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Toolbar & Menus

AfterNight's menu bar is the main catalog for file, image, process, extension, workspace, help, and application-information commands. The main toolbar repeats only Open, Save as..., and Close; dock-layout and image-view tools have separate toolbars.

Process menu open over an active image, showing favorites, recents, and process categories

The Process menu groups built-in workflows by category and keeps favorite and recent processes at the top.

Purpose, audience, prerequisites, and expected result

Use this page when you need to find a command, understand why it is disabled, or predict which image or window it will affect. It assumes AfterNight is open; image-dependent commands additionally require an active image view. The expected result is that you can choose the correct menu, toolbar button, context action, or shortcut without changing the wrong target.

The process catalog itself is documented in Process Index, and image-view-only controls are documented in Image Viewer. This page documents how those commands are exposed and gated.

Reachability and availability

Item Current behavior
Path Menu bar: File, Edit, View, Image, Process, Extensions, Window, Help, About. Main toolbar: Open, Save as..., Close. Image context menu: right-click a standard image view.
Enabled/visible when Application-level commands remain available without an image. Image commands follow the active view and its image, sequence, channels, pixel type, mask, metadata, history, and process-launch state. Window is disabled on the dashboard and enabled in the dock workspace.
Supported inputs/state Still images and sequences; grayscale and RGB images; supported integer and floating-point types; optional FITS/EXIF metadata, astrometry eligibility, masks, and undo history.
Outputs/side effects Commands can open or close views, write files, change pixels or display state, launch processes/dialogs, rearrange docks, modify preferences, open local help, or open external extension links.
Persistence Recent files and processes, favorite process IDs, their configured limits, and the default dock-lock preference persist in settings. Most enablement, selection, check states, and the active target are runtime state. Current source does not serialize the dock layout.
External dependencies File-system access for open/save/help; installed and compatible extensions for dynamic entries; browser and network for extension Homepage/Repository/Support links and online-help fallback. Other menu navigation is local.

Before you start

  • Activate the intended image view before using a shared menu action or global shortcut. Pressing any mouse button on a standard image view makes it the active view, so the image context menu - whose Process entry is the main Process menu, with the same entries and state - targets the clicked view.
  • Save important work before pixel-changing operations or bulk close/exit actions. Close prompts follow the configured close-confirmation behavior.
  • Check the active view's channels, pixel type, sequence type, metadata, and mask when an action is disabled.
  • Treat Extensions > family > Homepage/Repository/Support as external navigation: it sends the selected URL to the operating system's browser and may use the network.
  • Fixed shortcuts are not currently user-configurable. Focused-view handlers can depend on keyboard focus even when a menu action is unavailable.

Procedure

  1. Open or activate the intended image. Confirm its name is the selected image in the status bar.
  2. Choose the narrowest command path:
  3. use the main toolbar for Open, Save as..., or Close;
  4. use the menu bar for the complete application catalog;
  5. right-click the image for an explicit image target;
  6. use the dock toolbar or Window menu for workspace layout.
  7. Inspect the action state before selecting it. A disabled action means its current target or dependency does not satisfy a source-enforced rule; see the reference and troubleshooting tables below.
  8. For a process, open Process, then Favorite Processes, Recent Processes, or one of the 16 category submenus. A registered action opens through the same availability and single-image guards from any launch point.
  9. Complete or cancel the resulting dialog, process window, file chooser, or confirmation. Cancelling leaves that operation unapplied; a close-group operation stops at the first view whose close is cancelled.
  10. Verify the observable result: a new/closed view, changed menu state, launched process, changed dock arrangement, written file, updated recent/favorite menu, or opened help/about window.

An empty dynamic list is represented by a disabled Open Recent or Recent Processes menu. Favorite Processes remains usable when empty because Manage Favorites... is always present. A process that is still being discovered can appear disabled with a loading explanation; genuinely unavailable or incompatible entries remain disabled and provide the registry's reason.

