ImageViewer is a Macintosh image viewing application perfect for locating, displaying, organizing and printing GIF, JPEG, PICT and TIFF images. View and play movies as well!
One of ImageViewer's most useful features, is the ability to navigate among numerous images. You can browse from image to image in a folder or volume--forward or backward--with a single click or keystroke. Choose a "list" view to see multiple images displayed as previews or text and double-click an image to see it fully displayed. It even has an Auto-Browse (slide show) feature that automatically displays images one after another. You can auto-browse a window(s) or in full screen view.
ImageViewer offers a number of view modes. Single image viewing modes include: Full Screen, Fit To Window, and scaled between 25% and 800%. List viewing modes include: Gallery, Gallery Small, and Text. All view modes support file ordering by name, size, type, date and random.
ImageViewer works in combination with other applications like PhotoShop™ and MS Word. Copy images to your favorite application via "Drag And Drop" or with the unique Transfer command. ImageViewer spares you the tedium of locating individual files with the Open command.
ImageViewer also contains simple editing features like crop, scale, rotate, and invert, so you won't have to open an advanced editor to do a simple editing task.
To help organize your images, ImageViewer has commands to Copy, Move, Move To Trash, and Rename files. You can also automatically create thumbnails and icons, or add comments/keywords to better identify images for future use.
If you work with graphics on the Mac you'll find ImageViewer indispensible. Give it a try!
Registering ImageViewer
See text document "Registration & Tech Support".
Technical Support
See text document "Registration & Tech Support".
Password Problems
If you need an additional password, you can receive one on-line at www.imageviewer.com or email to kevinw@imageviewer.com. The new password method, as of version 4.4, should lessen the need for additional passwords. I appreciate the patience of those who experienced problems with the previous password method.
Opening Images
ImageViewer allows you to open the following graphic file types: GIF, JPEG, PICT, and TIFF. When you open a file you are specifying both a current file and a current list of files. New file formats will be added in future releases.
To open an image choose Open from the File menu. A semi-standard Open dialog will appear. If you select a file and choose Open, a file list will be formed based on the folder containing the file(i.e. the base folder). How the file list is formed depends on the value of the "Search Sub-Folders" checkbox in the Preferences, "File" panel. If search sub-folders is on, the list includes every graphic file ImageViewer can open, including all folders found inside the base folder. If search sub -folders is off, only the files in the base folder are included, no other folders.
You can also choose the Browse option rather than Open, this will open a folder or volume if one is selected. If a file is selected, it behaves like Open.
You can also open files by dragging files, folders, or a volume onto the ImageViewer icon.
If the "Preview And Icons" preferences are set to apply at Open, previews and icons are made whenever a file is opened, including gallery views.
Note: When ImageViewer builds a file list, it searches all files within the specified folder(s) and checks those with invalid file types to see if their contents represent a file that can be opened. Many valid graphic files don't have correct Mac file types (e.g. those downloaded from the internet). This "file checking" can add a significant amount of time to the initial Open time. To limit the file list to only valid file types, uncheck the checkbox "Check All Types When Building File List" in the Open dialog.
Further, the initial file list building at Open always adds some time--usually only a few extra seconds, but sometimes longer. ImageViewer is designed to navigate among files in a list, rather than open single files from the Open dialog. You can cancel the list building by holding the command and period keys down.
Saving Images
ImageViewer allows you to save images in the following file types: GIF, JPEG, PICT, and TIFF. If you Save the image, it is saved in its current file type and compression. If you choose Save As, you can specify the file type and compression. Currently, JPEG files are saved at a default setting of "High" if not specified via Save As. Further, JPEG files are re-compressed when saved, which can cause a loss of image quality. This is a flaw of sorts and I plan to allow an option for retaining the compressed data in next release.
To save an image choose Save from the File menu. This will save the modifed image in its current file type and compression.
If you choose Save As from the file menu, you will be able to specify the file type and compression using popup menus in the dialog box. When you change the file type, the compression option(s) appear for that file type. If JPEG compression is selected, you can set the quality as well.
If the "Preview And Icons" preferences are set to apply at Save, previews and icons are made whenever a file is saved.
Special File Commands
ImageViewer has a number of time-saving file commands that allow you to perform finder operations without exiting the application. You can Copy, Move, Move To Trash, and Rename files simply by choosing commands from the File menu. You may also Create Previews and Icons in the same manner.
Specifying Locations
To Copy or Move a file or selection range of files, you must specify a current location, which can be either a folder or volume. Choose Add Location from the File menu and select a location. The new location will be added to the locations list. To specify a location as current, click the location icon in the Locations floating window. All Move and Copy operations use the current location as a destination. This allows you to easily organize images in various folders.
