GIMP Can Only Save .xcf files

[Guest]

Updated to 12.10 when it came out and did not use Gimp right away. Today I had a reason to use it. Lo and behold I see I now have Gimp version 2.8. Surprised to see that it can only save .xcf files, and bzip'd or gzip'd versions of .xcf. WTF happened here? Always before you could select from numerous formats such as .gif, .jpg, tff, etc. Those have all disappeared.

Update and watch things break. Sigh. Any pointers for a solution to this? Thanks!

[Goeroeboeroe]

I guess you've found the same new 'feature' as I did. When you open a file in Gimp 2.8, any format is imported and converted to .xcf. There seem to be good technical reasons for this change, but I really don't like it..
You can still export to any format via File -> Export. If you use the shortcut Control+Shift+E you'll go right away to the export dialogue, where you have to click about 37 times to save the image in the original format.

[claydoh]

yes, it is annoying, but has saved my ham fisted butt twice since the the Gimp went to this saving scheme. Doesn't make it less annoying up front, though. I am sure someone has scripted something to emulate the old workflow.

[oshunluvr]

If I remember correctly, if you open a file in other than .xcf format - there is a menu choice to "Export to .xxx" which reduced the number of clicks to the mid 20's. It might only appear after you've exported to the alternate fomart once already.

[NoWorries]

All may files are JPG and when I edit say "picture.jpg" with Gimp, I choose File> Overwrite picture.jpg. Gimp puts the name of the file you are editing in the Overwrite line which is just above the Export.... line.

[Goeroeboeroe]

I didn't know that menu entry Overwrite! Thanks a thousand times! I made a shortcut for it and now it's just the shortcut + one click. That's almost the same as it used to be!
Ah yes, that was the reason, claydoh: preventing overwriting the .xcf. Makes sense. Did it too sometimes. Luckily I always make back-ups...

[Penguinclaw]

This is similar to the work practices of certain proprietary packages and in some ways makes sense in that after your work you then "export" to the format (s) you want. Maybe just a case of getting used to the new feature... things sometimes have to change for the greater good and survival of the package.... Well unless it's Gnome3....

[Guest]

Thanks everyone! Not sure why it never occurred to me to check 'Export', but sure enough - that's where they went. Operator error here.....

[Robtygart]

All may files are JPG and when I edit say "picture.jpg" with Gimp, I choose File> Overwrite picture.jpg. Gimp puts the name of the file you are editing in the Overwrite line which is just above the Export.... line.

This is the method I am useing too, Just a the .jpg or other format you want.

[Arran]

I was prepared for this new feature from discussions in more than one Gimp forum. So no surprise at the start. It is not a unique feature, I know it in at least one other program. The reason is, that thousands of occasional Gimpers destroyed their sometimes quite elaborated xcf-files with lots of layers when saving. The change makes really sense and as Goeroeboeroe writes in posting six above, everyone can make a shortcut for this. Mind, btw, is AltGr+E.

I think Gimp has here introduced a really good feature and it was at the launch also very well documented.

[oshunluvr]

Now that I think about it, in the past I have lost work because I saved in jpg only to discover I had messed something up. I had already taken to saving in xcf format by habit anyway and converting to final format only when done. I suspect this might be part of the reason these sort of programs are defaulted this way.

[Goeroeboeroe]

After reading about the menu entrance and making the shortcut, I too think this is a very good change.
OT: my very very very favorite change is finally a one window mode!!!!!!

[Snowhog]

Gimp's native file format is .xcf, so it makes sense that this would be the default file type when saving.

[Arran]

I just hate the «one window mode». I like the different windows. Of course, I have a desktop dedicated only for Gimp. But I think it is good, that Gimp has compromised.