Add build instruction and documentation for qdeduper.0.0.0+ep1

1 files changed, 201 insertions, 0 deletions

diff --git a/doc/qdeduper.md b/doc/qdeduper.md
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..f828259
--- /dev/null
+++ b/doc/qdeduper.md
@@ -0,0 +1,201 @@
+# QDeduper User Manual
+
+QDeduper is a graphical frontend for Deduper. It can scan local images for potential duplicates,
+create a database for scanned images, and find images in the database that are similar to any
+given image ("reverse image search").
+
+Please note at this point QDeduper is unfinished and considered experimental. Many planned
+features are not implemented. Only current, tested features will be covered in this manual.
+
+## Basic Terminology
+
+- Image signature: A small piece of data (usually < 1 KiB) that captures visual features of the
+image. By comparing these small signatures we can avoid the cost of comparing images
+pixel-by-pixel.
+
+- Distance: Images are compared by computing the "distance" between their signatures. The smaller
+the distance, the closer two images will appear visually. There's a threshold distance beyond
+which two images are no longer considered similar.
+
+- Signature database: All scanned images and their signatures are kept in a database. This
+database is indexed to allow quick lookups.
+
+- Group: Images that are similar will be grouped together, forming these "groups". Images in the
+same group don't have to be considered similar to each other. For example if image A and image B
+are considered similar, and image B and image C are considered similar, but image A and image C
+are not considered similar, all three will be placed in the same group.
+
+## Running QDeduper
+
+There's currently no official binary for QDeduper. You may build it yourself (see README.md of
+the project), or grab an automatic CI build from GitHub (Windows only for now).
+
+After obtaining a working build of QDeduper, just launch the single executable inside. QDeduper
+currently accepts no arguments.
+
+## User Interface
+
+```
+--------------------------------------------------------------------
+File  View  Marks  Help
+--------------------------------------------------------------------
+(Toolbar)
+--------------------------------------------------------------------
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                  (1)                       |         (2)
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                                            |
+                                            |
+--------------------------------------------------------------------
+(Status bar)
+--------------------------------------------------------------------
+```
+
+(1) : Image list. Similar images in the current group will be listed here.
+Each image will be listed with its assigned hotkey, file name, image dimensions, and file size.
+Right click on an item in the list to perform actions on it. Available actions are:
+
+ - Mark / Unmark : mark or unmark the image
+ - Mark All Except: mark all images except this one.
+ - Maximize: enter single image mode and show this image only.
+ - Open Image: open the current image with system image viewer.
+ - Open Containing Folder: locate the image in file browser.
+
+For details on how image hotkeys work and how to configure them, see the section on Shortcuts tab
+in Preference.
+
+(2) : Difference between images: This shows distances between images. Images are represented by
+their hotkeys.
+
+(Toolbar) : A fully customizable toolbar. Most of the menu items can be placed here. See the
+section on Toolbar tab in Preference.
+
+(Status bar) : Shows information related to the current view. In normal operation it shows the
+number of groups found and the current group on the right side.
+
+### Menu Actions
+
+#### File
+
+ - Create Database... : Create a new signature database by scanning a set of folders. Choose the
+ folders to scan in the dialog. Press "Browse..." to add folders to scan. "Delete" removes a folder
+ from the list. Check the "Recursive?" box if you want all subdirectories within the path to be
+ scanned. Hit "Scan" to start the scanning process. The scanning progress can be monitored in the
+ progress dialog, and can be cancelled if desired.  
+ If the scanning process is cancelled, the created database will be incomplete. There's currently
+ no way to resume a cancelled scan.  
+ If you have unsaved changes (database or marks), you'll be asked before they will be discarded.
+
+ - Load Database... : Load existing signature database from disk.
+
+ - Save Database... : Save the current database to disk. Please note that markings are saved in a
+ separate file (see below).
+
+ - Export Marked Images List... : Save the list of images currently marked. File names of all
+ marked images across all groups will be exported to a file. The exported file will have one file
+ name on each line. This file can be used to perform batch operations on marked images, e.g.
+ moving them to another location.
+
+ - Import Marked Images List... : Import a list of images that should be marked. All current
+ markings will be lost.
