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Silly Q: How do I disable the image popup on mouseover?

(29 posts)

Started by jimwillsher
Started on June 29, 2007 - 02:19 AM (2 years ago)
Latest reply from RLR-photography (2 years ago)

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jimwillsher
Member

I've looked everywhere! How do I disable the popup image-preview window which shows when I mouseover an image? I find it very distracting.

It'll be there somewhere, I'm just not finding it....

Cheers,

Jim

Posted On June 29, 2007 - 02:19 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
ramei
Member

Hi Jim,

go to TOOLS > OPTIONS > FILE LIST

There are several switches for enabling/disabling and configuring the info tips.

Posted On June 29, 2007 - 07:46 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
jimwillsher
Member

ramei said:
Hi Jim,

go to TOOLS > OPTIONS > FILE LIST

There are several switches for enabling/disabling and configuring the info tips.

Show Thumbnals on info tips.....Thank you!!!! </forums.acdsystems.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />

Jim

Posted On June 29, 2007 - 09:00 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
xor42
Member

ramei said:
Hi Jim,

go to TOOLS > OPTIONS > FILE LIST

There are several switches for enabling/disabling and configuring the info tips.

Thank you for the info but you did not say which option! We'll try searching for an answer there.

However, this leads us to the point that professional users paying a premium price should not have to waste their time searching for options that should be turned off to begin with. It is paramount that a new version have modes to exactly emulate the previous version. Having to learn a new operational style, in the odd case where it might be better, is not good option.

Posted On July 27, 2007 - 01:37 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
Connie Bensen
Inactive

Hi,
I'm sorry that you were inconvenienced. But if the new features aren't turned on to begin with, in my own case I maybe would never find out about them.

Posted On July 27, 2007 - 01:49 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
jimwillsher
Member

Connie said:
Hi,
I'm sorry that you were inconvenienced. But if the new features aren't turned on to begin with, in my own case I maybe would never find out about them.

I agree totally. And besides, what's extremely useful for user might be extremely irritating for another user -who decides?

Jim

Posted On July 27, 2007 - 02:30 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
Connie Bensen
Inactive

Some with eyesight issues have said they like it.

I don't have eyesight issues, but I'm running both ACDSee 9 & Pro 2 beta & I'm really liking the mouseover.

Posted On July 27, 2007 - 07:22 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
xor42
Member

Jim Willsher said:
Show Thumbnals on info tips.....Thank you!!!! </forums.acdsystems.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/rolleyes.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":rolleyes:" border="0" alt="rolleyes.gif" />
Jim

Many thanks. That fixed it. It was giving us a headache.

Posted On July 27, 2007 - 07:22 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
xor42
Member

Connie said:
Hi,
I'm sorry that you were inconvenienced. But if the new features aren't turned on to begin with, in my own case I maybe would never find out about them.

Despite our initial frustration, we agree that it is difficult to highlight new features. But that is what the What's New and intro pop ups are for. Pros who pay a high premium are not the ones to throw eye candy at when they are using the product in production. Hours or days lost trying to figure out a new operational modality is very costly affair.

I suggest the designers add multiple configuration profiles. Like Microsoft did with Word whereby you can set to a Word Perfect interface or native word. In ACDP, they could create 2 initial preconfigured profiles. One for standard ACDSee behavior for the pros who can't afford to stop work to figure out the product and another that highlights new features for those who are not using the product in production. While they are at it, they could also add the ability for customers to add their own configuration sets. We, for example, might have one for source file selection and review, another for post selection editing, etc.

Assuming the ACDP codebase uses standard programming techniques and the configuration data is stored in a global class or data object, it would be a simple affair to create multiple profiles. The Tools / Options screen's General tab would only need a few new fields. A simple read/write of the configuration data block would accomplish the load/save. There's room for such fields there now.

The multiple configuration sets would also be great for mutiple users on the same machine such as in the home environment. For example, one profile for deep tech Dad, one for pic-snappy daughter, and another for artsy wife. LOL.

Just my 15 cents.