Complete control and action reference

Application and image menus

The following inventory preserves every current static label from the UI builder. Detailed action behavior follows the inventory; process algorithms and parameters remain authoritative on their linked process pages.

Top-level menu Submenu Exact current entries, in order
File Direct Open; Open Recent (dynamic paths, then Clear recent files list); New Sequence...; Save as...; Close; Close All; Close All Others; Exit
Edit Direct Undo; Redo; Image History; Settings...
View Direct Session Console
Image Actions Duplicate; Rename; Close; Save File...
Image Convert Format Convert to 8 bit; Convert to signed 16 bit; Convert to unsigned 16 bit; Convert to signed 32 bit; Convert to unsigned 32 bit; Convert to 32 bit float; Convert to 64 bit float
Image Extract Channel Extract Red Channel; Extract Green Channel; Extract Blue Channel; Extract RGB Channels; Extract CIE L*; Extract CIE a*; Extract CIE b*; Extract CIE c*; Extract CIE h*; Extract CIE a*=R / b*=G; Extract CIE L*a*b*; Extract CIE L*c*h*; Extract CIE X; Extract CIE Y; Extract CIE Z; Extract CIE XYZ; Extract HSL Hue; Extract HSL Saturation; Extract HSL Lightness; Extract HSL; Extract HSV Hue; Extract HSV Saturation; Extract HSV Value; Extract HSV; Extract HSI Hue; Extract HSI Saturation; Extract HSI Intensity; Extract HSI; Extract YCbCr Luma; Extract YCbCr Blue Chroma; Extract YCbCr Red Chroma; Extract YCbCr
Image Fast Geometry Horizontal Mirror; Vertical Mirror; Rotate 180º; Rotate 90º Left; Rotate 90º Right (the labels use the º ordinal sign)
Image Information Statistics; Histogram; EXIF Viewer; FITS Header; Astrometry Info; Plate Solve; Summary
Image Mask Select Mask; Remove Mask; Invert Mask; Enable Mask; Show Mask; Rendering Mode
Image > Mask Rendering Mode Overlay Red; Overlay Green; Overlay Blue; Overlay Yellow; Overlay Magenta; Overlay Cyan; Replace; Multiply
Image Sequence Convert; Extract Frame; Extract Sequence; Export...
Image > Sequence Convert Convert to SER; Convert to Image List; Convert to FITS
Image View Zoom In; Zoom Out; Zoom 100%; Fit To Window; Maximize View / Restore View
UI label/action Type and unit Default Valid values/constraints Effect Enabled, hidden, or ignored rules Trade-off or side effect Scope Persistence
Main toolbar: Open, Save as..., Close Three buttons Visible Same commands as File Opens data, saves the active image under a chosen path, or closes it Save as... and Close require active data File I/O or possible unsaved-work prompt Application/active view Recent path/list settings where applicable
File > Open / Open Recent Action / dynamic submenu Recent submenu disabled when empty Supported readable paths; recent entries are stored paths Opens a chooser or a recorded path; Clear recent files list removes the list Open remains available; a missing recent path fails through normal open handling File I/O; paths are stored locally Application Recent file list and configured limit
File > New Sequence... Action Available Supported sequence sources/options Opens the new-sequence workflow Application-level May read many source frames Application Workflow-specific
File > Save as... Action Disabled without data Writable supported output path Saves the active image with a chosen name/format Active data required Writes a file; format conversion can affect representation Active view Last-location behavior is file-workflow-specific
File > Close / Close All / Close All Others Actions Disabled without data Active view; all views; all except active Requests the corresponding close set Active data required; each view can reject close May prompt for unsaved work; group close stops on cancellation Active/all image views No
File > Exit Action Available Application window Requests application shutdown Always reachable Can prompt while closing open work Application Normal settings are retained
