New batch processor fill option with rotation depending on image dimensions

[Schmidtze]

Hi,

I was very curious about the new Batch Processor fill resize modes. I'm using a similar functionalety for years now to create export images for my mobile devices by using a script. Unfortunately it seems that this function is not usable for me. What I really miss in this new feature is the auto rotation of images when this would result in a better fitting. For example I want to create image files for my mobile, which has a resolution of 1920x1080. All landscape images will be cropped correctly (most of the time from 3:2 to  16:9). For portrait images I expect a rotation first, because the mobile device (mobile phone or tablet) can be rotated easily by the user. That's by far a better solution than cropping a portrait image to landscape. Or do I miss something and this function is already available??? I'm a little bit surprised that it isn't...

Best regards
Friedemann

[Mario]

I did not implement an auto rotate feature.
It's easy to select (manually or via a filter) either portrait or landscape images via a filter and then run the matching Batch Processor preset (e.g. via a Favorite).
This gives you detailed control about which batch processor preset you apply to which kind of image.

[Schmidtze]

It's easy to select (manually or via a filter) either portrait or landscape images via a filter and then run the matching Batch Processor preset (e.g. via a Favorite).

yes, that's true, the process can be started twice, for portraits and for landscapes. But do you think that my feature request is so absurd? I think it was your intention to extend the functionality especially also for mobile device (e.g. smart phones). And in my opinion the auto rotation would be very useful when using the trimming option for creating images for smart phones or tablets. As I said, honestly I expected it already to be built in. But of course no problem, I can still use my scripts or run 2 seperate export jobs. But pleeeeease think about it again!!! 

Gruß
Friedemann

[Mario]

I did not rate your feature request. I just commented on why it is implemented as it is. We'll let this request sit for a while and see if other users comment or vote for it. It will not be hard to add this, but looking at the 300 feature requests added before your request.... 

[Ferdinand]

I think the request makes sense, although perhaps not top of the priority list.

[Mario]

I've just added this feature. Was done in less than an hour. 5.2.18.

[Richard]

I've just added this feature. Was done in less than an hour. 5.2.18.

How nice it would be if they were all that easy. You could fulfill ten per day and still have 6 hours for fixing bugs. 

[Mario]

Unfortunately most other FRs require one or more working days. Some may even take even weeks to implement.

Since I had all the Batch Processor workings still present in my head (from the changes made for the 5.2.16 build) and was working the Batch Processor anyway today in order to fix a minor issue, I just threw this minor enhancement in. It is a useful feature to have if you target mobile phones and was done quickly.

[Schmidtze]

Mario, thank you very much... But I did an awful mistake in describing the problem... Maybe you did it in the right way anyway, but I think it's not correct to rotate the image itself, because then it will always be rotated again when rotating the device. The dimensions for shrinking have to be rotated or let's say exchanged. When width and height for fitting is 1920x1080 and the image is a portrait image, then the dimensions should be 1080x1920. IMatch can decide which values fits the best, depending on the aspect ratio of the target dimension and if it's nearer to width/height or height/width of the source image.

I'm so sorry, I really described the problem in the wrong way. But maybe you understood what I meant and implemented it in the right way already,,, 

Viele Grüße
Friedemann

[Schmidtze]

And still an additional comment: In my IMatch script, I will not crop images with aspect ratio of 1, because a cropping of 1:1 to 16:9 (for example) will destroy the image too much, I think. Cropping from 3:2 to 16:9 or 4:3 to 16:9 is acceptable in most cases. Maybe it would be an idea to have an additional option to not crop images with aspect ratio of 1 or better an option to define a maximal difference of aspect ratio which shouldn't be exceeded. Do you understand what I mean? Aspect ratio of 4:3 is 1,333, aspect ratio of 3:2 is 1,5. So the max difference to aspect ratio of 16:9 (1,777) is 0,444. But the difference to aspect ratio of 1:1 is 0,7777, which would be too much for my needs. So defining the maximum difference to maybe 0,5 will be a good value. The also panorama images won't be cropped automatically, which is also not wanted maybe - at least by me...

Viele Grüße
Friedemann

[Mario]

Maybe you should just continue to use your script. That all sounds way to specific.

Why is an image "rotated again" on a mobile device? When I rotate a portrait image 90° to the left before applying a 1920x1080 crop, I end up with a landscape image with 1920 pixel width. Is that not what you want?

