Hi,

I used xmag a lot while coding my new widget set. It's used to make sure I am drawing the widgets correctly. What does the Magnifier tool written in FPC/Lazarus offer compared to xmag.

Example:
* Anything that Magnifier does that xmag doesn't?
* Can Magnifier also show the pixel RGB values, etc.

PS:
Anybody know or written a tool that can pick a color from anywhere in the desktop? I am using Linux. Gimp has a color picker, but it only works inside a image, and to take a screenshot and then load Gimp just to pick a color is to much work!

Regards,
Graeme.

Unlike most similar programs the magnifier does not open a separate window for the magnification but instead puts a movable magnifying glass on screen. So I would say this makes it easier to use.

I allows to dinamically change the magnification factor while magnifying and can be controles with the keyboard. It is cross-platform (currently with binaries to win32, freebsd and linux, but should work on mac os x with Gtk too and on windows CE). It also includes full user-friendly documentation.

More features on the website: http://magnifier.sourceforge.net/

* Can Magnifier also show the pixel RGB values, etc.

The stable version can do that only on Windows.

I just commited a patch that makes it also work on Unixes. It will require at least Lazarus 0.9.16 to work correctly.

Go to: sourceforge.net/projects/magnifier/ and click on CVS. There you can find very easy instructions to download the source code from CVS.

You can compile it with a simple "make", or opening the project on Lazarus IDE. You also need to install it before using, with "make install".

Felipe Monteiro de Carvalho wrote

I just commited a patch that makes it also work on Unixes. It will require at least Lazarus 0.9.16 to work correctly.

Lol! I feel like Mattias doing that.

To show the RGB value of the pixel you need to select the "Graphical Tools" option on the menu of the magnifier on the system tray.

Felipe Monteiro de Carvalho wrote

Unlike most similar programs the magnifier does not open a separate window for the magnification but instead puts a movable magnifying glass on screen. So I would say this makes it easier to use.

Thanks for the info Felipe. Looking at the website, and the above mentioned feature (replicating a real-world magnifying glass). How do you magnify something in the extreme corners of the screen? Doesn't it magnify whatever is behind the centre of the magnifying window? With the xmag tool, it changes the cursor the a TopLeft (corner) cursor, so it is easy to magnify screen corners or screen edges.

One last question (I guess I must try it out to answer the rest of my questions). I gather it works like a real-world magnifying glass. Where you move the window, it magnifies the background. Can you lock/freeze the image, and move the window do a different location?

PS:
It looks pretty cool though and I like the idea that it is cross-platform.

Regards,
Graeme.

Graeme Geldenhuys wrote

How do you magnify something in the extreme corners of the screen? Doesn't it magnify whatever is behind the centre of the magnifying window?

Yes, it magnifies from the centre of the glass, but the glass can be partially outsite the desktop area, so we acctually cover the entire screen. Just try it and this questions should be solved.

the xmag tool, it changes the cursor the a TopLeft (corner) cursor, so it is easy to magnify screen corners or screen edges.

To magnify a screen edge with the magnifier, just move the mouse to it.

Can you lock/freeze the image, and move the window do a different location?

I did not understand this.

thanks,

On 8/5/06, Felipe Monteiro de Carvalho

> Can you lock/freeze the image,

and move the window do a different location?

I did not understand this.

Don't worry, I will install the Magnifier today and see if it answers my question. If not... I'll be back. ;-)

Graeme.

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