Edit > Undo / Redo Actions Disabled until available Active image history Applies the previous or next history step; labels include the step name when known Requires a corresponding history entry Changes image state Active image Image-history lifetime
Edit > Image History Action Disabled without active history tracker Active image Opens image history Active image/tracker required Read-only inspection unless its UI offers navigation Active image Runtime/image lifetime
Edit > Settings... Action Available Settings pages Opens application settings Application-level Changes may affect later actions/sessions Application Settings store
Top-level View > Session Console Checkable action Runtime view state Shown/hidden Shows or hides the Session Console dock Available on dashboard and workspace Consumes dock space; does not change images Main window Visibility/layout is not serialized
Image > Actions Submenu Disabled without data Duplicate, Rename, Close, Save File... Performs active-image lifecycle/file operations Active data required Duplicate uses memory; save writes a file Active image Names/files only
Image > Convert Format Submenu Disabled without data 8-bit; signed/unsigned 16-bit; signed/unsigned 32-bit; 32-bit float; 64-bit float Converts the active image's sample type Current type is disabled (Convert to 8 bit for both unsigned and signed 8-bit images). SER/video sequences also disable signed 16-bit, both 32-bit integer, and both float targets Conversion can clip, quantize, or increase memory Active image/sequence Image lifetime; save to retain
Image > Extract Channel Submenu Disabled unless RGB Red/green/blue/RGB; CIE Lab/LCh/XYZ; HSL; HSV; HSI; YCbCr variants Creates channel-derived image data RGB/color image required Creates additional views/data and uses memory Active image New-image lifetime
Image > Fast Geometry Submenu Disabled without data Horizontal Mirror, Vertical Mirror, Rotate 180º, Rotate 90º Left/Right Applies a fixed geometry transform Active data required Changes pixels/dimensions or orientation; may add history Active image Image/history lifetime
Image > Information Submenu Disabled without data Statistics, Histogram, EXIF Viewer, FITS Header, Astrometry Info, Plate Solve, Summary Opens inspection or astrometry tools Statistics/histogram follow view support; EXIF/FITS require their metadata; Astrometry Info and Summary require only active data; Plate Solve requires an eligible image Analysis can use CPU; plate solving can have workflow dependencies Active image Mostly runtime; solution behavior is tool-specific
Image > Mask Submenu Disabled without data Select/remove/invert/enable/show; rendering modes Assigns and controls the active mask Select Mask is enabled with active data; other controls require an assigned mask A mask changes process/display effect, not the source merely by being shown Active image Runtime/image state
Mask > Rendering Mode Exclusive checkable choices Current renderer state Overlay Red/Green/Blue/Yellow/Magenta/Cyan, Replace, Multiply Changes mask visualization Assigned mask required Display-only visualization can obscure image detail Active image view Runtime
Image > Sequence Submenu Disabled for still images Convert to SER, Convert to Image List, Convert to FITS, Extract Frame, Extract Sequence, Export... Converts, extracts, or exports sequence content Sequence required; current SER/image-list target is disabled; Convert to FITS is always disabled in current source Potentially substantial disk I/O and output volume Active sequence Output files only
Image > View Submenu Disabled without data Zoom In, Zoom Out, Zoom 100%, Fit To Window, Maximize/Restore View Changes display scale or workspace presentation Maximize menu action is disabled for a floating view Display-only, except maximize temporarily changes dock state Active view/main dock Runtime; current source does not serialize layout

