XnView Software

Feature Suggestion: Option to Set Custom Thumbnail Aspect Ratio in Browser

Hello, and thank you for the amazing work on XnViewMP — it’s an indispensable tool in my daily workflow.

I’d like to suggest an option to customize the aspect ratio of thumbnails displayed in the Browser view.
Currently, when adjusting the thumbnail size using the slider (or the toggle button next to it), the thumbnail cell ratio appears to be fixed around 1.048:1. This can sometimes make it difficult to preview images properly, especially for folders containing media with cinematic or vertical formats.

It would be great if users could:

1. Set a fixed aspect ratio for thumbnail cells (e.g. 16:9, 4:3, 1:1, etc.), or

2. Choose an adaptive option that automatically adjusts the thumbnail cell ratio according to the image in the folder with the smallest difference between width and height (i.e. the image whose aspect ratio is closest to 1:1).

Such a feature would significantly improve the browsing experience, especially for those working with video stills, animation frames, or concept art, where maintaining composition proportions matters a lot.

Thank you for considering this suggestion!

you can
1. set Custom thumbnail size in Settings>Thumbnail>Appearance
2. select Custom in Browser>View>Thumbnail size

user0 wrote: Sat Oct 18, 2025 10:14 am you can
1. set Custom thumbnail size in Settings>Thumbnail>Appearance
2. select Custom in Browser>View>Thumbnail size

Thanks for your reply!
Yes, I’m aware of that feature — you can specify custom thumbnail pixel size in the settings or select “Custom” from the Browser view menu.

However, my suggestion is a bit different.
Instead of defining fixed pixel dimensions, I thought it would be great if we could set an aspect ratio (e.g., 16:9 or 4:3) and then use the slider interactively to resize thumbnails while keeping that ratio consistent.

It would make browsing more intuitive, especially when working with images that have strong compositional proportions.

right, that could be handy