NkV - Image Viewer

[I am Baas]

NkV - Image Viewer for Windows

https://www.nk2.org/nkv/



Readme (Japanese)

Google Translate

Version Tested: 0.9.1

[I am Baas]

NkV - Image Viewer is at version 0.9.3 (2014-09-24).

http://www.nk2.org/nkv/

[I am Baas]

Version 0.9.5 is available (2015-04-10)

ChangeLog

http://www.nk2.org/nkv/

[billon]

If you want small, fast, port & stealth viewer for recently invented yet_another_JPEG_killer BPG image format:
Download NkV
Download BPG Susie plug-in - https://github.com/256bai/ifbpg/blob/ma ... -0.9.5.zip [~65 KB]
Some BPG samples on author's site

In comparison, XnView BPG plugin much slower, every time show console and leave many empty files in TEMP after exit
And that BPG Viewer is just dotnet monster - 11 MB!

[I am Baas]

That is a great tip, billon...

Do you use other Susie plugins with NkV?

[I am Baas]

NkV - Image Viewer is at version 0.9.6 (2015-04-15).

http://www.nk2.org/nkv/

[billon]

Latest version: 0.11.1 (2019-12-30)

[Midas]

NkV is a light, fast and very customizable graphic viewer in a tiny 130KB executable.

Some missing features for the wishlist:

- WEBP, AGIF, APNG, and HEIC formats support
- Support for 'fullscreen' in 'config' file for launching in full-screen mode (see NOTE2 below)
- Auto wraparound mode when browsing folders -- i.e., jump to first image from last; default is to use (Shift+)G for this
- Key bindings in custom 'keymap' file should replace -- instead of being added to -- the default ones
- 'position', 'config' and 'keymap' files could be merged into 'kvc.ini' with appropriated section headers for easier customization

NOTE: There's a working WEBP Suzie plugin at https://github.com/uyjulian/ifwebp -- just download and extract into NkV plugins location (default is in 'nkv.exe' folder; tested alright with sample images from https://developers.google.com/speed/webp/gallery1).

NOTE2: Here's a workaround for fullscreen launching -- set "h" and "w" values that equal your display current resolution in the 'position' configuration file and set it read-only to make this permanent (NkV will throw an error message on exit, but you can just dismiss it); then add "hideborder on" option to 'config' file.


Google translated NkV "ChangeLog" and "README":

• translate.google.com /translate?u=https://www.nk2.org/nkv/ChangeLog.html&sl=auto&tl=en

• translate.google.com /translate?u=https://www.nk2.org/nkv/README.html&sl=auto&tl=en

Spoiler!   

NkV README

NkV is an image viewer for Windows.

Installation

Copy nkv.exe to a directory of your choice.

Uninstall

Delete nkv.exe, position and wallpaper.bmp if any. Nothing is written to the registry except for the wallpaper settings.

How to use

• Drop the file in the window to see the image
• Drop a folder in the window to see the first image file in the folder
• Right click on the window to display the menu
• Ctrl + right-click on the window while the image is displayed to display the context menu for that image file.
• If the image size is larger than the window size, dragging inside the window will scroll the image
• Use the mouse wheel to view the next or previous image in the same folder
• Files and folders can also be specified with command line arguments
• You can also read image data from standard input

For other functions and shortcut keys, refer to the menu displayed by right-clicking.

Supported formats

• Windows Bitmap 1/4/8/16/24 / 32bpp, RLE4, RLE8
• OS / 2 Bitmap 1/4/8 / 24bpp
• PNM (PBM, PGM, PPM)
• GIF (GDI + required)
• JPEG (GDI + required)
• PNG (GDI + required)
• TIFF (GDI + required)

GDI + is installed as standard on Windows XP and later.

Using the Susie plugin

You can use the Susie plugin to increase the supported formats. Place the Susie plugin in the same directory as nkv.exe or in the path specified by pluginsdir in the config file (see File section). You can explicitly specify which plugin to use using the pluginlist file (see File section).

The Susie plugin for archive files treats the archive file like a folder and displays the image files in the archive file.

If you have a Susie plugin that supports GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF, use the Susie plugin instead of GDI +.

