4 ms·

BeeRef – a free opens-source simple reference image viewer

102 points by app4soft 4y ago

app4soft 4y ago
BeeRef is an alternative clone of proprietary PureRef.[0] Sadly, both PureRef and BeeRef actually are unmaintained. But for BeeRef there is at least one active fork[1] that still is maintained.[2,3] [0] https://alternativeto.net/software/beeref/ https://alternativeto.net/software/beeref/ [1] https://github.com/mini-ninja-64/beeref https://github.com/mini-ninja-64/beeref [2] https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/62#issuecomment-1447654774 https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/62#issuecomment-14476... [3] https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/61#issuecomment-1449038696 https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/61#issuecomment-14490...
- vadansky 4y ago
  I've been using PureRef for years now and it's pretty much done, so I'm not too worried it's not being maintained.
  - unshavedyak 4y ago
    Quite awkward to install on NixOS though, given the way PureRef wants to be downloaded.
  - kelsolaar 4y ago
    PureRef receives an occasional update every now and then.
    - app4soft 4y ago
      Really? There is nothing new in Changelog[0] since PureRef v1.11.1, released in 2020. [0] https://www.pureref.com/changelog.php?beta=1 https://www.pureref.com/changelog.php?beta=1
      - ccakes 4y ago
        If there isn't a long list of valid feature requests, perhaps it's just finished.
rebuilder 4y ago
Here’s a seemingly underserved niche - a cross-platform reference board that works on desktop as well as Android and iOS, and syncs your boards across devices.
- sitkack 4y ago
  Applications should arguably form a swarm over a PAN and use an OT/CRDT to be kept in sync with each other. The device boundary needs to disappear completely.
  - hulitu 4y ago
    > The device boundary needs to disappear completely. and so will your data, sooner or later. In the clouds /s
    - sitkack 4y ago
      No, it will exist in a replicated log on all devices. Just like git. No clouds required.
- speedgoose 4y ago
  Something like Miro?
  - app4soft 4y ago
    Miro app is something like OpenBoard[0] (which forked from Open-Sankoré 2.0, which was itself based on Uniboard) white board app.[1] [0] https://github.com/OpenBoard-org/OpenBoard https://github.com/OpenBoard-org/OpenBoard [1] https://www.tecmint.com/linux-whiteboard-applications/ https://www.tecmint.com/linux-whiteboard-applications/
- dugmartin 4y ago
  If you want to remove the need for a image storage server (and the inevitable porn uploads) you could keep it local and just use the file system access api (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_System_Access_API https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_System...). This does mean it can't sync but you do get a cross-platform app.
dfrankle 4y ago
What makes BeeRef unique compared to PureRef? What features does it offer that PureRef doesn't?
- gorb314 4y ago
  Not a feature, but an advantage: From what I can tell (I have only used PureRef so far) is that BeeRef has a open file format. For someone with their own image tagging system, it is hard for me to export an image query to PureRef. Having an open file format would make that easy.
  - app4soft 4y ago
    > Not a feature, but an advantage: From what I can tell (I have only used PureRef so far) is that BeeRef has a open file format Guess I should add news here: someone reverse engineered PureRef's file format[0] just few weeks ago[1,2] [0] https://github.com/FyorUU/PureRef-format https://github.com/FyorUU/PureRef-format [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31lsz3JNtCU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31lsz3JNtCU [2] https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?2,2912 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?2,2912
    - gorb314 4y ago
      I saw this post too; I didn't mention it here because it is not an officially documented file format structure. An open and documented format is almost always a better alternative, IMHO.
      - app4soft 4y ago
        Yes, I fully agree on this. Hope, maintainer of BeeRef fork would continue its development.[0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34983291 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34983291
- llanowarelves 4y ago
  Good question, I'm wondering the the other way around.
sitkack 4y ago
Not for the same type of graphical work, but a great program for the analysis of scientific image data is ImageJ https://imagej.net/ij/docs/concepts.html https://imagej.net/ij/docs/concepts.html
zzzmarcus 4y ago
I've never used BeeRef or PureRef but if you're on the latest version of OS X and don't need cross platform compatibility, Apple's new app Freeform seems to overlap in functionality with Bee/PureRef quite a bit.
- app4soft 4y ago
  Freeform looks like a white board app, see OpenBoard mentioned above.[0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34987452 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34987452
jmaselbas 4y ago
I made another simple clone[1] of pureref mainly has an exercise to learn X11, however I don't really use it that often. [1] https://github.com/jmaselbas/sref https://github.com/jmaselbas/sref
- app4soft 4y ago
  Looks nice! I really like lightweight X11-based apps. Has You seen AzPainter[0] image editor app? Latest AzPainter v3.x has really nice own modern looking X11-based `mlk`[1] widget toolkit and there are many apps built with it. I maintain(-ed) AzPainter v2.x community repo[2] (for packaging, l10n, wiki), that was based on its older `mlib`[3] toolkit. [0] https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter [1] https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter/-/tree/master/mlk https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter/-/tree/master/mlk [2] http://azsky2.html.xdomain.jp/soft/index.html http://azsky2.html.xdomain.jp/soft/index.html [3] https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter [4] https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter/tree/master/mlib https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter/tree/master/mlib
anuraaga 4y ago
[flagged]

