How do I view images, video, audio, and PDFs in Hive?

The grid

The grid is where you scan a library. You can switch between layouts, including an Adaptive layout, a Masonry layout that keeps each image's proportions, and Gallery mode. Column width is adjustable, file extensions can be hidden, and Hive remembers where you were when you come back to a folder. You can sort by date added, date created, title, size, width, height, aspect ratio, when you last opened something, or at random.

Images

Open an image and you can zoom in up to 20 times, which is enough to study a joint or a stitch. Double-tap zooms to fill the screen, and you can change how far it zooms in the settings. Swipe to move through the folder, and turn on loop browsing if you'd like the last image to lead back to the first.

A few tools help you judge an image. Black-and-white mode shows values without color. A rule-of-thirds grid sits over the image for composition. A histogram shows the distribution of color and brightness. You can flip an image horizontally to check a drawing, and lock the canvas so it doesn't move while you work from it.

Video and animated images

Video has a full-width timeline for precise scrubbing, including frame by frame. You can change the playback speed, double-tap either side to jump back or forward, loop a clip, and save the current frame as an image. Animated GIFs have their own controls: play and pause, scrubbing, speed, and the option to hide the controls.

Audio and PDFs

Audio plays in a player with a waveform and buttons to jump 15 seconds either way, and it keeps playing when Hive is in the background. PDFs open in a reader with an outline, page modes, a full-screen view, and a reading mode.

3D models and Live Photos

Supported 3D models can be previewed in AR, so you can place an object in the room and walk around it. Live Photos keep their motion in the library.

Questions