Make New Image

[Mike Truly]

I may have asked about this before or perhaps there is a way to do this.

I would like XNView to have the ability to make a new blank image. I would like to be able to specify the resolution and background color of the image.

So for example the user would click 'New Image' and then specify the resolution and color. The reason I would like to be able to do this is to be able to create a blank image that I could then cut and paste other images into this new blank image.

So if I had just done a screen capture of a window that was 1280x1024, and I click new image, the function would be smart enough to know that the new image resolution should default to 1280x1024. I then do a CTRL-V and the screen capture is pasted into the new image. I then save the image giving it a name, etc.

I currently use IrfanView to do this as well as other programs but it would be handier if my viewer of choice had this function.

Thanks!

[Clo]

Mike Truly

Hello !

• You can perform that -with the same result - using the “Import Clipboard” feature.

• You have just to copy the needed active window via (Alt+)PrintScreen before, then “Import Clipboard”, Save as…
and the whole operation is not longer…
- About the BG colour, I guess that a predefined one should be always covered by the pasted image,
so I don't see what the benefit is ?
- Create an empty image is useful to get a pic in a certain file-type, i.e. *.ico or whatever else,
assuming that the soft allows you to draw on, that's not the case here.
- With regard to the current capabilities of the xPaint tool, no… it isn't the case

KR
Claude
Clo

[Mike Truly]

Claude,

Thanks very much for that! I didn't know that function was there. Very handy for my screen capturing example.

But that is not the only way I envision using a 'Make New Image' function. I also envision making a blank image (say 2000x2000) and then pasting several other (smaller) images onto the larger image such that the background color would be visible in some spots. (I have another app that allows you to paste and when you do, it does not paste yet but shows a transparent image of the paste and you can move it around the image that you are about to paste into and you can drag the handles of the paste and change the size, rotation, etc. When you are ready, you can commit the paste. Very handy for quick arrangement, sizing, rotation, (even transparency of the paste). But you're right, this is an area where the improved paint features of XNView could come in handy.

Thanks again!

[Clo]

Mike Truly

Hello Mike !

• Well, there are indeed needs for an empty canvas… (BTW : I'ld prefer “canvas”, since there is nothing drawn on yet…)

• You could solve too some issues using the “Create a strip of images” tool
which has new options in the newest versions of XnView.

- To get an empty canvas, I use now the amazing small freeware programme GFIE Pro.
- Originally designed as an icon editor, now it's able to work with some usual file-types,
and recently with so large images (in a reasonable limit, though).
- We had a discussion about that soft HERE and following messages.

• However, I would like the empty canvas creation as built-in, it could be something like :



• What do you think ?

KR
Claude
Clo
Note : I love THAT photo taken in your town…

[Mike Truly]

Outstanding Claude! I think that would be great for an 'Empty Canvas' dialog. I would also like an option to create TGA on the list as that is a widely used format in my work.

I'll look into the 'Create a Strip of Images' tool as well.

Thanks again!

[Clo]

Hi Mike !

• Glad to hear that you like the mock-up.

- I added a [*] button which could allow you to choose any type to save.

KR
Claude
Clo

[Drahken]

Uh... You wouldn't need to choose an image type when creating the blank canvas, the image type is irrelevant until you go to save the image.

You can achieve a blank canvas pretty easily right now:
1) Open xnview
2) Hit the print screen button on your keyboard.
3) Hit shift+ctrl+v to paste the clipboard into xnview as a new image.
4) Hit shift+e, turn the contrast slider all the way down, then turn the different color sliders up until you get a color that you like.
5) Hit shift+s, uncheck the "keep ratio" box, then set the dimensions to whatever size you want.
Congratulations, you now have a blank canvas of the exact size, shape, and color that you want.

[Clo]

Drahken

Hello !

…Congratulations, you now have a blank canvas of the exact size, shape, and color that you want.

… And you spent 5 times more time than with a specialized box !

KR
Claude
Clo

[JohnFredC]

I think that hiding behind this request is actually a desire for compositing functionality in XnView.

Compositing seems a very natural fit for the XnView image management functionality model.

I would want "virtual" compositing that would let me render a "flattened" result at any time, while leaving the "composited" objects free of the canvas: movable, resizable, rotatable, etc.

This probably would require a new INI-like file type to include the images' filenames, locations, and sizes in the composite canvas.

Picasa has a nice function called "collage" that automates various predefined compositing schemas using a random seed that the user can change by clicking on the collage preview. Though I think such an automated "collage"-like compositing function in XnView would nice, I personally would set the priority on user/manual interaction with each component.