best image browsers

[Captain Mench]

Might want to look into Aperture … though what I think you want is Photoshop with the Browser window. Very cool in CS and CS2.

CaptM

[Alan Lacey]

Thanks I’ll do that.

I’m using PSD on the PCs but like XP with plugins for browsing, also Paintshop pro has a nice browser. I’m a bit reluctant to spend the big dollars on photoshop fpr the Mac just to browse buty perhaps I’ll get my money’s worth in other ways.

Alan

[David Bogie]

> I’m a PC video editor getting into Macs FCP and need to browse multiple folders. Ideally something that can show the alpha channel, or at least whether an alpha channel exists.< I know of no application for Macintosh except perhaps CS2 that will preview alphas. Aperture will not, repeat: will NOT show you an alpha channel. Do not buy Aperture unless you need Aperture's functions. I do not believe you will need this presumed functionality once you are up and running with FCP. Around here, thousands of us have been using it for many years and no one has mentioned this as a desired function to have outside of FCP. Perhaps I'm misunderstanding your desires but I've never needed an external previewing app in more than 10 years of NLE use with Media 100, FCP, Motion, or LiveType. Most of these apps will display alpha functions in their browsers and, if you activate the correct column, display the type of alpha. bogie This is my standard sigfile so do not take it personally: “For crying out loud, read the freakin’ manual.”

[Debe]

Have you looked at GIMP? It’s open source and it’s FREE!

Google it.

It requires that you install X11 from the OS install disks, but if you are merely looking for preview functions, that may be the thing.

I tried to use it as a replacement for PhotoShop because I hardly use PS to it’s fullest, but there are enough things GIMP does just a wee bit differently, that it’s not a replacement for PhotoShop in my studio. If I didn’t work with any outside artists, it might be worth trying to make it work, but I get too many PSD files in from outside sources that it’s just not a reliable substitution for PS.

In your case, it might be worth a look, and did I mention it’s free?

You can donate to the open source project if you find it useful.

debe

[John Calhoun]

You can use Preview, which is in your Dock or under Applications. You can check for the alpha channel under Get Info>Details.

You can drag a selection of images to the Preview icon in the Dock and they will open up in a window with a drawer of images. As you arrow down the Details window will change accordingly.

pxlmvr

[Filip Vandoorne]

if cost is an issue, try Photoshop elements, does most of the needed things for video, has also the browser and is not expensive.
otherwise try Xee or iView — see http://www.versiontracker.com