Previewing the output
The main preview window displays allows you to open multiple ‘Views’ of an image, prior to processing. The results of changing parameters are directly reflected in these image views so, you can see the effects of changing settings on different parts of an source image.
Again, bear in mind that the image you see on screen is NOT print size.
Whan an image is frst opened a default preview of the centre of the source image will load as the main View. Views have two conceptual parts; a window (such as those other applications have) on the screen, and an area of the image that you have opened that is shown in that window. Think of Views as inspectors, or magnifying glasses, onto the processed image. You can open, close and manipulate Views as you wish, but doing so doesn't affect anything except for which areas previews of the processed image are generated.
Views are shown in the Navigator; as highlight boxes in a colour matching your Windows XP theme. The active View (the current view) is seen as a box shaded the same colour as an active window’s title bar in Windows XP. Other views are shown as boxes shaded in the same colour as inactive windows’ title bars in Windows XP. Minimised Views are shown as unshaded boxes.
For each View represented in the Navigator, you will see a window in the main area of the SizeFixer user interface. These windows can be resized and moved as you would an application in Windows, or an image in AdobeTM’s PhotoshopTM. Closing these windows does NOT close the current image, only the view of an image.
What Views show
Views allow you to see what a small section of the final output will look like, which allows you to adjust parameters and see the results. Depending on your computer and the settings you've selected, SizeFixer may or may not be able to display the result in (or close to) real-time. SizeFixer caches as much data as possible to try to speed up updates.
If SizeFixer can't update Views in real-time, it shows you a draft quality version of the image at the selected output size. This representation is darkened. As areas of the Views are calculated, you'll see lighter, processed, areas appearing. In the screenshot above, roughly half of each View has been processed. The progress bar at the bottom of each View indicates how much has been done, and will be blank when there's no more work to do (and, of course, initially, when no progress has been made).
Opening / Closing Views
More views on the image can be added by:
- Clicking on an area of the Navigator not already occupied by a View.
- Right-clicking on the Navigator, and selecting ‘Add view’.
You can remove Views by:
- Clicking the red cross at the top right of a View’s window (as you would close any application or image in PhotoshopTM).
- Right-clicking on the representation of a view in the Navigator and selecting ‘Remove view’.
Manipulating views
Altering the size of, and moving, a View’s window
Essentially, a View's window is just like any other window or dialog you see in WindowsTM XP - you can move, resize and close it as you wish.
- You can move a View’s window by holding the mouse button down over a View’s title bar (where it says “View on [filename]”), and moving it around.
- You can resize a View’s window by clicking and holding the mouse over any of its edges or corners, and moving the mouse. View windows also have the control buttons common to other applications; Minimise, Maximise and Close.
- Minimise sends a view to the bottom of the SizeFixer user interface (NOT the WindowsTM XP taskbar).
- Maximise causes a View’s window to fill all the available space. Its control buttons can then be found just under those of the SizeFixer application itself.
- If you don't want to use multiple Views, Maximizing one View effectively just gives you one big preview area. Settings are remembered, so if you want, you can always run SizeFixer this way.
Changing the area of the image seen in a View
Views scroll in three ways:
- By dragging or clicking in the scrollbars at the left or bottom of a View’s window. These scrollbars do not appear if they’re not necessary.
- By clicking and dragging in the View’s window itself.
- By clicking and dragging a View’s representation in the Navigator.
SizeFixer copyright 2004 FixerLabs. MicrosoftTM, WindowsTM Windows XP, .NETTM and .NET FrameworkTM are trademarks of Microsoft Corporation. PhotoshopTM is a trademark of Adobe.
All other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.