You cannot use the Susie plug-in for images that does not support memory input.

The Susie plugin does not support Unicode. The image plug-in works in many cases because it is used for memory input, but the archive file plug-in cannot handle the file name in the archive file in Unicode.

When reading from standard input, Susie plugins that require a filename cannot be used.

If you use a plugin that causes problems when you pass an unsupported file to IsSupported (API to check if the file format is supported), specifying it in usepluginextinfo in config may improve it (File section). See config in).

If you cannot get the color depth (BPP) from the Susie plugin, the corresponding fields in the title bar and Image Information will be "?".

File[\s]

Find the file in the following location.

If the environment variable NKTOOLSPROF is not set Same directory as nkv.exe
If the environment variable NKTOOLSPROF is set % NKTOOLSPROF% \ nkv

config

Initial setting.

• background rgb

Background color (default: system window background color)

• scalefilter on | off

Scaling filter on / off (default: off)

• fitimage on | off

Fit Image on / off (default: off)

• fitlargeimage on | off

Fit Large Image on / off (default: off) to fit the display size to the window only for images larger than the window

• w numbers

Window width at startup (default: 640) (* 1)

• h numbers

Window height at startup (default: 480) (* 1)

• hideborder on | off

Hide / show window frame (default: off)

• x number

X coordinate of the upper left corner of the window at startup (default: value saved in the position file) (* 2)

• y numbers

Y coordinate in the upper left corner of the window at startup (default: value saved in the position file) (* 2)

• pluginsdir directory

Susie plugin directory (default: same directory as nkv.exe). If there is a pluginlist file, the specification is invalid. If you specify a relative path, it will be relative to the directory containing the config file.

• remote on | off

Load in an existing window (default: off)

• gridsize number

Grid size (in pixels) ( default: 8 )

• usepluginextinfo file [file ...]

Susie plugin that uses information on supported extensions (default: not specified). The plugin specified here is used only when the extension of the file to be read is included in the corresponding extension of the plugin (the supported extension is obtained by GetPluginInfo of the plugin API). This plugin will no longer be used when reading from standard input. Specify only the file name that does not include the plug-in path. You can specify multiple items by separating them with a space. The plugin specified here will display the corresponding extension in About Plugins.

1. It is valid only when fitimage or fitlargeimage is on or started without specifying a file.
2. If NkV is already running, the position of the newly launched NkV window will be the Windows default and the x, y specifications will be ignored.

If you want the windows to always be displayed in the same size and position, turn on fitimage or fitlargeimage and set x, y, w, h.

keymap

Key customization settings. See keymap-default for a setting example.

pluginlist

Plugin list. Describe in one file per line. If this file exists, it will use the plugins in the order written in the file.

position

Window position. Will be created automatically when finished

wallpaper.bmp

Select "Set As Wallpaper ..." from the menu and set it as wallpaper, and it will be created automatically.

Scaling filter

When Scale Filter is enabled, bilinear is used when the scaling ratio is 50% or more, and the area averaging method is used when the scaling ratio is less than 50%. The image data after decoding is always regarded as the sRGB color space, and processing is performed assuming sRGB gamma.

Save image

The image saved by Save As ... is an image converted to RGB 24bit or 8bit grayscale (always RGB 24bit if the save format is other than BMP) in the displayed size.

Text Information column of Image Information

When using GDI +, the following GDI + property tags that can be obtained are displayed.

• PropertyTagGpsLatitude
• PropertyTagGpsLongitude
• PropertyTagImageDescription
• PropertyTagEquipMake
• PropertyTagEquipModel
• PropertyTagOrientation
• PropertyTagSoftwareUsed
• PropertyTagDateTime
• PropertyTagArtist
• PropertyTagCopyright
• PropertyTagICCProfile (profile description)

When using the Susie plugin, the text information provided by the plugin (hInfo of the plugin API GetPictureInfo) is displayed.

Limitations

• The value displayed by Show Color Value is the RGB value after conversion to RGB 24-bit or 8-bit grayscale. It may differ from the RGB value of the actual data
• Archive files inside archive files cannot be expanded
• No consideration is given to the 256-color environment
• The Format: column of Image Information examines and displays the image format independently of the Susie plug-in. Only BMP, GIF, JPEG, PNG, PNM, TIFF are displayed.
• The grid is displayed in Show Gird only when the magnification is 100% or more.