[Schmidtze]

Maybe you should just continue to use your script. That all sounds way to specific.

I do not think that it is specific, as you mentioned especially the new fill option regarding smart phones in the new release. And I think the way it is, it's not complete when not wanting to do the export twice (or more times when considering also 1:1 images). A mobile device can be rotated easily, so it makes sense to fit as much of the screen as possible. And for portrait images that's for example 9:16 instead of 16:9.

Why is an image "rotated again" on a mobile device? When I rotate a portrait image 90° to the left before applying a 1920x1080 crop, I end up with a landscape image with 1920 pixel width. Is that not what you want?

When rotating the image itself, then the device thinks it's a landscape image. So it will fit the whole screen of the device when holding it horizontally. Then the user will rotate the phone to see the image in portrait mode. But then the device won't leave the image on screen at it is, it will rotate it also. That's the way my mobile phone and tablet (Apple) will do it, and I'm pretty sure that all other devices will do it too (Android, Windows etc.). They all will present the image to the user in correct orientation, of course depending on the rotation flag. The rotation flag of a portrait image which has been rotated to landscape, will say that it is a landscape image. And that's wrong, the image is a portrait image. Changing the rotation flag on these images will help, but then the image is not correct anymore and it will be shown not correct for example after sending it per E-Mail or whatever.

As I said, I'm extremly sorry, I described the problem or let's say the solution in the wrong way. The image should not be rotated, it should be cropped in the contrary way to the lanscape image. But as I said, the solution can be general to crop it to the nearest aspect ratio of the target dimensions. The solution for this is not very special or specific, it would be perfect for mobile devices, smart phones and tablets.

Viele Grüße
Friedemann

[Schmidtze]

Rotating the image itself is defintely wrong. In which direction will you rotate it? To the left, or to the right? Then maybe the user will rotate the smart phone to an upside down position when he sees a portrait image in landscape mode. It depends how he holds the device in landscape mode, the bottom of the phone on the right or on the left. I think it depends maybe if the user is a right or left hander. Again, I'm extremely sorry that I suggested the wrong solution!!! But I described the problem in the right way, I think...

Viele Grüße
Friedemann

[Schmidtze]

I dare to add again an additional thought  First I have to say that this new fill function will be perfect when it would be possible to launch it on an arbitrary selection of images. When this is the goal, then there will be needed the 2 options I mentioned above:

1. an option to exchange the dimensions automatically for rotatable targets like smart phones, depending on the nearest aspect ratio. The name of this option could be "Target is rotatable".
2. an option to switch off the filling (or let's say cropping) depenending on a difference between source aspect ratio and target aspect ratio

Option 2 will be needed also for target devices like TV sets. Because when exporting a portrait image now to TV resolution, it will be cropped and crippled too. I can't imagine that cropping a portrait image to landscape will make sense in most cases. So the user maybe wants to have landscape images to be cropped to the TV aspect ratio, but not the portrait images. The perfect solution for this will be a maximum difference value between source and target aspect ratio. As I said, maybe 0,5 would be a good value. With this value, 2:3 or 3:4 images will not be cropped to fit on the TV, but 3:2 and 4:3 images will...

With these 2 additional options, the filling function would be perfect and could be used for all purposes, I think 

Viele Grüße
Friedemann

[Mario]

1. IMatch does not rotate the image, it swaps the width/height of the resize fill to match the orientation of the image. If you set 1920x1080 and you run a portrait image through the batch processor, the output image will be a portrait image with 1080x1920 pixels. No rotation should happen in any smart phone.

PS.: Even if IMatch would rotate the image itself, it would output it with a rotation flag of "normal", which means that the smart phone would not rotate it either.

[Schmidtze]

1. IMatch does not rotate the image, it swaps the width/height of the resize fill to match the orientation of the image. If you set 1920x1080 and you run a portrait image through the batch processor, the output image will be a portrait image with 1080x1920 pixels. No rotation should happen in any smart phone.

Tank you!! 

which means that the smart phone would not rotate it either.

It defintely would when holding the smart phone in portrait mode. A portrait image rotated to landscape with rotation flag "normal" will be shown on the smart phone in landscape mode, everey time, regardless how the smart phone will be hold by the user. It will be shown wrong all the time. But anyway, the way you did it now solves the "problem" 

Viele Grüße
Friedemann