configure external image editor

users
#1

Hi : )

I use LO 4.4 and the new Versión: 5.1.2.2.

When I right-click on an image in LO writer and select "Editar con
herramienta externa ..." I am not given the option of choosing a program
with which to edit the image. Instead the predetermined image viewer pops
up.

Where can I configure that I want to edit the image with The Gimp?
Can't find it in Options, Help, the wiki and various searches I've made.

I use Debian 8.

Thanks.

Felipe : )

#2

Hello,
I use Fedora and I have the same behavior. To change the application
that is used by LO, you must go in your system configuration parameters
and change the default application used for images. In my case,
changing the application from the default image viewer application to
GIMP did the trick, after relaunching LO. Downside to that is if you
use a file viewer and select an image, GIMP will be launched instead of
the viewer.
If you do not want to change your system parameters, you can use this
other method which involves a few more steps:
1) Right-click on the image in your document and select Save picture
2) Use an image editor to edit the picture outside of LO
3) Right-click on the image in your document and select Replace
picture. Replace picture should keep the aspect ratio, size, etc so it
will in essence be the same as editing the image in the document.
I hope this helps,
Rémy Gauthier.

#3

I use GIMP as default editor on all but Windows 10 systems. For some reason I cannot get GIMP to work/open on Win10, so I use Paint Shop Pro X4 or X5 as default.

On Ubuntu 16.04 and MATE desktop, I find the needed option at
       System/Preferences/Personal/Preferred Applications

I tend to do all my image editing out side of LO, as in edit the image before I use it within the document. If I need to do more editing, then I go back to GIMP - with the image still queued up - and then reload the newly edited image. Right now, on the task bar, I have 3 Firefox tasks listed [with 12+/- tabs listed with them] Thunderbird email, GIMP, Caja file manager, and a few utility packages. I do not use multiple "workspaces".

Since I use Writer to create posters/signs that do not need an illustrator package like Inkscape, this works well for me. I make, and self print, posters/signs up to 13x19 inches [largest page size for HP Officejet 7000]. When I do larger ones, then I export to PDF and have a local print shop do those banners.

Actually I do a lot of posters, signs, brochures, etc. for two local organizations - sometimes 3 or 4 needed with only a few hours notice. So, I tend to try to make "things" as easy as possible.

#4

Hola Remy : )

Thank you for your answer and instructions. Also to Tim for explaining.

On Sun, 01 May 2016 10:40:50 -0400, Remy escribió:

I use Fedora and I have the same behavior. To change the application
that is used by LO, you must go in your system configuration parameters
and change the default application used for images. In my case,
changing the application from the default image viewer application to
GIMP did the trick, after relaunching LO. Downside to that is if you
use a file viewer and select an image, GIMP will be launched instead of
the viewer.

Exactly. That's why I did not change it since I view more images than I
edit them.

An "image viewer" is fine but I miss an "image editor"
group/category/alternative. So ...

If you do not want to change your system parameters, you can use this
other method which involves a few more steps:
1) Right-click on the image in your document and select Save picture
2) Use an image editor to edit the picture outside of LO
3) Right-click on the image in your document and select Replace
picture. Replace picture should keep the aspect ratio, size, etc so it
will in essence be the same as editing the image in the document.
I hope this helps,

It does, thank you. It's the way I usually do it ; ) and I was trying to
save myself some of these steps since LO offers the choice. I usually
prepare my images aside before inserting them. But this time I copied a
complete page from the browser and it came with images already in it.

I have 3 versions of LO installed in this machine: 3.5.4.2, 4.4 and
Versión: 5.1.2.2. The three of them offer "editing an image with an external
tool". But the three of then open the image with the program gpicview.

All right, I look for this association or alternative in
(remember I use Debian with gnome plus the LXDE desktop environment) :

- "Preferencias" > "Aplicaciones preferidas" which runs libfm-pref-apps.
But this only configures web browser and email client.

I discover that a Debian system uses alternatives to manage these
associations and very thoughtfully calls them "alternatives".
I open galternatives from a terminal and am able to see the preset ones
and also the priorities assigned to each. I can also change them. Fine.
I can even see in /etc/alternatives the list of links that galternatives
reads and changes. Fine.

But I cannot find among them an "image viewer" or "image editor" to change.
So I figure that it's done by another layer put in place by Gnome : ?
I (reluctantly) look for it and ... I get to gconf, gcon2, gconf2tool,
/usr/share/gconf/schemas, ... Uff! Too laberinthic for me I'm afraid.
Especially since this sits on top of Debian's alternatives and then comes
LXDE's scanty preferred applications ...
Also there exist the MIME types which I still don't get to understand
completely and may have some say in this, I don't know.

