Motivation

I built this tool because I needed a way to sort images with essential storyboard features. As someone working in AI filmmaking, my workflow involves generating hundreds of images based on a story and then selecting the best frames for a sequence.

I was unhappy with the existing solutions: I had to choose between simple image viewers that were too limited for proper sequencing and full fledged storyboard tools that were far too complicated for this specific task.

Storyboard Imagesorter fills that gap. It is a simple tool for a simple task, yet powerful enough to do actual storyboarding with.

User Guide (Workflow)

• Drag & Drop: Drag image files directly into the window, or use the ＋ Import button.
• Auto-restore: If the folder you import from already contains a _sorter_data.txt file, you can restore colors and notes by importing it.

• Reorder: Click and drag any image to a new position.
• Move Groups: Select multiple images and use the arrow buttons in the toolbar to shift them left or right.
• The Stash: Images that don’t belong in your current sequence can be parked in the Stash at the bottom of the window. They stay available and can be returned to the main view at any time.

• Color tags: Use the sidebar on the left to quickly tap a color onto your selected images (e.g., Blue for “Close-up”, Red for “Action”).
• Notes: Click 📝 Add Note on any image card to add descriptions, camera angles, or timing info.

Double-click an image to open it in your system’s default editor. Once you save there, the thumbnail in Imagesorter updates automatically.

Use the ↓ Export menu to create a numbered image sequence, a Contact Sheet, or a Storyboard List with your notes alongside the artwork.

Your originals are never touched. Exporting always creates copies in a new folder — your source files stay exactly where they are.

Saving your progress: Every export also writes a _sorter_data.txt file next to your images. This file stores all your colors and notes. To reload a previous session, drag that file into the application window.

Note that most shortcuts are optional.

1. Download storyboard_imagesorter.zip from the Releases page.
2. Extract the archive.
3. Run storyboard_imagesorter.exe directly — no installation required.

A .deb package is available. Alternatively, run from source using the instructions below.

For Linux there is a Deb available. No macOS binary is available at this time. You can run both from source via a Python virtual environment:

1. Clone this repository:

   git clone https://github.com/ReinerBforartists/storyboard_imagesorter
   cd storyboard-imagesorter

2. Set up a Virtual Environment (Recommended):

   # Linux / macOS
   python3 -m venv venv
   source venv/bin/activate

3. Install Dependencies:

   pip install -r requirements.txt

4. Run the Application:

   cd storyboard_imagesorter
   python storyboard_imagesorter.py

    

For developers and technical users:

• Core Stack: Python 3.10+ and PyQt6.
• Architecture:
  
  • Implements the Command Pattern for a robust Undo/Redo system across all manipulations (sorting, tagging, moving, deleting).
  • Uses a custom Flow Layout engine for dynamic image arrangement.
  • Features a background File Watcher service to monitor file system changes for real-time thumbnail synchronization.
• Data Management: Metadata (colors/notes) is handled via a lightweight text-based exchange format (_sorter_data.txt), allowing for easy project reloading without proprietary database overhead.

Feedback and Pull Requests are welcome!

License: GNU General Public License v3.0 · Copyright © 2026 Reiner Prokein (Haizy Tiles)