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One thing I hate about my Mac

G

giyad

macrumors regular
Original poster
Sep 7, 2007
133
0
So, I made the switch to a mac in September of last year. I've been extremely happy with it ever since, but I've come across one thing that really pisses me off. OS X has no real way to rotate an image, at least I haven't found it out yet. Its too dependent on iPhoto and iPhoto doesnt manipulate original files.

I want it to be simple and straight-forward like windows. You click an image in a folder, press the arrow to navigate through the rest of the images, and click the rotate button if you want to rotate an image. I have been using a program called justLooking to view my images the way you would on windows, but it doesn't give me the option to rotate. Well, it does, but you can't rotate them because OS X automatically displays the image as if it were right side up. So, if i look at an image on my computer it displays it as if it is right side up, but if i upload it somewhere, it shows sideways...

Does anyone have a suggestion to help me with this? Do you even understand what im talking about??
 
I assume you're running Tiger then if you haven't upgraded your copy of OS X since September?

Yes it was irritating under Tiger. Leopard allows you to rotate images from within Preview. It's worth upgrading, it's a big leap ahead of Tiger IMO...
 
Preview can rotate images. Just make sure that when you save, you use save as and deselect "Use Exif Tag orientation"
 
Killyp said:
I assume you're running Tiger then if you haven't upgraded your copy of OS X since September?

Yes it was irritating under Tiger. Leopard allows you to rotate images from within Preview. It's worth upgrading, it's a big leap ahead of Tiger IMO...
Click to expand...

Yeah I am going to make the leap pretty soon, but there should be a way to do this in 10.4 as well... Oh and Preview might have gone a step up in 10.5 but its still no Windows Picture and Fax Viewer... its such a simple program and does everything basic that you could possibly want when viewing an image! isn't there something like that for the mac? something basic that doesn't require a lot of memory
 
Dude, there's no Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, but there is the new preview app QuickLook, but it has no editing capability. I don't know why you wouldn't just use preview. It takes up very little memory for the simple reason that it has few features. The more Apple decides to throw in just because you and a million other people have "just one thing" they need, the more bloat.

Anyone else think the difference in names are pretty interesting? Five words vs one catchy one...
 
Get "Xee"

I don't think it has editing capabilities but it's a nice lightweight image viewer, that also PLAYS animated gifs, if that means anything to you(Preview doesn't play them).

For editing I say just use Seashore, which is sort of like the GIMP which doesn't require X11. Of course if you don't mind using X11 then by all means get the GIMP, Seashore has less features.
 
maxrobertson said:
Dude, there's no Windows Picture and Fax Viewer, but there is the new preview app QuickLook, but it has no editing capability. I don't know why you wouldn't just use preview. It takes up very little memory for the simple reason that it has few features. The more Apple decides to throw in just because you and a million other people have "just one thing" they need, the more bloat.

Anyone else think the difference in names are pretty interesting? Five words vs one catchy one...
Click to expand...

Windows Picture and Fax viewer is the default image viewer for Windows... what do you mean there is no Windows Picture and Fax Viewer?

My point is that I want something which has a few features, just like you say, thats better than preview, because preview is not that good. It got better on leopard but still is nothing compared to Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. You can open up an image in a folder, flip through all the pictures in that folder and rotate it if need be.
 
giyad said:
My point is that I want something which has a few features, just like you say, thats better than preview, because preview is not that good. It got better on leopard but still is nothing compared to Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. You can open up an image in a folder, flip through all the pictures in that folder and rotate it if need be.
Click to expand...

Preview in Leopard is more powerful than Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. You can open multiple pictures in a folder and flip through them, including rotating them.

Where you are going wrong is running an old version of Mac OS X and then complaining that it has missing features.
 
xUKHCx said:
Preview can rotate images. Just make sure that when you save, you use save as and deselect "Use Exif Tag orientation"
Click to expand...

You just solved a problem I've had for AGES! :eek: Since 10.2 I believe...

I've always had to rotate in Photoshop :p And for sending quick things to friends that's overkill
 
tibi08 said:
Preview in Leopard is more powerful than Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. You can open multiple pictures in a folder and flip through them, including rotating them.

Where you are going wrong is running an old version of Mac OS X and then complaining that it has missing features.
Click to expand...

Heres the thing, im running Tiger, not Leopard... now we've already established that.

The thing is, even when i open a picture in preview, it automatically straightens it up. But the original file is not... So i don't know if leopard has fixed that issue or not, but the thing is im not using leopard and im looking for a solution on Tiger, so if you know one I'd appreciate it thanks!
 
giyad said:
Yeah I am going to make the leap pretty soon, but there should be a way to do this in 10.4 as well... Oh and Preview might have gone a step up in 10.5 but its still no Windows Picture and Fax Viewer... its such a simple program and does everything basic that you could possibly want when viewing an image! isn't there something like that for the mac? something basic that doesn't require a lot of memory
Click to expand...

giyad said:
Windows Picture and Fax viewer is the default image viewer for Windows... what do you mean there is no Windows Picture and Fax Viewer?

