XnView Shell Extension (Support & Development)

[budz45]

BUG: Rotational preview in some images I download ; problem needs to be identified

Probelm does not happen in ShellToys's context image viewer; therefor should be something to sort out,

Apologies for the content of the image, I have pixelated the pic in the image editor, here is a screencap I have taken:

Can you see how the particular image displays vertically in Xnview Shell Ext (bug) but how the same image displays as normal in Shelltoys


Problem I think is to do with Xnview Shell Extension not supporting images with '? ?' in the Pixels Per inch. Its giving image files with " ??? " for pixels per inch a rotated preview in Xnview Shell Ex. See this ----->> http://i41.tinypic.com/v49vs8.png

Please download the image itself and identify (adult content BUT NON NUDITY)
http://img235.imagevenue.com/img.php?im ... _456lo.jpg

again apologies for the content of the image which is ADULT but there is no nudity so that's why I persisted on posting

[budz45]

Another BUG:

This GIF file is opens normally in Xnview but NOT in Xnview Shell Extension; it can't preview in Xnview Shell Extension. I have uploaded it here also for everyone to test.

http://img216.imagevenue.com/img.php?im ... _479lo.gif

I dont understand why it cannot preview. Please check and or fix

[budz45]

Another suggestion for disabled previews:

A "preview disabled" image

*This feature would support the necessary text translation.

Examples: (using Google Translate)
German - Vorschau deaktiviert
French - handicapés montrant
Turkish - gösteren engelli

This is a mock up of what it should look like --the text wont be in the actual image itself--

[budz45]

Also support for changing the background colour when previewing transparent images with also disabling colours also so that transparent images in the thumbnail preview just fade onto the colour of the context menu in whichever particular Windows.

[xnview]

1. As you can see in the picture there is no 'About' box so that we know that it is you (Pierre) who created this efficient context previewer. You could add an 'About' box along with the name and version number of this app at the top of the box; would be like "Xnview Shell Extension v2.xx" in clear bold

Ok, i'll add info

2. Please developer add a nice little 'icon' on the context menu so I and many users can immediate notice it is Xnview on the context menu . The default Xnview 'eye' logo image would be nice icon within a orb or box design

Ok, i'll add it

3. Allow backing up of settings to a local file (like a .ini file) so that settings can be restored conveniently. What would also be nice about this backup feature is if during installation we could simply place this small local file next the XnShellEx.exe installer and then during installtion just simply install settings alongside app

Why you don't use registry ackup?

4. Rather than simply 'use xnview to open' in which we can currently deselect to simply open with associated image viewer - why not makje this into a drop down menu below the drop down menu of language. Then you could add 'open with xnview (installed)' ; 'open with own image program' , 'custom (browse for file)'

You would like to configure the program used to open?

Another suggestion for disabled previews:
A "preview disabled" image
This is a mock up of what it should look like --the text wont be in the actual image itself--

Could you explain me why you want a default picture if preview is not shown?

*FEATURE IDEA* - In the Xnview Shell Extension 'Options' , give us tickbox's for the filetypes that show in the below image in controlling which ones show on the 'convert into' sub-menu and in addition to this option the easy opportunity into ordering how they show in the menu (move up / move down) + tickbox for tick selection to show and no tick to not show.

ok

Another BUG:

This GIF file is opens normally in Xnview but NOT in Xnview Shell Extension; it can't preview in Xnview Shell Extension. I have uploaded it here also for everyone to test.

http://img216.imagevenue.com/img.php?im ... _479lo.gif

I dont understand why it cannot preview. Please check and or fix

I'll check

Also support for changing the background colour when previewing transparent images with also disabling colours also so that transparent images in the thumbnail preview just fade onto the colour of the context menu in whichever particular Windows.

Ok, i'll add it

Here is another one which I call "comparing Xnview shell preview quality with that of Shelltoys preview"

I have come across this slight distortion with some pics that I preview in XNview Shell EX compared with that of Shelltoys. Is there anyway you could analyse this and try to improve, perhaps it is that Xnview Shell Ex does not support processing specific ratio resolution of pics, however I dont know.

