Primarily ComicMaster is about watching images (or reading digital
comics). It is not about watching fancy menubars and buttons. Therefore all
of those are hidden by default. However, ComicMaster is a very
feature rich program and has plenty of controls. They are all put into the
Control Centre. There are two ways to get the Control Centre:
- The keyboard 'c' key if it has not been redefined.
- Right clicking in the display area.
In doing so the Control Centre below opens:
The Control Centre give access to all of ComicMaster's features.
- Page/Archive Controls
- Keyboard Configurations
- Display Configurations
- Folder Extraction Target
The first checkbox + the input line control the extraction behaviour.
To display comics ComicMaster extracts archives in a temporary
directory, which is deleted when ComicMaster exits. However,
ComicMaster allows to extract archives permanently (extract button in
fileselector box). If the checkbox is checked, archives are extracted in
the directory given in the inputline, else a default path in a temporary
folder is taken, which is deleted at program exit.
- CBR/CBZ selection
ComicMaster can write new archives, whether it writes cbr or cbz
archives is determined by the CBR/CBZ radio buttons.
- Thread 'Speed'
To get a more fluent read flow, ComicMaster preloads all
images. This is done in its own thread. The 'load wait' feature was more
or less a debugging help and is not really necessary anymore. Ignore.
- Scrollbars
Most display things ComicMaster can do, it can do in more than one
way. For instance scrolling, it can be done using mouse drag, keyboard and
by using scrollbars. Maybe somebody prefers scrollbars, I don't, so the
scrollbar checkbox exists to toggle them on and off.
- Image Controls
The two boxes 'portrait images' and 'landscape images' are the most
interesting controls here. They determine how images are displayed. Though
the display mode can be changed interactively while reading a comic using
certain key commands, this is only temporary per image. This control allows
a more general settings. I prefer to watch portrait images in 'fit width'
mode and landscape images in 'fit height' mode. But maybe others prefer to
read their comics always in original size. Can be done here.
It is also possible to rotate image a fixed angle. This should be useful
for protable devices, tablet PCs, etc.
- CML Options
The CML options are now working, but not 100% useful, yet. Not useful in
a way that data is read and written from and too an archive, but nothing
much is done with this data, yet.
- Default Create XML
When this box is checked, an XML document is automaticall created in
the archive's temporary folder.
- Use Page XML
Dangerous. A race condition is not checked and can cause crashes.
Best do not use, yet. Under development.
- Default Read XML
Loads the data from a newly opened archive's meta.cml into memory.
Works, but currently no useful application of this data available.
- Default Write XML
If this box is checked, to each archive a meta.cml file is added.
In combination with the
renaming feature, currently the title and publisher are put
into this file.
In ComicMaster all keyboard commands can be redefined. I added this
feature, when I installed ComicMaster on a laptop and almost broke my
fingers using it with the default key layout. The image below shows the
controls, which are used to change the key layout.
The reset button brings the layout back to the 'factory settings'.
Unfortunately this is currently necessary whenever a new key command is
added. The whole thing is still not very user friendly.
To change a key, click on a number in the left most column of the command
table. The command name and the current key setting appear in the upper left
two input lines. Click on the lower line and press the desired new key for
the selected command. That's all. The new key is active at once. To save it
for all future sessions, press the 'make default' button.
Oh yes, combinations 'ctrl-key' or 'alt-key' are possible too, but a bit
tricky to enter. As I said, the whole thing is not really user friendly, yet.