Flicker on Refresh

[pissant]

I almost put this in the Wishes forum instead...

Anyway, right now I'm running an image of some of my partitions. I navigated to the folder where the image files are being saved, and found the flicker extremely bothersome, to the point that I had to stop using XYplorer.

I know automatically refreshing can be disabled, but I wouldn't be able to stand doing so. And of course, I know the reason there was refreshing at all was because the image files were being written to constantly. But can the flickering be reduced at all?

I made a crappy video of the flickering I'm talking about. FYI: This video uses the XviD codec, and is packaged in a RAR archive.

[admin]

Hm. I have no time for this now, but how could I ever solve this. Either you have auto-refresh or you disable it. There's not much in between. What does Explorer do here?

[John Bee]

>Anyway, right now I'm running an image of some of my partitions. I >navigated to the folder where the image files are being saved, and found >the flicker extremely bothersome, to the point that I had to stop using >XYplorer.

And if you have 'Show folder sizes in the list' turned on, it is even worse. It flashes so bad (the listview actually blinks in and out of existance ) that I have to make sure I am in another folder when it is happening.

John.

Edit: The reason I didn't mention this before is because I didn't think anything could be done about it. And turning off refresh was not an option.

[pissant]

The reason I mentioned this is that I've seen flicker issues resolved (or mitigated) before, in other applications. And I didn't want to come off as a jerk, so I didn't mention it, but other file explorers I've used don't flicker nearly so much. Maybe it has to do with their refresh rate, I don't know. I kind of doubt it, because even if the refresh rate was smaller, there would still be a flicker--it just wouldn't happen as often. Yet in these other applications, I see no (serious) flicker.

[admin]

Anyway, right now I'm running an image of some of my partitions. I navigated to the folder where the image files are being saved, and found the flicker extremely bothersome...

Why are files being written constantly? (I admit, I don't know what you mean by "running an image")

How many files are in that folder?

Do I get you right that the flicker is mainly a visual problem for you (eye strain)? So, if I manage to do the repeated auto-refresh without a visible flicker, that would be sufficient?

[admin]

I made a crappy video of the flickering I'm talking about. FYI: This video uses the XviD codec, and is packaged in a RAR archive.

Just saw your video. So you are calculating folder sizes. Hence the flicker. Anyway, I might have fixed it.

Nice font there, what is it??

[pissant]

Anyway, right now I'm running an image of some of my partitions. I navigated to the folder where the image files are being saved, and found the flicker extremely bothersome...

Why are files being written constantly? (I admit, I don't know what you mean by "running an image")

I was using TeraByte Unlimited's Image for Windows utility to create a copy of one of my partitions. This is essentially a sector-by-sector backup, and the backup is saved to one or more files.

How many files are in that folder?

I'm not sure, but it wasn't a great many. A rough count (by looking at the video) puts it at around 43 files, with 4 folders in the same listing.

Do I get you right that the flicker is mainly a visual problem for you (eye strain)? So, if I manage to do the repeated auto-refresh without a visible flicker, that would be sufficient?

If I understand you correctly, then yes, doing away with a visible flicker would suffice. It's mainly a visual issue I guess, but it becomes a usability issue as well, when it gets bad enough to actually make it hard to select individual items in the file list.

Nice font there, what is it??

It's just 7-point Arial. My favorite.

Thank you very, very much for the attention. I really do appreciate it

[John Bee]

Do I get you right that the flicker is mainly a visual problem for you (eye strain)? So, if I manage to do the repeated auto-refresh without a visible flicker, that would be sufficient?

Hi

re your 0049:

v4.60.0049 - 23.05.06 12:31
! File List: reduced flicker in repeated auto-refresh situations.
Didn't I?

'Fraid not. Still as bad as ever.

I really don't think you can do anything about it tho. Unless you can sense somehow that a file update is going on (once a second) and not refresh until it stops updating. You know, hey nothings happened for a couple of seconds so it must be done, now we can refresh. ??

