Disclaimer: I'm not saying the pre-installed apps for Windows 10 sucks, the fact that they're developed by Microsoft themselves, their simple, intuitive interfaces with big, touchy buttons and deep integration between each other makes up for the lack of more advanced functions. In fact, that's how I came to look for desktop-oriented alternatives in the first place, and the following suggestions include both paid and free product (mostly free), so feel free to check them out and leave better suggestions!
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Some apps have direct desktop alternative for as well, like OneNote 2013/2016 and Skype. There are other apps that I simply couldn't find an alternative for it, like Maps, Weather or Camera. If you could leave more suggestions, it'd be great appreciated. Once again, with Windows 10 development going so well, there definitely will be improvements to the built-in apps, and that's a very good thing. But for now, check out these programs I have listed for you and enjoy!
The Volume Calculator plugin created by TGI is a great plugin that allows you to calculate the volume of certain objects. It works really well and has a simple menu to fill out. The menu gives you the option of the units to be used, which layer to place the NEW object on (be aware that this plugin does create a new object that is not the original). Dec 19, 2007 I got it! On a Mac, you have to place the.rb file in the Library Application Support Google SketchUp 6 SketchUp Plugins folder. (This assumes that the SketchUp program exists in a folder called Google SketchUp 6 within the Applications folder.) Once I did that, the sub-menu included a Volume option. Thanks for your help, Pilou. Jun 06, 2016 Ruby Plugin instruction call for.rb files to be installed in a plugins folder: Windows - the default location is:.SketchUp 2016: C:UsersYOUR USERNAMEAppDataRoamingSketchUpSketchUp 2016SketchUpPlugins. I am installing on a MS Surface Pro 4 I do not have app/data/roaming/ path. My Sketchup files are located in. Plugin volumen para sketchup 2016.
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With Windows 10, Microsoft replaced the good-old Windows Photo Viewer with a newer Photos app. Unfortunately, users, including me, aren’t too happy with this app. It's complicated and takes a lot of time to load images.
If you also don’t like the Photos app (I feel you! *virtual hug*) and are looking for its alternatives, you have come to the right place.
In this post, we have listed 5 best replacements for your Windows 10 Photos app. By the way, if you want to get back the old Windows Photo Viewer, check this. Also Read: 19 Best Windows 10 Tips and Tricks
Photo browsing or viewing should be an effortless task. This is what all these Windows 10 tools offer you. The tools mentioned below are fast, simple and powerful.
Let’s get started.
1. FastStone Image Viewer
If you have been a Picasa user, FastStone Image Viewer will feel familiar. It supports a huge number of image formats such as JPEG, GIF, PNG, RAW, and PSD etc. The user interface is similar to that of Windows Explorer. Unlike Windows Photos, this tool is very fast.
When you open the application, it lists all the folders and images. You can check the preview without opening the images. When you open an image, it opens in full view.
However, interestingly, the tool has all the options and features present on the four sides of an image. All you need to do is move your mouse towards each side and you will unearth a bunch of photo-editing and viewing features.
You get all the photo-editing features such as crop, rotate, blur, color effects, and even adding annotations. It's a freeware fast image-viewer tool that has a built-in image editor and converter as well.
Download FastStone Image Viewer
2. IrfanView
One of the oldest photo viewers for Windows is IrfanView. It's a quick and simple photo-editor tool. People who use it once, use it for years. The reason being its simplicity and usefulness.
When you download this tool, you'll find two shortcuts - IrfanView and IrfanView Thumbnails. If you want to see all your images and thumbnails, use the second shortcut.
The images will open in the real tool only. IrfanView also supports other features such as batch editing, slideshows, and change EXIF data etc.
Download IrfanView
3. XnView
XnView is another great alternative for Windows Photos. Design-wise, the tool is similar to FastStone Image Viewer. However, it’s not as feature-rich as FastStone.
It supports tab browsing, which means you can view multiple images simultaneously. With support for more than 500 image formats, it also features basic editing tools such as rotation, resize, crop etc.
In addition to that, the tool also supports multiple layouts. You can choose the layout as per your preference.