My point is that I want something which has a few features, just like you say, thats better than preview, because preview is not that good. It got better on leopard but still is nothing compared to Windows Picture and Fax Viewer. You can open up an image in a folder, flip through all the pictures in that folder and rotate it if need be.
Click to expand...

Preview can do all this in Panther, Tiger, and Leopard. What's the problem? WP&FV and Preview are just about the same.

And if you need to, you can find a free app online I am sure.

p.s. we're not trying to come off as negative, but some times there is a simple solution that for some reason a lot of people miss. There was a 6 or 7 page thread about Mac OS X Tiger not being able to preview sound clips without opening an app. The user just didn't know how, not that the OS couldn't do it.
 
Digital Skunk said:
Preview can do all this in Panther, Tiger, and Leopard. What's the problem? WP&FV and Preview are just about the same.

And if you need to, you can find a free app online I am sure.

p.s. we're not trying to come off as negative, but some times there is a simple solution that for some reason a lot of people miss. There was a 6 or 7 page thread about Mac OS X Tiger not being able to preview sound clips without opening an app. The user just didn't know how, not that the OS couldn't do it.
Click to expand...

Thats not true, WP&FV is the better of the two... it does what you want it to at minimal cost. From a default program you couldn't ask for more.

Listen, I know that preview can rotate pictures, but when you download a picture from your camera onto your mac it automatically sets it right side up. So, when you open it in Preview, it also looks right side up. However, the original file is not actually right side up, OSX just tricks the file into thinking it is. When you upload the picture to a website, or open it in a third party app, the picture is sideways the way you took it.

Now thats one issue, another, which i think is fixed in Leopard, is that when you open up an image located in a folder you can't use the arrow key to scroll through the rest of the folder. You have to actually select all the pictures and open them in preview, then you can use the arrow keys. WP&FV allows you to do all this. The thing that pisses me off is that this is simple intuition, so preview should have been like that from the start...
 
giyad said:
Thats not true, WP&FV is the better of the two... it does what you want it to at minimal cost. From a default program you couldn't ask for more.

Listen, I know that preview can rotate pictures, but when you download a picture from your camera onto your mac it automatically sets it right side up. So, when you open it in Preview, it also looks right side up. However, the original file is not actually right side up, OSX just tricks the file into thinking it is. When you upload the picture to a website, or open it in a third party app, the picture is sideways the way you took it.

Now thats one issue, another, which i think is fixed in Leopard, is that when you open up an image located in a folder you can't use the arrow key to scroll through the rest of the folder. You have to actually select all the pictures and open them in preview, then you can use the arrow keys. WP&FV allows you to do all this. The thing that pisses me off is that this is simple intuition, so preview should have been like that from the start...
Click to expand...

The second point is correct but is really a moot point. That's just whining. But in the first one you are incorrect. Cameras give you the choice to rotate the image or the preview when you take it. Mac OS X shows the preview of that image as being rotated, but not the image since it's not rotated.

Just rotate the image.

I won't argue whether two standard programs are better by one person's perspective or not, but Preview isn't as bad as you want it to be. It's really nit picking if you ask me.
 
Digital Skunk said:
Just rotate the image.
Click to expand...

your not understanding, or im not, but i can't just rotate the image. I take a picture portrait with my camera. When I upload it to my mac the preview, and the image, show up as a proper portrait (meaning the right side up as opposed to landscape). But, when I open the file with a third party app (such as justLooking), or when I try to upload it onto flickr, bubbleshare, facebook, you name it, it shows up landscape and requires me to rotate it. So basically, i don't want the OS fixing my photos for me anymore, I don't want it adjusting them if its going to cause me more trouble. Is there anyway to change that?
 
giyad said:
your not understanding, or im not, but i can't just rotate the image. I take a picture portrait with my camera. When I upload it to my mac the preview, and the image, show up as a proper portrait (meaning the right side up as opposed to landscape). But, when I open the file with a third party app (such as justLooking), or when I try to upload it onto flickr, bubbleshare, facebook, you name it, it shows up landscape and requires me to rotate it. So basically, i don't want the OS fixing my photos for me anymore, I don't want it adjusting them if its going to cause me more trouble. Is there anyway to change that?
Click to expand...

Hi,

I've got the same gripe as you and I've been using Mac since I started using computers. Unfortunately, a lot of Mac afficionados can't believe there is anything wrong with Macs and so don't bother to actually understand any criticism! Most of the replies have avoided actually responding to your initial reasonable enquiry, suggesting that you upgrade to Leopard which understandably you might not wish to do ... I haven't done so yet, as there are too many deficiencies along with the improvements, I'll wait until it reaches the stage where it is actually ready for release :)

I don't have the answer, but this reply by xUKHCx looked interesting: Preview can rotate images. Just make sure that when you save, you use save as and deselect "Use Exif Tag orientation".

However, I can't find the deselect box mentioned, running Tiger 10.4.10, so maybe it's not on this version ... can anyone help?
 
