Photo Viewer

[Khellros]

One of the few features of the gp2x there *hasn't* been a lot of discussion about lately is the photo viewer. Perhaps it is not very important to people, but it is to me. Hence, I decided to do some tests to try to figure out the optimal format (resolution, compression, etc) to convert my photos to.

Objectives: to make images that are quick to load, with maximum quality on the gp2x screen, and as small as possible without sacrificing quality.

To my surprise, it turned out resolution of the photos viewed on the gp2x really affect the image quality on the screen (i.e. there is a difference in appearance between a large image placed on the gp2x and the same image downsized on the PC and then put on the gp2x). Images that are just exactly 320x240 turn out very soft, even blurry. By contrast, large images (> 640x480) turn out extremely sharp, even aliased.

After testing many different settings, my preference is to put photos as jpegs with quite a low compression factor (quality 8 in Photoshop) and a resolution of 480x360.

Anybody else have preferences or thoughts about using the gp2x photo viewer? For reference, I have the original firmware.

/Khell

 

[DijiTao]

I noticed something similar before I upgraded my firmware as the pictures that happened to laying on the cameras SD card that I first shoved into my GP2X where 1024x768 and they looked excellent, yet when I started trying to make my skin the 320x240 images I was using for backgrounds didn't look nearly as good. I've since upgraded my firmware but I'll have to look into this again as I just didn't think about it at the time. My guess is that the higher resolution pictures when scaled down by the GP2X some what cancel out the scanlines problems.

 

[Steve Warner]

Does anyone know the maximum resolution of images supported by the GP2X? I tried putting some 5 megapixel images direct from my camera on the GP2X, but when I went to view them, the Picture Viewer choked and then dumped me back out to the main menu.

I haven't tried extremely low-res images, but I can say that 1024x768 and 800x600 images look outstanding.

 

[Paradox]

is it possible to zoom in X%, zoom out X%, fit to screen, ,show original size etc in gp2x?

 

[mittens]

I've heard somebody failed to view 2048x1536 on the first firmware.

It seems that is the limit of GP2X photo viewer at the moment, I dunno it still can't, though.

 

[donny662]

From GP2X User Guide v1.1

The GP2X cannot currently display images larger than 1280x1024 pixels . . .

I also have a beef with the photo viewer that I just recently discovered. I have many of the Calvin and Hobbes comic strips in .gif format, and I thought it would be really cool to be able to go through and read those strips on my GP2X, which would be better than trying to relax in front of the computer for a few hours while reading the strips. But, when I went to view the first strip, which was a daily strip with white background and black outlines, the GP2X displayed it with black backgrounds and white outlines. Plus, the lines weren't really discernable at all and forget about trying to read text. If I wouldn't have known what I was opening up, I would have no idea it was a comic strip.

The sunday strips show up better. Coloring is correct, but the captions are still totally unreadable. I know it was kind of a long shot to be able to read the captions on the small resolution screen, but there is no excuse for inverting the daily strips. The original resolution of the files are 600x194 for dailies and 600x420 for the sunday strips

I would really like to see the features Paradox asked about (and no they are not yet implemented). Then, it would be no problem to enjoy these comics wherever I want. Or, I guess I could crop every panel into it's own file, but I think that's a little too much work for 3000 images .

 

[triton]

i want the abliity ot fit to screen and stuff too, but the 1280x1024 is wrong, i have firmware 1.0 and i have viewed an image that was like 1150x1600 just fine, took a little bit to load but loaded fine

 

[nubie]

I think you may have to wait for a proper picture viewer.

As far as quality goes, you really should try IrFanView, it is free, and has some of the best algorithms built in to resize your pictures.

I think it has a batch mode too.

You can play around with that to get really good pictures.

that is what I used on these VVVVVVV pictures below

 

[triton]

i use irfanview ALL THE TIME, i use it tons to resize my digicam pics

 

[Gieese]

Although it is stated on the guide, there are sometimes, selecting a picture below 1280x1024, the photo viewer will end, going back to the main menu.
Due to this, I need to goback to the picture, get the filename which cannot be shown, goback to menu, and delete that picture so, it will proceed on.

One of a wantings on the Photo Viewer personally is:
1. Place file name at the corner of the screen (On/Off)
2. Thumbnail viewer?
3. Delete within Photo Viewer.
4. Zoom/Minimize/Rotate
5. Show as slide show. (with music would be great)
6. Support on Gif Animations.

On the other hand I wish the controller, can, when pressed down, selecting the files, it will go down (rapidly). Since, if I had 1500 photos, and I wanted to see the last shot, I need to press down 1500 times.... (using folders 1-100, 101-200 right now to simplify but is still rediculous pressing down 100times)

Just my selfish wantings....

 

[Khellros]

On the other hand I wish the controller, can, when pressed down, selecting the files, it will go down (rapidly). Since, if I had 1500 photos, and I wanted to see the last shot, I need to press down 1500 times.... (using folders 1-100, 101-200 right now to simplify but is still rediculous pressing down 100times)

Yes, for some strange, strange reason holding the stick down works for fast scrolling in most menus but not in the photo viewer menus (where you are actually most likely to see many files). Hopefully this is fixed soon (maybe even already in the 1.0.1 firmware?).

As an aside, in case anyone has missed it, you can use the L and R shoulder buttons to navigate directly between images in sequence. So in essence, you can have a slide show, although you have to press to switch each image.

/Khell