Process, extension, window, help, and about menus

The Process menu begins with Favorite Processes and Recent Processes, then exposes these exact built-in entries. Installed compatible extension processes are appended to the supported Process category declared by their manifest; they are not added to the extension-family submenu.

Process category Exact current built-in entries, in order
Adjustments Brightness/Contrast; Gamma Correction; Exposure; Hue/Saturation/Lightness; Lightness/Chroma/Hue; Negative Transformation; Convert to RGB; Convert to Grayscale
Background Modelization Background Extraction; Auto Gradient Removal
Color Calibration Background Neutralization; SCNR Filter; Color Calibration; Photometric Color Calibration; Spectrophotometric Color Calibration; Linear Match
Color Spaces Channel Composition; Colorize; Debayer; LRGB Combination; NBRGB Combination; NB Color Mapper; Narrowband Palette Composer; Merge CFA; Split CFA
Details Gaussian Blur; High Pass; Local Contrast Enhancement; Dark Structure Enhance; Multiscale Alpha Sharpen; Unsharp Mask
Filters Gaussian Blur; Median Filter; Bilateral Filter; Banding Reduction Filter; Cosmetic Correction Filter
Geometry Resize; Crop; Rotate; Integer Resample; CFA Integer Resample
Intensity Transformations ArcSinh Stretch; Binarize; CLA Histogram Equalization; Color Saturation; Curves Transformation; Generalized Hyperbolic Transformation; Histogram Transformation; Local Histogram Equalization; Statistical Stretch
Mask Generation Mask Drawing; Range Selection; Star Mask; Starnet++ Star Mask
Morphology Morphological Transformation; Tighten Edges
Multiscale Multiscale Linear Transform
Noise Reduction DeepSNR; GRAYCstoration Filter; Non-Local Bayes Filter; Patch PCA Denoise Filter; Total Variation Denoise Filter; Wavelet Denoise Filter
Pixel Math Pixel Math
Preprocess Image Calibration; Image Registration; Image Stacking; Image Integration; Image Integration Lite
Star Processing Profiled Starmask Recombination; Starmask Recombination; Star Reduction; Starnet++; Star Profiler v1; Star Profiler v2
Utilities Image Blend; Image Compare; Noise Generator; Image List Analyzer
UI label/action Type and unit Default Valid values/constraints Effect Enabled, hidden, or ignored rules Trade-off or side effect Scope Persistence
Process > Favorite Processes Dynamic submenu Management commands present Valid registered process IDs Lists favorites alphabetically, case-insensitive; launches through registry Missing descriptors are filtered; Clear favorites list disabled when empty Launch effects depend on process Application/active image interface/favoriteProcessIds
Manage Favorites... Dialog action Current favorites checked Search by display name or ID; check/uncheck entries Saves checked IDs on OK; Cancel leaves them unchanged Always present in Favorite Processes Changes a local menu list Application interface/favoriteProcessIds
Clear favorites list Confirmed action Disabled when empty Yes/No, default Yes Removes all favorite IDs after confirmation Favorites required Cannot undo except by reselecting favorites Application interface/favoriteProcessIds
Process > Recent Processes Dynamic submenu Disabled when empty Successful registered launches; configured maximum 1–100, default 10 Shows most recent first, removes duplicates, and launches the selected process Unknown extension IDs may remain disabled while discovery is pending; missing IDs are pruned after discovery Stores process IDs locally Application/active image interface/recentProcessIds; limit general/recentProcessesLimit
Clear recent processes list Confirmed action Present when list has entries Yes/No, default Yes Removes all recent-process IDs Entries required Cannot undo except by launching processes again Application interface/recentProcessIds
Process category submenus 16 submenus Built from registry Adjustments, Background Modelization, Color Calibration, Color Spaces, Details, Filters, Geometry, Intensity Transformations, Mask Generation, Morphology, Multiscale, Noise Reduction, Pixel Math, Preprocess, Star Processing, Utilities Exposes registered built-in and mapped extension processes Category submenus are disabled with no image, except Color Spaces and Preprocess (and Image List Analyzer under Utilities). A built-in entry is disabled only when its descriptor is unavailable or its color rule fails; a wrong channel/type, a sequence for a still-only process, a duplicate attached instance, or an exclusive conflict is refused when you launch, with a titled message. An extension entry is also disabled by those guards and by bootstrapping, installing, repairing, validating, or incompatible states, with the guard's message Process-specific CPU, memory, disk, and image changes Application/active target Recent list updates only after successful launch
Extensions > Manage Extensions... Action Available Installed/discoverable extension packages Opens extension management Application-level Installation/update/remove can change local code and available actions Application Extension manager/package state
Extensions > family Dynamic submenus Valid discovered families only Manage...; optional Homepage, Repository, Support Opens the general installed-extension status page or a declared URL; these submenus do not contain process launch actions Invalid manifests are excluded; families sort case-insensitively URLs open externally and can disclose network/browser activity Extension/application Extension state; external browser state
Window > Lock Layout / Unlock Layout Two actions, both always shown Interface preference Locked/unlocked Blocks or allows interactive dock drag/drop and double-click layout changes Window menu requires dock workspace; the action for the current state is disabled, and both are disabled while a view is maximized Does not block programmatic group/split/fit/close Main dock workspace interface/lockLayoutByDefault is startup preference, not current layout serialization
Window > Group All Images / Split All Images / Fit Images To Window Actions Disabled on dashboard Registered image views Groups globally, creates deterministic global splits, or fits every image view Dock workspace required; Group/Split disabled while a view is maximized Moves floating views into main dock for Group/Split; fit changes display scale All registered image views No
Help > User Guide Action Available Bundled guide, then online fallback Opens offline guide first; uses published guide only if needed and permitted AFTERNIGHT_DISABLE_ONLINE_USER_GUIDE=1 disables fallback Online fallback opens external browser/network Application Environment policy only
About > About Qt / About AfterNight / System Information Actions Available Local application/runtime information About Qt opens Qt's own dialog. About AfterNight shows Version with the version the application states (1.0.0; dev when none is stated) and has About, Libraries, and License tabs; Libraries lists Qt, KDDockWidgets, and SQLite, then the engine's version and interface generation and the libraries the engine reports - CFITSIO, Exiv2, FFmpeg, FFTW, GNU Scientific Library, Highway, libjpeg-turbo, libpng, LibRaw, LibTIFF, JSON for Modern C++, oneTBB, and OpenXISF, each with the version its headers declared and the loaded one when it differs - then Crashpad and cmark-gfm, and notes that the extension host runs Python and that G'MIC is reached through an optional adapter. System Information shows the same engine and library list in its Dependencies section Application-level No network required by these dialogs Application No

