XnView Software

mezich wrote: I'm afraid that XnView become monster with tons of features for "one person"

What tons of features are you talking about?

A lot of MY suggestions in the MP forums (not all) are enhancements to already existing features and other members on the forum have welcomed them well. Forum members such as JohnFredC, Helmut and XnTriq to name a few.

Please be thoughtful next time you write these sort of comments.

mezich wrote: Tell me please why I should use spotlight tool? To select faces in group photo only? What is the use?

It's ok to disagree with features of XnView MP (new or old). Spotlighting of images in some form or another is used in other imaging applications too. It's not a useless tool as you implying. If you read that topic again you would see that SnagIT has a 'Spotlight' ability for users to apply to picture's after taking screenshots. XnView can take screenshots remember that. If you also whisk though many of my forum topics that I have started before and after the Spotlight feature was implemented - you would see that in many screenshots I've posted, I have needed to clearly convey to other forum users what specific part of the picture screenshot they need to look at - by using either a "Spotlight" (time-costly to do in Paint.net) or draw a ring. So there you go, that's the further use of "Spotlight". Perhaps you don't like that XnView has a screenshot taking feature or can create a Web Capture, are you going to rant about those too lol

mezich wrote: By my opinion, not every tools in XnView should be promoted by icon. So I would like to see comments from you and from also other users.

Now this comment I can agree with.

Now also what is your opinion/creation for an "Icon snapshot on/off" icon? -Or you think one not needed?

budz45 wrote:

mezich wrote: I'm afraid that XnView become monster with tons of features for "one person"

What tons of features are you talking about?

It's meant that I don't want to see XnView as application with many-many tools used by small group of users/one user. I hope you understand me correct. "one person" is not about you :)

budz45 wrote:

mezich wrote: Tell me please why I should use spotlight tool? To select faces in group photo only? What is the use?

It's ok to disagree with features of XnView MP (new or old). Spotlighting of images in some form or another is used in other imaging applications too. It's not a useless tool as you implying. If you read that topic again you would see that SnagIT has a 'Spotlight' ability for users to apply to picture's after taking screenshots. XnView can take screenshots remember that. If you also whisk though many of my forum topics that I have started before and after the Spotlight feature was implemented - you would see that in many screenshots I've posted, I have needed to clearly convey to other forum users what specific part of the picture screenshot they need to look at - by using either a "Spotlight" (time-costly to do in Paint.net) or draw a ring. So there you go, that's the further use of "Spotlight". Perhaps you don't like that XnView has a screenshot taking feature or can create a Web Capture, are you going to rant about those too lol :shock:

Sorry it's not clear. Main purpose of 'Spotlight' tools is select faces? When I need to use it? Please try explain in one/two paragraph.

budz45 wrote: Now also what is your opinion/creation for an "Icon snapshot on/off" icon? -Or you think one not needed?

Let's finish with 'Spotlight' then will discuss "Icon snapshot on/off". Ok?

Hi Mezich!

I like #3 also. Thanks for your efforts!

About Spotlight: I frequently need to highlight just a portion of an image to point out something to 3rd parties. Spotlight is very useful to me for that and I wish it had even more features.

IMO an attitude current everywhere is: no single tool is sufficient, therefore always use the best tool for the individual task, rather than over-burden a single program (such as XnView) with every possible function, some of which couldn't possibly be optimum. This approach has the natural outcome of a separate tool for each task, with the user continually having to setup and navigate links between separate programs to accomplish any given workflow.

Except... rarely is the optimum tool needed. Sometimes the user just needs to do something basic very quickly and good-enough is good-enough.

The XnView legacy (and now MP) UI environments are so efficient and "comfortable", many of us are loath to leave them for relatively "trivial" tasks that are "near" (workflow-wise) to the basic image viewing and maintenance function. For those of us who feel this way, it is best that an entire set of basic functionality be available IN XnView, as opposed to outside of it.

