Overlays - Pros/Cons

[axel.hennig]

I would like to start a general discussion regarding the experimental feature "Overlays".

Would be great if a lot of people who test this report back about their experience.

My experience:

• Pro: In general I like the concept a lot, especially in the Viewer. By just clicking "v" (Shortcut) in the Viewer one can see a lot of information about the shown image.
• Pro: The concept is so flexible (in multiple directions) and easy to set-up that it took me just some minutes to show already a lot of interesting infos about my images.
• Pro: As always, the help is a great starting-point for working with Overlays.
• Con: If one is in the set-up process for Overlays, the process of "test -> show -> adjust -> show" is a little bit "slow", because on has to go to "Edit > Preferences > Application > Overlay" to change things and then Save and test the adjustments. My workaround was to use a "My Panel" (which is faster to edit) and at the end copy the "code" to Overlays.

General question to Mario: Why are different formatting concepts used at different places, e.g. XAML for File Window Tips and HTML for Overlays? Just "historically driven"?

Suggestion to Mario: If the experimental Overlay feature makes it to become a "normal" feature in IMatch, would it make sense to change the File Window Tip concept to use the same background-technology as the Overlays-concept (seems to be more flexible)?

[Mario]

Thanks for the feedback.

My workaround was to use a "My Panel" (which is faster to edit) and at the end copy the "code" to Overlays.

That's the easy way to do it.
I assume that in almost all cases, once the overlays have been set up, they will rarely change.

98% of all users use the default FileWindow tip layout, for example.
That's one of the (many) lessons I have learned over the years. Don't overdo things. Users have a lot less demands than I have ideas 

The overlay feature started really simple, with maybe 50% of what I shipped on Tuesday. While working with it and writing the help, I came up with some useful ideas and options, as usual, making it "round" and neat.

XAML for File Window Tips and HTML for Overlays? Just "historically driven"?

Unfortunately, there is no way to render HTML into device contexts or bitmaps, which is what I need.
None of the browser engines supports this, and there are no capable HTML rendering engines available from 3rd parties or open source. At least I did not find anything that works well and supported.

I would prefer to use HTML everywhere, but there is no way. At least I did not find anything workable for C++.

The 3rd party XAML engine I use to render XAML in File Windows, Design & Print etc. covers a small subset of XAML, but it can render into device contexts and bitmaps, which is what I need for File Windows, Design & Print, Batch Processor etc.

Suggestion to Mario: If the experimental Overlay feature makes it to become a "normal" feature in IMatch, would it make sense to change the File Window Tip concept to use the same background-technology as the Overlays-concept (seems to be more flexible)?

This should be doable. Feel free to add a feature request so this suggestion won't be forgotten in the General Questions stream.

[mopperle]

I like the nee "Overlays" and their flexibility.

But I'm not sure about custom overlays. In the helpfile you point to:

Code Select Expand

%PROGRAMDATA%\photools.com\IMatch6\resources\html\templates
As I understood that those files should not be changed.

Regarding user defined files you point to: 

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%APPDATA%\photools.com\IMatch6\html\templates
but below user/username/appdata/Roaming/photools.com/Imatch6 there is no folder resources/Html/templates.

Does it mean that I have to create those folders manually and put the user defined files there?

[Mario]

The help lists this folder as containing the standard templates shipped with IMatch. I only mention this so users can find the default templates for reference and studying.

Code Select Expand

%PROGRAMDATA%\photools.com\IMatch6\resources\html\templates
which is correct. User-defined templates go to the %APPDATA% folder mentioned below that statement.

Does it mean that I have to create those folders manually and put the user defined files there?

Yes. You need to create these folders and put your HTML files, style sheets, maybe images or whatever you need into this folder. Maybe create sub-folders for css files to keep things clean.

Writing your own templates is considered an advanced/expert feature and I don't think many users will ever see the need.
Overlays are flexible enough for most user, I think.

[mopperle]

OK, so the simplest way is to change the overlays under Edit/Settings?

These leads me to 2 question:
1. I can not have more then one kind of overlay?
2. Currentyl the overlay cover the complete window vertically. As I understood, this can be changed with the option "Height". But when when I add a line "height=30" (to overlay only 30% of the windows height) nothing changes.

[Mario]

Height is always 100% for vertical overlays, and width is 100% for horizontal overlays. Using less than that looked bad and made no sense. You use width for vertical overlays, and height for horizontal overlays (Viewer + Peek View).

You have
+ one individually configurable overlay in the Viewer
+ one individually configurable overlay in the Peek View
+ 4 individually configurable My Panels

That should do it. I don't see use cases for using different overlays in the Viewer or Peek View. Do you have one?
Note: If you wan to show e.g. file-format dependent information, you can use simple variable logic and e.g. check for the format or extension and output values or not as needed.

[mopperle]

Height is always 100% for vertical overlays,

Understand, but on a bigger monitor much space is wasted and it would be nice to reduce the height of the vertical overlay.

I don't see use cases for using different overlays in the Viewer or Peek View. Do you have one?

You are right. In the first momenat I thought about an overlay showing the data for videos like in the custom file windows layout I have. But videos do not make much sense in the Viewer/PeekView.

[Mario]

be nice to reduce the height of the vertical overlay.

I have experimented with that. It looks bad and it does not save any screen space. Because the area "under" the half-screen overlay would either be black or show a section of the image. Just toggle the overlay with <V> when you want to see the image in full. Maybe set mode=overlay and adjust the opacity to your taste.

[mopperle]

Maybe set mode=overlay and adjust the opacity to your taste.

That's what I did. The background color of the overlay is defined in one of the stylesheets I guess.

[Mario]

Yes. You can override the background color of rows like so

rowstyle=background-color:red;

But you cannot change the background color of the overlay itself (except when creating your own template).
You can change the opacity to let the background / image shine through.

[axel.hennig]

Would like to share my current experience with "Overlays / My Panel".

Again: I like Overlays a lot and I'm still at the very beginning of the learnig phase.

"My Panel" and also "Overlays" within the Viewer currently looks the following:

You cannot view this attachment.

Comments for "People" row:

• On the focused image there are "N" unknown persons (I don't know how much of them). Unknown means that I don't know these people.
• Additionally there are four (4) persons with known names to me (Brown, Olivia; Carter, James;...)

Comments for "Faces" row:

• There are three (3) faces on that image.
• For two (2) of them the birthday is known and for one person (Brown, Olivia) the birthday is unknown.
• For the two known birthday persons, the age at the time when the image was taken and the age today is shown, i.e. (27|51) means that Emily was 27 years when the image was taken and she is now 51 years.

[sinus]

Great, Axel
Thanks for sharing.  

Looks good, e.g. the technical stuff like shutter speed and so on (what is often afterwards not sooo important, at least for me) has a gently reserved color.

[Mario]

Looks good!

As it says on the lid: you can create your own overlay, with the data you want to see and how you want to see it. Use colors, fonts and everything else HTML has to offer.