Usability: Setting Colour depth

[helmut]

This is just a user interface issue and thus a bit minor, but still an issue.

Currently we have menu entries for converting to a specific colour depth and a dialog for setting the colour depth:

- Convert to binary > ...
- Convert to grey > ...
- Convert to Colours...
- True colours
- 32 bit

I find this mixture of cascaded menus, direct menus and dialog a bit inconsistent. There's various solutions to improve this:

Solution A:
One single dialog "Colour depth" which has all values and conversion.

Solution B:
Have all possible colour depths and colour conversions in dialog "Colour depth". In addition, have menu items "True colours" and "32 bits" for quick access.

Solution C:
Have three menu entries and dialogs
1 - "Convert to Binary..."
2 - "Convert to grey..."
3 - "Convert to colours..."

[xnview]

Perhaps Solution B is the best

[Clo]

helmut

• Hello !

• Personally, I'ld prefer “A” because a single menu item, but “B” sounds good for the most users…

G.
Claude
Clo

[helmut]

My preference is also "A", but I'm not quite sure which of the solutions is best.

Quick access for "True color" and "32 Bit"
I guess it's good to have a quick way to convert images to Truecolour or 32 bit. So the "Convert to Colours" might need a shortcut (Ctrl+) or at least a mnemonic (Alt+). And in the dialog there should be also a quick way (using keyboard and mouse) for accesssing Truecolour and 32 bit.

If I finde the time I'll make a draft of the "Set Colour mode" dialog today.

[helmut]

No draft until now. But an an enhancement very much related to the original request:

Separate Dithering and Colour mode
Currently, in the main menu "Image" and the combobox in the "Export" dialog the colour depth and the dithering are mixed. There are entries like "32 Grey Scale (dither)" for example.

This is user-unfriendly because everytime the user makes a conversion or an export he/she has to choose both the colour depth and the dithering.

[xnview]

Separate Dithering and Colour mode
Currently, in the main menu "Image" and the combobox in the "Export" dialog the colour depth and the dithering are mixed. There are entries like "32 Grey Scale (dither)" for example.

This is user-unfriendly because everytime the user makes a conversion or an export he/she has to choose both the colour depth and the dithering.

Yes, right but what is the best solution?

We might not find the best solution, but a better solution.

I think one dialog with various colour modes in a dropdownlist + some dependant GUI elements (e.g. [x] Diterhing) would be best and provide most flexibility.