Report a problem

Send it to bug-XXXX@nk2.org (replace XXXX with nkv).

Copyright notice

Copyright (C) 1999-2019 Nobuyuki Honda

The Software is provided "as is" and without warranty of any kind, either explicit or implied. The author does not take any responsibility for any damage caused by using this software.

We allow everyone, including commercial applications, to use the Software for any purpose and to freely modify and redistribute it, subject to the following restrictions.

1. You must not misrepresent the origin of this software. Do not claim that you created the original software. If you use the software within a product, we would appreciate it if you could acknowledge the product documentation, but it is not required.
2. If you change the source, you must make it explicit. Do not misrepresent that it is the original software.
3. You may not remove this display or change the content of the display from the source distribution.

This software is provided'as-is', without any express or implied warranty. In no event will the authors be held liable for any damages arising from the use of this software.

Permission is granted to anyone to use this software for any purpose, including commercial applications, and to alter it and redistribute it freely, subject to the following restrictions:

1. The origin of this software must not be misrepresented; you must not claim that you wrote the original software. If you use this software in a product, an acknowledgment in the product documentation would be appreciated but is not required.
2. Altered source versions must be plainly marked as such, and must not be misrepresented as being the original software.
3. This notice may not be removed or altered from any source distribution.

[__philippe]

Great stuff !
First time ever I stumbled upon this gem of a tiny pix viewer
(which can be conveniently invoked with files | folders arguments from the CLI, BTW)

Credits to

@Baas for ferreting out NkV in the first place back in 2019 !

@billon for keeping up with updates

@Midas for his most useful elaboration about
- WEBP plugin
- full screen launch workaround
- README and Changelog translations

[Midas]

First time ever I stumbled upon this gem of a tiny pix viewer

Likewise.

Credits to @Baas for ferreting out NkV in the first place back in 2019 !

You meant 2012, right?

Here's a couple of further NkV related tidbits I had laying around.

1. A yaP launcher config to do away with the error caused by setting 'position' read-only -- if you keep your custom copy alongside the yaP executable, it will always be used when launching NkV, so no more nuisances, nor worries...

Code: Select all

; configuration file for yaP v0.7.1.5 (http://yap.rolandtoth.hu/)
; application name: NkV
; version: v0.11.1
; website: https://www.nk2.org/nkv/

[GENERAL]
application = App\nkv.exe

; commandline = 
; workdir = 

[BEFORE]
; Kludge to ensure file in the laucher location is used
; which never gets overwritten when program finishes...
->file = position :: {EXEPATH}\
nowait = 1

...

2. A screenshot exhibiting NkV's minute memory footprint while browsing a folder containing 70 full HD images.



3. A cosmetic glitch in the "About NkV" box prevents full display of the license blurb in my Windows 7.




Lastly, a question: as the 'README' is moot on this, anyone happens to know any extended NkV CLI parameter syntax?

[__philippe]

First time ever I stumbled upon this gem of a tiny pix viewer

Likewise.

There is yet unmined Gold in Them Thar Hills TPFC DataBases...

Credits to @Baas for ferreting out NkV in the first place back in 2019 !

You meant 2012, right?

Crikey ! The eyesight is fast fading...

Ta all the same for the additional NkV tidbits, very handy

[webfork]

There is yet unmined Gold in Them Thar Hills TPFC DataBases...

Part of what keeps me coming back.  At least once every few months I find something in the database or in forums that I just feel foolish for missing.

[Midas]

Topic update: NKV v0.13.1 released 2020-12-01 (translated changelog attranslate.google.com/translate?u=https://www.nk2.org/nkv/ChangeLog.html&sl=auto&tl=en).

Some of the issues I reported above appear to have been dealt with...

[Midas]

Quick note to state that NKV apparently has problems following image orientations set via the EXIF "orientation" key -- meaning some images that are correctly displayed in Windows, will appear with extraneous rotations when viewed with NKV...