luspi/photoqt v2.8

on GitLab

With the help of some fantastic feedback, the list of improvements in this release of PhotoQt is quite long. Some of the highlights include (grouped by area):

• Main menu and context menu:
  Both the main menu and the context menu have been completely restyled and restructured to be better organized while looking a little more modern. There is now less duplication in the main menu and the context menu, instead they complement each other to improve usability.

• File dialog:
  Whenever an image is hovered, PhotoQt shows a large preview image in the back. By default, the preview image is simply the thumbnail image, scaled up (very fast). It is now possible to switch to a higher resolution preview image (slightly slower). Additionally, the preview image can be blurred and its colors can be muted.
  In addition to the changes to the preview image, the tooltip that pops up when a file is hovered has been reworked for better styling and better handling of images with odd ratios and very long filenames. If the tooltip is not wanted, it can be disabled altogether.

• File formats:
  The Adobe Illustrator format is now supported (through ImageMagick and GraphicsMagick)

• Shortcuts:
  In addition to supporting key combinations and simple mouse actions for shortcuts, this release adds the support of double clicks.

• Navigation:
  Buttons to navigate through the folder and show the main menu are shown next to the window buttons in the top right (can be disabled). The floating navigation buttons are also still available, but they moved to the bottom middle of the main interface and blend in much better than before. They can be moved freely using simple click-and-drag.
  During zoom, PhotoQt by default keeps the mouse position fixed. In addition, it is possible to set PhotoQt to always zoom to/from the center of the image. Also, though it is still possible to zoom an image as much or as little as desired, by default PhotoQt now stops before the image gets too much zoomed out or in.

• Meta data:
  So far, the meta data has always been hiding behind the right window edge. Now, it has been turned into a floating element that can be shown through shortcut or context menu. It can be moved anywhere on the screen using a simple click-and-drag, and it can be hidden through a button that can be found at the top right of the element.

• Slideshow:
  Controlling the slideshow is no longer done through a large bar at the top, but instead the controls are shown as floating buttons in the middle near the bottom of the main image. They are barely visible, unless the slideshow is paused or the mouse is hovering the buttons. They can also be moved to any other placed in the main interface through simple click-and-drag.

• Interface:
  Some of the elements in PhotoQt need a certain minimum screen space in order to display their content properly. Thus, if the window of PhotoQt is too small, these elements can be automatically popped out into their own window.

• Windows:
  There have been different improvements specifically for the Windows platform. For example, PhotoQt now supports moving files into the Trash on Windows (as long as the used Qt version is at least 5.15). It is now also possible to set an image as wallpaper (as long as the image format is supported natively by Windows). In addition, PhotoQt also now explicitly uses OpenGLES on Windows which has reportedly led to better performance.

These are some of the major changes, there have been many more smaller improvements to improve usability and make PhotoQt look a little more modern. You can find a few more items in the Changelog, but best is to try it out yourself.

I love to hear from people using PhotoQt. In order to get in touch with me for feedback/support/etc., there are a few different ways you can do so:

• Email: You can always send me an email.
  
• IRC: I often hang out in the IRC channel #photoqt over at Libera.Chat.
  
• GitLab: Feel free to open an issue over in the GitLab repository.
  

If you want to help PhotoQt, there are a few ways you can get involved:

1. Join the translation team over on Crowdin. If your language is missing you can simply request it directly on Crowdin or send me an email and I can add it to the project.
   
2. Give feedback of what you like/don't like, or what you think is missing from PhotoQt. To give feedback, send me an email or open an issue on GitLab.
   

If you are considering supporting PhotoQt by donation, please consider donating to the humanitarian relief in Ukraine instead, for example to the Ukrainian Red Cross.

Enjoy PhotoQt,

Lukas