Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Ideas for improvements and requests for new features in XnView MP

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xzo
Posts: 10
Joined: Sat Oct 29, 2016 9:44 pm

Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Post by xzo »

The "find similar files" function works very well. In fact, I think the picture content search function works better even than the dedicated DupeGuru duplicate picture finding tool. However, the interface in XnView is limited and takes a lot of clicks for multiple files, so I still use DupeGuru whenever I expect more than 3 duplicate files or images.

Some suggestions that would make the finding similar files function in XnView easier to use:
  • The ability to sort results by similarity. There is already a function for this, but it only sorts by similarity within duplicate results; I would like to be able to sort all results by similarity and e.g. have the closest matching files on top
  • The ability to select and delete multiple results and/or delete all duplicates, either by smallest filesize or smallest resolution (suggestion is similar to here)
  • One way to make selecting/deleting multiple results easier would be the ability to switch views between the current gallery/comparison view and a list view similar to that used by DupeGuru
  • In the comparison viewer, an option to not have the two files side by side, but instead show them in the same position in an alternating fashion. For instance change between image 1 and image 2 by using the left/right keys, or by mouse-over. Or perhaps an image comparison slider. If the duplicate images are shown in the same position, it's much easier to spot differences e.g. in image quality, cropping or effects used than when they are shown side by side.
Some other suggestion:
  • Performance suggestion: the ability to use multiple cores/threads when scanning for similar picture content, to speed up the process on larger image sets
  • An option to scan videos and compare them by content; e.g. taking the first frame of every video and including it in the picture content search. I guess this is how it is already done with animated GIFs
r28
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2023 10:26 pm

Re: Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Post by r28 »

Hey! Lots of great ideas here related to "similarity"! It would be very useful in our daily work.... Probably it's hard to implement and will take a long time :_(
But maybe there is a possibility to realize in the next release... group selection (of similar files) in the "Find similar files" tool window, so that they could be moved to the selected folder as a group instead of one by one? I think it would fundamentally simplify our life ;)... Almost like filtering by similarity...

What do you think, what are our chances to see such functionality in the near future?
Edmund
Posts: 3
Joined: Mon Jun 05, 2023 9:49 pm

Re: Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Post by Edmund »

This is a great feature but need some refinement.
Resizing the windows for found pictures is a MUST and there must be an option to select all the found duplicates
at once. These two things would make a huge difference in usefulness and it cannot be so difficult to implement
I guess. So pretty please......
philalethia
Banned
Posts: 139
Joined: Tue Aug 01, 2023 10:20 am

Re: Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Post by philalethia »

Further suggestions:
1. Enable search for images that are similar/identical to a particular image. At the moment, the search looks through all images, to find ALL images that have some other similar image. If you want to find duplicates or near duplicates of a specific image, this makes the task practically impossible, unless you are willing to spend hours, going through every set of similar images ...and likely completely forgetting what image you were searching for.
I have digiKam installed, purely for this functionality. I never use it, other than for such image searches.

2. Allow searches for images with similar set of categories.
r28
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2023 10:26 pm

Re: Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Post by r28 »

Calling all XnView MP Developers! Help Us Unfold Photo Organization Possibilities!
Are you passionate about creating innovative solutions for digital clutter? Do you thrive on building user-friendly tools that empower photographers and enthusiasts? If so, we have a challenge waiting for you - and it involves taking XnView MP's image similarity detection to the next level!

The Problem: XnView MP currently excels at identifying and grouping similar photos. However, once grouped, users lack options to efficiently manage these sets. Moving them to dedicated folders or assigning shared tags requires tedious individual processing.

The Challenge: We seek a talented developer to create a plugin that unlocks the full potential of XnView MP's similarity groups. This plugin should empower users to:

Bulk Move: Effortlessly transfer all photos within a similarity group to a new folder, decluttering their library with ease.
Mass Tagging: Assign a common tag to all photos in a group, saving time and enhancing organization.
Additional Functionality (Optional): We welcome creative ideas for further enhancing group management, such as batch renaming, applying filters, or sorting by visual similarity...
The Requirements:

Coding Skills: Proficiency in the language supported by XnView MP's plugin architecture (likely C++, Python, or scripting).
API Familiarity: Thorough understanding of XnView MP's API documentation and data structures related to image data and metadata.
Plugin Development Experience: Familiarity with creating and integrating plugins within XnView MP's framework.
User Interface Design: Ability to design intuitive and user-friendly interfaces that seamlessly integrate with XnView MP's existing layout.
The Rewards:

Make a real difference in the lives of millions of XnView MP users worldwide.
Contribute to a vibrant open-source community and showcase your development skills.
Gain recognition and build your portfolio with a published plugin on the XnView MP website.
Ready to dive in? Share your interest in the comments below, and let's kickstart this exciting project together! We can't wait to see how your creativity unlocks the next chapter of XnView MP's image management capabilities!

Remember, the future of photo organization starts now! :D
jmigual
Posts: 1
Joined: Thu Jan 30, 2025 11:18 am

Re: Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Post by jmigual »

Hi I think that you make really good suggestions. I'd add another one: the ability to see the metadata of the compared photos. I have a huge library where some of my photos got duplicated and recompressed and they lost their metadata. So, now it's quite hard to see which one is the original unless I look at the metadata because they are not equal 100%.
r28
Posts: 4
Joined: Sun Aug 13, 2023 10:26 pm

Re: Find similar files: suggestions to make it easier to use

Post by r28 »

Thanks for your support! Hopefully we'll be heard someday :)
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