How to disable Navigator Panel 'View Box' outline/border

[drakedesign]

Hello,

I would like to disable the navigator box in the the navigator panel in Photoshop. I use the navigator panel for a constant thumbnail to see the design from a smaller view of the whole composition. The red border in the navigator panel makes it difficult to do so. I have changed the color to the lighest gray and it does not resolve the issue as images can be dark in color as well, making the light border stand out and take all the attention away from the design work.

Using a duplicated window of the same file at a smaller size is an option, but that doesn't work out when the file size is huge and having two of them taxes the computer, slowing down photoshop in the process.

As seen in the image attached, I would like to hide the light gray box seen on the image in the navigator panel.

Hiding the view box would make work more efficient and productive, saving time and energy.

System specs:
Photshop CC 25.4.0
Win 10

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

Perhaps a moderator could change this from a discussion to an idea.

[drakedesign]

So is it not possible to do so?
Would like to change it from 'discussion' to 'idea' if it provides a quick solution.

[Jeff Arola]

In the meantime you could use Window>Arrange>New Window for Name of Image to preview your image at a smaller size.

[drakedesign]

Hey Jeff, thanks for the suggestion : )

As mentioned, it's what I am forced to use, but as the files get heavier, having two windows of the same large file slows down photoshop, making the technique not as useful..

[Nancy OShea]

The Navigator Panel is aptly named because it facilitates rapid zooming and navigating the red bounding box to specific parts of your image for detail work.  That's how it is expected to behave.  If you're not using it for that purpose, you probably should disable it from your Windows menu.

Open the Layers Panel and use the Large Thumbnail option.

Hope that helps.

[drakedesign]

Hey Nancy, thanks for the help.

Unfortunately, the navigator panel is not only used for navigation as countless artists use it to see the full image on the whole, while editing images as they go.
It's not necessary that a tool is only used for one specific thing. Photoshop was only a photo editing application when it came out, and it being used for digital painting is very common now.

The large thumbnail option will only work if there is only one layer in the photoshop file, which is rarely the case with artists and designers : )

[Nancy OShea]

Unfortunately, the navigator panel is not only used for navigation as countless artists use it to see the full image on the whole, while editing images as they go.

By @drakedesign

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If you say so... 😶

But that's not how the Navigator Panel is described in the Photoshop documentation.

https://www.photoshopessentials.com/basics/how-to-use-the-navigator-panel-in-photoshop/

When I need an image viewer, I switch to Adobe Bridge.

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

This is a discussion, not a feature request - idea.

The navigator panel is used to zoom and pan around the document window, with the box outline indicating the current view at the pan/zoom level displayed.

So it's there for a very good reason, it's how it was designed.

@drakedesign you are obviously "misusing" this feature for another purpose, so I doubt this would get any traction with Adobe unless they also shared a "dual vision" for this panel.

You could make a separate post marked as an "idea" or ask a moderator to convert this discussion into an idea topic.

Perhaps this is something that could be scripted with a UXP panel, but that is beyond my current knowledge level.

[drakedesign]

Definitely not misusing it as tons of artists use it for the same purpose..but nonetheless, thank you @Stephen_A_Marsh  

[Stephen_A_Marsh]

It's meant for navigation and the frame is there for that purpose. So wishing to hide the frame to use the panel as a thumbnail is definitely misuse of the intended feature. It doesn't matter if 1 or 1 million users do this, the facts are the facts, not opinion. I am not debating the usefulness of this idea, but I stand by my statement that this is misuse of an intended feature for another purpose. Misuse doesn't mean bad or incorrect.

[drakedesign]

cool : )