PDF preview

[sinus]

Hello,
Does any of you have any idea why a pdf is not displayed correctly within IMatch, but in the Explorer?
What could I try to change that?

I have attached 2 attachments, maybe someone has an idea where I could screw.

Thank you in advance!

[Mario]

Unfortunately you just did attach a screen shot of a section of the WIC diagnosis. The important info is missing.
This looks like you have a PDF WIC codec installed, but it cannot make sense of the file.
IMatch has no additional fallback. If there is a PDF codec and it fails, that's it. IMatch only uses the Windows routines for thumbnails when there is no PDF WIC codec. And it falls back to LibRaw for all RAW images. Try to uninstall the PDF codec and then force a refresh of the image.

[Kucera]

Hi,  I seem to have solved this (or a similar?) problem by switching my default windows application for pdf's from Acrobat to Foxit reader.
Regards  Emil

[sinus]

Thanks, Emil

I will try this!

[Mario]

This won't help.

As I said, sinus has a WIC codec for PDF installed and it will be used. But this WIC codec does not produce an image from sinus' PDF files.
IMatch does not use anything else when a WIC codec is installed.

Tip: If you have the FPC codecs, you can disable individual file formats when I'm not mistaken. In the FPV options or during the installation (maybe remove and re-install or do a repair installation).

When no WIC codec for PDF is installed, IMatch uses the built-in thumbnail generation routines in Windows. And these use whatever "PDF Thumbnail Handler" is installed. The one from Adobe (installed with Acrobat Reader) is crappy and often fails to produce an image or sometimes even chokes completely, consumes 2 GB RAM and then crashes. Adobe does not care, these are very old bugs.
By making FoxIt your default it most likely replaces the thumbnail handler installed by Acrobat and it works better.

[tschilp]

Just confirmed Mario's information! 

I had also the problem, that IMatch did not display a correct preview for some PDF files.
As I have the FPV codec pack installed, I removed the PDF component from it in the installation routine (Use change, when you are asked for change, repair or uninstall).

After a restart of Windows I did a full rescan/update of the corresponding files in IMatch.
And look, now it works fine.   

Looks like the PDF thumbnail component (WIC?!) form FPV (Fast Picture Viewer) does not work well with IMatch. It seems to use one of the embedded pictures in the PDF for a preview.

Thanks Mario, for the hint!

[Mario]

Please note that recent 2018 editions of IMatch provide a much better PDF experience and vastly better previews.