Do you use "high quality thumbnail" option?

BUG: Rotational preview in some images I download ; problem needs to be identified

Probelm does not happen in ShellToys's context image viewer; therefor should be something to sort out,

Can you see how the particular image displays vertically in Xnview Shell Ext (bug) but how the same image displays as normal in Shelltoys

Ok, the jpeg has an embedded thumbnail in landscape mode, and there is no EXIF orientation information.
So i don't know how to rotate this embedded thumbnail (+90° or -90°)...

[ckit]

XnView's Shell Extension made it into...
http://www.freewaregenius.com/2009/06/2 ... now-about/

only just but hey

[budz45]

ckit, that's nice to know. Xnview and Xnview Shell extension are two supreme image viewing/handling applications on Windows they deserver all the praise

@ Pierre (author) - THANK YOU SO MUCH for agreeing with my suggestions and planning to implement them in to next or future builds of Xnview Shell Extension, I look forward to seeing them and thank you for this.

To clarify on some:

3. Allow backing up of settings to a local file (like a .ini file)

I know Xnview Shell Ext stores its preferences in the registry I was just wondering if there was a way to backup these preferences example. reinstalling or installing Xnview Shell across many systems and transporting the settings . If not a exporting to .ini then probably an 'export settings to .reg' instead. A .ini file would be better since individual settings values can be easily editted & saved in any text editor

Could you explain me why you want a default picture if preview is not shown?

OK, I will admit I was just being creative in adding the picture to that mock-up image But just the text alone could still be added do you agree?

Am I pushing my luck with the text in wanting you to consider these:
+the text would have colour chooser,
+lang translation support,
+selectable text size (if supported under Windows shell)

Do you use "high quality thumbnail" option?

Certainly and always I have this setting enabled. From a non technical perspective it could be that the custom thumbnail size that I have set for all my previewing images (180x180 pix) is creating this problem otherwise it might just be a .jpg specific problem only. Here is another similar image giving this slight preview distortion (with high quality: on) - http://img178.imagevenue.com/img.php?im ... _416lo.jpg

Ok, the jpeg has an embedded thumbnail in landscape mode, and there is no EXIF orientation information.
So i don't know how to rotate this embedded thumbnail (+90° or -90°)...

Oh ok thanks for telling. How comes Shelltoy's 'image size' displays image the correct way (no rotation)? Should Xnview Shell Ext have an option to disable previewing the embedded thumbnail (which may take longer to preview)??

You would like to configure the program used to open?

Yes please, you currently only have one tickbox option for this so a more improved way of doing this as aforementioned proposed would be great; if it's no a burden on you. Just 3 options from within a drop-down menu would be conveninet although I can let you decide. 1. "Use Xnview" 2. "Use System Default" 3. Use "custom" - the reasons for the third option is because it will allow more freedom in which exact program opens the image, some of us may use portable/non installed software that may not be recognised by the system. Additionally the third option would have to launch a open dialog box to locate the .exe to store & use for execution. You have already looked at my earlier mock-up image of the drop-down menu, do you think it's feasable?

[xnview]

Do you use "high quality thumbnail" option?

Certainly and always I have this setting enabled. From a non technical perspective it could be that the custom thumbnail size that I have set for all my previewing images (180x180 pix) is creating this problem otherwise it might just be a .jpg specific problem only. Here is another similar image giving this slight preview distortion (with high quality: on) - http://img178.imagevenue.com/img.php?im ... _416lo.jpg

Ok, the jpeg has an embedded thumbnail in landscape mode, and there is no EXIF orientation information.
So i don't know how to rotate this embedded thumbnail (+90° or -90°)...

Oh ok thanks for telling. How comes Shelltoy's 'image size' displays image the correct way (no rotation)? Should Xnview Shell Ext have an option to disable previewing the embedded thumbnail (which may take longer to preview)??

