ImageVisu - Image and Graphics Viewer

Table of contents

1. Software features
2. How to use
   • 2.1 Images and Graphics visualization
     • 2.1.1 One or several images or graphics visualization
     • 2.1.2 Step-by-step display of animated images (Gif)
     • 2.1.3 Multi-page image (Tiff) display
     • 2.1.4 Directory contents visualization
     • 2.1.5 Read Compressed files
     • 2.1.6 Read Web files : HTTP
     • 2.1.7 Read Web files : ECWP
     • 2.1.8 Filelist
     • 2.1.9 HTML files
   • 2.2 Image removal
   • 2.3 Move
   • 2.4 File information
   • 2.5 Zoom, rotation and fonction keys
   • 2.6 Slideshow
   • 2.7 Print
3. Supported file formats
4. Command line options
5. Configuration file
6. Embedded mode

1. Software features

This program is an image and graphics viewer.
It allows visualization of some graphics and image formats.
ImageVisu can display only one image or graphic at the same time.
It is possible to drag and drop several files (together or in several times), or a directory; the images and the graphics will be displayed one after the other while pressing on the spacebar.
You can enter HTTP address of a file or directory.

ImageVisu is currently available for Windows 2000 / XP / 2003 / Vista / Seven.
This program is free of charge.

2. How to use

2.1 Image or graphics display

ImageVisu can load file formats listed below. These files are either images, either graphics.
The image is displayed in zoom 1 if it is smaller than the window and in full screen mode (F4) otherwise.
One graphic is displayed in full screen mode (F4).
Instead of other formats, multi-images files (gif, tiff) pages are displayed one by one.

The window automatically fits to image size when they are opened by command line or double-click.

2.1.1 Display one or several image(s) or graphic(s)

There are three ways of displaying one file with ImageVisu :

• a/ Double-clic on the name of the file if its format is linked to ImageVisu.
• b/ Drag and drop one or several files into the window of ImageVisu.
• c/ Enter file address (path or URL) in address box.

2.1.2 Step-by-step display of animated images (Gif)

Animation is only avalaible for Gif images.
An image animation can be stopped using the Space key.
To display the following images of the animation, you must use the Space key (as same as for multipage Tiff).
In this step-by-step mode, at the end of the first loop of the animation, you jump to the following image/graphic file. If the animated image is the only one, we start the loop again.

2.1.3 Multi-page image (Tiff) display

Pages of multi-page Tiff images are displayed one below the other.
The first page is above the second one, which is above the third one, and so on.

Moving inside the document by ascending page number can be done either using Space key, arrow icon "next file", "Page down" key or down arrow key.
Moving inside the document by descending page number can be done either using Shift + Space keys, arrow icon "previous file", "Page up" key or up arrow key.

This way of displaying a document is especially convenient for reading electronic books.

2.1.4 Display the contents of one or several directories

Drag and Drop a directory into the window of ImageVisu, or enter its path (HTTP or local) in address box.
Images and graphics files of the directory and the sub-directories will be displayed one by one.
To display the following image or graphic, use the spacebar, or click the "right arrow" button.
To display the previous file, press together Shift key and spacebar, or click the "left arrow" button.

2.1.5 Read Compressed files

ImageVisu can read Gzip (gz) and ZIP compressed files. If such a file contains one image or graphic file supported by ImageVisu, this file is loaded and displayed.

2.1.6 Read Web files http://

ImageVisu can access Web files by HTTP protocol.
You can tell ImageVisu which file names to displayed either

• by command line,
• using address box,
• using the links of a HTML file,
• using a file list in filelist format (see below).

A web site name without a name of html page or directory, is not processed by ImageVisu.
Example : geovisu.free.fr doesn't work, but geovisu.free.fr/index.htm or geovisu.free.fr/photos works.

Three configurations can be specified using configuration file :

• by default, ImageVisu connects directly to the Web
• if a proxy is declared in the configuration file, ImageVisu will use it
• if in the configuration file there is HTTP followed by something else than PROXY, ImageVisu does not connect to the Web.

2.1.7 Read Web files ecwp://

ImageVisu can access Web files by ECWP protocol using ECW-SDK delivered by ER-Mapper.
Loading is done according to the following conditions :

• if in the configuration file there is HTTP followed by something else than PROXY, ImageVisu does not connect to the Web.
• in other cases, ImageVisu connects to the Web according to default system proxy parameters.

