Icon Previews

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pbrice

Member
Aren't my icons for graphic files (jpg, gif, tiff...etc) supposed to automatically preview in the Finder when using icon view. I realize that I can get a preview in column/browser view or through Apple+I, but I thought one of the neato tricks of X was the automatic preview icons that scaled for images?

I can get them by using Graphic Converter, but they look like shit.

Any tips...
 
It sounds to me like you're refering to the Dock ability to automatically cale the icons up to their full size.

By the way, unless I'm mistaken, icons for the Mac (any Mac) do not come in those crappy icon archive files that Windoze uses. Hence, every icon collection i've opened is essentially a directory with a lot of hollow files with the icon image attached (that's why you do the whole cut and paste). So, to see a full scale preview of them just drag them to the Dock.
 
Thanks, but not what I'm referring to. I know about the Dock, and all that. What I'm referring to is in a Finder window. You can choose List, Browser/Column, or Icon view.

In Icon view, through view options you can scale the size of your icons just as you can on the desktop or in the Dock.

The way I understood it, graphics files were supposed to display in preview in Icon View, not just in the last column of Browser View. See the Apple web site or the OS X book that came with OS X. And with scaling, you could jack up these preview icons to a very recognizable size, to make it easier to choose the graphic file you wanted. Almost like a built in photo gallery.

As I've said, I am able to get the icon previews if I use Graphic Converter (4.05 for X), having it generate the icons, but they don't scale up well. They get very fuzzy. Surprisingly, I have a few that look perfectly clear and scale perfectly, as well, but I don't know how they got that way. They are jpeg's, just like most of the other files, but these four or five (out of 200), are exactly what I was expecting.

Any ideas?
 
Originally posted by pbrice
Thanks, but not what I'm referring to. I know about the Dock, and all that. What I'm referring to is in a Finder window. You can choose List, Browser/Column, or Icon view.

In Icon view, through view options you can scale the size of your icons just as you can on the desktop or in the Dock.

The way I understood it, graphics files were supposed to display in preview in Icon View, not just in the last column of Browser View. See the Apple web site or the OS X book that came with OS X. And with scaling, you could jack up these preview icons to a very recognizable size, to make it easier to choose the graphic file you wanted. Almost like a built in photo gallery.

As I've said, I am able to get the icon previews if I use Graphic Converter (4.05 for X), having it generate the icons, but they don't scale up well. They get very fuzzy. Surprisingly, I have a few that look perfectly clear and scale perfectly, as well, but I don't know how they got that way. They are jpeg's, just like most of the other files, but these four or five (out of 200), are exactly what I was expecting.

Any ideas?
Click to expand...

Well, this may seem obvious, but I'll say it just to rule it out as a possibility.

In order to be clearly represented at the larger sizes the preview icon has to be in the new 128-bit size. It is possible that while Graphic converter may work in X that it still creates old sized icon previews, or that there is a preference you can set to pick the size.

For instance, using PhotoShop, when saving, you can have it save an icon preview or none (file size issues). If you select to have it save the icon preview it will make an older 32-bit version (as the app is still not carbonized or cocoa-ized), when scaled up it looks bitmapped.

The ones that do work may simply be images that don't lose to much in the expanded translation because of color and shape. or they could have been saved previously with a larger icon preview that Graphic Converter is just uncovering.

Maybe?
 
Thanks for the info. I'm going to try a couple things out in GCoverter preferences.

Two quick questions for you:

1. How's the speed of OS X with MP?

2. How's the Que! CDRW? I was just looking at one, but I'm still undecided. I'll have to reboot to 9.1, of course, but it's a small price to pay for OS X ;)
 
Originally posted by pbrice
Two quick questions for you:

1. How's the speed of OS X with MP?

2. How's the Que! CDRW?
Click to expand...


1) OS X is near perfect with the Dual Processor G4. Beyond two kernel panics way back on the very first day of using the system (3/24) I have had no problems.

Don't get me wrong, Quartz does still need to be opimized and set to run on the GPU, but with the Dual I haveno problems working in X as fast if not faster then in 9.1.

2) The Que! CDRW is great. before installing X I used it to back-up individual clientdata and then personal stuff. I'm eagerly anticipatng the CD-R enhancements for X so that I don't have to boot back to OS 9.1 to burn discs. It's especially sweet with Toast 5 Titanium (which is OS X ready).
 
I never heard anything about preview in icon mode, but I sure wish it <em>was</em> that way. Of course, I hope it would first display all the icons normally and then start creating previews. Otherwise, yuck, that would be slow.

-Rob
 
Well, I finally got it to work, but I needed Graphic Converter.