Image context menu and shortcuts

Right-clicking a standard image view creates these families in order: Actions, Process, Convert Format, Extract Channel, Fast Geometry, Information, Mask, Sequence, View, and Current Window. The shared families use the same actions and enablement as the menu bar; Process is the main window's own Process menu. Current Window contains Group All Images, Split All Images, and Fit All Images to Window, but limits them to image views owned by the clicked view's main or floating window; its Group and Split are disabled while the clicked view is maximized. That differs from the global Window commands.

UI label/action Type and unit Default Valid values/constraints Effect Enabled, hidden, or ignored rules Trade-off or side effect Scope Persistence
Context Process Main Process menu Current registry state Same entries and state as the menu bar Launches for the clicked view, which the mouse press made active Same registry guards as menu bar Process-specific Clicked image Successful launch updates recent list
Context Current Window > Group All Images / Split All Images / Fit All Images to Window Actions Available for containing window Views sharing clicked view's main/floating owner Rearranges or fits only that containing window Requires standard image-view context; Group and Split disabled while the clicked view is maximized Layout/scale change limited to one window Containing window No
Main action shortcuts Fixed shortcuts Built in Ctrl+O Open; Ctrl+Shift+S Save as; Ctrl+Z Undo; Ctrl+Y Redo; Ctrl++ Zoom In; Ctrl+- Zoom Out; Ctrl+0 Zoom 100%; Ctrl+, Settings; F1 User Guide Invokes the corresponding shared action Normal action enablement applies Keyboard layout/focus can affect recognition Application/active view Not configurable
Focused-view shortcuts Direct view handlers Built in F11 Maximize/restore; Ctrl+Shift+F Fit; Ctrl+H Histogram; Ctrl+Shift+T Statistics; Ctrl+Shift+X EXIF; Ctrl+Shift+H FITS header; Ctrl+Shift+M Summary; Ctrl+Shift+Z Image history; Ctrl+Shift+P Astrometry info; Ctrl+P Plate Solve Dispatches from the focused image view Focus and handler-specific prerequisites apply; direct F11 can invoke restore/maximize even though the visible menu action is disabled for a floating view Shortcut can conflict with desktop/application bindings Focused image view Not configurable