2.1.8 Filelist

A file in the .filelist format is a list of files to be displayed by ImageVisu. This is particularly useful to tell the software wich files to load from the Web.
File syntax :
the first line of the file is the header :
FileList V1.0
Then, there is one file name per line.
The extension of this format is .filelist

Example :

FileList V1.0
http://geovisu.free.fr/geovisu/images/capture.jpg
c:\images\map.bmp

2.1.9 HTML files

ImageVisu searches for filenames (hypertext links and images) in HTML files.
ImageVisu displays, when it knows their format, image or graphics files linked by HTML files.
ImageVisu uses hypertext links pointing to HTML files to build a tree structure of directories (HTTP or local). ImageVisu limits its search to sub-directories of original address (address of file submitted by user).
HTML files used by ImageVisu are those contained in these sub-directories. On the contrary, displayed file may be outside these sub-directories.

2.2 Image removal

It is possible to remove images from display.
The Del key used alone removes the current image from display.

2.3 Move

To be able to use the largest possible space to show the image, ImageVisu has got no scrollbar.
To move the display, use the arrow keys and PageUp / PageDown. A maintained clic on left button gives interactive move of the display.

2.4 File information

F12 keys displays, in a dialog box, information about the current file.
These information are :

• For every file :
  • File format
  • Compression method
• For images :
  • File format
  • Dimension in pixels
  • Pixel depth
  • Resolution (ppi)
• For images from numeric cameras (Exif) :
  • Shoot date
  • Focal length
  • 35 mm focal equivalent
  • Iso
  • Exposure time
  • Aperture
  • Maximal aperture of lense
  • Flash
  • GPS Coordinates
• For graphics and GPS files :
  • Geodetic system and projection
  • Total object number
  • Number of images
• For GPS files :
  • Number of waypoints
  • Number of tracklogs
  • Number of track segments
  • Number of trackpoints
  • Number of routes
  • Number of real time logged GPS positions
  • Number of points of interest (POI)
  • Number of lines of interest.

Unknown or non applicable information for a file are not displayed.

2.5 Zoom, rotation and function keys

Functions keys allow zoom and rotation of image.

• F1 or + : Positive zoom (enlarge) x 1.1892 (⁴√2) preserving the center point of the screen
• F2 or - : Negative zoom (reduce) / 1.1892 (⁴√2) preserving the center point of the screen
• F3 : Display in zoom 1 ; the point at the center of the screen will not move.
• F4 : Display in full window mode, without upscaling images.
• F5 : Display in full window mode, with upscaling images.
   
• F6 : Symetry along Y.
• F7 : Rotation in the trigonometric direction (counterclockwise).
• F8 : Rotation in the clockwise direction.
   
• F12 : Display the version number of ImageVisu in the title bar, and file informatiom in a dialog box.

Spacebar key goes to the next file or next page.
Shift + Space keys simultaneous go to the previous file.

Ctrl + Space keys simultaneous launch slideshow in alphabetical order.
Ctrl + Shift + Space keys simultaneous launch slideshow in reverse alphabetical order.

Del key removes the current image from display.

Escape key exits the program.

• Double-clic with left button : Positive zoom x 2
• Double-clic with right button : Negative zoom / 2

It is not possible to dezoom down when all data is fully displayed on the screen.

Ctrl + P launch print dialog box.

2.6 Slideshow mode

To activate Slideshow use key Ctrl + Space or Ctrl + Shift + Space.
In Slideshow mode, data are displayed automatically with a given rythm.
Time interval between two displays is updatable using keys + and - on the numeric keypad.
To stop the slideshow, use the key Space.
Time interval is a minimum value. For a big file, time interval is at least equal to the time to load the file.
Keys Ctrl + Space run the slideshow in file name alphabetical order.
Keys Ctrl + Shift + Space run the slideshow in file name reverse alphabetical order.

2.7 Print

To print, press Ctrl + P keys.

This prints all data displayed in ImageVisu window.
Note that if only one part of the document is displayed in the window, only this part is printed and not the whole document.
The default size of the final printed document depends on the type of the document.
If the document is a single image, the size is the product of the dimension of the image by the image resolution (ppi).

If the document is not a single image, it is printed in full page mode.