Download XnView
4. Nomacs
Nomacs can be called as the open-source hidden gem. When you launch the tool for the first time, you'll feel the tool is kinda meh! But, once you start to play with its settings and features, you will discover all the good things about it.
Unlike other tools, Nomacs doesn’t support folder view by default. You have to enable the folder view and thumbnails from the Settings. Thankfully, like other software, this one also supports basic photo-editing tools such as crop, rotate, flip, and change exposure etc.
Download Nomacs
5. Apowersoft Photo Viewer
Apowersoft is slightly different from the rest of the Photos app alternatives. It’s as if Windows Photos had a baby with MS Paint. It doesn’t support folder view but, once you open an image, it shows the thumbnails of all other images present in the same folder.
Interestingly, the Apowersoft has a nice photo editor, which opens in a separate window. The UI is similar to MS Paint, but it has more features such as pixelate, sharpen, pixelate, and other effects.
Download Apowersoft Photo Viewer
How to Set a Default Photo Viewer in Windows 10
To change or to set a new default photo viewer on Windows 10, follow these steps:
Step 1: Open Settings on your PC from the Start menu. Click on Apps.
Step 2: Then, click on the Default apps option present in the left sidebar.
Step 3: Click Photo Viewer under the Default apps and choose your favorite photo viewer from the menu.
That’s it!
If you want to use any of the above-mentioned tools for only one particular file type, you can do that as well. Navigate to the image in Windows Explorer and right-click it.
Click Open with and select Choose Another app. Now, choose your tool and check the Always use this app to open .abc files option.
To know how to uninstall any software, including the Photo viewers that you just downloaded, click here.
Also Read:
Switch ASAP!
You will thank us once you start using any of the above-mentioned tools instead of the Windows Photos app. These tools feel so fast when compared to the boring Windows Photos app! If you want to improve the boot time of your Windows PC, don't forget to check this out.
Do let us know your favorite photo-viewer tool in comments below.
Also See#photos #windows 10
Did You Know
As of 2017, over 34.7 billion photos have been shared on Instagram.
More in WindowsHow to Make a Video with Pictures and Music in Windows 10
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With default settings, when you double-click on a picture file in Windows 10, the picture file is opened using Photos app. This is because, Photos app is the default photo viewer in Windows 10 and not the classic Windows Photo Viewer.
Windows Photo Viewer Download
The Photos app was first launched with Windows 8 and has seen significant improvements in Windows 10. Photos, the default image viewer in Windows 10, allows you quickly edit and share your photos.
Unlike the classic Windows Photos Viewer program, it lets you add filters to your picture, change brightness, contrast, and also add various effects to your photos with a few mouse clicks.
The default Photos app is really impressive but it usually takes a few seconds to open an image and is definitely slower than the classic Windows Photo Viewer.
If you love the classic Windows Photos Viewer and want to make Windows Photo Viewer the default photo viewer in Windows 10, follow the given below directions to change the default photo viewer in Windows 10.
After setting Windows Photo Viewer as default, you can always right-click on an image file, click Open with, and then click Photos to app to open and edit an image file using the Photos app.
NOTE: As you probably have noticed by now, it’s not possible to change the default photo viewer from the file context menu. In previous Windows versions, we could use the Open with option to change default programs but the feature has been removed from Windows 10.
Method 1 – using the Settings app
Method 2 – using the classic Default Programs
Set Windows Photos Viewer as default picture viewer
Method 1 of 2
Step 1: Navigate to the Start menu, click Settings icon to open Settings app. You can also use Windows + I hotkey to quickly open the Settings app.
Step 2: Click the first option titled System (display, notifications, apps, power).
Step 3: On the left-pane, click Default apps to view all default apps on the right-side.
Step 4: On the right-side, scroll down to see Photo viewer section.
Step 5: Photos app is the default Photo viewer. To change it to Windows Photo Viewer, click on Photo entry to see Choose an app, and then click Windows Photo Viewer to make it as the default photo viewer in Windows 10.
NOTE: If the Windows Photo Viewer is not appearing the Choose an app list, please enable it by following instructions in our how to enable Windows Photo Viewer in Windows 10 guide.
Method 2 of 2
This is the traditional method of setting Windows Photo Viewer as default photo viewer.