These 2 problems comes with embedded thumbnail. I add the option

[budz45]

THank you very much for all. I look forward to the next version

[budz45]

Pierre, Im exicted and pleased about all the new agreed features going into Xnview Shell Extension and I am still excited and awaiting when your ready at your pace.

I want to make two more points, the first is for the next version the second is for the future.

1. This is for the next version - all those features you previously agreed you will add may take up a lot of window space so I can further propose you consider adding 'tabs' to that Options window like this:

... This is just an idea but if you don't like tabs it's totally fine I don't mind really



-------

2. IN THE FUTURE: Add audio metadata handling Since Xnview Shell Extension is named in this lovely way (I really like) then in the future, after some versions, you could in long future consider adding audio metadata viewing and editing from within Windows Explorer just like AudioShell and Vista's right-click properties can do. My justification for this idea is that AudioShell has stopped development and is behind and XP users don't have the Vista tag editor in shell properties like so. Xnview Shell Extension is almost fully complete in the image handling department so I just recently thought that it could add audio file handling not to the main xnview but as part of the extension into the shell (think about this for the future XSE).

The editor and viewer will be integrated into Windows (right-click > Properties)
Support for Shell infotip ; customisable infotip on what is shown
You can add tags reading & edit support for id3 v1, id3 v2, wma, ape, aac/mp4, flac, wav,
Support for Cover Art (Album art)
Support for extra tags usually found in WMA and id3 v2 such as: Composer, Publisher, Lyrics,
Overall will look like Vista's details pane for audio metadata handling; except more features and customisable layout

Good examples of a Shell tagger and infotip:

Vista's right click properties -tag editor-


AudioShell's -tag editor-


AudioShell's infotip


dbPowerAmp's infotip which I found posted on the vlc forum


You could use the Open-Source tag handling library known as TagLib to add this feature
http://developer.kde.org/~wheeler/taglib.html
and add something like Libtagext to TagLib to add more fucntionality to the library
http://sourceforge.net/apps/wordpress/l ... lib-audio/

[Dreamer]

3. Allow backing up of settings to a local file (like a .ini file)

I know Xnview Shell Ext stores its preferences in the registry I was just wondering if there was a way to backup these preferences example. reinstalling or installing Xnview Shell across many systems and transporting the settings . If not a exporting to .ini then probably an 'export settings to .reg' instead. A .ini file would be better since individual settings values can be easily editted & saved in any text editor

+1!

[budz45]

yes Dreamer,

I belive backup of settings to a .ini file or .reg file would be nice. It would only backup new settings made.

[budz45]

4. Rather than simply 'use xnview to open' in which we can currently deselect to simply open with associated image viewer - why not makje this into a drop down menu below the drop down menu of language. Then you could add 'open with xnview (installed)' ; 'open with own image program' , 'custom (browse for file)'

You would like to configure the program used to open?

Yes but maybe lay it out in a different way; a drop-down selection would be nicer.

...Or if you prefer the way it currently is then this it's ok. It's fun coming up with these ideas for my favourite applications.

Would be nice to here your opion on audio tag-Metadata toolips with shell-tag-editting for future support in Xnview Shell Ext? if the response is 'NO' then I can understand that Xnview Shell Ext should remain image only shell extension indefinately.

[budz45]

FIXED FIXED - WAS MY OWN FAULT Read as a Truncate filename: to prevent wider context menu

I like slimmer context menu's and not wide width context menu's. I seem to notice that it's long filename's in Windows that make the shell context menu's widen in width making it look less sightly (Im still running XP sp3). It would be nice if an option was added to not read long filenames at all. If the 'Filename' tickbox in XSE is ticked to show any filenames then it could show them shortned with "......" like when you wordwrap text to a window in a text editor.

and
http://i30.tinypic.com/2j5kh85.jpg

[budz45]

This image is not previewing in the shell extension but is viewing as normal in the main Xnview, please download and analyze
http://www.mediafire.com/?vzcy2cinwnm