Is there a way to view gradients in GIMP before they are put into the gradient folder? I have a pack of 330 gradients I downloaded and I really don't want to put them into my gradient folder.

Xnview reads all of he gimp formats but .ggr. Sorry I thought I had an answer for you.

I'm afraid not. Gradient files are really ascii text files that give a list of color data points. Here I have the actual contents of one of Gimp's gradient files.

The easiest solution is to add the directory contain your 330 gradients to the gradient search path ("Edit->Preferences->Folders->Gradients"), refresh your gradients, and when you're down playing with them* remove the directory (and re-refresh).

I will attempt to write a script this weekend to automate generation of PNG files for a directory of gradients. Unfortunately, there is no PDB function for modifying the search paths so it will be necessary to copy the files to the user's gradients directory, and then later remove them.

* There is a rather inappropriately named "Custom Gradient" command available by right-clicking on a gradient that might be helpful. This command will create a new image containing an example of a linear application of the gradient.

That's the thing i love about xnview, is the right click shell thumbnails for any image format.
saulgoode that would be an awesome script to have in hand, and very useful.

I would love such a script... and the 300 gradients!

Found the gradient pack here. http://gimpstuff.org/

Check the menu on the left to get the gradients.

Ah, this looks like fun, I'll go through this at my leisure tonight, I really like sites like this, thanks.

Tried downloading it ... the file is corrupt.

That's a bummer, Mike. The one I attached is good.

Some great stuff! The gradient folder gave an error on two gradients that have illegal file names. I am experimenting with the photomosaic python script.

OK, I did that. Then opened the gradients dialog, increased the text size and did screen shots. There are twenty list#.png screen shots with the gradient names in the zipped file that is attached below.

Gimp may use also SVG gradient that are a bit more easy to browse....there are thousands here
Only problem many images there not properly tagged so searching for gradient you get a lot of false positives

I didn't have enough free time this weekend to finish the script (I was giving my brother a car which had sat unused for a couple of years and I spent most my time getting it fixed up). I have finished most of the heavy lifting for the script but still need to add implement some additional options and add some finishing touches. The current ETA is sometime next weekend.

Thank you for keeping us posted saulgoode. I'm looking forward to the script.

Me too, thanks saulgoode for the update. =)