Hmm, i think I mixed it up with the config. There is an all option in swayimgrc.

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You can make it work mostly that way. Create a UKI (unified kernel image including EFI stub loader, kernel, initial filesystem and kernel parameters), then tell uefi to directly boot it. The four steps still run, but using only a single file.

I think the --all option is this mode.

At least on xorg the gifs I had worked.

I don’t know how it compares to nsxiv, but imv supports Wayland.