Using Preview in Tiger I can load a folder of pictures, rotate them, do some basic image and color correction, save them, and using the drawer have every picture show up as thumbnails to one side.
I just tried it again to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Using Preview for uploads? If you don't want to use iPhoto, you can also use Image Capture. It's in the Application folder.

jodelli
 
patrickq said:
Hi,

I've got the same gripe as you and I've been using Mac since I started using computers. Unfortunately, a lot of Mac afficionados can't believe there is anything wrong with Macs and so don't bother to actually understand any criticism! Most of the replies have avoided actually responding to your initial reasonable enquiry, suggesting that you upgrade to Leopard which understandably you might not wish to do ... I haven't done so yet, as there are too many deficiencies along with the improvements, I'll wait until it reaches the stage where it is actually ready for release :)
Click to expand...

OMG thank you, you understand perfectly haha!

jodelli said:
Using Preview in Tiger I can load a folder of pictures, rotate them, do some basic image and color correction, save them, and using the drawer have every picture show up as thumbnails to one side.
I just tried it again to make sure I wasn't dreaming.

Using Preview for uploads? If you don't want to use iPhoto, you can also use Image Capture. It's in the Application folder.

jodelli
Click to expand...

I do use Image Capture to upload my pics to the computer, but thats all its for.

As for Preview, I know you can load a folder, but I don't want to have to do that. It takes a lot more time depending on how many pictures are in the folder and its unnecessary. I just want to click a picture and then navigate through the program. Simple, basic, and intuitive. People who have used macs their whole lives may not know what Im talking about, but you would seriously understand if you just got on a windows pc for a second and navigated through a folder of photos.

If only I was a developer... The closest thing I have come to WP&FV is JustLooking. It is an AWESOME app, it does everything I want except, I have a couple of complaints which led me to posting this question. Maybe Ill just email the developer some suggestions.
 
patrickq said:
Unfortunately, a lot of Mac afficionados can't believe there is anything wrong with Macs and so don't bother to actually understand any criticism!
Click to expand...

Actually, we did.... just rotate the photos in preview, there should be a button on the top or one in the menus that says, "Rotate Left" or "Rotate Right" as three posters said before including me.

Unfortunately for use posters, there are people that make the switch, don't know how to do something and want to instantly compare OSes when they just aren't the same, then when we give them the answers they don't want to listen.

Most of the problems that users have with their machines are a PEBKAC situation, where the person sitting in the chair is at fault. Same thing for Windows just to let you know.

Many times people don't want to listen because they are afraid of being corrected. I haven't used Tiger in a while so I couldn't tell you exactly where the menu option is or the shortcut. But I do know that since Panther I have been rotating batches of photos (and every other thing the OP wants to do) in Preview. Also, I said there are many options (that are free) online.

Just listen.
 
Digital Skunk said:
Unfortunately for use posters, there are people that make the switch, don't know how to do something and want to instantly compare OSes when they just aren't the same, then when we give them the answers they don't want to listen.
Click to expand...

Im not trying to compare OS's, i asked a question and you keep answering me with "switch to Leopard." Has it occurred to you that maybe I dont want to make the switch, maybe I can't afford to, maybe I don't have the time? There are many reasons why someone would not be able/want to switch to Leopard. But thats not the point.

Digital Skunk said:
Actually, we did.... just rotate the photos in preview, there should be a button on the top or one in the menus that says, "Rotate Left" or "Rotate Right" as three posters said before including me.
Click to expand...

You can't rotate the photos in preview. You're not understanding me. The image, when opened in Preview, is right side up, so if I hit the rotate button, it will now be sideways. I don't want that. The problem is that if I open the file with a third party app, that doesn't read EXIF, it won't show the file right side up. It shows it landscape. Im running Tiger so if you have a solution for Tiger feel free to answer me, if your going to tell me to upgrade to Leopard then your suggestion is noted, but stop telling me to!
 
One click through the help menu will tell you that the OP's problem is quite valid.

"Have you ever rotated (turned) a picture from your digital camera, or any other image, in an application in Mac OS X 10.4, only to find the rotation does not remain when you open it in a different application or on a different computer? We'll explain why that might happen.

Mac OS X 10.4 Tiger supports image rotation according to EXIFstandards. Earlier Mac OS versions did not support the EXIF standard.

This means that, in earlier versions, saving an image after rotating changed the actual pixels of the image file. However, this was often not desirable because rewriting the image file itself in the new orientation could degrade image quality (especially with lossy graphic formats such as JPEG). With EXIF-compatible applications, if you rotate an image, the file doesn't need to be rewritten.

Non-EXIF compatible applications display the image as it was originally created. EXIF-compatible applications use an Orientation tag to determine whether the image needs to be rotated before it is displayed. The image is rotated and displayed in RAM rather than in the file itself, so no change to the original file data is made.

If you want the image to appear rotated regardless of which application opens it, you'll need to open it in an application designed to save images for non-EXIF applications, rotate it, and save the image (with possible image quality loss)."
 
decksnap said:
One click through the help menu will tell you that the OP's problem is quite valid.
Click to expand...

Thank you! I was starting to second guess myself and think I was crazy haha, can you suggest any non-EXIF applications?
 
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