+
+ - Search for Image... : Select any image on the disk. If the current signature database contains
+ images that are visually similar to the selected image, they will be shown in the image list.  
+ You cannot mark images in the result image list in this mode. Other image actions still function
+ as normal. Use Previous / Next Group or Skip to Group to exit from the result image list.
+
+ - Preference... : See the preference section.
+
+ - Exit : Quit QDeduper. You will be asked to save unsaved changes if there is any.
+
+#### View
+
+ - Next Group : Show next group of similar images.
+ - Previous Group : Show previous group of similar images.
+ - Skip to Group : Skip to a certain group.
+ - Single Image Mode : By default, QDeduper try to fit as many images as possible on screen.
+ In single image mode, each image will take up (almost) the entire screen.
+ - Sort by : Choose how items in the image view are sorted. You can sort by file size,
+ image dimension, file path, or keep the default order.
+
+#### Marks
+
+ - Mark All : Mark all images in the current group.
+ - Mark None : Unmark all images in the current group.
+ - Mark All within directory... : Choose a directory. All images from that directory **across all
+ groups** will be marked.
+ - Mark All within directory and subdirectory... : Choose a directory. All images from that
+ directory and its subdirectories **across all groups** will be marked.
+ - Review Marked Images : Show a list of currently marked images.
+
+#### Help
+
+ - Help : In application help is not implemented. It will redirect you to the document you are
+ currently viewing.
+ - About : Boilerplate dialog.
+ - About Qt : Cute.
+
+## Preferences
+
+### General
+
+ - Minimal Dimension in Image View : By default Deduper will try to fit as many images as possible
+ into the image view. It will shrink the images in the view until either side of the image reach
+ this size.
+ - Number of Threads : Number of concurrent signature computation threads used during the scanning
+ process. If 0, a thread will be spawned for each logical processor the computer has. If unsure,
+ leave as 0.
+ - Show Text in Toolbar Buttons : If unchecked, each action in the toolbar will display as an icon.
+ - Show Database Engine Memory Usage : Signature database are stored in system memory. Check this
+ to show the amount of memory used by the database in the status bar.
+
+### Signature
+
+ - Distance Threshold : The threshold distance beyond which two images are no longer considered
+ similar. Applies only to databases created after the change of this value.
+
+### Shortcuts
+ 
+Most menu actions can be assigned a shortcut key here. To modify the shortcut for an action,
+double click the hotkey in its row and type the shortcut. After one second the new key combination
+will be recorded.
+
+Menu actions named "Item ?? Action Key" are special actions assigned to items in the image view:
+Item 1 Action Key will be assigned to the first item in the view, Item 2 Action Key will be
+assigned to the second item and so on. These keys combined with the Action Modifiers below produces
+the actual hotkey for an action on an item. For example:
+
+ - If modifier for Mark / Unmark is set to "No modifier" and Item 4 Action Key is set to "F", then
+ pressing "F" will mark or unmark the fourth image in the image view.
+ - If modifier for Open with System Viewer is set to "Shift" and Item 9 Action Key is set to "L",
+ pressing "Shift+L" will open the ninth image in the image view with system image viewer.
+
+Press the button in the action modifiers section to change modifiers assigned to a certain action.
+Input the desired modifier together with Enter / Return key, or space bar. If you press escape
+instead, "No modifier" will be assigned to this action, meaning pressing the shortcut key assigned
+to an item alone triggers this action for that item. If you press Delete or Backspace, the modifier
+for this action will be set to "Disabled", which means this action will never be triggered by
+hotkeys.
+
+A max number of 16 hotkeys can be assigned to the first 16 images in the image view. If some images
+can't be assigned to a hotkey, you will receive a warning.
+
+### Toolbar
+
+The toolbar in the main window is fully configurable. You can drag to change its docking side, or
+make it a standalone window. Configure actions shown in the toolbar here.
+
+To add an action to the toolbar, select the action from the available action list on the left and
+click the ">" button.
+
+To remove an action from the toolbar, select the action to remove on the right and click the "<"
+button.
+
+To sort the actions, drag an action to its desired position on the right side.