

As you may notice, it actually handles pictures with a mask, so you get simple transparency. This was actually entirely accidental, because PictureAlbum is built on some modules I intended to use for games, and they use transparency for sprites.

P.S. Don't miss the updated version of PictureAlbum that I released at the bottom of the previous page.

@ChrisH

While i can't test it (not at home), just curios, keys "up/down" are works for swith to the next and previous images ? (that is problem of many amiga picture viewers).

Or (just a suggestion), maybe you need make a "prefs" config, where users can configure keys control ? Imho then (with reconfiguring of keys) it will give all the users possible keyboard control => everyone will be happy. What you think ?

ps. checked screenshot, and have a question: can your programm works in window mode ?

@kas1e Quote:
The arrow keys (as well as scroll wheel & dragging using the MMB) are used for moving around the folder's "virtual page" (upon which all thumbnails & opened pictures are attached). Page Up/Down moves up/down a whole screen (maybe should be changed to move by half a screen?).

If you want to switch to the previous/next image, then use the <> keys. If you want to switch to the previous/next folder, then use the [] keys.

@ChrisH

Tested :) Window mode possible - cool. Programm indeed looks with good potencial, hope you will improve it more and alt.

Btw, can you post somethere your "todo list" ? Because i have some suggestions, but maybe they already in your todo list (like for example, add bound cheking, to dissallow to scroll down/up if all folders/files are fits already in all the visibly area). Maybe up/down keys, must not scroll the full area, but just scroll "cursor" which will highlight the current folder, and in which you can go by pressing of Enter , etc.

Anyway, if you can, show please your todo list, and if you will be in interst, i can write some suggestions which maybe you will found interesting.

PS. That feature that i can open many pictures, and move it by mouse in any area of screen - very nice ! Really usable when you need to compare some pictures beetwen (for example), or when you just work on some game/demo/etc, and want to see how all pictures will fits by design and colors.

@ChrisH

Quote:

Hey Chris, you've all ready found its name you just haven't realised
" Picture Preview" as that what it does Preview your Pictures










also posted on AWN

@ChrisH

glad you liked the name :)

As of features, here's a few off the top of my head:

Have a shortcut (F) for full screen viewing of pics (<> and esc should still work while there).

Some setting for default size of view, ie 1:1, 1:2, stretch to fit screen or shrink to fit screen (those last two are especially useful for full screen view), fixed percentage.

Having rescaled images you may consider adding a few optional basic filters like bilinear and bicubic while rescaling.

Saving to basic types of image formats, I think these would be enough: jpg, png, tiff, bmp, ilbm. Maybe saving the entire album as a basic html page as well?

Rotation, flip, crop, resize, brightness/contrast/RGB correction and a red-eye auto mode would be awesome, but too much work, you may leave those last and add the most basic view/manage stuff mentioned above.

Hope you find some of my suggestions useful :)

@ChrisH

Quote:
On many national keyboards, the [] need qualifiers (e.g. Alt), and at least one of <> needs Shift. Could you maybe choose keys which don't need qualifiers for such essential navigation?

Best regards,

Niels

@nbache
When I say <> I really mean ,. so I think that should be ok on most keyboards? As for alternatives to [], you will have to make some suggestions since I have no clue to the layout of international keyboards.

@kas1e
I don't really have any fixed plans about what I will add, but the README does contain some ideas under the "Future plans" heading.

Quote:
I don't really see the point in replacing mouse control by keyboard control. But if you want to cycle through the pictures, then open one and use the <> keys.

Maybe the "highlight cursor" could be moved using the NumPad, with Enter key used to open/close them?

Quote:
I don't really see that as urgent, but it might get added eventually.

@AJS
Heh, I think I may stick with PictureAlbum :) .

@Vulture
Full-screen (with various options) would require a good scaling algorithm, which currently I don't have... I am not planning to write any filters myself, but I would like to use some better OS functions at some point.

