Image Editing Problem - TP9 shows border around fitted image

[Lengo]

When I open an image for editing, the image has a non-functioning window frame around it. This frame shows a close box in the upper right corner that is not functional, and all around the image is white rectangles.

Chosen settings for opened image:

Show full screen.
Shrink to fit.

My screen resolution is set to 1280x1024. I am using a Geforce 860 GS.

Images that are 1600x1064, (3:2 aspect), then shrunk to fit, display this problem.
Images that are 1280x1064  (.83125 aspect) which is my screen resolution, display this problem.
Images that I reduce to my screen width's resolution (1280) and are 2:3 aspect (vertical is 851 px) display correctly.
Images at my screen resolution display this problem. Any image that is 1280 x >851 displays this problem.

When viewing in a slideshow, I don't have a problem. The images display fine. The problem only occurs when I open the image for editing.

I don't know what to do about this. The help file's page for Preferences/Advanced/memory describe the Bitmap window size for larger images, but all it says is "This should almost always be set to zero (0) for newer display adapters." Well, my display adapter is not newer, so I've tried 2000 (the maximum number allowed), thinking that this is the problem. I don't know what number to use, but most of my images are 1600 x 1024

I need this false window to go away. I lose detail and can't see the real sharpness. The window has a close box in the upper right corner, but it is not functional. I believe this might be a program bug, and not a settings problem, but I don't know. All I know is that this frame is NOT supposed to be there because the viewing setting is shrink to fit, centered.

How do fix this? I suspected the Bitmap window size for larger images parameter, but I don't know what kind of number to use. I'm guessing and getting nowhere.

PLEASE HELP!

[Lengo]

Oh! OS is Windows 7 pro, 32 bit
Graphics card driver is latest and greatest

[Gary]

What version of TP9 are you using?  Have you tried to open the image using Viewing Options->Window with "Automatic" and "Fit images to window" checked?

I am using SP1beta3 and cannot duplicate your problem.

Cheers,
Gary

[Lengo]

Here's more settings

Apperance Tab

Dither 24-bit in highcolor mode

Scale bi-level images to gray
Resample images when reduced
Show selection mask (dark background)

Show full path in title bar
Show status line

Use view bar globally

Window Tab
Initial size
Full screen

Initial Position
Centered

Initial Stretching
Reduce images to window
Maintain aspect ratio

Miscellaneous

max number of windows = 20
button size for audio\video = small

My monitor has a 4:3 aspect ratio. It is not widescreen. I've tried two resolutions - 1280x960 (true 4;3), and 1280x1024 (recommended by Win 7).

This problem was occurring in build 2932. It's still happening after installing SP1v3. Also, somehow I lost the status bar when using build 2932. Uninstalling 2932 and installing SP1v3 hasn't brought that status bar back. Could there be a problem in my registry? Pehaps the lack of a status bar is related to this problem? I'd like to have that status bar back so I can know how many files are in a folder and/or how many files are selected. What setting says that this is on or off? I see nothing about this, nor turning it on or off. Is this governed in the registry?

The graphics card is old, but I'm not experiencing problems with any high usage graphics programs, including Photoshop CS3. The card has a mere 256 MB on it. Everything else is running fine.

[Gary]

Well, I see nothing wrong with your settings.  The only thing I can suggest is try the Automatic setting as opposed to Full Screen to see if that makes a difference.

Status bar is another issue.  There would be nothing in the registry to control this.  The settings are contained in two files "Thumbs9.config" and "Thumbs9.ini" that reside in your user application directory.  Mine are located in:

  C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\ThumbsPlus\

If you want, try this to see if the status bar will display:

  1. close ThumbsPlus
  2. use file manager to open folder where your configuration files are located
  3. rename "Thumbs9.config" to "Thumbs9.config.mine"
  4. rename "Thumbs9.ini" to "Thumbs9.ini.mine"
  5. start ThumbsPlus - note all of your settings will be gone but hopefully you will see the status bar.  if so, we know the issue is in your config files.
  6. close ThumbsPlus
  7. use file manager to open folder where your configuration files are located
  8. delete "Thumbs9.config" and "Thumbs9.ini"
  9. rename "Thumbs9.config.mine" to "Thumbs9.config"
 10. rename "Thumbs9.ini.mine" to "Thumbs9.ini"

Let me know what you find.

[Lengo]

>
> If you want, try this to see if the status bar will display:
>
>   1. close ThumbsPlus
>   2. use file manager to open folder where your configuration files are located
>   3. rename "Thumbs9.config" to "Thumbs9.config.mine"
>   4. rename "Thumbs9.ini" to "Thumbs9.ini.mine"
>   5. start ThumbsPlus - note all of your settings will be gone but hopefully you will see the status bar.  if so, we know the issue is in your config files.
>   6. close ThumbsPlus
>   7. use file manager to open folder where your configuration files are located
>   8. delete "Thumbs9.config" and "Thumbs9.ini"
>   9. rename "Thumbs9.config.mine" to "Thumbs9.config"
>  10. rename "Thumbs9.ini.mine" to "Thumbs9.ini"
>
> Let me know what you find.

The statues bar is back. I didn't do what you said. I did this.