This includes different things for different folks, naturally... (which engenders much discussion in the forum)

JohnFredC wrote: About Spotlight: I frequently need to highlight just a portion of an image to point out something to 3rd parties. Spotlight is very useful to me for that and I wish it had even more features.

Thank you JohnFredC, please check out the main "Spotlight" topic for what further features you think it could have.

JohnFredC wrote: Except... rarely is the optimum tool needed. Sometimes the user just needs to do something basic very quickly and good-enough is good-enough.

Exactly, that is why I thought of "Spotlight" for XnView MP. It is very possible to do in image editors that support layers such as Paint.net or PhotoShop but it's just time consuming that way. XnView MP and Techsmith's SnagIt make spotlighting very quick and easy to do when it's needed.

mezich wrote: It's meant that I don't want to see XnView as application with many-many tools used by small group of users/one user. I hope you understand me correct. "one person" is not about you

Yes I now understand. I have to re-echo your sentiment that nobody such as myself too wants to see 'monster' amount of tools... This is why Pierre is experienced enough as a developer to make good decisions and really listen to users before just adding features.

mezich wrote: Sorry it's not clear. Main purpose of 'Spotlight' tools is select faces? When I need to use it? Please try explain in one/two paragraph.

Right, below are links to forum posts containing screenshots I have posted in where I really needed (and used) the "Spotlight" fucntion:
http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.p ... 664#p90806
http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.p ... 900#p95620
http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.p ... 248#p95991
http://newsgroup.xnview.com/viewtopic.php?f=74&t=23209
even this- http://i56.tinypic.com/1zgdkzn.jpg

Sometimes just drawing a ring within a screenshot or any picture is not good enough as the ring could block the view or confuse the user viewing the screenshot into probably thinking that the drawn ring is part of the screesnhot. Especially in the case of 'busy' screenshots e.g. multiple program windows captured in a screenshot. So drawing a "Spotlight" provides a good alternative whilst preserving the rest of the screenshot in a distorted/darkened background. Spotlight also has it's uses on non-screenshots (normal still images) too.

So, No, the "Spotlight" feature is not just for highlighting people's faces in photo's lol

Thank you JohnFredC and budz45 for your comments.
I think icon should looks like this

mezich wrote:Thank you JohnFredC and budz45 for your comments.
I think icon should looks like this

Ok that's fine

Quick mock-up of how your icon would look on the interface:



..lol, It kinda looks like an Olympic torch from a greater eye-distance but upon proper looking it is clear what the symbol is.

mezich wrote:So I would like to see comments from you and from also other users.

Inspiration for a spotlight / hightlight icon:

• 

My first thought was that something to do with highlighted faces would work, but that metaphor has been co-opted by the facial recognition meme. Then a spotlight came to mind, but a spotlight by itself seems insufficient to unambiguously imply the XnView spotlight function.

That said, XnTriq's first icon is my favorite of the ones posted so far:



This icon communicates the "highlight" behavior of the function quite well, including how the highlight will "look" in the image... except that the current the MP spotlight function does not support elliptical highlighting!

Perhaps Pierre could implement elliptical highlighting? If so, I would vote for this icon.

JohnFredC wrote:


This icon communicates the "highlight" behavior of the function quite well, including how the highlight will "look" in the image...

Variations:

• 

XnTriq wrote: Inspiration for a spotlight / hightlight icon:

Good idea. Thanks. Tomorrow will try.

mezich wrote:

XnTriq wrote: Inspiration for a spotlight / hightlight icon:

Really creative idea (showbiz light)

mezich wrote:

Excellent work. I like #3 the best

So far I vote for #3 ..I like how it stands out as an icon which follows the true essence of the 'spotlight' feature.

XnTriq wrote:

JohnFredC wrote:


This icon communicates the "highlight" behavior of the function quite well, including how the highlight will "look" in the image...

Variations:

• 

alien abduction is funny but meaning is not clear for "spotlight"