Virtual Folders vs Paper Folders

[jaywalker32]

Can I get a quick rundown of the differences between the two? I'm not seeing anything in the help file (not updated yet, I guess)

I currently make extensive use of Paper Folders to organize files which are distributed in various drives and folders.

Is there some killer use-case for virtual folders I'm missing?

[admin]

Help will come.

I have a locked tab called "Pic Tiles" now, pointing to this VFO: vi:<get pick *.jpg;*.jpeg;*.png> and set to Small Tiles view. I just open this tab to see all those pictures in my current folder wherever that is. And my current tab is not changed at all (scroll pos, selections, view). I can jump back and forth using F7. Awesome.

[Norn]

Great, this is exactly what I need.

[Filehero]

I can jump back and forth using F7. Awesome.

Actually, before this very description I didn't get the practical benefits just from the release notes.

So it's a sort of a "companion/alternative view" tab to an existing one. Good idea.

1. Would it make sense to somehow indicate the virtualized path on the virtual folder tab (header)? If both tabs are in the same pane the lacking relation information could become "hard" for tab messies like me.

2. Which brings me to dual pane mode this feature is IMO really made for but doesn't work yet (the vf content isn't updated when switching tabs in the other pane). Is it planned to support the virtual folder feature across both panes?

[admin]

1. Would it make sense to somehow indicate the virtualized path on the virtual folder tab (header)? If both tabs are in the same pane the lacking relation information could become "hard" for tab messies like me.

2. Which brings me to dual pane mode this feature is IMO really made for but doesn't work yet (the vf content isn't updated when switching tabs in the other pane). Is it planned to support the virtual folder feature across both panes?

1. Yes, I'm missing that, too. We'll see.

2. Good idea, but not now.

[GreetingsFromPoland]

thank you for posting the example. i know updated help and examples are coming.

i make a few simple VFOs to test and i like using them. i am struggling to make this work and it may not be possible - a VFO for files "modified today".

currently i have the visual filter set to Modified Today and then use #355; on my breadcrumb bar to toggle it for my current pane. it works great, but with a VFO, it would always be set and ready for display !

[admin]

It can be done, nice idea actually.

Tab name: 7 days
Tab location: vi:<get pick>
Tab Visual Filter: "7 days|Modified Last 7 Days" ageM: <= 7 d
Tab locked: Yep

[GreetingsFromPoland]

thank you for this example, easy to setup and it's working. is there any way to lock the filter for the locked tab ? here is what happened.

1. this virtual tab is setup as instructed and is working.
2. i have it pointing to my C:\Downloads folder and it shows the downloads for today.
3. the tab was left active and i switched over to firefox and downloaded a new file.
4. switched back to xy (virtual tab active) and it wasn't refreshed and the new file wasn't displayed.
5. i pressed F5 out of habit to refresh and the visual filter that was applied to the tab was "toggled off".
6. i had to re-apply the visual filter and the new download was visible.

so really two questions.
1. do the virtual folders "auto-refresh" yet ?
2. is there a way to lock the visual filter to a lock tab to prevent accidental removal ?

[klownboy]

I think this comment is along the same lines as GreetingsFromPoland's comment above. I've noticed a difference in setting a tab using vi:<get pick *.jpg;*.jpeg;*.png> in the location block as you mentioned Don, verses using only vi:<get pick> in the location block and then setting a visual filter with "Images" *.jpg | *.gif | *.png. The result should be the same I would think. However, XYplorer seems to lose the visual filter even though you've saved a FVS (with saved filters checked) with that filter applied. In the case of thumbnails view, I'm seeing thumbnails being regenerated as well even though they were already cached in that size. Using vi:<get pick *.jpg;*.jpeg;*.png> seems to work consistently though.

Edit 1: To expand a bit more, if I set up a tab using vi:<get pick> in the location block and a visual filter for that tab (e.g., *.jpg | *.gif | *.png) save everything including FVS, and then use "Toggle Visual Filter", when that visual filter is removed, XY is regenerating the thumbnails for the entire folder (a folder which contains a multitude of files not just those images) as if they didn't exist...each and every time.

Edit 2: I forgot to mention, great ideas on the use of virtual folders. Keep em coming! I was thinking initially that since they're in memory and go away on the next startup that they may not be of much use to me (like the new Explorer tabs feature), but when used in tabs or possibly other areas like CKS or UDCs they certainly will be useful.

[Filehero]

1. Yes, I'm missing that, too. We'll see.

Maybe, "just" a tab badge with the vf signature color.

[admin]

thank you for this example, easy to setup and it's working. is there any way to lock the filter for the locked tab ? here is what happened.

1. this virtual tab is setup as instructed and is working.
2. i have it pointing to my C:\Downloads folder and it shows the downloads for today.
3. the tab was left active and i switched over to firefox and downloaded a new file.
4. switched back to xy (virtual tab active) and it wasn't refreshed and the new file wasn't displayed.
5. i pressed F5 out of habit to refresh and the visual filter that was applied to the tab was "toggled off".
6. i had to re-apply the visual filter and the new download was visible.

so really two questions.
1. do the virtual folders "auto-refresh" yet ?
2. is there a way to lock the visual filter to a lock tab to prevent accidental removal ?

I agree. In the next beta a VF will survive the refresh of a VFO.

[admin]

I think this comment is along the same lines as GreetingsFromPoland's comment above. I've noticed a difference in setting a tab using vi:<get pick *.jpg;*.jpeg;*.png> in the location block as you mentioned Don, verses using only vi:<get pick> in the location block and then setting a visual filter with "Images" *.jpg | *.gif | *.png. The result should be the same I would think. However, XYplorer seems to lose the visual filter even though you've saved a FVS (with saved filters checked) with that filter applied. In the case of thumbnails view, I'm seeing thumbnails being regenerated as well even though they were already cached in that size. Using vi:<get pick *.jpg;*.jpeg;*.png> seems to work consistently though.

Edit 1: To expand a bit more, if I set up a tab using vi:<get pick> in the location block and a visual filter for that tab (e.g., *.jpg | *.gif | *.png) save everything including FVS, and then use "Toggle Visual Filter", when that visual filter is removed, XY is regenerating the thumbnails for the entire folder (a folder which contains a multitude of files not just those images) as if they didn't exist...each and every time.

Edit 2: I forgot to mention, great ideas on the use of virtual folders. Keep em coming! I was thinking initially that since they're in memory and go away on the next startup that they may not be of much use to me (like the new Explorer tabs feature), but when used in tabs or possibly other areas like CKS or UDCs they certainly will be useful.

Uhm, I made many little changes in the meantime. Try the next beta (v23.90.0422) and let me know what's still missing.

[klownboy]

It can be done, nice idea actually.

Tab name: 7 days
Tab location: vi:<get pick>
Tab Visual Filter: "7 days|Modified Last 7 Days" ageM: <= 7 d
Tab locked: Yep

Maybe something to consider in the future. Allow the use of a simple time filter in the parameter for get pick as you now can for filtering file types (i.e., vi:<get pick ageM: <= 7 d>) such that you could do it what you did above but have it all in the Tab Re-location block not needing Tab visual filter entry.

[admin]

There are no simple time filters

[klownboy]

Maybe I should have said, simplified time filters.