Print options are :

Printer name	This is used to select the printer.
Printer resolution (dpi)	This is used to select the printer drawing smoothness. This doesn't change the size of the printed document.
Graylevel (for bitmaps only)	This is used mainly when printing document that contains bitmaps and vector graphics.
Ratio	This is used to reduce the size of the printed document. Range value is 1 - 100.
Font size	This is used to change printed text size by applying a multiplying factor.
Thickness	This is used to change graphics thickness by applying a multiplying factor.

For a single image, additional options are :

Full page mode	This forces the full page mode ; this option doesn't overwrite the ratio option.
ppi	These values are used to determine the real size of the image. When these values are 0, they are replaced by 72. For an image coming from a scanner, scan resolution should be entered to get the size of the source document. Ppis are overwritten by full page option. Whatever the image resolution is, the whole content of the window is always printed.

3. Supported file formats

ImageVisu can read the following formats :
Image formats:

• BMP : Format BMP Windows (1, 4, 8, 16, 24 bits ; uncompressed, RLE compression 4 or 8 or Bitfields).
  ImageVisu can't read BMP OS/2 format.
• BSB : Format BSB Raster Charts.
• ECW : ImageVisu shows ECW format using ECW-SDK delivered by ER-Mapper.
• GIF : Format GIF 87a and 89a (including animated GIF).
• JPEG : Format JPEG (JFIF et Exif), Baseline or Progressive Huffman.
• MrSID : ImageVisu displays format MrSID using SDK provided by Lizardtech for Windows 2000 and above only.
• PBM : Format Portable Bitmap : 1 bit (ascii) and 4 bits (rawbits).
• PCX : Format PCX (4 or 8 bits).
• PNG : Format PNG (1, 2, 4, 8 or 24 bits, interlaced or not).
• RAS : Sun RasterFile (1, 8, 24 or 32 bits , uncompressed or RLE).
• SGI-RGB : Format Silicon Graphics RGB.
• TGA : Format TrueVision Targa (1, 8 or 24 bits, uncompressed or RLE) V1 and V2.
• TIFF : Format TIFF. ImageVisu read TIFF formats uncompressed, CCITT T6 (or Groupe 4), Packbits and LZW (1, 8, 24 bits), including multi-pages.
  ImageVisu can't read TIFF JPEG, CCITT 1D, CCITT T4 (or Groupe 3) formats.
  (In case of multi-pages TIFF, press on spacebar to show the next page).
• XPM : Format XPixmap (native Unix format) (8 bits).
  ImageVisu can't read XPM with more than 256 colors, neither XPM2.

Graphics formats:

• KML, KMZ : Google Earth (Keyhole Markup Language).
• MIF : Mapinfo Interchange Format. Remark : associated MID file is not loaded.
• SHP : Format Esri Shapefile.
• OSM : OpenStreetMap XML format (versions 0.5 and 0.6).
• MP : cGPSmapper Polish map format.
• WinAPRS MAP.
• XML files from geonames.org.

GPS formats:

• GPX : GPS eXchange Format.
• GTM 211 : GPS TrackMaker (binary).
• GTM 212 : GPS TrackMaker (text).
• Magellan MapSend.
• Wintec TK1, TK2, TK3.
• Lowrance USR.
• MapShow (Alan Map, Holux) : tracklogs and waypoints (WPO, WPR, TRL).
• OziExplorer (waypoints, tracklogs, routes, events and points).
• Garmin XML : Garmin Training Center and Forerunner Logbook (HST, CRS).
• Garmin PCX5.
• Raw NMEA log.
• Raw Magellan log (NMEA format).
• Raw Emtac Trine log (NMEA format).
• GeoVisu GVT : Tracklog, GVW : Waypoints and GVR : Routes.
  See format description in GeoVisu documentation.
• RTKT : Binary Royaltek log prefixed by NMEA sentences.
• MTKT : Binary Mediatek log prefixed by NMEA sentences.

Compressed Formats and file lists :

• filelist
• GZ : Gzip.
• HTML : ImageVisu searches for images linked by the file as well as by its hypertext links.
• ZIP

It is not neccessary for the file to have the right extension, ImageVisu recognizes file format looking at the file header.

