XnView Software

When rating images (View > Rating), each image is marked with a coloured symbol with the rating (1...5) in it.

Currently, the info icon for rating is round and colours are
1 - blue
2 - green
3 - yellow
4 - orange
5 - red

The colours are o.k., I think (just recently I've encountered this colouring when looking at a tool for evaluating webpages).

I wonder whether the symbol could be square just like all the other info icons. In case we stick to the round symbols, the design should be improved in several ways (aliasing, centered numbers, ...).

XnView 1.90 <x>

• Hi !

Currently, the info icon for rating is round and colours are
1 - blue
2 - green
3 - yellow
4 - orange
5 - red

The colours are o.k…

- Sorry, they are not OK according to the universal colour-code used in electronics and around for ages …
They might be the ones shown on THIS IMAGE.
Despite it's in French (it was about another topic…), it's easy to understand, as well for me as for you

G.
Claude
Clo

helmut wrote:I wonder whether the symbol could be square just like all the other info icons. In case we stick to the round symbols, the design should be improved in several ways (aliasing, centered numbers, ...).

I'm the designer , so it's normal. I'll ask a designer to improve these icons...

xnview wrote:

helmut wrote:I wonder whether the symbol could be square just like all the other info icons. In case we stick to the round symbols, the design should be improved in several ways (aliasing, centered numbers, ...).

I'm the designer , so it's normal. I'll ask a designer to improve these icons...

And we are the contributors, who can discuss things and give the author advice to set requirements.
Let's continue discussion regarding square / circle and colouring, here. From this discussion the designer can get input for designing the rating icons. (No designer will be able to answer what is more suitable and useable and what is not, whereas the XnView users can. )

Clo wrote: - Sorry, they are not OK according to the universal colour-code used in electronics and around for ages …

But aren't those colour-codes for resistors and other electronic components only? Not sure we have to use the same in a image-viewer, are really most users familiar with those colours?

I mean, another old colour-code, perhaps even older than the electronic colours is a more visual colour-range:
blue (cold) to red (warm). In my opinion, it is actually more intuitive to have blue as - say - a low rating and red as high. Or the opposite (red is often a warning-colour = low rating), it doesn't really matter, but everyone is familiar with that range, with blue and red at the ends. The white, grey and black is confusing in this sense.

In addition to this, the electronic colours are made for colouring ten numbers, not five, so I don’t see why we should stick to it.

In this perpective, the current colour-ratings are good - and we should not change it.

But of course, maybe in a distant future XnView could have an option for your own personal colours?

I want to vote for square symbols like in the following picture.

Regards,
Gerhard

Troken wrote:...I mean, another old colour-code, perhaps even older than the electronic colours is a more visual colour-range:
blue (cold) to red (warm). In my opinion, it is actually more intuitive to have blue as - say - a low rating and red as high. Or the opposite (red is often a warning-colour = low rating), it doesn't really matter, but everyone is familiar with that range, with blue and red at the ends. The white, grey and black is confusing in this sense.
...

Thanks, Troken for your opinion and explanation. Assigning colours a value is a difficult thing. For example I find it hard to tell what a "purple star" rating in ebay means without looking at ebay's Feedback star glossary.

At school most people have learnt about the spectrum of light, so this seems (more or less) intuitive. Since we have 5 different ratings, only, I vote for the "colour spectrum" apporach that we currently have in alpha 3.

Maiger wrote:I want to vote for square symbols like in the following picture.

Thank you for your sample screenshot, Gerhard, it shows well what square ratings might look like. Personally I like it. Perhaps for a comparison, we could have the same screenshot with round rating symbols?

We are still looking for nice screenshots as yours is, see topic "XnView Screenshots".

helmut wrote:...hard to tell what a "purple star" rating in ebay means without looking at ebay's Feedback star glossary.

I looked at it and - ouch - thats just a bunch of colours with no real meaning into them, no order or range.

Doesn't this thread and the "Sort order"-thread (here!) start to become two threads about the same thing? Possible to join them?

Red icons do not look good with red checkmark (which should contrast against all colours). I vote for a colour scale of Orange to Violet.

—> Troken

Hi !

But aren't those colour-codes for resistors and other electronic components only?

• No, they are used too in the electric hardware (some cables marking off).
- Anyway, are not the computers belonging to the Electronics world ? For me, they do.

In addition to this, the electronic colours are made for colouring ten numbers, not five, so I don’t see why we should stick to it.

You complain that the bride is too pretty!
- The colours from 1 to 5 are not ambiguous.
- I don't see the need to reinvent the wheel… The current colours set means nothing for me.
- Moreover, why a digit inside so tiny icons while there is a code (any) ?

But of course, maybe in a distant future XnView could have an option for your own personal colours?

- Good idea, just a choice between the two sets should be sufficient.

KR
Claude
Clo

As Helmut commented, it isn't easy assigning colours. It seems that there is one point of view for every individual here in the forums.

- Anyway, are not the computers belonging to the Electronics world ? For me, they do.

Of course, computers yes, but images no. Therefore I don't support a strictly technical view, and I don't even think most users are familiar with the "electronic colours". Please correct me if I'm wrong.

But... Clo, I have looked at your link again and maybe there is a misunderstanding (to start with, I don't speak french ) so I'd like to sort things out. When I look at those colours it simply to many of them, purple, black, white etc. It does not apply well to a five grade scale. On the other hand, if you only pick up the colours 1-5, from that scale, they are not far from the other alternatives discussed here (brown, red, orange, yellow, green). Was it perhapps this you meant?

It still is only my opinion which I wanted to share, so for whoever decides, I won't complain (...too much, he he).

helmut wrote:Thank you for your sample screenshot, Gerhard, it shows well what square ratings might look like. Personally I like it. Perhaps for a comparison, we could have the same screenshot with round rating symbols?

Regards, Gerhard

My attitude about the color for the rating symbols is, if I ask somebody, which color do you associate with the words 'bad' and 'good',
I think I will get the answer 'red' and 'green'.

So the rating should also go from red to green. Between there is the mixture of red and green which is yellow.
Think about the traffic lights all over the world. Everybody (I hope ) knows what these colors mean.

Based on that knowlege I will come to the IMHO
only logical solution which looks like this:


Regards, Gerhard

The idea below is to round the interactive icons (and to add additional spacing) to distinguish them from picture icons. The ratings icon grows in size (to oblong/pill-shaped) with higher numbers. The checkmark has been replaced with dot just to be different.

Another reason to drop the red ratings colour is because it is associated with "bad/warning".
Why not look at colours as good to better (not bad)?