fotoxx quick guide
Use this quick guide to get started with fotoxx. More detailed information follows afterwards.

File menu File management and other administrative functions.
Open
File open dialog - open an image file to view or edit.
Save
File save dialog - save the current (edited) image to a file.
Trash
Move the current image into the fotoxx trash folder.
Print
Arrange images and text in a layout for printing (see sister application printoxx).
Quit
Exit from fotoxx.
Edit
Parameters
Edit parameters affecting how fotoxx does panorama and HDR images. Normally you need only to set "pano lens mm" to match your camera lens (35mm equivalent).
Create Thumbnails
Create thumbnail images to make thumbnail pages display faster. Input topmost image directory to search for image files. Do when fotoxx is installed or when image files are reorganized outside of fotoxx.
Check Monitor
Display a color palette for tuning your monitor. Adjust so that gradations in brightness can be seen at both ends of the image.
Slide Show
Use the entire monitor to show images (no menu or toolbar). Use keyboard keys to navigate: left/right arrows for prev/next image, +/- keys for zoom, L/R keys for rotate 90°, T-key for thumbnail window, Esc key to leave slide show mode.
Clone
Start another instance of fotoxx with the current image (compare two images or monitor impact of edits).
Tags menu Manage image tags (keywords for searching) and dates.
Edit Tags
Add or change the photo date and tags (keywords) for an image.
Search Tags
Search all images for desired tags and / or photo date range.
Build Tags
Index

Build an index of photo dates and tags for all images. Do when fotoxx is installed or when images files are reorganized outside of fotoxx.
View EXIF Data
View EXIF data for the current image, including date, camera data, exposure data, and any tags that have been added to the image.
Edit menu These functions modify image files.
Select Area
Outline an area for subsequent editing using mouse clicks and drags. If no such area is active, editing functions use the entire image.
Brightness
Distribution

Flatten the brightness distribution. Enhances low-contrast areas of the image. Sometimes a fast and easy method to make significant improvements.
Brightness/
Contrast/Color

Change brightness and color intensity independently for areas of the image having different brightness levels, e.g. brighten dark areas while not affecting bright areas.
Color Depth
Reduce color depth or number of colors. Gives the image a poster or painting effect.
Color Intensity
Increase or decrease the color intensity on a scale from zero (gray) to max. color.
RGB Spread
Intensify or reduce the main color for each image location, e.g. gray <> pink <> red.
Sharpen
Sharpen a blurred image.
Blur
Blur an image (make skin look smoother, or soften hard edges).
Reduce Noise
Reduce noise (speckles) in low-light images.
Red Eye
Remove red-eyes from electronic flash photos.
Crop
Cut out a rectangular portion of an image.
Rotate
Rotate an image (level a tilted image or turn in 90° steps).
Resize
Change the pixel dimensions, typically used to reduce the size of an image.
Unbend
Fix image perspective problems: curved walls or slanting buildings.
Warp
Distort an image by pulling on a location with the mouse. For funny effects.
HDR
Combine an underexposed and overexposed image to make an image that shows better detail in both bright and dark areas. HDR = high dynamic range.
Panorama
Combine two or more overlapping images to make an ultra-wide image.
Help menu User guide, README notes, list of changes.
Toolbar Buttons
index
Show a window of thumbnail images, starting with the current image. The thumbnail window can be paged and navigated to other locations. Clicking on a thumbnail image will display that image in the main window.
open
Same as File menu Open.
save
Same as File menu Save.
trash
Same as File menu Trash.
prev
Go to previous image in the current directory, if any.
next
Go to the next image in the current directory, if any.
undo
Undo (reverse) the results of the previous edit function. Up to the last 20 edits can be un-done.
redo
Redo the previous undo. Can be repeated to redo each undo that was made on the current image.
zoom+
Magnify the image. A left mouse click also magnifies, with the clicked position moving to center.
zoom-
Reduce the image. A right mouse click also reduces the image.
kill
Stop the current long-running function (HDR, Panorama). Do this if you see that the wrong images are being combined.
quit
Exit from fotoxx.