102 points by app4soft 4y ago

BeeRef is an alternative clone of proprietary PureRef.[0] Sadly, both PureRef and BeeRef actually are unmaintained. But for BeeRef there is at least one active fork[1] that still is maintained.[2,3] [0] https://alternativeto.net/software/beeref/ https://alternativeto.net/software/beeref/ [1] https://github.com/mini-ninja-64/beeref https://github.com/mini-ninja-64/beeref [2] https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/62#issuecomment-1447654774 https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/62#issuecomment-14476... [3] https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/61#issuecomment-1449038696 https://github.com/rbreu/beeref/issues/61#issuecomment-14490...

vadansky 4y ago
I've been using PureRef for years now and it's pretty much done, so I'm not too worried it's not being maintained.
- unshavedyak 4y ago
  Quite awkward to install on NixOS though, given the way PureRef wants to be downloaded.
- kelsolaar 4y ago
  PureRef receives an occasional update every now and then.
  - app4soft 4y ago
    Really? There is nothing new in Changelog[0] since PureRef v1.11.1, released in 2020. [0] https://www.pureref.com/changelog.php?beta=1 https://www.pureref.com/changelog.php?beta=1
    - ccakes 4y ago
      If there isn't a long list of valid feature requests, perhaps it's just finished.

rebuilder 4y ago

Here’s a seemingly underserved niche - a cross-platform reference board that works on desktop as well as Android and iOS, and syncs your boards across devices.

sitkack 4y ago
Applications should arguably form a swarm over a PAN and use an OT/CRDT to be kept in sync with each other. The device boundary needs to disappear completely.
- hulitu 4y ago
  > The device boundary needs to disappear completely. and so will your data, sooner or later. In the clouds /s
  - sitkack 4y ago
    No, it will exist in a replicated log on all devices. Just like git. No clouds required.
speedgoose 4y ago
Something like Miro?
- app4soft 4y ago
  Miro app is something like OpenBoard[0] (which forked from Open-Sankoré 2.0, which was itself based on Uniboard) white board app.[1] [0] https://github.com/OpenBoard-org/OpenBoard https://github.com/OpenBoard-org/OpenBoard [1] https://www.tecmint.com/linux-whiteboard-applications/ https://www.tecmint.com/linux-whiteboard-applications/
dugmartin 4y ago
If you want to remove the need for a image storage server (and the inevitable porn uploads) you could keep it local and just use the file system access api (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_System_Access_API https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/File_System...). This does mean it can't sync but you do get a cross-platform app.

dfrankle 4y ago

What makes BeeRef unique compared to PureRef? What features does it offer that PureRef doesn't?

gorb314 4y ago
Not a feature, but an advantage: From what I can tell (I have only used PureRef so far) is that BeeRef has a open file format. For someone with their own image tagging system, it is hard for me to export an image query to PureRef. Having an open file format would make that easy.
- app4soft 4y ago
  > Not a feature, but an advantage: From what I can tell (I have only used PureRef so far) is that BeeRef has a open file format Guess I should add news here: someone reverse engineered PureRef's file format[0] just few weeks ago[1,2] [0] https://github.com/FyorUU/PureRef-format https://github.com/FyorUU/PureRef-format [1] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31lsz3JNtCU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=31lsz3JNtCU [2] https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?2,2912 https://www.pureref.com/forum/read.php?2,2912
  - gorb314 4y ago
    I saw this post too; I didn't mention it here because it is not an officially documented file format structure. An open and documented format is almost always a better alternative, IMHO.
    - app4soft 4y ago
      Yes, I fully agree on this. Hope, maintainer of BeeRef fork would continue its development.[0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34983291 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34983291
llanowarelves 4y ago
Good question, I'm wondering the the other way around.

sitkack 4y ago

Not for the same type of graphical work, but a great program for the analysis of scientific image data is ImageJ https://imagej.net/ij/docs/concepts.html https://imagej.net/ij/docs/concepts.html

zzzmarcus 4y ago

I've never used BeeRef or PureRef but if you're on the latest version of OS X and don't need cross platform compatibility, Apple's new app Freeform seems to overlap in functionality with Bee/PureRef quite a bit.

app4soft 4y ago
Freeform looks like a white board app, see OpenBoard mentioned above.[0] [0] https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34987452 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=34983274#34987452

jmaselbas 4y ago

I made another simple clone[1] of pureref mainly has an exercise to learn X11, however I don't really use it that often. [1] https://github.com/jmaselbas/sref https://github.com/jmaselbas/sref

app4soft 4y ago
Looks nice! I really like lightweight X11-based apps. Has You seen AzPainter[0] image editor app? Latest AzPainter v3.x has really nice own modern looking X11-based `mlk`[1] widget toolkit and there are many apps built with it. I maintain(-ed) AzPainter v2.x community repo[2] (for packaging, l10n, wiki), that was based on its older `mlib`[3] toolkit. [0] https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter [1] https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter/-/tree/master/mlk https://gitlab.com/azelpg/azpainter/-/tree/master/mlk [2] http://azsky2.html.xdomain.jp/soft/index.html http://azsky2.html.xdomain.jp/soft/index.html [3] https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter [4] https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter/tree/master/mlib https://github.com/Symbian9/azpainter/tree/master/mlib

anuraaga 4y ago

[flagged]