Copy To Location
Makes a duplicate of the current file or selected files and places it in the current location. This feature can be useful for categorizing or making backups of image files.
To Copy to the current location, choose Copy To Location from the File menu. When in single image view mode, the current file is copied. When in a list view mode, the entire selection range is copied. From list view modes you can drag the selection over a location to Move, or hold option key down to Copy.
While copying a group of files, you can't perform actions within ImageViewer, however, you can switch out and perform other tasks. Preliminary tests show ImageViewer Copy files can be up to 20% faster than the finder(7.5.5).
Move To Location
If the source file and the current location are on the same volume, the file's location information is exchanged. If they are on different volumes, a duplicate of the current file or selected files is placed in the current location and the original file is deleted. This feature can be useful for categorizing image files. Moving across volumes is much slower than moving within the same volume.
To Move to the current location, choose Move To Location from the File menu. When in single image view mode, the current file is moved. When in a list view mode, the entire selection range is moved. From list view modes you can drag the selection over a location to Move, or hold option key down to Copy.
While moving a group of files, you can't perform actions within ImageViewer, however, you can switch out and perform other tasks. Preliminary tests show ImageViewer Move files can be up to 30% faster than the finder(7.5.5).
Move File To Trash
Moves the current file or selected files into trash folder.
To Move the current file or selected files to the trash, choose Move File To Trash from the File menu.
While moving a group of files to the trash, you can't perform actions within ImageViewer, however, you can switch out and perform other tasks.
Rename File
Renames the current file.
To Rename the current file, choose Rename File from the File menu.
Create Previews And Icons
Creates a preview(s) and/or icon(s) for the current file or selected files. Previews and Icons preference settings are applied when this command is used. This feature can be useful when viewing in a display mode that uses previews.
Previews are created as 32-bit PICTs, using the size and compression options from Preferences.
**Note: For faster creation and display choose compression "none".**
To create preview(s) and/or icon(s) for the current file or selected files, choose Create Previews And Icons from the File menu.
While creating previews for a group of files, you can't perform actions within ImageViewer, however, you can switch out and perform other tasks.
Window Controls
ImageViewer has a number of controls built into its windows. You can use these controls to locate files, change the view mode, or change the list ordering.
The four larger buttons at the top left of the window select the view mode, clicking on them will switch the view mode. From left to right they are: Gallery View, Gallery View Small, Text View, and Single Image View(whatever its current state is).
The slider control allows you to "jump" to a file in the list. You can drag the slider or click on its base to jump to a given file. The slider base also doubles as a progress bar when ImageViewer is busy (e.g. reading a file or copying files).
There are a group of three smaller buttons to the right of the slider. From left to right they are: decrement current file, start Auto-Browsing, increment current file. If Auto-Browsing is on, from left to right they are: left direction, stop Auto-Browsing, right direction.
To the right of the controls is a message box to inform you of ImageViewer actions. Message text defaults to the current view mode.
Below these controls are a number of text buttons for setting the list ordering. From left to right they are: Name, Size, Type, Date, and Random. The current list order is underlined, similar to the finder.
At the bottom of the window, to the left of the horizontal scroll bar, is the view popup. You can switch between single view modes (e.g. Fit To Window, 200%) by using this popup menu.
At the bottom of the window, to the right of the view popup, are the multi-image or "frame" controls. These controls allow you to step through image frames and turn play on or off(animated display). Currently, these controls are only active for multi-image GIF files.
Modifying Images
You can perform some simple image modifications by using the Modify menu.
Rotate Left rotates the entire image counter clockwise 90 degrees. Rotate Right rotates the entire image clockwise 90 degrees. These operations require additional memory and may not execute if memory is low.
Flip Horizontal flips the entire image horizontally (i.e the pixels to left of center are swapped with their counterparts to the right of center). Flip Vertical flips the entire image vertically (i.e the pixels above center are swapped with their counterparts below center). To "mirror" half of the image, hold down the Shift or Option keys when flipping (not very practical but lots of fun!).
Crop To Selection, discards the portion of the image that isn't selected. The resulting image is a subset of the original.
Scale scales the actual image pixels. The original image size before the scale is always 100%. The image display mode is unchanged.
Invert inverts each pixel in the image.
Set Color Depth allows you to change the color depth or "bit level" of the image. This can be useful for reducing the image size, or matching the image to a display device depth.
Set Resolution allows you to change the resolution or dots-per-inch (dpi) of the image. Useful for reducing/enlarging the image size, or matching to a printer's resolution.
Apply Color Table allows you to specify the color table for the image file. This can be useful to set the color table to the standard for use on the internet. The file "Netscape Colors 256" can be used for this purpose.
