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Dynamically Creating a Preview

To Select the New Preview Mode

Image View Tool Bar

Keyboard Shortcut

Image Window Context Menu

Image > Mode Main Menu Option

Dynamically Defining a Preview Rectangle

Parametrically Creating a Preview

In PixInsight LE 1.0, you can create an unlimited number of preview objects on any image window. There are no specific restrictions for previews, other than the fact that a preview rectangle cannot exceed the dimensions of its parent image. You can create and define new previews in two ways: dynamically with the mouse cursor, and parametrically by entering preview coordinates and sizes.

Dynamically Creating a Preview

Besides the obvious fact that you need an image window to create a preview in PixInsight, previews can only be defined dynamically on image views in the New Preview mode. The New Preview mode is only enabled for image views; it is disabled for previews. This is because you cannot define previews in a recursive way, that is, you cannot create previews inside previews.

To Select the New Preview Mode:

• Image View Tool Bar

The Image View tool bar is visible by default; shouldn't it, you can use the Window > Tool Bars > Image View main menu item.

• Keyboard Shortcut
  Press Alt-N to select the New Preview mode. Alternatively, when an image window is active, pressing the N key alone does the same thing.

• Image Window Context Menu
  Right-click on the desired image view and select the New Preview menu item:

• Image > Mode Main Menu Option

Dynamically Defining a Preview Rectangle

Once in the New Preview mode, click anywhere on the image view and drag the mouse to define the preview's rectangular area:

Release the mouse when you are done, and a new preview will be created:

If you want to create a preview that comprises the whole image, use the window's extended work area (resize the window as necessary if it's fitted to the image) to define a rectangle bigger than the image. Click at a location beyond the image's top left corner, and drag to a location beyond its right bottom corner.

Note that when you create a new preview its corresponding view selector appears on the view selector tray. Default preview identifiers are assigned when the user does not (or has no way to) provide a custom one. Of course you can easily change the preview's identifier at any moment.

Just after preview creation, the Edit Preview mode is automatically selected, allowing you to reposition and/or resize the preview, if necessary, as explained in incoming sections.

Parametrically Creating a Preview

Sometimes you may know in advance the precise anchor coordinates and dimensions of the preview area you need. When that's the case, you can create a preview through the Preview > New main menu item, which pops up the New Preview dialog box:

where you can type the magic numbers. You can also provide a custom identifier on this dialog, or simply leave the default one that is given automatically.

If you specify an already used preview identifier, PixInsight will turn it into a unique identifier within the image context by appending an integer number to it, starting from one, and increasing it until no matching identifier is found. For example, if a preview exists with identifier Preview01, the above dialog box would try Preview011 as the new preview identifier. If Preview011 would already be defined, Preview012 would be used, and so on.