Saving of pictures may come after I add basic picture manipulation. Depends on whether I can work out how (or if it is possible) to save in different formats using Datatypes.

@ChrisH

then how about the option to display images in full screen without any scaling, just 1:1? Would that require you to write any filters? That would be ok if you could do it in my opinion as there are many cases someone just needs to see the pics of a folder one by one in full screen, at least I do, I assume others too. That's, as I said, if it doesn't require you to write any filters. Also, I have no idea how OS4 datatypes work, but in OS3.x it only allowed loading and saving in ilbm, but I could be wrong, it's been a while since I used that.

One more thing I've thought if possible:

Would it be possible to add an option to prebuffer the next n images?

@Vulture
If I didn't scale an image to full-screen, then what would be the point in doing 1:1 ? You can already get 1:1 anyway, just ensure that Zoom is 100% (using I/O/S keys).

By "prebuffering", I assume you mean pre-loading the next picture(s)? Probably no point in that until/unless I implement asynchronous loading of pictures.

Regarding datatypes, it should be the same as on OS3. I thought the idea of Datatypes was to allow loading AND saving in various formats? Not yet checked the docs on saving though (so might not be possible).

@ChrisH

the point of fullscreen is watching the pictures without any interface elements around (just black border if the image resolution is lower than that of the screen), it really makes a difference watching images this way. Of course that's my personal preference and it could be just me, so, if you decide against adding this feature, it's still fine, I just think it is good to have that option. About the datatypes, I could be wrong, it's been a long time as I said, but I seem to gather something like what i described before.

@ChrisH

Quote:
Ah, so you are using the raw keypresses? Yes, the comma and full stop keys are convenient for this, at least on the Danish keyboard (they are the two keys to the right of M, needing no qualifiers). And I think most keyboards have them similarly placed.

Quote:
Again, if you are talking about some raw keys, i.e. you will be reacting to the same physical keys regardless of the keymap chosen in Input prefs, then I suppose it is not a problem. Then the only problem would be for your users to figure out which keys you really meant . I don't remember exactly the British keyboard layout. Are you referring to the two keys to the right of the L key? On a Danish keyboard, they bear the markings ? and ? - two Danish national letters. Or maybe the keys above them, to the right of the P? Those are ? and " (a dead key with accent trema/diaresis as unshifted function). The square brackets are placed on the 8 and 9 keys in the upper row, requiring an Alt qualifier. But you probably won't be reacting to those keys? (All the above is with a Danish PC keyboard on the A1; an Amiga keyboard will be slightly different yet again.)

A less confusing choice for this (folder back/forward) control could be + and - on the numeric keypad. They will always be in the same place, and plus/minus wouldn't be completely out of place for something like this.

Best regards,

Niels

@ChrisH

Just tried it out with a folder of 300+ pics and it wortks great on my system..thanks Chris

few things I would like to see (if possible) are:
1- full screen viewer
2- autoscroll of pics with a timer option for time between pics

@ChrisH

Tried it it's looking like it's going to an excellent tool. A couple of simple little things I'd like to see added are command line options for the tooltypes and 2 more.

path and Pubscreen for window mode.

Then I could use something like: "PictureAlbum {s} window pubscreen {Qs}" in dopus.

Just being able to pass the path would make it dopus/filer compatible.

@Severin

good idea! seconded!

@all
An updated preview can be downloaded here:
(EDIT: old version removed)

Changes include:
* Added support for loading EXIF thumbnails, so thumbnails should appear MUCH quicker for digital camera photos. PLEASE GIVE FEEDBACK on this, because I do not use a digital camera myself!
* Tab cycles through the open pictures, bringing each one to the front.

@ChrisH

Rocks. Blazing faaaast.

@ChrisH

Hey i had installed now your picture manager.It is a very good programm.I love it.Now we need a little bit professional look

Quote:

Chris, the updated version works fine on my system but I would like to add the following to my above list:

1a.- add option to show file name of each photo when being viewed

thanks again

@328gts Quote:
Is the S key not enough?