When I originally downloaded Graphic Converter, I was still using IE, which would always use StuffIt in Classic (which I never figured out how to stop). Needless to say, when I installed Graphic Converter, it went through Classic, but I was able to use it in OS X (three cheers for Carbon!).

Well, I deleted Graphic Converter, and then reloaded through OmniWeb. When I installed it this time, there was a new option in the preferences under Custom Icon. There was now an option to create 128x128 icons. When I checked this, all my NEW files previewed in crisp, clean, scalable icons in the Finder windows' Icon view.

Anyhoo...I was pretty certain that OS X was supposed to do this itself. I remember Mr Jobs noting this in an early demo, and reading about it otherwise. Of course, I had to use Graphic Converter, but on page 4: Aqua, of the "Welcome to Mac OS X" manual that came in the box, it says:

"The Finder shows document icons in several ways, including large, detailed icons that preview document contents"

...pointing to a window in Icon View with files that are obviously a Beach, a Forest, some Leaves,...etc., that are all TIF and JPG files.

In terms of speed, I usually have a couple folders with about 200 - 300 jpg's and such stored in it, which take about a second or two to load. Scrolling starts off slow, but once they've all been displayed, it scrolls normally. Speed is very much variable depending upon Icon size. Bigger = slower. I don't mind it though, because it's quicker for me to just see the file that I want than it is to try to remember its name. It will be interesting to see if the new 128x128 icons will speed up the loading since I keep the icons in my graphics files large. Previously, I'm guessing it would have to load the icon file (which was smaller) then do some math to scale it up. If it doesn't have to scale it up, maybe it will be faster...
 
Originally posted by pbrice

Two quick questions for you:
1. How's the speed of OS X with MP?
2. How's the Que! CDRW?
Click to expand...

Answers (Polar Opposite):

1. OS X on my G4 450 DP/MP (448 MB RAM) is OK but not as smooth as OS 9.1 by far. Window scrolling is OK but resizing is agonizingly slow and any disk access (Mine is a 30 GB, 7200 RPM drive from Apple) seems to be slow. Programs run quickly; Classic apps are mediocre but definitely slower than 9.1 Native.

2. QPS QUE! drives are OK, but spring for a firewire burner NOT USB. QPS Tech support is awful, I was treated like a moron who didn't know anything AND they didn't fix my problem after 30 minutes long distance that I had to pay for.

Hope this Helps!

 
Originally posted by glowurm@mac.com


Answers (Polar Opposite):

1. OS X on my G4 450 DP/MP (448 MB RAM) is OK but not as smooth as OS 9.1 by far. Window scrolling is OK but resizing is agonizingly slow and any disk access (Mine is a 30 GB, 7200 RPM drive from Apple) seems to be slow. Programs run quickly; Classic apps are mediocre but definitely slower than 9.1 Native.

2. QPS QUE! drives are OK, but spring for a firewire burner NOT USB. QPS Tech support is awful, I was treated like a moron who didn't know anything AND they didn't fix my problem after 30 minutes long distance that I had to pay for.

Hope this Helps!
Click to expand...

1. Have you installed the firmware update through 9.1 Software update or directly off the support site? It is either 4.1.8 or 4.8.1, can't remember exactly which way the numbers fall. Also, have you defragged your harddrive?

Both of those will help with the performance issues you are stating.

2. If you look at my signature you'll see I do have the FIRWIRE Que! drive.
 
Hey PlaidPajamas:

I did not defragment my drive as it seems unreasonable to require this after a fresh install of an OS. If otherwise, let me know (and which utility works best with OS X?)

I have all applicable firmware updates (as noted in my signature {grin})

I also have the .0.1 update installed.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

ps: I thought Pbrice was looking into buying the burner...
 
Originally posted by glowurm@mac.com
Hey PlaidPajamas:

I did not defragment my drive as it seems unreasonable to require this after a fresh install of an OS. If otherwise, let me know (and which utility works best with OS X?)

I have all applicable firmware updates (as noted in my signature {grin})

I also have the .0.1 update installed.

Thanks for the suggestions though.

ps: I thought Pbrice was looking into buying the burner...
Click to expand...

I unbderstand what you're saying, but, believe it or not, defragging is a neceesary act in my experience to date with OS X. I have done four clean installs and on everyone running Norton Disk Doctor reveals severe fragmentation.

I have only used Norton for doing this, so i don't know what is necessarily the best app for it. But, you can boot off of the latest Norton disk (I actuakky think Norton utilities 6.0 or later will work, but I use the Norton SystemWorks package because I know it supports HFS+). Then run Disk Doctor, you will more then likely come across a number of minor errors. When that's done, run Speed Disk and optimize the drive.

You'll see great speed ups... if you don't then I'll have to question your sanity, LOL!

Ciao
 
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