'blink' feature on preview and RT preview windows

[Nocturnal]

Hello,

often when I'm working with previews (main reason I bought PI by the way, that is really a brilliant feature) I want to see what the original looked like or even better, the previous processing step.

For example, assume I'm using Histogram transform. I slide the black point to the right and the RT preview changes. What did the original look like again? Can't tell without resetting the histogram which of course I don't want to do. I know on a preview I can do 'undo' but that's actually a lot slower than I expect. Plus I'd then I have to redo the operation to go back. Why not simply swap images in memory? Should be about instantaneous.

Now assume I have set the black point on a preview and I'm working on refining it further as I'm not quite happy yet. Now it would be nice to blink the previous setting vs the new setting.

So my proposal is to have 3 views for each preview:

- current
- original (ie. contents of the parent image
- previous processing step

and then be able to switch back and forth quickly between those 3.

Thanks!

[Juan Conejero]

A very good suggestion, Sander.

A blinking function is indeed very necessary for previews. Actually, I have it in mind since some time ago, and even I considered including it in the current 1.2 version. But I want to add more functionality to previews, and decided to postpone this one until I have a more complete set of changes ready to be implemented.

Anyway, it's true that this feature is very easy to write, so count with it for the next version (which, considering the amount and nature of the bugs being discovered recently, should happen quite soon). I'll include also an equivalent feature in the real-time preview window.

Thank you for your nice words about PixInsight's previews. Previews are an important and very characteristic part of our interface paradigm, so I'm very happy to know that you like them. I look forward to know any ideas you may have to improve their functionality.

[Juan Conejero]

Sander,

I forgot to mention, as a side note, that you can travel a preview's processing history randomly, just as you can do with a main view. You can open the History Explorer window, select a preview, and double-click on the first column of any row to jump to the corresponding preview state. This works the same way for any view in PixInsight.

Of course this doesn't invalidate the need for a quick and easy-to-use way to access the original contents of a preview, without altering the current index in the associated processing history.

[Nocturnal]

Hi Juan,

I somehow didn't see a notification email that you replied, sorry. I realized there were some posts of mine I didn't see a reply to so I went looking for them.

I hope to see the preview blink feature soon. Just the other day I wanted to use it again As far as I can tell this didn't make it in 1.2.0.5, right?

I'll experiment with the history explorer. This ties in with another feature I'd like to see but let me play with this first before verbalizing it.

[Juan Conejero]

Hi Sander,

Yes, you're right: I haven't implemented the blinking previews feature in 1.2.5. The reason, as you probably may figure out at this point, is that it isn't as easy as I thought at first sight. The problem is that it has some deep implications with processing histories and "broadcasting" of events on the whole platform. This is pretty complicated stuff, but I definitely will implement this feature in an incoming version. Once more: patience.

You can use a simple technique that can help you in doing a manual blinking: just duplicate the preview. This can be done very easily by clicking on the preview's view selector (vertical tab, left window side) and dragging it to its parent window's view selector tray (the left-side tray where view selectors are attached). Then by cycling between both previews (Ctrl+Left / Ctrl+Right), you can see the before and after things.

I look forward to your suggestions about the history explorer. Processing histories are one of the strongest points of PixInsight's interface.

[Nocturnal]

Hi Juan,

see, I figured there's be a way to do this I will give it a try tonight! It sounds like this technique is easy enough that a dedicated blink facility may not be needed? That would free you up to work on other things.