Also when this happens once a second, the listview gets refreshed completely, which means that if you were at the bottom of the listview contents, it forces the listview back up to the top of the list, and unless your really really fast mouse clicker, there is no way of getting back to the bottom before the next refresh.

[admin]

I really don't think you can do anything about it tho. Unless you can sense somehow that a file update is going on (once a second) and not refresh until it stops updating. You know, hey nothings happened for a couple of seconds so it must be done, now we can refresh. ??

I think I can do better, you ain't seen nothing yet.

Your idea is good at first sight. Actually I'm already using it all them time, but not waiting a "couple of seconds" but just 500 msec. You ever noted this little delay with auto-refresh? That's the 500 msec. When I raise the time to a couple of seconds, the delay would be a couple of seconds too. Not good. Also it still would flicker, only at a slower rate.
A better strategy is to refresh without flicker (and without scrolling to top). Very optimistically working on it...

[John Bee]

A better strategy is to refresh without flicker (and without scrolling to top). Very optimistically working on it...

Hi

You sir are a wizard programmer! Not only all this nifty new stuff you're putting into XY but more amaziing... is how *fast* you are doing it!!

So maybe I'm wrong, you probably will find a way.


---------
Win2K
XY .0049

[admin]

So maybe I'm wrong, you probably will find a way.

Well, the unflickering got so good, that you will think auto-refresh is off! Or... ? You have the last word...

[John Bee]

So maybe I'm wrong, you probably will find a way.

Well, the unflickering got so good, that you will think auto-refresh is off! Or... ? You have the last word...

Wow, so far so good.

Even the statusbar updates without flickering!

You have to tell me how you did it. I do s small bit of programming myself for myself, and it might come in handy for me.

[John Bee]

Wow, so far so good.

Even the statusbar updates without flickering!

A major feat, if I may say so. I think I can say that, for me, XY is now complete (it does everything I need), except... (you knew this was coming right ).

I wish only one thing if possible, keyboard shortcuts for some things that have no shortcuts, like Rename - Search and Replace and Rename - RegExp. I use these two constantly everyday.

It is not a 'I need it now' thing, because I have PowerPro macros doing this, (Alt-R brings up RegExp rename and Alt-W brings up Search and Replace rename) but it would be nice if XY had it.

John

[admin]

Even the statusbar updates without flickering!

You have to tell me how you did it. I do s small bit of programming myself for myself, and it might come in handy for me.

Very simple: good old home-grown programmming.

Flickering is an interesting topic. Everybody knows it, everybody is used to it, everybody hates it. Look at Explorer -- awful!, ridiculous!
However, shocking statement: flicker is never necessary! I believe it is an artifact of (bad) object oriented programming. I can't see any reason (apart from boot up, changing graphic card drivers, and a defect monitor) why the screen should flicker. So: wherever it flickers, the programmer made it flicker. So the simple answer: if you don't want flicker don't make it flicker.

[pissant]

how could I ever solve this. Either you have auto-refresh or you disable it. There's not much in between.

You have to tell me how you did it. I do s small bit of programming myself for myself, and it might come in handy for me.

Very simple: good old home-grown programmming.

Flickering is an interesting topic. Everybody knows it, everybody is used to it, everybody hates it. Look at Explorer -- awful!, ridiculous!
However, shocking statement: flicker is never necessary! I believe it is an artifact of (bad) object oriented programming. I can't see any reason (apart from boot up, changing graphic card drivers, and a defect monitor) why the screen should flicker. So: wherever it flickers, the programmer made it flicker. So the simple answer: if you don't want flicker don't make it flicker.

Your original reply--as shown quoted above--threw me. What, you were holding out on us, pretending that you weren't a guru of code?

Thanks again for your attention; it is always appreciated.

Anything you can do about the annoying sound that happens when my resolution changes as my desktop is loading during boot?