A/B comparison

A/B comparison lets you view two files (or layers) at once — useful for checking revisions, matching color between shots, or spotting differences between renders.

Setting up a comparison

  1. Open the files in DJV.
  2. The current file is the A file. Set the B file from the Compare/B menu or the Files tool.
  3. Pick a compare mode (see below).

Locations: Compare menu, Compare tool bar, Files tool

Shortcuts:

  • Next B file: Shift+Page Down
  • Previous B file: Shift+Page Up

Drag with Alt + left mouse button to move the wipe between A and B.

Compare modes

Mode What it shows Shortcut
A Only the A file Ctrl+A
B Only the B file Ctrl+B
Wipe A wipe between A and B (drag with Alt + left mouse button) Ctrl+W
Overlay B layered on top of A  
Difference The pixel difference between A and B  
Horizontal A and B side by side  
Vertical A above B  
Tile A and B as tiles (supports multiple B files) Ctrl+T

Use Alt+A to toggle between the A and B modes.

Compare time

Files can be compared in either relative or absolute time:

  • Relative — The B file is offset so its start aligns with the start of A.
  • AbsoluteA and B play at the same timeline time.

Comparing multiple layers

Tile mode supports multiple B files, which makes it handy for viewing several layers of a single file at once. Open the file multiple times and set a different active layer for each instance, then enable Tile compare mode and add the other instances as B files.

Tile mode

  1. Set the compare mode to Tile
  2. Set the current file and its layer
  3. Add the B files and pick a layer for each