ThumbsPlus, an excellent image viewer that also works as an all around multi-media file manager. ThumbsPlus is a world class product that views, converts and manages images, it's an incredibly fast, stable and well coded program, has an excellent interface, has options galore yet is very easy to use. The official webpage has this to say: "What is ThumbsPlus®? It's only the most effective, elegant and inexpensive way to locate, view, edit, print and organize your images, metafiles, fonts and movies."
Website and Download links:Official Website: cerious.com
Download: <a href=http://cerious.com/downloadv3.htm target=tplus>ThumbsPlus version 3.30-S</a>
Please note: I am recommending and linking to a slightly older and smaller version of ThumbsPlus - version 3. I'm doing this because it's a much smaller download than the latest version 4 yet has most of the same features, I highly recommend it. Please browse the ThumbsPlus website to learn all about the program or to get the latest version.
My favorite ThumbsPlus features:[*] Allows you to browse all of your files via thumbnail images.
[*] Excellent image viewing and slideshow options.
[*] Instantly set images as desktop wallpaper, with plenty of options.
[*] Excellent resizing options and advanced photo adjustments and effect filters.
[*] Auto clipboard saves - writes screenshots to disk in the format you choose.
[*] Use it to view, install and uninstall fonts.
[*] Batch convert image files, with lots of options.
[*] Create thumbnail webpages automatically and with plenty of options
[*] It plays many audio files (great for previewing waves).
[*] File saving options: GIF - the best, many great options, choose transparency color, creates very optimized images. JPG - full control of compression level, smoothing and type.
[*] Views <a href=http://mtm2.com/~forum/pages/Forum16/HTML/000038.html>RAW</a> files! (see info below).
Hints and tricks:Remember these useful keyboard shortcuts:
- Spacebar loads the next image, Backspace loads the previous image
- Z zooms and Shift-Z unzooms
- Ctrl-Z is undo (once)
- R brings up the commonly used rotate and resize dialog
- Double-click an open image to make it go full screen (not a key, but...)
For use with RAW images be sure that RAW is "selected" as a viewable file type, look in the menu under "options"--"preferences"--"filetypes" and enable it by selecting it if it's not already (I don't think it is by default). Aside from this, individual RAW size and type viewing must be configured, see the section below for an easy way to do so.
If you want to view OPA files just add "OPA" to the file types list as a "new" type (in the menu under "options"--"preferences"--"filetypes") and tell the program OPAs are equivalent to RAW and it will automatically pick up the proper filesize from the RAW loading settings (described below).
Customize the tool/button bar, just right click on it and modify. You can even add external programs, just right-click the blank space on the toolbar to make the toolbar configuration dialog pop up, then click the "external program" button on that dialog to search for the EXE you'd like launch selected file types with.
REGISTER the program if you can.
Specific RAW loading options:Overview:
- Loads and views 24-bit screenshot RAWs in natural full color.
- Loads and views all terrain RAWs in their natural greyscale.
- Loads and views OPA files in their natural greyscale (if configured to read "OPA").
- Loads and views 32x32, 64x64, 256x256, 512x512 paletted RAWs only in greyscale.
- More RAW sizes and types can be configured.
After installation and setup, copy and paste the following data into the "[RAW]" section your "Thumbs.ini" for some pre-configured RAW loading options: (configured by me)
[Raw]
32x32 8-bit gray=32x32-G-8-0-0-uni
64x64 8-bit gray=64x64-G-8-0-0-uni
128x128 8-bit gray=128x128-G-8-0-0-uni
256x256 8-bit gray=256x256-G-8-0-0-uni
512x512 8-bit gray=512x512-G-8-0-0-uni
4x4evo Terrain (native) 256x256 16-bit gray=256x256-G-16-0-0-uni
4x4evo Terrain (import) 1024x1024 8-bit gray=1024x1024-G-8-0-0-uni
TRI 640x480 24-bit rgb=640x480-R-24-0-0-uni
TRI 800x600 24-bit rgb=800x600-R-24-0-0-uni
TRI 1024x768 24-bit rgb=1024x768-R-24-0-0-uni
TRI 1152x864 24-bit rgb=1152x864-R-24-0-0-uni
Terragen 8bit 257x257=257x257-G-8-0-0-uni
Terragen 16bit 257x257 (intel)=257x257-G-16-0-0-uni
TRI (ui) 640x480 8-bit=640x480-G-8-0-0-uni
Note: This ".INI" data should work with both versions 3 and 4 of the program. If you don't use the above data you'll have to configure it all yourself in the "File Loading" options within the program. *ahem* You'll find "Thumbs.ini" in the ThumbsPlus folder. ;-) The above data should load, as well as possible, almost every RAW size and type known to MTM and 4x4 editors.
Extended RAW loading options:RAW files that require ACT color palettes (which means everything but RAW screenshots) are viewed as black-and white images in ThumbsPlus, but even like that it's great to browse your files, especially everything above 64x64 in size.
Combine the thumbnail viewing with the proper color loading ability of <a href=http://mtm2.com/~mtmg/utilities/guitarb/TXRaw.zip>TxRAW</a> and you've got a killer RAW file browser for 256x256 and 64x64 textures. Traxx 1.2 is a good browser for 64x64 of course, but it doesn't do anything larger nor does it "copy" files with the proper color palette when you're going for external editing (TxRAW and Traxx 1.4 use the image's own ACT, <a href=http://drive.to/traxx>Traxx 1.2</a> does not).
Right-click the blank space on the toolbar to make the toolbar configuration dialog pop up, then click the "external program" button on that dialog to search for the EXE you'd like launch selected files with. If you have RAW files properly associated with TXRAW.exe then all you have to do is highlight a thumbnail then click the proper button on the toolbar or press Shift-Enter, that will load the RAW in TxRaw just like normal.
ThumbsPlus will load RAW files but it cannot save them as RAW, therefore it's only a one-way utility as far as RAW files are concerned, but it will save your loaded RAW files in any other supported format.
