New format for viewing posted images

[Swampy]

In a word, I don't like it. Is that some kind of Flash viewer? I'm not fond of the black background for one. and I can't use my programmed mouse button to close the window. I'm forced to click on that very Windows looking red X in the top corner. When I use the keyboard shortcut (Command+W on the Mac-which I've programmed a button on my mouse to do) to close the view window, it closes the entire tab in my browser and I lose the entire thread.

I'm so used to opening posted images in a new window browser Tab, close that tab and be returned to the thread. Arrrgh.

Any way to turn this new viewer off?

[chillin]

Did you try to click the picture itself?

[Swampy]

Yes, Chillin, but it overlays the image over the thread and does not open a new browser Tab. Close the image it closes the Tab.

I always read threads by opening them in a new browser Tab, But can no longer view images in a new Tab.

[chillin]

Yes you can view in a new Tab. Click the image not the X

[Swampy]

THANK YOU CHILLIN!! I'll just have to remember to click TWICE. A pain, but a work-around.

[Frank Lopes]

It is fascinating how the context of where and how something is used changes its usefulness so much...

I use this same mechanism on my website. I wanted this way and it works very well for what I wanted it.

In here, it is a totally different story: it takes away my ability to easily have two images open at the same time while still being able to read the text.

I do that all the time to compare the original image with the worked on version or two compare two attempts on the same image.

Sure I can still do that, it takes more clicks and on a website, the fewer clicks the better.

Note: if you use FireFox on the windows platform and have a three button mouse, by default the middle button/wheel, will open the image on a separate window.

Just my two cents...

[Cassidy]

Yes the new image viewer has taken me by surprise also, every time I open an image, after I close it i've exited the site altogether, a real nuisance. I too like to open multiple windows for comparisons. Having multiple monitors makes multiple windows open easy for comparisons. I think tonight I have totally exited the site more than 5 times.

[CJ Swartz]

Originally Posted by chillin

Yes you can view in a new Tab. Click the image not the X

Thanks for the tip, Chillin!

Originally Posted by Frank Lopes

...
Note: if you use FireFox on the windows platform and have a three button mouse, by default the middle button/wheel, will open the image on a separate window.

Thanks, Frank -- I probably never would have noticed that on my own.

I like the "lightbox effect" for viewing images, but it does take getting used to the new way of maneuvering to keep the thread open and keep the image handy. I clicked "Back" the first couple of times and exited the thread I was reading and then decided to click the "X" to close the photo and found that the thread stayed in my window tab.

Cassidy, I hope you figure out a way to stay inside the forum!

[Cassidy]

Old habits die hard, 8 times out now, once I've successfully closed window and returned to thread and even once I managed to click again and obtain a new window. Old dog, new tricks so hard. Maybe a liver treat might help

[CJ Swartz]

Liver treat for Cassidy - IF you think you're fast enough!

[Kraellin]

in i.e. 7, here's how the new viewer works ( i dont know about firefox and other browsers on this):

left click the thumbnail, image will open in 'lightbox' viewer.

left click the lightbox view ON THE IMAGE will open the image to the old view (default is it will open in a new browser opening). click again and it will enlarge (if it wasnt up to size already).

left click the lightbox view OFF THE IMAGE will close the view/image and you shld be back in the same thread.

mousewheel scroll while lightbox view is on will remove the image and you're back to the normal thread view.

right click thumbnail will open your normal menu list.

right click lightbox view ON THE IMAGE will open your normal menu list for when you right click on an image

right click the lightbox view OFF THE IMAGE and it will open the normal menu list for a web page.

so, you really havent lost anything here. everything you had before for viewing is still there; there's just this one added step that's been introduced to hopefully make viewing images more enjoyable and aesthetic.

those that wish to completely bypass this feature can simply right click and choose 'open in new tab' or 'open in new window'. both shld work just fine.

also, all of the right click menu functions still work... save target as, save picture as, open in new tab, open in new window, properties, etc.

[Gary Richardson]

Luckily I use FF so can centre click images (as long as I remember), if I had to work with the new viewer I think I'd quickly lose the will to live.

"If it ain't bust don't fix it" is a sentence which seems to keep coming to mind.

[Kraellin]

bah! you staid old fogeys is so fix-alated in yer ways! why, i used to walk 7 miles just... wait, never mind

actually, i had asked doug about a week ago to consider adding this piece of software for viewing images here on RP: http://www.piclens.com/ . that is one cool piece of software which i've installed in my browser already. any site which uses piclens embedded in their viewing allows for viewing ALL images in 'the wall'.

so, imagine going into one of the art threads or the gallery and opening up EVERY SINGLE PICTURE in that thread or in the gallery to 'the wall' and then being able to view ALL the thumbs from one mass wall of thumbs and being able to then pick any of those thumbs and open them in a new view.

and, to satisfy those that wouldnt have wanted this, it's an optional thing when using it. like, when i do a google image search, i can either use piclens or not because google has embedded the code for this and you simply click on a little blue arrow thing to initialize it.

pretty cool.

at any rate, i kind of like the new viewer. it's sort of like how pbase displays images and i've always liked that.

[Doug Nelson]

Sorry for the future shock. The lightbox is currently a barebones implementation. In future versions it will add features that were impossible to do with the old style viewing. How many of you remember the complaints when the forums went from HTML to PHP a few years ago? But it was a necessary step to allow all the new functions we enjoy today.

But we can at least now be guaranteed that every image in these forums will be viewed by everyone (everyone that doesn't defeat it, anyway) with the same neutral non-distracting background. This is the same concept currently used by Adobe Lightroom, Bridge, and many other apps, for critical image viewing.

[Swampy]

Doug, I don't know about the "neutral background" I find it more distracting to see the ghosted RTP Logo at the top of the screen and the ghosted thread behind that.

[Swampy]

Now I'm not able to open any of the posted art! Arrr..

Click on an image and nothing opens. Firefox 3

[Doug Nelson]

Try clearing your cache.

[Swampy]

Thanks, Doug. That worked.

[BagLady]

I like the new format (seems more modern), but have been here less than a month! I use Safari and only have to click the image once to open it in a new window... No hassle for me!