Reorganizing 'Options'

[Olivier_G]

All my changes are quite trivial to implement I believe, so the probability that Pierre uses them is higher. I do not agree with your tendency to stuff as much options as possible on every page.

OK. Then it may be better to work separately. I even advise you to start a new thread, otherwise your proposal might get un-noticed in this - now - long one... (choice is yours, of course).

I would like to get more feedback from other forum members. Guys???

Too long posts.

...right...
Then I will use the shortest/funniest way to get feedback: that dreadful Poll thing...

Olivier
PS: Xyzzy... it's your turn to vote...

[Olivier_G]

So here is my updated suggestion:

Code: Select all

Interface 
   Switching modes 
   Misc
   Toolbar
   Skin
Browser 
   File list 
   Items displayed 
   Open 
   Thumbnail appearance 
   Thumbnail labels 
   Cache 
   Folder Tree
   Preview 
View 
   Misc
   Keyboard/Mouse 
   Fullscreen 
General 
  +Read 
  +Write 
   Plugins Adobe 8bf 
System integration 
   Association

'Slide Show' options should really move to the 'Slide Show' dialog. For Toolbar/Skin/Folder Tree, I do not consider to remove them, as Xyzzy and Dreamer opposed it.

There are 24 categories, which means that the tree fit the current Options window when expanded. I also avoided going to the 3rd level.
My opnion is that we should avoid the Expand/Collapse feature here, in order to provide a clearer and fixed structure (example, thanks to Claude's suggestion)... except for 'Read' and 'Write' (they add 28 categories on 3rd level).
=> is it possible to have a fixed tree with 2 expandable categories only?

I will provide details on each Panel (with groups, options description and changes).

Olivier

[xnview]

Thumbnail appearance
Thumbnail labels

I'm not sure that these items can fit in list...

[Xyzzy]

It is VERY good idea to keep the tree only 2-levels deep without the need for expanding branches (like Total Commander). I support it.

All Read/Write options can be put on 2 separate pages, with dropdown list on the top of the page to choose file format and its options displayed below. But this requires a bit of redesign.

As for thumbnails- simply add Thumbnails General as additional tree item.



X.

[klumy]

I think reducing the number of panels would be the best solution to keep the optionsmenu clean

[Olivier_G]

Update: Xyzzy made a great suggestion and I will consider it for further discussion:

Code: Select all

General
  Keyboard/Mouse
  Default file list
  Read/Write (tabs Read, Write)
  Plugin Adobe 8bf
Interface
  Toolbar (tabs General, Buttons displayed, Skin)
Browser
  File list (tabs General, Items displayed, Cache)
  Thumbnails (tabs General, Appearance, Labels)
  Folder tree
  Preview
View (tabs General, Misc)
  Fullscreen
System integration
  Associations

I believe some options may be removed completely. Some should be renamed, changed or moved...

[xnview]

Update: Xyzzy made a great suggestion and I will consider it for further discussion:

Code: Select all

General
  Keyboard/Mouse
  Default file list
  Read/Write (tabs Read, Write)
  Plugin Adobe 8bf
Interface
  Toolbar (tabs General, Buttons displayed, Skin)
Browser
  File list (tabs General, Items displayed, Cache)
  Thumbnails (tabs General, Appearance, Labels)
  Folder tree
  Preview
View (tabs General, Misc)
  Fullscreen
System integration
  Associations

I believe some options may be removed completely. Some should be renamed, changed or moved...

You think that combining list and tabs will be great?

[Olivier_G]

You think that combining list and tabs will be great?

Yes, I think so: it will help to provide a clearer Options window and to better organize options visually.

Olivier

[Olivier_G]

(this message was almost done when I saw Pierre's comment... so I post it now)

Should those Options be removed:

General
- Use different position/size for browser & view
I wasn't able to take advantage of it. Does it work? Is it actually useful?

General>Startup
- Use all formats available
I didn't measure any difference in startup time (1s), nor while navigating through a whole folder (12s) with or without that option.

Browser>File List
- Recognize only by extension + Scan file headers in folders
There is something fishy here...

Browser>Thumbnail
- Use high quality
I really wonder whether bilinear resizing has such an impact. Especially if loading/rendering could be managed in parallel...

Browser>Thumbnail>Appearance
- Use huge thumbnails
With the new window size, the slider could reach 400. Why not remove that checkbox and just allow to directly enter a larger value if necessary?

Browser>Folder tree
- Update Treeview on refresh
What's the advantage of NOT updating it?