Posted On July 27, 2007 - 07:38 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
xor42
Member

Jim Willsher said:
I agree totally. And besides, what's extremely useful for user might be extremely irritating for another user -who decides? Jim

Please understand that our comments are solely related to the PRO 2B version that is a pro product for pro users at a much higher pro price for a limited number of extra features. The value proposition can thus only be that the product is more stable, faster, and with an interface geared to pro operations on large numbers of files. Non-pro users are a different story. They are used to, and can afford, to get lost for a while. The non-pro version would suit their needs anyway. Pro's, however, cannot afford *any* lost time.

The current beta's interface glitches brought our production to a standstill due to a few simple options being turned on and leaving us to find a solution. The viewer/browser didn't work like it did in previous (non-pro) versions. Pro v1 doesn't really count since even ACD support readily admitted that the codebase had not been updated and v9 provided most of the same functionality. Thus, all the pros we know, as do we, use the v8 or 9 non-pro version and should thus be considered an operational standard.

As per our previous comment, multiple profiles would easily solve this corundrum. Those who can afford to lose time (read: have some fun) experimenting could choose the whiz bang configuration. Pros would opt for the compatible setting and investigate features when their work schedule permits. At installation time, the installer would ask whether the user wants the professional/compatible set up or one with latest (though non-standard) features enabled.

Don't misunderstand us: ACDSee is a GREAT product. It just needs a LOT more attention to the professionals who use, support and refer the product to others. Changes in operation with each ACD version have been an on-going frustration for the user base for years - as these forums will attest - and is one reason why ACD doesn't end up in more "BEST" review lists. We really want it to be there!

This is all easy to fix. As discusse with management in the past, all that is needed is a strong Q&A team with an executive mandate to assure that every new version maintains maximum compatibility with previous operational modes. Although Adobe products are often a royal pain to use, they DO spent a great deal of effort maintaining operational stability and compatibility. That's the real reason why Photoshop, despite its difficult interface is a standard. ACD could and should also be such a standard!

Thanks for listening.

Posted On July 27, 2007 - 07:59 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
ramei
Member

xor42 said:
Thank you for the info but you did not say which option! We'll try searching for an answer there.

Well, those switches are kind of obvious and self-explanatory, aren't they? </forums.acdsystems.com/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/huh.gif" style="vertical-align:middle" emoid=":huh:" border="0" alt="huh.gif" />

Posted On July 28, 2007 - 12:52 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
cstevens
Member

I have to agree with XOR here, it was an extreemly annoying feature, that took me quite some time looking how to turn it off until I came here and found the answer

"Show Thumbnals on info tips" is hardly intuitive or descriptive for mouse over images.

Going through a few snaps of an amature photographer I can see how people might think this fluffy feature is wonderful. However as a pro events photographer sifting through 2000 images after a hard day - its annoying to say the least.

Its switched off now, and when I puchase the full version it will be switched off there also.

Also agreeing with XOR, this is supposed to be a pro version not for the happy snapper. ACDSEE need to get this version right FIRST TIME as their previous Pro version had NO UPDATES AT ALL!

I am not sure if this new version is simply a "get some more cash from the pros to support the normal people" or represents a real comitment to continue to support professional snappers?

Posted On July 28, 2007 - 05:00 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
Connie Bensen
Inactive

Craig Stevens said:
I have to agree with XOR here, it was an extreemly annoying feature, that took me quite some time looking how to turn it off until I came here and found the answer

"Show Thumbnals on info tips" is hardly intuitive or descriptive for mouse over images.

What do you suggest this wording be changed to?

Posted On July 28, 2007 - 08:13 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
tve1964
Member

I also struggled to find how to turn them off (although now like it in certain cases). I think the problem has 2 causes:
1) "Info tips" is not self explanatory. Sounds like jargon to me.
2) Since it is a thumbnail, one naturally looks at the thumbnail tabs to disable them.

I would suggest the words :
"Thumbnails on mouse over"
or
"Preview Popup on mouse over" or "Thumbnail popup on mouse over"
The latter could be toggled in an option on the Thumbnail page.

Now that I understood what's an "Info tip" and "studied" the interface, I must admit I understand the logics behid the choice. The problem is that it is not intuitive and hence an unfamiliar user would most likely struggle to find the option as it currently stands, as posts on the forum attest.

