XCF plugin with Gimp.app

[Mortimer]

Hello,

I have comited a new version of the XCF Quick Look plugin that now relies on the Gimp.app gimp-console utility. For now, it relies on the Gimp.app bundle to be in your /Applications folder. Ideally, I would like it to figure out by himself where the bundle it.

Usually, Quick Look plugin go in the application bundle Contents/Library/QuickLook folder, I will see how that works and adapt the code as needed. If it's inside the app bundle, it should be easier to figure out where the gimp-console executable is.

Are you ok if we take this way instead of a standalone plugin?

[Auria]

Yes, that's fine, I guess it probably takes very little space.

You'll just need to write on how to add it to the build instructions, as I can't do it on my Tiger computer

[theonehorst]

Good idea. I will test this today

[theonehorst]

I only get a black picture in quicklook. any debug i can do? gimp 2.4.5, ql-plugin inside the app, and 10.5.2

[Mortimer]

Ok,

I committed a version that should work bundled in Gimp.app, wherever the user places it. To build it, just check it out, go to the directory xcf_quicklook and run:
xcodebuild build

To bundle it in Gimp.app, just make a directory Library/QuickLook in the Contents folder of the bundle and put the file build/Release/xcf_quicklook.qlgenerator in it.

@Auria, you are right, it's quite small, only 64Kb.

@theonehorst:
- did you remove the old plugin from /Library/QuickLook/ if you ever installed it there at some time?
- you might need to touch Gimp.app and run it once for Leopard to use the plugin bundled in there
- check Console.app output to see if it says anything special
- there is a link_launch.sh script in the distribution, at the end is the gimp-console call generating the thumbnail, you can try it from the command line to see if that works.
- is it with any pictures or only one?

[theonehorst]

No it works. I had some bad stuff with gimp. it even won't open xcf with right click. i deleted all stuff and reinstall it. Now it works fine with the bundle quicklook. good work. do you think, it is stable for a release with the 2.4.5 gimp. then I will do a new build

[Mortimer]

well, it works for me, with the files I have (I don't keep that many xcf files personally... so). It would be cool if more people could test it, We distribute just the plugin as beta, with instructions to install it IN the gimp.app bundle. What do you think of that?

[andreasw]

well, it works for me, with the files I have (I don't keep that many xcf files personally... so). It would be cool if more people could test it, We distribute just the plugin as beta, with instructions to install it IN the gimp.app bundle. What do you think of that?

sounds good!

[Mortimer]

Here you go, have a try:
http://6v8.gamboni.org/Gimp-XCF-Quick-Look-Plugin.html

[theonehorst]

We could also just bundle it into the app. I don't think, that I will cause any trouble and it's easier for the user...

[andreasw]

That's pretty darn sweet. Works great! A bit slow though but I couldn't care less! Weehoo! 

Did a worst case scenario .xcf, and it worked great =)
What I did found out though, was that it doesn't work filenames that includes the letters å,ö and ö (and probably all the other non-english letters)

[theonehorst]

What I did found out though, was that it doesn't work filenames that includes the letters å,ö and ö (and probably all the other non-english letters)

Well these letters anyway should be found in any good filename

[andreasw]

What I did found out though, was that it doesn't work filenames that includes the letters å,ö and ö (and probably all the other non-english letters)

Well these letters anyway should be found in any good filename

I'm not sure I'm getting your point here... BTW namnlös.xcf is the standard filename for untitled files in the swedish version.

[andreasw]

"found" a new "bug". transparent backgrounds shows as white. sure, maybe transparent isn't supported but maybe we could at least change the color from white to let's say "preview-grey". About bundle it with the app, NO! All qlgenerators should lie under library/quicklook, it's easier for the user to manage the plugins that way.

What we could do is to set up a library/quicklook-link in the gimp-diskimage. That way, people can simply drag the plugin into the folder the same way as they use the applicationsfolder to drag the gimp into it.

Get it?  It's late over here and I'm to tired to look for faults in the text...

[Mortimer]

@andreas:
- for the letters, I will check that, maybe it's just a missing escape somewhere
- for the transparency, I decided to generate .jpg instead of .png as the thumbnail file size was smaller and it gave a very little speed improvement. Maybe it's not even worth it and I could just get .png
- for the bundling: a) it's usual to bundle quicklook plugins IN the application they are supposed to display the file of. IMO it also seem easier for the user that does not have to go in the /Library folder... b) if it's not bundled in Gimp.app, there is no way to find out where Gimp.app is installed, and it forces the user to install Gimp.app at the root of /Applications (typical, but not always the case)