Thumbnail quality

[admin]

Please look at the following 6 samples each in 4 qualities:
superfast | smooth | rough | crisp

Currently, XYplorer thumbnails use the "superfast" quality when you enable "Configuration > Thumbnails > Super-fast thumbnails", and the "crisp" quality if you disable it. Now, since yesterday I can also offer "smooth" -- it is AFAIK the best quality possible under Windows (and the slowest to generate), but I find it a bit un-crisp. At least for some images. OTOH, when you look at the cable behind Martin Freeman's head, "smooth" is clearly better, right?

InterpolationSamples2.png

InterpolationSamples1.png

[Filehero]

Very good decision to get yourself a Fuji X.

Yep, on average smooth is the smoothest, erm best. I think it's even clearer on the lady sample (look at her nose!).

FH

[PeterH]

Hm - superfast and rough are 2 different types of rather bad.

I think I'd prefer smooth before crisp. Especially for the thin lines. They just are smoother

[admin]

Very good decision to get yourself a Fuji X.

Yep, on average smooth is the smoothest, erm best. I think it's even clearer on the lady sample (look at her nose!).

Yes, I agree with both.

[yusef88]

does "rough" show more details or it adds an effect to the image?

[Filehero]

does "rough" show more details or it adds an effect to the image?

looks like plain overdone sharpening after resample (reminds me of IrfanView's Apply Sharpen after Resample).

Rant: Unfortunately that's how most of the smart phone's image engines work today. The digital world is flooded now with crappy looking "images that once were photographs".

[klownboy]

So I'm trying to tie in your Beta release notes for v15.00.0404 with this thread. You mention in the beta notes, the change applied does not currently affect thumbnails. Are those pictures you've shown in the first post, thumbnails generated with the 4 different sampling methods or images generated with SC savethumb? I agree the "smooth" result seems to be best at least looking at this size. Is the next step to incorporate the "smooth" sampling method across the board including thumbnail generation? I assume when we set thumbnail to best quality or should I say the new smooth quality, the thumbnails will need to be re-generated or they will not be automatically regenerated unless until we choose "refresh thumbnails". Are you thinking you may offer a fast, high quality and smooth thumbnails? Thanks.

[admin]

So I'm trying to tie in your Beta release notes for v15.00.0404 with this thread. You mention in the beta notes, the change applied does not currently affect thumbnails. Are those pictures you've shown in the first post, thumbnails generated with the 4 different sampling methods or images generated with SC savethumb? I agree the "smooth" result seems to be best at least looking at this size. Is the next step to incorporate the "smooth" sampling method across the board including thumbnail generation? I assume when we set thumbnail to best quality or should I say the new smooth quality, the thumbnails will need to be re-generated or they will not be automatically regenerated unless until we choose "refresh thumbnails". Are you thinking you may offer a fast, high quality and smooth thumbnails? Thanks.

- SC savethumb is already smooth by 0404
- 0405 will make list thumbnail generation smooth
- cached thumbnails are not affected; so if you really want that smooth look you have to re-generate them; it's your decision whether it's worth it.
- it will be fast (i.e. not notably slower than before) and smooth; of course, super-fast is much faster, but only at low quality.

[klownboy]

So it looks like you'll be staying with the 2 options for thumbnail generation - super fast and high quality (which will now be the smooth sampling method). Thanks for the information.

[Marco]

I think "rough" is simply "nearest pixel", therefore no sharpen, no bilinear, nothing.

Any chance you can implement the Lanczos algorithm?

[admin]

I think "rough" is simply "nearest pixel", therefore no sharpen, no bilinear, nothing.

Any chance you can implement the Lanczos algorithm?

It's STRETCH_DELETESCANS. It's nowhere used in XY, I just added it to the samples for drama.

No, I cannot implement custom algorithms, it would be too slow.

[admin]

So it looks like you'll be staying with the 2 options for thumbnail generation - super fast and high quality (which will now be the smooth sampling method). Thanks for the information.

Actually I changed my mind about this. The next version will have some changes...

[Marco]

No, I cannot implement custom algorithms, it would be too slow.

Ok.
Will you let the user choose between "old" high quality (aka crisp) and "new" high quality (aka smooth)? My thumbs look too smooth, and I liked that bit of sharpness that was available before.

[admin]

No, I cannot implement custom algorithms, it would be too slow.

Ok.
Will you let the user choose between "old" high quality (aka crisp) and "new" high quality (aka smooth)? My thumbs look too smooth, and I liked that bit of sharpness that was available before.

Same here. Therefore I just made it so that we like it.

[Marco]