Viewing Images with AIPS

AIPS allows you to view any bitmap or jpeg file on your system with the following features:

Displays the file in its actual size (with scroll bars if needed)
Computes and displays the size of the file
Simulates bitmap or jpeg files with other jpeg settings.
Simulates other monitor sizes

When the "View a Bitmap or Jpeg File" button is clicked on the mainform, the image viewer form will open and look like:

AIPS Image Viewer Form

To use the image viewer click on the "Select Images" button to select one or more images for viewing. You can select both jpeg and/or bitmap files at the same time for viewing.

Click on "View Selected Images" to view an image in it's native format (with no simulations). After viewing the image, the size of the image file and it's width and height are displayed on the bottom of the form. You can use that information to determine if the image meets your e-mail or website requirements. (Of course if you select multiple images the information will apply only to the last image viewed).

In addition AIPS provides options enabling you to apply different jpeg settings and monitor simulations as described below.

JPEG Simulation Features

Use Progressive Display -- If checked, causes the image to be viewed as though it were a jpeg file with the "Progressive Display" flag set (incrementally). *
Performance -- If checked, causes the image to be viewed as though it were a jpeg file with the "Performance" set to best quality otherwise, set to best speed. *
Read Image as Gray Scale -- If checked, causes the image to be viewed as though it were a gray scale (black and white) jpeg image.

* The affect of Progressive Display and Performance will probably only be noticeable if you are using an older, slower system however they have a major affect when viewed on the web especially for folks using dialup services.

Simulate Different Monitor Sizes

My Current Settings
800 x 600
1024 x 768

1152 x 864
1280 x 1024
1600 x 1200

Use the monitor simulation selections to approximate how your image will appear on different monitors if you are e-mailing your image to a friend or placing your image on the web. For example, assume your monitor is 1024 pixels wide by 768 pixels high. An image which looks good on your monitor might appear too large on a 800 x 600 monitor. On the other hand it might appear too small on a 1600 x 1200 monitor and detail might be difficult to see.

The following shows how an image that is 200 x 150 pixels might appear on a 800 x 600 pixel monitor, a 1024 x 768 pixel monitor, and a 1600 x 1200 pixel monitor.

Simulation of an 800 by 600 pixel monitor

800 x 600 pixels

Simulation of an 1024 by 768 pixel monitor

1024 x 768 pixels

Simulation of an 1024 by 768 pixel monitor

1600 x 1200 pixels

Finally, the AIPS image viewer allows you to view selected images in a slide show fashion. In "Manual Mode" you can advance to the next or previous images. Select the "Automatic mode" and a timer value from to 1 to 10 seconds to view the selected images automatically.

An example of the viewer in manual
mode showing the image in it's actual
size (495 x 423) on a monitor that is
1600 x 900. The name and size of the
file is shown as well as it's width
and height in pixels.

Use the AIPS image viewer to examine and evaluate your images or simply enjoy it by leaving it running on your desktop.

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