   1. close ThumbsPlus
   2. use file manager to open folder where your configuration files are located
   3. rename "Thumbs9.config" to "Thumbs9.config.mine"
   4. rename "Thumbs9.ini" to "Thumbs9.ini.mine"
   5. start ThumbsPlus - note all of your settings will be gone but hopefully you will see the status bar.  if so, we know the issue is in your config files.

The status bar was back. So I opened Thumbs9.ini and Thumbs9.ini.mine side by side and compared them. The things lacking in Thumbs9.config were settings.

I tried to do the same with the two config files, but it was impossible to see them side by side. So I gave up on that.

So, I fired up Thumbs 9, and rebuilt my settings and menu bar. That's all okay now.

However, landscape oriented files that exceed my monitor's horizontal resolution, and files that match the screen horiz resolution and the vertical res is greater than 2:3 aspect STILL produce that bounding box.  And I don't think its a memory issue, because if the orientation of the file is Portrait, they display correctly -- no bounding box. That damn bounding box is there only if the file is Landscape oriented.

A file that is 1280 horizontally, at the 2:3 aspect ratio the vertical resolution comes to 853.33. Files that are 1280 x 853 produce this bounding box. Files that are 1280 x 851 do not display the bounding box.

Images out of my camera are 1600 x 1024.  1024/1600 = .6400, which is less than 2:3 aspect ratio. These display the bounding box when fitted to screen.

Do the same calculation for images that are 1280 x 851.  851/1280 = .6648.  These display correctly, and the filesize is larger (bmps or jpgs, given that the jpgs have the same compression ratio).

So, now I have the status bar back, but I still get that damn bounding box. This is getting old! It has nothing to do with file size. A BMP turned into a PSD with many layers still works in landscape mode IF the image's dimensions are 1280 x 851 (This is not 3:2 aspect), but that bounding box comes up again when the file is 3:2 aspect with dimensions of 1280 x 853.

What next?

[Gary]

Yikes, these issues are way above my paygrade.  Your issues are just more in the long list of absolute frustrations with TP8/9.  However ...

Did you have TP7 installed and did it work as expected?

If you are up for this, install the free image viewer FastStone and see how it handles your images.  I promise, this program is free of adware and spyware.  I use it a lot.

http://www.faststone.org/FSViewerDetail.htm

[Lengo]

No thanks. I don't want to install another viewer. That will not solve the problem with Thumbsplus.

I had TP 7 on an XP rig, and it worked beautifully. Narry a hiccup, and no problems.

I have analyzed this to death. It is not a memory allocation problem. Period. It is a software problem. It is not my responsibility eliminate the possibility that it is a software problem. I'm not getting paid to troubleshoot software.

I have already spent 1-2 hours with build 2932, then another 1-2 hours with SP1v3 with this.

Try this: Take any image and make a dummy out of it. Make it match your monitor's resolution, even if you have to distort it. Then try to view it. See if you don't get that bounding box.

Set your viewing for files to Centered and Reduce to fit. Let me know what you see.

[Gary]

I tried what you suggested and I do not get bounding box.  Everything seems to be fine.  I have a 1920x1200 monitor and was viewing 1920x1200 images full screen, reduced to fit and centered.  I viewed 2560x1600 images with no issues as well.

Obviously a nasty glitch in TP is causing your issues.

The reason I suggested the other image view was to see if it handles the images as you would expect, not as a replacement for ThumbsPlus.

[Lengo]

Settings for viewing/editing a single file: Centered, Full screen, Shrink to fit.

I tired to run TP7Sp2. It didn't want to work and I didn't know how Windows 7 works. I removed it and bought TP9 build 2932.

At first, I ran TP9 build 2932.  When I opened a file for editing, a bounding box surrounds the image IF the horizontal resolution is greater than or equal to my screen horizontal resolution AND the vertical dimension is greater than or equal to 2:3 aspect ratio.

I downloaded and installed TP9 SP1v3. Before doing so, I uninstalled my TP build 3932, and renamed my config file and ini file adding 'old' as the extension to both.

TP9 SP1v3 exhibits the same problem. I used the new config file and new ini file (this restored my missing status bar), but the problem still exists. I have rebuilt my settings thus creating a new ini file. I used the new 'Thumbs' database. The problem still exists.

All three programs, TP7sp2, TP9 build 3923, and TP9sp1v3 exhibit this problem.

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Today I discovered a work around. If I get this partial window around a file that is supposed to be open FULL SCREEN and CENTERED, I can press the F5 key to complete the frame, then press F5 again and the image displays correctly -- Full screen, centered, shrunk to fit. It appears to be a timing problem.
-----------------------------------------

HAVE YOU GOT A FIX FOR THIS?  I have spent HOURS on this problem. I don't want to waste any more time on this!

What can I do to make this frame go away? I DON'T want to uninstall and reinstall the progam again!

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System specs

MSI Mainboard 970A-G46
2 sticks of 2 GB (4 GB total) Corsair XM3 TWGX4g1333C9a G, no overclocking
AMD Athlon II 455 X3 CPU, no overclocking
EVGA Geforce 8600 GTS w 256MB DDR 3
NEC Multisycn LCD 1700V with drivers
Windows 7 Pro, 32 bit

My screen resolution is 1280x1024. I have also tried 1280x960 (true 4:3)

All drivers are up to date. This rig is only 3 months old.

[Gary]

Well, F5 seems to be the cure for a lot of issues.  Glad you found a workable solution!