XnRetro

[xnview]

XnRetro is a little program to easily turn your photos into vintage images.

The Android version is available HERE

Windows x32 ZIP Windows x64 ZIP
Linux x32 TGZ Linux x64 TGZ

[xnview]

Any feedbacks?

[JohnFredC]

Hi Pierre

I downloaded XnView Retro for Win32 and used it for a while. It is fast on my old XP machine, is stable, and has a very focused "chrome-less" UI (which begs to be themed like MP). The effects and frames are very similar (identical?) to the ones available on my Android version of this app, that is to say: very good!

Comments/Suggestions

• • Desperately needs a gamma adjustment. Must have gamma! Gotta have gamma!
  
  • A moveable splitter between thumbs and image would be welcome. Perhaps the user could choose between larger/smaller or more/less thumbs when repositioning the divider.
  
  • A method to name/save combinations of adjustments/effects/frames and add them to a "user" thumb panel would be very useful.
  
  • Exposure sliders should effect the image and the frames differently. For instance: there is no tool to "age" the frames themselves. This leads to glaring inconsistency between the image (meant to look old, perhaps, or mishandled) and the style of many frames, which look "squeaky" clean and new.
  
  • Perhaps this means that there should be two levels of effects: those that effect the photographic characteristics of the image (vignetting, emulsion deterioration, etc.) and additional effects (on the frames page) to then "age" (or whatever) the entire thing: frame + image. For instance, as if an old faded photo had subsequently suffered water damage or burn damage that effected both the image and the frame equally.
  • Many of the "frames" are more like mattes than photographic borders. For those, some sort of 3D edge treatment of the image itself would make the result look more realistic. Currently the borders between the images and the frames are much too "razor" sharp (frame 13, for instance). This may not be visible on the "small" screen of a tablet or phone, but on my 1920 x 1200 display the results are glaringly unrealistic.
  
  • For the matte-like frames, a shadow treatment (on the edge of the image) with light coming from the upper left would add realism, either for recessing the image behind the matte or placing it above (on) the matte.
    
    For the "bordered print"-like frames, some control to blur the image edges would help: look at an old polaroid some time to see what I mean. There is a small amount of emulsion "bleed".
  • Some means to adjust the width of the frame in proportion to the image would be welcome.
  
  • The social media combo in the toolbar works well. I tested email, ImageShack, and Picasa successfully. The ImageShack upload is very convenient and fast, opening the image in the web browser after completion. Unfortunately, the Picasa plugin does not navigate to the album/image in the web browser after upload.

Opinion

Please pardon the following:

As a "stand-alone" app, I can see that XnView Retro serves a useful purpose as a test bed for the features it offers. Also, this app would be very successful if integrated with XnView MP as plugin, or as a dedicated "Retro" image tab, or as a "mode" for a standard image tab.

But beyond those two valid justifications, I tend to question the reason for it, at least in the Windows ecology.

• First, because users of this sort of tool are primarily mobile users (already addressed by XnView Retro on Android).
  
  Secondly, though very many of us are skeptical of the Metro overlay on Windows 8 for the desktop, it almost goes without saying that Windows 8 and Metro on a tablet are a juggernaut that will either wipe out old paradigms or introduce new ones that will, over time, supercede the old.

Regardless of its speed and utility, this Windows version of XnView Retro just seems "old" to me. Sorry.

IMO XnView Retro as a stand-alone app should be more forward looking, more "Metro-on-a-tablet-like", more invested in the future. This doesn't mean just chrome/icons, but the interaction paradigm as well.

Thanks for listening!

[xnview]

I downloaded XnView Retro for Win32 and used it for a while. It is fast on my old XP machine, is stable, and has a very focused "chrome-less" UI (which begs to be themed like MP). The effects and frames are very similar (identical?) to the ones available on my Android version of this app, that is to say: very good!

Thanks for your feedback So you think that XnRetro must support same theme as MP?

• Exposure sliders should effect the image and the frames differently. For instance: there is no tool to "age" the frames themselves. This leads to glaring inconsistency between the image (meant to look old, perhaps, or mishandled) and the style of many frames, which look "squeaky" clean and new.

• Perhaps this means that there should be two levels of effects: those that effect the photographic characteristics of the image (vignetting, emulsion deterioration, etc.) and additional effects (on the frames page) to then "age" (or whatever) the entire thing: frame + image. For instance, as if an old faded photo had subsequently suffered water damage or burn damage that effected both the image and the frame equally.

Currently exposure work on image, so you would like to be able to apply it on the frame?

As a "stand-alone" app, I can see that XnView Retro serves a useful purpose as a test bed for the features it offers. Also, this app would be very successful if integrated with XnView MP as plugin, or as a dedicated "Retro" image tab, or as a "mode" for a standard image tab.

Yes, XnRetro will be perhaps in a future version...

• First, because users of this sort of tool are primarily mobile users (already addressed by XnView Retro on Android).
  
  Secondly, though very many of us are skeptical of the Metro overlay on Windows 8 for the desktop, it almost goes without saying that Windows 8 and Metro on a tablet are a juggernaut that will either wipe out old paradigms or introduce new ones that will, over time, supercede the old.

Regardless of its speed and utility, this Windows version of XnView Retro just seems "old" to me. Sorry.