Behavior and state model

AfterNight keeps one active ImageViewControl. Shared menu and toolbar actions query that control, so changing the active view recomputes image, channel, sequence, pixel-type, metadata, history, mask, process, and layout state. The mouse press that opens a context menu first makes its image view active, preventing a process from silently targeting the previously active view.

Process actions are descriptors in a live registry. Each launch checks availability and, for single-image processes, the active image, allowed channels, still-versus-sequence requirement, duplicate attached instances, and exclusive-process conflicts; a built-in entry is refused at launch with a titled message such as This process supports still images only, not sequences., while an extension entry is also disabled in the menu by the same guards. Extension discovery refreshes registry actions and stored recent/favorite menus. A process is added to the front of the recent list only after launch succeeds.

The RGB flag enables channel extraction and RGB-only color actions. Convert to RGB (under Adjustments) is enabled only for a non-color image and Convert to Grayscale only for a color one; Adjustments itself is disabled without an image. The Color Spaces category remains enabled even with no image, as do Preprocess and Image List Analyzer, while individual entries enforce their own rules. Sequence and current-pixel-type rules then further disable invalid conversion targets. Metadata gates are independent: FITS records enable FITS Header, EXIF data enables EXIF Viewer, and plate-solve eligibility controls Plate Solve; Astrometry Info and Summary are enabled for any active image.

Undo, redo, mask toggles, and the Session Console use live check/label state. These are not documentation promises of saved layout or image state. Only documented settings keys and explicit file outputs persist beyond the relevant image/session.

Inputs, outputs, and metadata

File commands accept paths through their workflows and can create or overwrite files after normal prompts. Image conversions, geometry operations, masks, and processes act on or derive from the active image; their exact output type, naming, metadata propagation, history, and overwrite rules belong to their linked process pages. Display zoom, fit, mask rendering, console visibility, and maximize do not by themselves rewrite source pixels.

Recent files store local paths. Recent and favorite processes store stable process IDs, not processed pixels or parameter values. Menu navigation sends no data to a service, but external extension links and online-help fallback hand a URL to the browser. The System Information dialog is local.

Performance and responsiveness

Opening ordinary menus is local and lightweight. Dynamic process/extension menus rebuild from the current registry, and recent/favorite collections are bounded or small; the tested helper behavior is deterministic. Large image duplication and extraction increase memory, sequence conversion/export can create substantial disk traffic, and process execution can be CPU-, memory-, or disk-intensive. Those operations are launched by the menu but are not performed by menu navigation itself.

Avoid repeated duplication of large images, confirm available disk space before sequence export/conversion, and use the dedicated process progress/cancel controls once a long-running process starts. External links and online help inherit browser/network latency without blocking the meaning of local menu state.

Worked example

  • Evidence mode: Source-and-test-derived.
  • Starting state, actions, settings, checkpoints, result, and limitations: Open an RGB FITS still image with EXIF records and activate its view. Save as..., Image > Extract Channel, FITS Header, EXIF Viewer, Astrometry Info, Summary, and eligible process entries become enabled; Image > Sequence remains disabled. Launch a valid process successfully and reopen Process > Recent Processes: its entry is first, with older duplicates removed and the list limited by Settings > General > Recent Processes Limit. Add it through Manage Favorites... and accept: it appears in Favorite Processes in case-insensitive alphabetical order. Right-click the image to confirm the same process families target that view and that Current Window layout actions are local to its containing window. This evidence verifies state transitions and ordering only; it does not claim GUI geometry, a processing result, timing, or persisted dock layout.

