Introduction | Exif-Feature | Sets | Foto-Album | Cache | Seperate Modules | Multiple Plattforms | Languages | Image-Viewing-Features | Menue-Key-Aware

Introduction:
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ImageBrowser was developed special for the Sharp Zaurus SL-5500. It is used to show image-files on the device. ImageBrowser DOESN'T use the method of the Zaurus to look for images on all medias (RAM, CF-Card, SD-/MMC-Card) and to show them eventually sorted by categories. The concept of ImageBrowser is "path and filter". This means that image-files are shown which are located in a specific path and meet a specific filter.


Example:


Path:   "/mnt/card/Documents/image/jpeg"
Filter: "*.jpg"

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Exif-Feature:
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With digital-cameras it is usual to save so called EXIF-information in image-files. Beside exposure-data of the image (exposure-time, flash use, ...) EXIF-information contains the date and time of the exposure.
There are a lot of programms that can deal with this information and it is a good idea to name image-files according to date and time of exposure.

Tip:


http://www.sentex.net/~mwandel/jhead


An image-file with exposure-time


"10. August 2003, 14:42:01"

could have the following name:


"2003_0810_144201AA.jpg"

A filter for all files from august 2003 could look like this:


"2003_08*.jpg"

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Sets:
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The combination of path and filter is known as "set" and can be saved with an arbitrary name in ImageBrowser.


Example:


Path:   "/mnt/card/Documents/image/jpeg"
Filter: "2003_08*.jpg"
Set:    "August 2003"



The number of pathes, filters and sets is only limited by avaiable memory.
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Foto-Album:
-----------

ImageBrowser follows the asumption, that you want to show a specific set of images again quickly and therefore shows - as soon as there is a valid combination of path and filter - a preview of the images as thumbnails ordered in a table. These images are scaled.
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Cache:
------

As scaling (especially for large images) is a time consuming step, it is possible to save thumbnails in a cache. This means that you will need less time (to show) but more storage space.



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Seperate Modules:
-----------------

ImageBrowser consists of the following applications

o DirectoryBrowser
o ImageBrowser
o ShowImage

These can be used seperately.

The start-program is "DirectoryBrowser". If there is allready a valid combination of path and filter defined ImageBrowser will be called directly to show the thumbnails of the images.
It is also possible to call ImageBrowser from a shell with filename(s) as parameter(s). So it is possible to "program" a "fixed album".
"ShowImage" can also be called from a shell with a filename as parameter. I use this feature to view gnuplot-Images.


Example:



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Multiple Plattforms:
--------------------

As mentioned above, ImageBrowser was developed special for the Sharp Zaurus SL-5500.
Is is programmed in Python with PyQt and uses the QT-Interface of Trolltech. This means it is also useable for Linux-PCs.
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Languages:
----------

At the time of this writing there is english and german avaiable. If someone is interested in writing translations for other languages, please contact me by e-mail at "markus.zaurus AT office-m.at".
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Image-Viewing-Features:
-----------------------


o Rotate by 90 degrees
o Turn by 180 degrees
o Zoom
o FullScreen
o DiaShow
o Play Movie (experimental)

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Menu-Key-Aware:
---------------

During developing of ImageBrowser attention was payed, that (nearly) all functions can be executed with the menu- and cursor-keys.


o DirectoryBrowser
Left, right,
up, down ............... Tree-navigation
Center (Select) ........ Call ImageBrowser


o ImageBrowser
Left, right,
up, down .............. Table-navigation
Center (Select) ....... Call ShowImage


o ShowImage:
Left .................. Previous image
Right ................. Next image
Up .................... Zoom in
Down .................. Zoom out
Center (Select) ....... FullScreen-on/-off

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