Previewing Images Inside Manager Input Fields

Not every useful Evolution improvement needs to be a large package. Sometimes a small manager enhancement solves a very visible annoyance. This short legacy note introduced a custom TV that shows the selected image directly inside the input and enlarges it on hover.

The Problem

The author had nothing against showimagetvs, but the default thumbnail output could take up several rows of vertical space in the manager. For image-heavy content editing, that made forms feel bulkier than necessary.

The Lightweight Alternative

The custom TV placed the image preview inside the input field area and expanded it on hover. That kept the form compact while still giving editors immediate visual confirmation that the correct image was selected.

Why This Is Worth Saving

• it improves editor confidence without adding a big UI layer
• it reduces wasted vertical space in manager forms
• it shows how small custom TVs can noticeably improve workflow

Source Package

The original package reference is still useful:

image-bg on GitHub

Like many good manager tweaks, this one is simple, focused, and easy to appreciate once editors start using it.