Warnings and limitations

  • The nine top-level menus are File, Edit, View, Image, Process, Extensions, Window, Help, and About. Actions and the image-oriented View are submenus under Image, not extra top-level menus.
  • The main toolbar has only Open, Save as..., and Close. Dock commands are on the dock toolbar; zoom/maximize controls also appear with the image viewer.
  • Convert to FITS for sequences is always disabled in current source. Do not treat its visible label as implemented availability.
  • Pixel-type conversion can clip or quantize data. Sequence conversion/export can consume substantial disk space.
  • Group All Images and Split All Images are global and can pull floating image views into the main dock. Context Current Window commands are the scoped alternative.
  • The current source persists the startup lock preference but does not contain a dock-layout serialization/restore path.
  • The visible maximize action is disabled for a floating view, but the focused-view F11 handler is direct. Use it deliberately.
  • Extension links and online help can leave AfterNight and use the network. Extension processes can change after install, update, removal, or discovery.
  • Current fixed shortcuts are not user-configurable and can conflict with operating-system or desktop shortcuts.

Troubleshooting

Symptom or exact error Verified cause/enablement path Recovery Evidence source
Save as..., Close, or Image submenus are disabled No active data/view Open an image or select an existing image view ActionStateCoordinator.cpp
Extract Channel or RGB color actions are disabled Active image is not RGB Choose an RGB image or use an enabled conversion process such as Convert to RGB ActionStateCoordinator.cpp
A conversion target is disabled It is the current pixel/sequence type, or the active SER/video sequence disallows that sample type Select a different supported target; export/convert through a supported workflow ActionStateCoordinator.cpp
Convert to FITS is visible but disabled Current source explicitly disables this sequence action Use a documented supported sequence export/conversion path ActionStateCoordinator.cpp
FITS Header or EXIF Viewer is disabled Required metadata is absent Select an image containing FITS records or EXIF metadata ActionStateCoordinator.cpp
A process is disabled, missing, or refused at launch Registry is loading, installing, repairing, validating, incompatible, unavailable, or category-unmapped; or the launch guard rejects the active target or a conflict (a built-in entry is refused with a titled message, an extension entry is disabled) Read its disabled reason or the message; finish extension discovery/repair, select compatible data, or close the conflicting instance ProcessRegistry.cpp; MenuActionManager.cpp; ActionStateCoordinator.cpp; ProcessLauncherTest.cpp
Recent Processes is empty or an entry says it is still loading No successful launches are stored, or a stored extension ID is awaiting discovery Launch a process successfully or let extension discovery finish AfterNightApp.cpp; ProcessMenuState.h
A favorite disappeared Its descriptor is no longer registered after discovery Restore/enable its extension or choose it again after the descriptor returns AfterNightApp.cpp; ProcessMenuState.h
Window commands are disabled Dashboard is active, or maximize temporarily disabled global Group/Split Open/activate an image workspace or restore the maximized view ActionStateCoordinator.cpp; WindowLayoutCoordinator.cpp
A shortcut does nothing or affects an unexpected view Required action state or image-view focus is absent Click the intended image view, inspect the menu's enabled state, and retry AfterNightAppUiBuilder.h; ImageViewControl.cpp
F1 opens online help or reports it cannot open the guide Bundled guide is absent/unopenable; online fallback is used unless policy disables it Install a package containing the guide; check AFTERNIGHT_DISABLE_ONLINE_USER_GUIDE policy DialogOrchestrationCoordinator.cpp

References and provenance

  • AfterNight source and focused tests.
  • Process availability, category mapping, and launch guards are project-defined behavior in ProcessRegistry and MenuActionManager; extension-provided labels and URLs originate in installed manifests.
  • Qt QAction, QMenu, shortcut, settings, and desktop-services behavior is provided under the Qt licensing terms included with AfterNight distributions.
  • The validated menu capture is tracked as UG-MEDIA-009 in the canonical media manifest.