neoview 0.1.9

NeoView PDF viewer with rectangular crop/measure tool

NeoView

NeoView is a production-quality PDF viewer with a rectangular crop/measure tool for Linux and Windows.

NeoView is designed as a practical alternative to SumatraPDF for Linux users, while adding features useful for technical and LaTeX workflows. Key advantages:

• Auto-reload: automatically refreshes PDFs when LaTeX rebuilds, so you don't have to close/reopen the viewer.
• Measurement tools: precise rectangle measurement with units in pt/mm for layout and proofreading.
• Export selections: save regions as PNG at multiple DPI values.

Features

• PDF Viewing: Open and navigate multi-page PDFs
• Zoom: Pinch gestures, Ctrl+wheel, Fit Width, Actual Size
• Selection Tool: Click+drag to create measurement rectangle
• Precise Adjustment: Drag edges/corners to resize, keyboard nudges
• Measurements: Live display in points, picas, and millimeters
• Export: Save selection as PNG at 150/300/600 DPI
• Auto-reload: Watch file for external changes
• Container-ready: Works with Wayland or X11 forwarding

Requirements

• Python 3.10+
• PySide6
• PyMuPDF

Installation

pip install neoview

Downloads

Prebuilt Windows executable releases are available from the GitHub Releases page for this project. Each tagged release will include a neoview.exe download.

Install from source (launchable)

pip install .

This installs a neoview launcher. Run it to open the app, then use File → Open to choose a PDF.

Optional desktop launcher (Linux):

./install_desktop.sh

Windows notes

If you run on Windows, install with:

py -m pip install neoview

Launch:

neoview

Windows .exe build (optional)

If you want a standalone executable on Windows:

py -m pip install .[dev]
pyinstaller neoview.spec

The executable will be at dist\\neoview.exe.

Usage

Direct Run

# Open with file dialog
python pdf_crop_measure.py

# Open specific PDF
python pdf_crop_measure.py /path/to/document.pdf

Installed App

# Open the app
neoview

# Open specific PDF
neoview /path/to/document.pdf

Module Run

python -m neoview

Container Run

Build:

docker build -t pdf-measure .

Wayland (GNOME Wayland - preferred):

docker run -it --rm \
  -e XDG_RUNTIME_DIR=/run/user/$(id -u) \
  -e WAYLAND_DISPLAY=$WAYLAND_DISPLAY \
  -e QT_QPA_PLATFORM=wayland \
  -v $XDG_RUNTIME_DIR/$WAYLAND_DISPLAY:/run/user/$(id -u)/$WAYLAND_DISPLAY \
  -v /path/to/pdfs:/pdfs \
  pdf-measure /pdfs/document.pdf

X11 (fallback, most compatible):

xhost +local:docker
docker run -it --rm \
  -e DISPLAY=$DISPLAY \
  -e QT_QPA_PLATFORM=xcb \
  -v /tmp/.X11-unix:/tmp/.X11-unix \
  -v /path/to/pdfs:/pdfs \
  pdf-measure /pdfs/document.pdf

Keyboard Shortcuts

Shortcut	Action
Ctrl+O	Open PDF file
Ctrl+Q	Exit application
Ctrl+C	Copy measurements to clipboard
Ctrl+S	Export selection as PNG
PgUp / PgDn	Previous / Next page
Ctrl+Wheel	Zoom in/out
W	Fit to width
1	Actual size (100%)
Arrow	Move selection by 1 pt
Shift+Arrow	Move selection by 10 pt
Ctrl+Arrow	Resize selection by 1 pt
Ctrl+Shift+Arrow	Resize selection by 10 pt
Escape	Clear selection

Selection Tool

1. Create: Click and drag on the PDF page
2. Move: Drag inside the selection
3. Resize: Drag edges or corners
4. Fine-tune: Use arrow keys with modifiers
5. Measure: See live measurements in status bar

All measurements are in PDF coordinate space (points) and remain accurate at any zoom level.

Export

1. Create a selection
2. Press Ctrl+S or click Export button
3. Choose DPI (150/300/600)
4. Save as PNG

Auto-reload

Enable "Auto-reload on file change" in Options menu to automatically refresh when the PDF is modified externally. Selection and page position are preserved.

License

MIT

Development

python3 -m pip install -e .[dev]
pytest