IMO XnView Retro as a stand-alone app should be more forward looking, more "Metro-on-a-tablet-like", more invested in the future. This doesn't mean just chrome/icons, but the interaction paradigm as well.

Users request about such desktop application...
And the v2 of XnRetro will have a better design, gesture support, ... like the mobile version...
For Metro on tablet, a special version will be developed...

[JohnFredC]

Thanks for your feedback So you think that XnRetro must support same theme as MP?

Yes. It is QT, after all, therefore "easily" modified . A good start would be just to recognize (and read in) an MP .qss file placed in the Retro folder.

(Rant about MP theme management)

Currently exposure work on image, so you would like to be able to apply it on the frame?

Something like that. The photographic emulsion aging and the "lomography" effects apply to the original image, which is then placed in a frame. I think additional tools that then affect the merged "image+frame" in combination would be useful.

Examples:

• fire damage
  water damage
  stains of any color
  finger prints
  footprints
  paw prints
  coffee mug circles
  blood or ink splatters
  stamped text and cancellations that overlay both image and frame
  handwritten text
  hand drawn shapes (hearts, exclamation points, "x's")
  blotted out faces
  squashed bugs
  tears in the "paper" or pieces torn out
  corners folded down
  folding seams

All of these effects would apply to the merged photo and frame.

And yes... these effects can be Photoshopped by the competent user, but as automated tools in XnView Retro, would help it stand out from the other "retro" tools that are proliferating everywhere.

[xnview]

ok, thanks!

[XnTriq]

I only knew about the version for Android. Thanks, Pierre!

In v1.01 of the Windows edition, there's a gap (1 pixel wide) on the right and bottom of the preview

• 
  [ z00m ]

Textures: Jerry Jones, Andrea Rascaglia

• Jerry Jones
  • shadowhousecreations.blogspot.com
    flickr.com/people/skeletalmess
  Andrea Rascaglia
  • andrearusky.wordpress.com
    andrearusky.deviantart.com

[ckv]

The Windows 32-bit version (I didn't try the 64-bit version) crashes when trying to open this image file.

Otherwise it seems to work just fine.

[JohnFredC]

The Windows 32-bit version (I didn't try the 64-bit version) crashes when trying to open this image file.

Confirmed.

[XnTriq]

The Windows 32-bit version (I didn't try the 64-bit version) crashes when trying to open this image file.

Another idea: Photoshop-style blending modes for layers

• Wikipedia: Blend modes
• Adobe » Photoshop Help: Blending modes
• About.com » Graphics Software: Blending Modes in Photoshop and other Graphics Software
• Qt Quarterly: Composition Modes
• Qt Developer Network » Documentation: Composition Modes (Example)

[xnview]

The Windows 32-bit version (I didn't try the 64-bit version) crashes when trying to open this image file.

Right i check

[XnTriq]

I'd like to be able to add more frames and light effects downloaded from the web, ...

• deviantART: Resources & Stock Images » Search for “frames png”

... but the filenames seem to be hardcoded.

• Lights (%ProgramFiles%\XnRetro\light\)
  1. Bokeh-2.jpg
  2. Bokeh-4.jpg
  3. Frosted Glass Bokeh.jpg
  4. Polaroid-4-bokeh.jpg
  5. Light Leak (4).jpg
  6. Light Leak (25).jpg
  7. Light Leak (52).jpg
  8. Light Leak (54).jpg
  9. Light Leak (55).jpg
  10. Light Leak (60).jpg
  11. box5.jpg
• Frames (%ProgramFiles%\XnRetro\frame\)
  1. frame1.png
  2. frame2.png
  3. frame3.png
  4. frame4.png
  5. frame5.png
  6. black2.png
  7. border1.png
  8. border2.png
  9. border3.png
  10. border4.png
  11. retro_frame.png
  12. dogtown.png
  13. instant.png
  14. rovini.png
  15. instant2.png
  16. roid1.png
  17. roid2.png
  18. aged.png
  19. halftone.png

\frame\filmroll.png is missing in the thumbnail list.

[XnTriq]

My proposal for a sidecar/companion (text-)file to specify the transparent area of the topmost layer (frame) and to allow better placement of the lower layers (photo + light effect):

Code: Select all

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?>
<frame version="1.0">
	<image>
		<title>Polkadroid</title>
		<file>polkadroid.png</file>
		<width>480</width>
		<height>640</height>
	</image>
	<border>
			<left>40</left>
			<right>40</right>
			<top>40</top>
			<bottom>200</bottom>
	</border>
</frame>

I don't know whether or not a special (cross-platform compatible) format is required for Qt-based applications. A Windows-style INI file may be sufficient (e.g. polkadroid.png + polkadroid.ini):

Code: Select all

version=1
title=Polkadroid
width=480
height=640
left=40
right=40
top=40
bottom=200

[the_majkl]

Hi,

I am trying XnRetro for windows (1.01). I like it, but:
- I miss "set all parameters to defaults" button.
- When clipping to square, it should be possible to choose the square area from original picture.
- It should handle file as parameter - when I add XnRetro as another application to XnView (Open With ...), XnRetro opens last used image, not the one from XnView.

Thanks, Majkl

[xnview]

Could you try the new version

--Changelog:
* Reset all settings
* Gamma
* Light effect opacity
* Original size bug
* frames.xml (you can add your frames)
* you can start XnRetro filename
* Theme use