GradientView Beta - Info and Feedback

[PietSous]

Please use this thread for any comments, questions, feedback, grievances, gripes, rants or raves you have about the feature and general idea thereof.

We have introduced a new feature to the website. There is now a better way to view photos with the "GratientView"! Find the link under a photo's title in the gallery.

Sometimes you may want to view a photo without the rest of the website and background colours influencing the photo. Clicking on the "GradientView" opens the image in its own window with a neutral gradient bar. You can also change the background of the page background by mousing over the gradient bar to make sure that you see the picture in the best possible light.

Let us know what you think of this new feature.

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

The picture doesn't show up?

Apple OSx Leopard
Firefox3

[ianweatherburn]

I love it. I just wish it were the default instead of necessitating two clicks to view a photo in this format. And it would be great if it remembered your preferred background (ie middle gray).

[PietSous]

Originally Posted by Forgiss

The picture doesn't show up?

You HAD to view it in the 2sec the file was uploading? :P

Originally Posted by ianweatherburn

And it would be great if it remembered your preferred background (ie middle gray).

Default background is set to the middle gray now. Gives you a good starting point.

[Forgiss - Sean Nel]

Originally Posted by PietSous

You HAD to view it in the 2sec the file was uploading? :P

Default background is set to the middle gray now. Gives you a good starting point.

hehehe... seems to have been the case... Personally I would have preferred to have a background chosen and your choice locked down... starting default should be 18% grey (as neutral) me thinks

[Kalahari Mick]

I like it!! It gives the option of viewing a picture with a backdrop which can be altered to enhance it. I noticed with Basies shot, as it is darkened, the picture seem to jump out at you.

[ianweatherburn]

Originally Posted by Kalahari Mick

I like it!! It gives the option of viewing a picture with a backdrop which can be altered to enhance it. I noticed with Basies shot, as it is darkened, the picture seem to jump out at you.

It's a good reminder that when doing PP on an image you should view it on black, white and gray backgrounds to see the effect of your adjustments?

[Creeper]

My personal opinion:

The idea is great, but the two clicks and the new page open is a bit of a hassle. You are also not able to go to the next image (or did I miss something) or previous image in the gallery. The settings doesn't get saved, so if I want black, I need to reselect it for each image that is opened.

[ian_mclaren]

This is a giant step in the right direction

Ian

[Geurt]

I like this a lot except it is going to eat into my ADSL caping as image is downloaded twice from an off-shore web site. I do think that I will use it selectively on images that I really want to see with a different BG. Good work.

[Timothy]

Originally Posted by Geurt

I like this a lot except it is going to eat into my ADSL caping as image is downloaded twice from an off-shore web site.

Dont worry, it uses the same image so it should be cached on your computer already the first time you view it (it shouldn't download it again)

--

The idea is to use it when you want to really examine a photo so I think its ok to have 2 clicks (one to open, one to close). It might be useful tho to be able to have the comment box right there tho so you can type as you admire the photo..

Here's an idea: instead of having a new page open, we could make it that you click a button under the image and it makes the block that its in (currently a mauve colour) into grey and add the gradient bar below it. then all the other functionality is still on the page, but you can adjust the surrounding colour of the photo. (its not as clean as a new page though)

[SteveG]

simple: in gallery view set up two options for each picture. first option goes to normal view with comments. second option goes direct to GradientView. In gradient view set up a link to comment view, should one wish to comment after viewing.

Love the viewer.

[PietSous]

Good feedback so far, thanks :-)

It's still in beta and we will definitely take all feedback into consideration. The 2 clicks for now is just to experiment with the feature, rather than building it solidly into the galleries right from the start.

[Loukie]

I like it, it works well with high key photos, it does subdue the BG brightness which will help certain images.

[Andre v]

Very nice feature, i would like to see this introduced

[Russ]

Can you build it into the posting screen so that the poster can select the BG for the image and then have it stored as a default for all views of that that image ?
Perhaps even enable the user to set a default value in thier user profile so that they can choose a BG for all thier posts

[Peter Veitch]

Perhaps include a paging facility by clicking either in a left or right corner. Not really necessary to add arrows though.

[PRK]

I would second Russ's comments and feedback. Allowing the poster to set it would be more valuable and allows the user to pre-set the way the image should be viewed. Another through it to allow the user to select a "frame" by also setting the width of the background.

If viewers can still set it, it should not require a new window to be opened. That is an extra step that takes time when browsing the galleries.

The other useful aspect of this slider bar is to give a sense of how well a screen represents the range of shades between the white and black points. Not sure if this can be done, but if there was an online tool that could help members calibrate their screens it would be quite useful...

[jacojoubert]

Big thumbs-up!

[Frans Swanepoel]

Waar kom Piet Sous Vandaan??? I must say I like it a lot. Very well done Piet. Waiting for the next improvement.