Step 1: Type Default Programs in the Start menu or taskbar search box and then press Enter key to pen the classic Default Programs.
Step 2: Click Set your default programs.
Step 3: On the left-side, click on Windows Photo Viewer entry.
Step 4: Now, on the right-side, click Set this program as default.
Step 5: Finally, click Choose defaults for this program (see picture), check Select all in the resulting window (or select specific image file types), and then click Save button.
What’s your default picture viewer in Windows 10?
Windows 10 uses the new Photos app as your default image viewer, but many people still prefer the old Windows Photo Viewer. You can get Photo Viewer back in Windows 10, though. It’s just hidden.
RELATED:How to do a Clean Install of Windows 10 the Easy Way
If you upgrade a PC running Windows 7 or 8.1 to Windows 10, Windows Photo Viewer will be available and you can set it as your default photo viewer if you want. However, if you perform a clean installation of Windows 10—or buy a PC with Windows 10 already on it—you can’t access Photo Viewer at all. The interesting thing is that Photo Viewer is still there. It’s just hidden and you’ll have to make a couple of Registry edits to have it show up. After you do that, you can then set it as your default photo viewer.
The Problem
For whatever reason, Microsoft opted not to include the Registry keys that enable access to Windows Photo Viewer on Windows 10. Those keys are kept in place if you upgrade from a previous version of Windows, but they aren’t created during the installation of Windows 10. Microsoft really wants you to open all those image files in its new Photos app, instead.
RELATED:How to Set Your Default Apps in Windows 10
If you navigate to the Default apps pane in Settings, you won’t even see Photo Viewer as an option. The old “Default Programs” Control Panel app isn’t much help, either. Open it up and you can only make Photo Viewer the default association for .tif and .tiff files—not other types of images.
RELATED:What Are DLL Files, and Why Is One Missing From My PC?
You also can’t simply point image files at a specific .exe file to associate them with Photo Viewer, either. Photo Viewer is actually part of a DLL file named “PhotoViewer.dll” and doesn’t have a separate executable file associated with it.
So, how do you get Photo Viewer back? By firing up our old friend Registry Editor, of course. And after you do that, you can set it as your default photo app.
Step One: Enable Photo Viewer in the Registry
We’ll need to add the same registry entries that were present on Windows 7 and 8.1, and are still present on systems that upgraded from those old versions of Windows. To make things easy, we’ve put together a Registry hack you can use to make these edits quickly because they’re a little cumbersome to make manually. Download and unzip the following file:
Inside, you’ll find two hacks. Run the “Activate Windows Photo Viewer on Windows 10” hack to create the keys and values in the Registry and activate Photo Viewer. And if you ever want to deactivate it, just run the “Deactivate Windows Photo Viewer on Windows 10 (Default)” hack. Of course, there’s no real need to deactivate it in the Registry. You can always leave it available and just associate your image files with a different app.
Note: A big thanks to nexus over at TenForums for locating the required registry settings.
And remember—this step is only necessary if you’re using a fresh Windows 10 system. If you upgraded from Windows 7 or 8.1, you should be able to go ahead and set Windows Photo Viewer as your default image-viewing application in all the usual ways.
Step Two: Set Windows Photo Viewer as Your Default Image Viewer
To associate an image file with Photo Viewer, right-click any type of image file—for example, a .png, .jpg, .gif, or .bmp file—and select Open With > Choose Another App.
In the “How do you want to open this file?” window, select Windows Photo Viewer. If you don’t see it at first, scroll to the bottom of what’s listed and click the “More apps” option—it’ll show up. Select the “Always use this app to open .___ files” option, and then click “OK.”
Windows Photo Viewer will now be the default image viewer for that type of image file. You’ll need to repeat this process for each type of image file you want to use it with. In other words, whenever you open an image that opens in the Photos app, just close the Photos app and use the “Open with” menu to associate that file type with Windows Photo Viewer. You’ll only have to do this the first time you open each new type of image file.
Obviously, we can’t guarantee that Microsoft will keep access to Photo Viewer around forever. But for now, at least, it’s still there—even if you have to put in a little work to find it.
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