Re: thumbs.el and transparency

["Robert J. Chassell" <bob@rattlesnake.com>]

Here is a report on my attempt to use Tumme Thumbnail mode.

My conclusion:  Please combine Tumme Thumbnail mode with the current
Thumbs mode, which is inadaquate as is.  For the most common
invocation, please deploy one window in a frame that does not need to
be widened.  This window should be a dired buffer.  It should show all
the usual dired information (except maybe the links info) as well as
the thumbnail images.  You should be able to invoke it when typing
`M-x thumb'.  Also, the command `dired-thumb' should be aliased to
`thumb'.

Here is the report:

   If all goes well, you should have a window config like this:

        +---------+---------+
        |         |         |
        |         |    2    |
        |         |         |
        |    1    +---------+
        |         |         |
        |         |    3    |
        |         |         |
        +---------+---------+

That makes my dired window too narrow.  My default windows frame, run
under X, produces a window that is eighty characters wide.  This works
fine.  In a regular instance of Emacs with this Tummes configuration,
I cannot see the endings of file in dired.  The window becomes 37
characters wide.  I had to widen the whole frame before I could even
begin to mark files.

Also, I currently have 86 open buffers in this instance of Emacs, and
do many different things.  So I did not want a program that adds too
many windows.  I started a separate instance.

As a practical matter, I would prefer one window with the option of
creating others.  The one window beginning should be a dired window
that also shows thumbnail images.  It should be invoked when you type
`M-x thumb' or `M-x dired-thumb'.

In another instance, I tried `M-x thumbs'.  Tumme Thumbnail mode is
not like Thumbs mode.

By default, Thumbs mode initially shows only thumbnails, not dired
information plus thumbnails.  However, Tumme Thumbnail mode does not
show any images at all when you type `M-x tumme-dired'.

Please combine the two modes.  A good name is `thumbs'.  It could run
Thumbs mode.  The dired information for `M-x dired-thumb' should
contain at least:  permissions, users, size, date, name, just like the
current dired.

Without the links info, we should be able to see a whole name up to 21
characters long, including the four characters for the dot and three
letter extension (i.e., a name itself of 17 characters).  Or put the
thumbnail on a separate line from the dired info, directly above the
name, which currently starts at column 48.  (I think I would prefer
this latter format.  Some of my image names are quite long.  In the
default, this format permits fully visible image names up to 32
characters long.)

Obviously, `dired-thumb' should show a line without an image for
non-image files and for image files that cannot be displayed.  Showing
images makes the buffer longer, but that can be done.

   Use the arrow keys to move around the thumbnails. To display an
   image, press RET on the thumbnail. This will display a sized
   version in the display buffer.

This is good!  I like the convenience of displaying what in this case
looks like a not quite double-sized thumbnail, smaller than the
original.

How do I save such a resized image?  Using the normal commands, C-x h
(`mark-whole-buffer') and M-w (`kill-ring-save'), I tried saving the
smaller image as foo.jpg, but that did not work.  The file contained
only two bytes, 0x20 0x0a, and the ImageMagick `display' program said
it was not a JPEG file.

   If you want to see the full size image, either use C-x o to jump to
   the display buffer and then press "f" (full) there, or press C-return
   to display image in an external viewer (which must be
   configured). Press "s" to again display a sized version.

Neither succeeded in this instance of my regular Emacs.  (But see
below.)  `f' (tumme-display-current-image-full) just displayed a
small, empty box.

Also, `s' (tumme-display-current-image-sized) failed.  All I could see
was the small, empty box and an error message that said "No original
file name at point".

Ack!  I just deleted the tumme related buffers, ran `M-x tumme-dired',
marked an image, moved dot to the *tumme* buffer by moving the mouse,
pressed C-t d (`tumme-display-thumbs').  I do not see a thumb.  (For
this instance, I have `mouse-autoselect-window' set to t in my
initialization file, but that turns out to be irrelevant.)

OK, I start an other instance, this time using
    today's GNU Emacs CVS snapshot, Sun, 2006 Jan 29  11:42 UTC
    GNU Emacs 22.0.50.15 (i686-pc-linux-gnu, GTK+ Version 2.8.10) 
    started with

        emacs/src/emacs -Q -D

Evaluate

    (progn
      (load-file "/usr/local/src/emacs/lisp/tumme.elc")
      (tumme-setup-dired-keybindings))

Widen frame.  Execute `M-x tumme-dired' on the same directory as
before, mark the same two files.  

First I switch to the *tumme* buffer but `C-t d'
(tumme-display-thumbs) fails.  So switch back to the dired buffer and
run `C-t d' there.  That succeeds.  (So my earlier failure was not due
to Mouse Autoselect mode, as I thought earlier.)

Good, this time both `f' (tumme-display-current-image-full) and
`C-RET' (tumme-thumbnail-display-external) succeed.

So does `s' (tumme-display-current-image-sized). 

--
    Robert J. Chassell
    bob@rattlesnake.com                         GnuPG Key ID: 004B4AC8
    http://www.rattlesnake.com                  http://www.teak.cc