And all this to be able to use the LO menu option "edit with an external
editor"!
I hope I have explained properly the trouble I find.

No, I think it is LO that should provide with some choice (it shows the
"..." in the pop-up menu) of which program to use for _editing_, not
viewing. Instead of using the system default for "image". That is:

  what category or alternative does LO call when one clicks
  on the "editing image with an external editor"?

I hope some kind soul could point me to the proper email list where to ask
or give some hint as to how to do it.
Since I have come this far with this I'd like to finish it gracefully at
least ; )
Otherwise I'll follow your advice and keep editing images outside
LO. Or learn how to add a new alternative program to the system defaults.
But I would need the call that LO makes of course.

Thank you so much for the help, Remy.

Felipe : )

#5

Hi Felipe

Felipe T. Dorado wrote

  what category or alternative does LO call when one clicks
  on the "editing image with an external editor"?

I hope some kind soul could point me to the proper email list where to ask
or give some hint as to how to do it.
Since I have come this far with this I'd like to finish it gracefully at
least ; )

Apparently LibreOffice simply opens the image with the program associated to
the image type (could be png, jpg, etc) on your user preferences (at the OS
level)
This means that the menu option is not clear.

In fact the current "Edit with External Tool..." option seems like an
incomplete work. Even if you do Edit the image with the external program,
you will have to reinsert the edited image manually because simply closing
the external editor will not do that (as seems to be implied by the menu
option).

Therefore you have two options: you could consider this a Bug and request
the menu option to be renamed to the more accurate text "Open with
associated external program" OR you could do an Enhancement Request and ask
the developers to add an option to LibreOffice where the user defines the
path to an external editor (e.g. Gimp) which is actually used for editing.

Of course the second option involves a lot more work because it not only
requires to add that option to the Options dialog but would also require
that after editing the image, the modified image would be updated in the
document...

Curiously having an "Edit with External Tool..." option would seem that
there should be an Edit option (where LibreOffice's own Draw would used as
the logical Internal Tool)

Maybe in the future?

In any case, the place to report bugs or request enhancements is at
https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/enter_bug.cgi?product=LibreOffice

Hope this helps...
Pedro

#6

Hola Pedro : )

On Mon, 2 May 2016 06:46:00 -0700 (MST), Pedro escribió:

Apparently LibreOffice simply opens the image with the program
associated to the image type (could be png, jpg, etc) on your user
preferences (at the OS level)
This means that the menu option is not clear.

Yeap.

In fact the current "Edit with External Tool..." option seems like an
incomplete work. Even if you do Edit the image with the external program,
you will have to reinsert the edited image manually because simply
closing the external editor will not do that (as seems to be implied by
the menu option).

So it seems, yes.

Therefore you have two options: you could consider this a Bug and request
the menu option to be renamed to the more accurate text "Open with
associated external program" OR you could do an Enhancement Request and
ask the developers to add an option to LibreOffice where the user
defines the path to an external editor (e.g. Gimp) which is actually
used for editing.

Since I found the option in the menu this second behaviour is what one would
expect. I think however that it would somehow bloat the program with
something not really needed: much simpler is advising the user to prepare
the image before inserting it in the doc.

So after looking up the possible bug report in bugzilla, finding
https://ask.libreoffice.org/en/question/11669/how-to-set-image-external-editor/
I followed your advice and added a comment to
https://bugs.documentfoundation.org/show_bug.cgi?id=51096
which is already almost 4 years old ...

Of course the second option involves a lot more work because it not only
requires to add that option to the Options dialog but would also require
that after editing the image, the modified image would be updated in the
document...

Yes, and it would result in bloating.

Curiously having an "Edit with External Tool..." option would seem that
there should be an Edit option (where LibreOffice's own Draw would used
as the logical Internal Tool)

It's the reasonable thing to do.

Maybe in the future?

Thanks a lot, Pedro.
Gracias, Pedro.

Felipe : )

#7

Felipe T. Dorado <ftdorado <at> ono.com> writes:

Hi : )

I use LO 4.4 and the new Versión: 5.1.2.2.

When I right-click on an image in LO writer and select "Editar con
herramienta externa ..." I am not given the option of choosing a program
with which to edit the image. Instead the predetermined image viewer pops
up.

Where can I configure that I want to edit the image with The Gimp?
Can't find it in Options, Help, the wiki and various searches I've made.

I use Debian 8.

Thanks.

Felipe : )

Hello

I have had the same problem. What worked for me is the following:

Go to the archive (jpg, png, etc.),
properties (right button),
"to open with", and
change the default application to Gimp (and set it as default),
back to work (in Writer, Impress, etc.), and,
you will be able to open the image with Gimp.

I hope this will be helpful for you and others.

Greetings from Chile.