Special Commands For GIFs
Set Transparency allows you to set the transparency for GIF files. An eyedropper icon will appear, clicking on the image will set the color. Remove Transparency turns that feature off. You can also set transparency in the Save As dialog with the "Options" button. Currently, ImageViewer doesn't use transparency in its display, but saved files will carry this info.
Set Delay allows you to set the delay time for multi-image GIF files(animated GIFs).
Auto Browse
Auto Browse is an ImageViewer feature that when activated, automatically steps through the files in the image list, displaying each file one at a time. Similar in concept to "slide show" features found in other applications, but doesn't require changes in view mode or interface.
Auto Browse works for both active and inactive windows, but turning too many windows "on" can cause sluggish behavior. Auto Browse can be use as a mini-batcher to create previews and icons.
To turn auto-browsing on or off either click the toggle button at the top of window (middle of small three buttons), or choose "Turn Auto Browse On/Off" from View menu.
You can customize some of the Auto Browse behavior via Preferences "Display" panel. Auto Browse Pause allows you to set the number of seconds to pause before opening the next file in the list. Auto Browse Wraps Around, if set "on", the first file in the list is opened after the last file, if set "off", Auto Browsing stops after the last file. Skip Error Messages When Browsing prohibits error alerts while browsing.
Copy And Paste
Copying refers to placing a copy of all or part of the image into the clipboard. Once in the clipboard, the contents can be pasted into another application. If there is a current selection, only that portion is copied, otherwise the entire image is copied to the clipboard.
To Copy to clipboard, choose the "Copy" command from Edit menu.
Pasting Into Another Application
To paste the contents of the clipboard into another application, open the target application and choose "Paste" from the Edit menu.
Another way to accomplish paste is to use drag-and-drop. Make a selection then move the cursor over the selection area, the cursor will change to an arrow. If you hold the mouse down, you can "drag" the selection to another application's window. If the target application supports receiving a drag, it will work just like paste.
Transfer To
Transfer allows you to open the current image file in another application, as though you had dragged the file's icon onto the application's icon. Transferring allows you to edit images in another application without losing image quality as can occur with copy/paste. The target application will be launched if necessary.
To specify the Transfer application use the "File" preferences panel. To Transfer, use the Transfer To command in Edit menu.
View Modes
ImageViewer allows a number of "View" modes to display images. Single image modes include: Fit To Window, Full Screen, and scaled display between 25% and 800%. There are two single image preview modes as well. List view modes include Gallery, Gallery Small, and Text View.
Single image modes allow you to view an entire image in detail and to modify. List view modes are intended to allow viewing many files at the same time, depending on the list view mode and window size.
Use the view mode buttons to set the view display mode. You can also use the "Tab" key to toggle between current "list" view mode and current "single image" view mode.
While in a list view mode, you can select files and perform various operations on the selection range (e.g. Copy To Location or Create Previews). Double-clicking a file in a list view mode will open that file in a new window.
User Display Colors
ImageViewer allows you to customize certain display colors. The values used for these colors has a great impact on the visual "feel" of the display. There are four colors that can be set as part of general display.
Message text is the color of the text in the messages area.
Message background is the color of background for messages area.
Progress bar color is the color used for displaying progress.
Image background color is the color used to fill in the content area of the window not used by the image itself.
To set these colors use the preferences "Display" panel. You can click on the colored rectangle for each of the display colors.
Editing Keywords And Comments
Comments are nothing more than text that can be saved along with an image's content. Keywords are similar, but are Mac-specific and are stored in a file's resource fork, thus can't be transferred to other platforms. ImageViewer displays and edits comments for both JPEG and GIF files. Keywords can be displayed and edited for all ImageViewer file types.
To edit keywords or comments, open the floating window for the appropriate task and type into the edit field. When you want to add keywords or comments to a number of files, you can save time by choosing the preferences option "Auto-Save Keywords and Comments". If this option is on, comments and keywords will be saved whenever you move to another file.
Batch
Batching files is a way to take specified actions on a list of files. ImageViewer allows you to specify a batch, set it in motion, and carry on with another task.
The flexible design allows you to perform powerful batchs with ease. You determine the actions to be taken and what order they occur. There are no limits on the combinations of actions you'd like to perform--up to the maximum action slots. While most programs that offer batching capabilities are hard to understand and use, ImageViewer offers a simple drag-and-drop interface. Just drag a few icons and go!
To specify a batch, drag action icons to the action list. For actions that have multiple settings, hold the mouse down over the action icon and a popup or dialog will appear for you to set. Double-clicking action icons adds/removes them from the list.
When the batch is finished, an error list is shown with file names.
