
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Lou's Image Converter 1.0
----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Copyright ©2015 Laura Paiardini

DESCRIPTION:
	A program to quickly convert batches of images

AUTHORS:
	Laura Paiardini
		Website : laurapaiardini.rd-h.fr
		Mail : laurapaiardini@gmail.com
----------------------------------------------------------------------------

QUICK START :
	To convert images, select your conversion options in the uppermost area of the software, drag and drop your images in the 
	box below, then click the "Convert" button.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

IN-DEPTH GUIDE :

I - SOURCE IMAGES LIST :

	Drag and drop files or folders in the huge box area to load your source images. Folders will import all their content, 
	including subfolders content. The software will only load files that have those extensions : tga, png, jpg, gif and bmp 
	(I may add some more in the future). Click the "Clear" button to empty the list. Select one or more elements in the list 
	and press "Delete" on your keyboard to remove them from the conversion.

	
II - EXPORT FOLDER OPTIONS :

	You get three export folder options :
	- Replace : every source image will be deleted and replaced by its conversion, even when changing name and extension
	- Same folder : the converted images will be placed in the same folder as their sources. Does the same thing as "Replace" 
	  if the names or extensions do not change.
	- Specify folder : you get to choose the export folder

	For "Specify folder", you can input the export adress:
	- by clicking the folder icon next to the textbar and choosing a folder in the new window
	- by writing of pasting the adress in the textbar
	- by draging and droping a file or a folder in the textbar

	The option "Recreate hierarchy" is useful in the case of sources images from multiple folders. The hierarchy of those 
	folders will be recreated in your output folder, starting from the subfolders of the textbar adress, and each converted 
	image will be placed in the correct folder. 
	The "Get" button automatically inputs the lowermost common folder from your source files.


III - TYPE OPTIONS :

	Input type will only convert images corresponding to the specified type. All other images from the sources list will be ignored. 
	"All" will convert every type of files.

	Output type specifies the converted files type. "Same" will apply the same type as the source image.


IV - RESIZE OPTIONS :

	Check the box if you want to resize your images. Input "Width" and "Height" (both fields must be filled). 
	Checking "Keep Ratio" will resize the image based on the smallest attribute between width and height, and adapt the other 
	one based on the ratio of the source image.
	
	The buttons on the right part can be used to quickly fill the width and height fields with those presets :
	- 512x512
	- 1024x1024
	- 2048x2048
	- 4096x4096
	- 1280x720
	- 1920x1080

	
V - SUFFIX OPTIONS :

	Check the box if you want to add a suffix to your converted images. Input the suffix in the field.
	(Prefix option may be added in a future version)
	

VI - PRESETS :

	In the menu bar of the program, you can find a "Presets" menu, allowing you to easily save and load configurations 
	for the converter.

	"Set as default" will set the current configuration as the one which will be loaded each time the program is launched.

	"Save preset" will prompt you for a name. The current configuration will be saved under that name as a preset, which will 
	appear in the menu. Clicking on the preset will apply its configuration to the converter.

	"Edit presets" will open a small window listing your presets. You can reorder them like you want them to appear in the menu, 
	by selecting one and clicking "Up or Down". You can also remove them by selecting them and pressing "Delete" on your keyboard. 
	Don't forget to click "Save" if you want your changes to be taken into account.

	The last part of the menu will list every preset you currently have. Clicking on one will apply its settings to the converter.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ABOUT THE SOFTWARE :

	As a CG artist, I often have to deal with lots of images (textures for 3D scenes, image sequences for renders,...). 
	I wanted a tool to quickly convert those images without destroying the projects hierarchy. Existing softwares were helpful, 
	but they didn't have the flexibility I needed.

	So, I learned Python, rolled up my sleeves, and a couple weeks later, Lou's Image Converter was born ! I've been tinkering 
	with it ever since, adding presets, progress bar and other improvements along the way...
	
	The program was mainly made for my specifications, but I hope it will prove useful to others.
	Note that this is by all means a beta version. It may not function on every computer and crash for some users.
	If you need help, encounter a bug or would like to see a new feature in future versions, contact me at laurapaiardini@gmail.com

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS :
	Lou's Image Converter was made using Python 3.4, Tkinter, ImageMagick, Py2exe, and a lot of help from forums around the web.
	Many thanks to all of them !

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