Posted On July 28, 2007 - 09:44 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
Marc Sabatella
Moderator

I had them on at first, turned them off for a while, and now have them on again most of the time. But then, I am someone who long ago got in the habit of using the keyboard for as much as possible, relying on the mouse only when there is no easy keyboard alternative. As a result, I don't tend to move my mouse around the browser window nearly as much as some pepople do, and in the cases where I *am* using the mouse, the popups have a much greater chance of being useful. Still, there are times I wish it was easier to turn them off.

It is almost always difficult to predict what the best default behavior is going to be for the most people. I can see why some would think it would be best to have them off by default, and also why others would think it makes more sense to have them on by default, yet the arguments are not particularly strong either way. I *would* strongly agree it should be easier to toggle the behavior (keyboard shortcut!), and that the option to control this should be more intuitively named - the sheer number of questions about how to turn it off are proof that the current labeling is less than perfect.

For what it's worth, here's what I personally might suggest:

I think the popups should be on by default, but only after a delay of several seconds. That way the existence of the feature is obvious enough, but it isn't in the way for most purposes. There should be option to turn them off completely (and it should be clearly labeled), and there should also be an option to reduce the delay before there are displayed.

Posted On July 28, 2007 - 03:02 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
cstevens
Member

Connie said:
What do you suggest this wording be changed to?

Well considering I am already looking at a screen full of thumbnails, how would I know that "Show Thumbnails on info tips" means "turn off pop up larger preview images when I hover the mouse over a thumbnail".

I agree some might like it, but for a professional who is using ACDSEE to visually sort thousands of images, its nothing but a pain in the butt. I switch most of the "distracting" "fluffy" features off. I am ONLY interested in my images.

There used to be a preview image in the bottom left of the screen under the folders, that appears to have gone now, it was quite usefull (more so than the infotip thing). I am sure somewhere there is an option to have it back, but I cannot be bothered or have the time to look for it.

Marcs suggestion is a good comprimise....maybe after 5-10 seconds it comes up but not as I am moving my pen/mouse around.

Posted On July 28, 2007 - 03:25 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
Marc Sabatella
Moderator

Craig Stevens said:
There used to be a preview image in the bottom left of the screen under the folders, that appears to have gone now, it was quite usefull (more so than the infotip thing). I am sure somewhere there is an option to have it back, but I cannot be bothered or have the time to look for it.

If you are talking about the Preview pane, it's definitely still available - like all other panes, you can enable it via the View menu. This pane can be docked and made permanently visible, or it can be made a tab of one of the other panes, or it can be made a floating window. I have it set up the latter way, with the keyboard shortcut "P" to display / hide it. I prefer this over a permanently visible preview because I don't want to sacrifice much screen space when browsing, so if I did have it displayed permanently, it would have to be pretty small, but making it available in tis own window on command means I can have it big.

Posted On July 29, 2007 - 12:29 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
HeikoH
Member

xor42 said:
Pro's, however, cannot afford *any* lost time.

Hi Xor, I wonder that your valuable pro time suffices to let us know so much about your incredible professionality ;-) I also don't like this mouseover preview mode (better one good view than three poor previews) but, though I'm not a pro^2, it took me a minute to get rid of it. Someone who's able to choose and optimize the user modes you are proposing should also be able to use the general "options" menue. And the more modes are added, the harder it is to find something, so it's not the more the better. At least according to my totally unpro, bloody amateur opinion ;-)

Of course, a function such as "keep or import all settings from previous version" might be useful, but this would not solve the issue whether specific new functions are welcome.

Ciao, Heiko

Posted On August 5, 2007 - 04:05 PM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
jimwillsher
Member

Connie said:
What do you suggest this wording be changed to?

I don't think of them as thumbnails. Thumbnails to me can ONLY be either the chewed bits at the end of my thumbs, or the small icons which are displayed in order to represent a bigger picture but ONLY in a "list view".

I would call them "Show popup images when browsing image lists" or "Show popup images when mouse-over an image". I would avoid "thumbnails", as that's what threw me off the scent too - I don't see these as thumbnails.

Jim

Posted On August 6, 2007 - 02:20 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)
Connie Bensen
Inactive

Hi everyone,
ACD's tech writer has looked at this thread & adjustments will be made to make it more clear.

Thanks for your input!

Posted On August 6, 2007 - 07:31 AM (2 years ago) (Permalink to this post)