Navigation

Master Rando's navigation system to efficiently browse your photo history and explore your collection.

Understanding History

Rando remembers every photo you've viewed during your current session, creating a browsable history.

How History Works

Think of it like a web browser:

• Random button = Visit a new page (adds to history)
• Previous = Browser back button
• Next = Browser forward button

History Behavior

1. Click "Random" - New photo added to history
2. Click "Previous" - Go back to last photo
3. Click "Next" - Move forward in your history
4. Click "Random" again - New photo added after current position

Previous and Next Buttons

Navigate through your viewing history with ease.

Previous Button

Click Previous (or press ← Left Arrow)

• Goes back one photo in your history
• Shows the photo you viewed before the current one
• Disabled when at the start of history (first photo)

Use cases:

• "Wait, that last photo was interesting - let me go back"
• Reviewing several recent random selections
• Comparing photos you just saw

Next Button

Click Next (or press → Right Arrow)

• Moves forward one photo in your history
• Only works if you've previously gone back
• Disabled when at the end of history (most recent photo)

Use cases:

• Went back too far, need to return to recent photos
• Re-reviewing photos after going back
• Navigating forward after examining an older photo

Keyboard Navigation

Speed up browsing with keyboard shortcuts:

Full-Screen Mode

View photos without distractions.

Entering Full-Screen

Three ways:

1. Click the full-screen button in the interface
2. Press F on your keyboard
3. Menu bar: View → Toggle Full-Screen

Full-Screen Controls

In full-screen mode:

• All keyboard shortcuts still work
• Click to exit: Click the window control area or press F
• Menu bar: Move mouse to top to reveal menus
• Same navigation: Previous/Next buttons remain available

Exiting Full-Screen

Three ways:

1. Press F again
2. Press Esc
3. Click the exit full-screen button (green button on Mac)

Navigation Patterns

Quick Random Browsing

Goal: Rapidly explore your collection

Method:

1. Press Space repeatedly
2. Click photos that catch your eye
3. Press ← to go back to interesting ones
4. Continue randomizing with Space

Best for: Quick daily browsing, finding inspiration

Methodical Review

Goal: Carefully examine each random selection

Method:

1. Press Space for a new photo
2. Examine it fully (zoom, pan if needed)
3. Press Space again when ready
4. Use ← if you need to compare with previous

Best for: Photo review, quality control, tagging sessions

Comparison Browsing

Goal: Compare multiple photos

Method:

1. Randomize several photos (press Space multiple times)
2. Use ← and → to navigate between them
3. Compare compositions, colors, subjects
4. Choose favorites for tagging

Best for: Curating collections, finding best shots

Navigation in Different Views

Grid View (Default)

• Click any thumbnail to view full-size
• Random button selects from all visible thumbnails
• Previous/Next navigate history
• Double-click opens in system Preview app

Full-Screen View

• Same navigation controls as windowed mode
• Click edges for previous/next (left/right 45% of screen)
• All keyboard shortcuts work identically
• Minimal UI for distraction-free viewing

Slideshow View

• Automatic advancement based on timing
• Manual control with Previous/Next
• Keyboard shortcuts for navigation
• Exit returns to main view

See Slideshow Mode for detailed slideshow navigation.

Navigation Tips

Speed Up Your Workflow

1. Master Three Keys

• Space - Random (most used)
• ← - Previous (second most used)
• F - Full-screen toggle

These three keys cover 90% of navigation needs.

2. Use Click Navigation

When in full-screen:

• Click left side - Previous photo
• Click right side - Next photo

Faster than reaching for arrow keys!

3. Combine Random and Previous

Pattern: Space → Space → Space → ← → ←

• Generate several random photos quickly
• Go back to review the interesting ones
• Much faster than randomizing one at a time

Keyboard-First Approach

Optimal workflow:

1. Launch Rando
2. Press Space to start
3. Use Space and ← for all navigation
4. Press F for full-screen when focused
5. Press Esc when done

Never touch the mouse for basic browsing!

Mouse-First Approach

If you prefer mouse control:

1. Click "Random" button repeatedly
2. Click thumbnails to view full-size
3. Use Previous/Next buttons in UI
4. Click full-screen button as needed

Perfectly valid workflow - use what feels natural!

Navigation State Indicators

Visual feedback for navigation state:

Button States

Previous Button:

• Active - You can go back (there's history)
• Disabled - At start of history

Next Button:

• Active - You've gone back and can move forward
• Disabled - At end of history (most recent position)

Random Button:

• Always active - Can always randomize

History Position

Some interfaces show position indicator:

• "5 of 12 in history"
• Progress bar showing position
• Visual indicators of history depth

Common Navigation Scenarios

Scenario: "I saw a great photo, but clicked Random too fast!"

Solution:

1. Press ← (Previous) to go back
2. Examine the photo
3. Tag it or take note of filename
4. Press → (Next) to return to where you were

Scenario: "I want to see photos I've already viewed today"

Solution:

Your history contains all viewed photos this session:

1. Press ← repeatedly to browse backward
2. View each photo in reverse order
3. Press → to move forward again

Scenario: "I'm clicking Random but seeing the same photos"

Possible causes:

1. Small collection - You've cycled through all photos
2. History confusion - You're using Next instead of Random
3. Filter active - Only showing tagged photos

Solution:

• Verify you're pressing Space for Random, not → for Next
• Check if a tag filter is active
• Add more folders to increase pool size

Scenario: "Full-screen mode feels claustrophobic"

Solution:

Full-screen is optional! Many users prefer windowed mode:

• Windowed mode - See other apps, easier access to menus
• Full-screen mode - Immersive, distraction-free

Choose what works for your workflow.

Navigation Performance

Large Libraries (10K+ photos)

Navigation remains fast even with massive collections:

• Thumbnail caching - Previously viewed photos load instantly
• Background processing - No UI lag during navigation
• Smart memory management - Automatic cleanup

Network Drives

When using network storage:

• First view may be slower (network latency)
• Subsequent views faster (caching)
• Adjust preload settings if needed

See Performance Tips for optimization.

Pro Navigation Features

History Navigation

All users get basic Previous/Next navigation.

Pro users get enhanced features:

• Deeper history - Extended session history
• History search - Find specific photos in history
• History export - Save history as playlist

Tag-Based Navigation

Pro users can navigate within tagged collections:

1. Filter by tag in main view
2. Random button picks only from tagged photos
3. Previous/Next navigate within tag
4. Clear filter to return to all photos

See Tagging System for details.

Troubleshooting Navigation

Previous Button Disabled

Cause: You're at the start of your history.

Solution: Press Space for Random to build history, then Previous will work.

Next Button Disabled

Cause: You're at the end of your history (most recent photo).

Solution: This is normal! Next only works after you've used Previous.

Keyboard Shortcuts Not Working

Possible causes:

• Another app has captured the shortcut
• Rando window is not focused
• macOS system shortcut conflict

Solutions:

• Click Rando window to focus it
• Check for apps that might capture Space or arrow keys
• Close other applications

Random Shows Same Photo

Cause: This shouldn't happen with true randomization.

Possible reasons:

• Very small photo collection (< 10 photos)
• You're pressing Next instead of Random
• Duplicate files in different folders

Solution:

• Verify you're pressing Space (Random) not → (Next)
• Check for duplicate images
• Add more folders to collection

Next Steps

• Start a Slideshow for auto-advancing navigation
• Learn Tagging to organize and navigate by theme (Pro)
• Master Keyboard Shortcuts for efficient browsing
• Read Tips & Best Practices for workflow optimization