4. Command line options

ImageVisu can be launched by command line or shortcut with the following options :

Parameter	Syntax	Use
File extension	-FILEEXT extension	This parameter specifies an extension. This option may be specified several times for different extensions. Files with different extensions will not be displayed. Example : -FILEEXT tif -FILEEXT tiff
Remove toolbar	-NOTOOLBAR	Does not display the toolbar.
Minimal image dimension	-MINDIM value	Minimal dimension of displayed images (width and height). Images with lower dimensions will not be displayed. Example : -MINDIM 200 : a 1800x150 image will not be displayed.
Maximal image dimension	-MAXDIM value	Maximal dimension of displayed images (width and height). Images with greater dimensions will not be displayed. Example : -MAXDIM 1500 : a 1800x1200 image will not be displayed.
Display only horizontal images	-ORIENTATIONH	Displays only horizontal images (width greater than height).
Display only vertical images	-ORIENTATIONV	Displays only vertical images (height greater than width).
Minimal file size	-MINFILESIZE value	Minimal file size in bytes. Files with lower size will not be displayed. Example : -MINFILESIZE 2048 : a 1,7 kb file will not be displayed.
Maximal file size	-MAXFILESIZE value	Maximal file size in bytes. Files with greater size will not be displayed. Example : -MAXFILESIZE 2048 : a 2,1 kb file will not be displayed.
Fixed title	-TITLE title	Title used for all files from command line.
Load file	-LOAD "file_name"	Use this parameter to load a file or a directory. The name may be a web address (http or ecwp). This parameter may be used as many times as there are files to load. Example : -LOAD "c:/directory" -LOAD "http://mysite.com/file.nmea"
Embedded mode	-EMBEDDED TRUE	This parameter activates embedded mode (cf. paragraph 6).
Log directory	-LOG_DIR "directory"	Use this parameter to set log directory. Example : -LOG_DIR "c:/log"
Max memory usage	-MAXMEM value	Use this parameter to limit memory usage. Value is in mega-bytes. Example : -MAXMEM 200
Configuration file path	-CONFIG_FILE "file_name"	Use this parameter to set absolute path of the configuration file, if different from the default one. Example : -CONFIG_FILE "G:/imagevisu/imagvisu2.cfg"

If the first string of the command line is a file name, it is interpreted as a load file parameter.
Example : "C:\program files\geovisu suite\imagvisu.exe" "c:\file1.jpg" means "C:\program files\geovisu suite\imagvisu.exe" -LOAD "c:\file1.jpg"

Examples :
To display one file :
"C:\Program Files\Geovisu Suite\imagvisu.exe" -NOTOOLBAR -TITLE "Tour Eiffel" -LOAD "c:/paris-pictures/eiffel_tower.jpg"
To display pictures in JPEG format :
"C:\Program Files\Geovisu Suite\imagvisu.exe" -FILEEXT jpg -FILEEXT jpeg -MINDIM 200

5. Configuration file

The configuration file allows you to define some parameters of ImageVisu.
These parameters are :

Parameter/td>	Syntax	Use
Screen background color	BACK_COLOR_RGB 255 255 255	This parameter determines the red, green and blue levels of the background color. Possible values are integers between 0 and 255. A gray level is obtained by three identical values. Default value is 200 200 200.
Temporary directory	TEMP_DIR c:\temp\imagevisu	This parameter sets ImageVisu temporary directory. This directory is used as images swap. This allow ImageVisu to display big images on computer having few memory (RAM) without using operating system swap. If this parameter is not set and RAM is missing, ImageVisu uses directory "C:\Documents and Settings\user\Local Settings\Application Data\ImageVisu".
ImageVisu language (english or french)	LANG ENGLISH (or : LANG FRANCAIS )	This parameter allows to change ImageVisu language (english or french).
Web access method	HTTP PROXY proxyname portnum Examples : HTTP PROXY proxy.totototo.com 8080 HTTP NO	ImageVisu uses specified proxy and port number to connect to the Web. If line HTTP is not present, ImageVisu connects to the Web without using proxy. If line HTTP is present with something else than PROXY, ImageVisu does not connect to the Web. example : HTTP NOT
Remove toolbar	NOTOOLBAR	Does not display the toolbar.
Embedded mode	EMBEDDED TRUE	This parameter activates embedded mode (cf. paragraph 6).
Memory limitation	MAXMEM 100	This parameter determines the memory size in megabytes (Mb) from which ImageVisu tries to free memory by copying on disk. Possible values are positive integers.

The file imagevisu.cfg is located in the installation directory of ImageVisu. It is editable by a text editor.
In case of wrong syntax, the program may not work.

6. Embedded mode

When running in embedded mode, no data are written to disk.
All data are kept in memory. You have to take care that you have enough RAM quantity for your usage. If there is not enough memory, application will be stopped.

Embedded mode is especially suitable for netbooks.