View
- Adjust zoom if X/Y DPI are different
What format does allow this? Is there a need for NOT doing this adjustment?

- About High Quality: I think there is an issue with large images. I also believe that 'rendering while loading' would make 'Low quality' almost unnecessary (=>keep only a single option instead of those 3, remove delayed HQ...)

View>File List
- I think that Cache/Buffer should be a single checkbox. See here.

And last: all Keyboards/Mouse options should be gathered under a single Shortcut Manager, as suggested several times by many people.


Olivier

[Xyzzy]

General
- Use different position/size for browser & view

It is useful when you want fe. Browse in small window and View in maximized (after closing View you are back in your smaller Browser window).

General>Startup
- Use all formats available

If it cuts down startup time by even 0.5 s it is OK for me. (To me it looks like actually startup is shorter, but I haven't measured that).

Browser>File List
- Recognize only by extension + Scan file headers in folders

These options are crap and something should be done about them. Maybe someone could explain to me their usefullness?
See also: http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?p=23148#23148

Browser>Thumbnail
- Use high quality

It is useful for huge thumbnails.

Browser>Thumbnail>Appearance
- Use huge thumbnails

The huge thumbnails go up to 2048. I would remove 'Use huge thumbnails' as it's not needed. Simply add spin boxes to thumbnail dimensions fields to allow detailed entry. I would welcome presets and ratio locking here.

Browser>Folder tree
- Update Treeview on refresh

What's the advantage of NOT updating it?

This option is useful when using network drives.

View
- Adjust zoom if X/Y DPI are different

What format does allow this? Is there a need for NOT doing this adjustment?

According to Pierre some fax formats sometimes use different DPI for X and Y and this options is used to correct it for proper display. I do not know any advantage of having this OFF.

- About High Quality: I think there is an issue with

The performance/quality issues are a whole big problem by themselves. Need some rework and separate thread anyway.

View>File List

- I think that Cache/Buffer should be a single checkbox. See here.

But at the ned of this thread all problems seem to be solved in 1.80.2?

And last: all Keyboards/Mouse options should be gathered under a single Shortcut Manager, as suggested several times by many people.

See here: http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?t=4777

X.

[Olivier_G]

Xyzzy: thank you for your feedback.
=> High Quality (even for thumbnails), Extension/Header, Shortcut Manager, Buffer (works... but can be improved and there is no need for 2 separate settings, IMO) are or should be handled in dedicated threads.

First, the OK ones...
General>Use different position/size for browser & view
=> OK. I thought it was for managing each individual window inside XnView, and not for different settings for the Application window itself! Useful... but might need a clearer name.

Browser>Folder tree>Update Treeview on refresh
"This option is useful when using network drives" => OK.


And the still Open ones...

General>Startup>Use all formats available
"To me it looks like actually startup is shorter, but I haven't measured that" => Can someone confirm this? I don't experience any difference...

Browser>Thumbnail>Appearance>Use huge thumbnails
"I would remove 'Use huge thumbnails' as it's not needed. Simply add spin boxes to thumbnail dimensions fields to allow detailed entry. I would welcome presets and ratio locking here." => I agree.

View>Adjust zoom if X/Y DPI are different
"I do not know any advantage of having this OFF" => Still Open...

Olivier

[Xyzzy]

General>Startup>Use all formats available
"To me it looks like actually startup is shorter, but I haven't measured that" => Can someone confirm this? I don't experience any difference...

This may be only my impression. And I don't have some relatively low-end machine to check it.

View>Adjust zoom if X/Y DPI are different
"I do not know any advantage of having this OFF" => Still Open...

All right, I've found a reason: image with different X/Y which should not be adjusted on display I wonder if it is easier to spot than Yeti Pierre should know.

X.

[Olivier_G]

Hello to everyone...
I am back... at least for this very topic (and Xyzzy's suggestion). Ideas and comments are welcome.
I will try to focus for short term implementation.

Olivier

[Clo]

Olivier_G

Hello !

• About the rebuild of the Options, there is an important detail you can see in some post of THIS THREAD.

• It's in French, so in brief :
- Hotkeys are missing for all “Option” pages.
- Even adding them (in experimental DLLs, for example), that doesn't work.
- Pierre said he ought rebuild the whole “Options” thingy…

• Hence, just a *BUMP* in order he doesn't forget the hotkeys !

KR
Claude
Clo

[Olivier_G]

Hi Claude...
Thanks for pointing this thread. You're right: it's worth implementing it in the new options system.

Olivier