Why only the itty bitty icons?

ender-01 · Post by **ender-01** » 25 Sep 2006 03:54

If it wasn't for this I'd have already purchased this incredible looking program.

Basically, and I can't figure out if it's just me, I set my view to Icons/Thumbnails, say, 180x180, and all my icons (that aren't image files) have like 16x16 teeny images in HUGE empty white boxes...

Is this how it's supposed to work? What's the point of files having detailed/unique icons if the UI's reading them only seem to display them at the smallest size imaginable?

Here's XPplorer:
[img]http://www.31012.com/images/CropperCapture[14].Png[/img]

And here's good ol' windows explorer doing it's thing correctly:
[img]http://www.31012.com/images/CropperCapture[15].Png[/img]

Hopefully I've got something setup wrong, or maybe there's a way to fix this, if so, please point me in the right direction!

Thanks in advance!

Post by **admin** » 25 Sep 2006 07:24

ender-01 wrote:If it wasn't for this I'd have already purchased this incredible looking program.

You must be kidding. You reject the hippest file manager on earth because it lacks some childish eye-candy?

Ok, frankly you are the second one (ever!) asking for large icons -- so my two-fools-rule sets in: "If two fools want the same thing take them serious."

BTW, the reason is performance and memory usage. If I add large icons both will suffer (notable, of course, only in very large listings).

zridling · Post by **zridling** » 25 Sep 2006 12:42

Ender, I noticed this, too, but unlike you, I thought it was for consistency with the file tree, since the three options change icon spacing, not their size. Ninety-five percent of the time I'm a list view guy myself. It seems one of the main goals of XYplorer is speed and efficiency — visually, time-wise, and in its operations, and if I'm choosing XYplorer, the last thing I want to do is head toward big fat icon land.

Ender, I'm asking out of curiosity: have you ever used DOS or Unix? I presume you came to computers after Windows 3.1 or 95 and like many depend on both visual cues and the mouse a great deal. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that I've never needed an icon to tell me what kind of file/s I have in any given folder.

ender-01 · Post by **ender-01** » 25 Sep 2006 12:47

Yes, this is a great program... that I cared enough to come and post in hopes that this is fixed and I can use it in the future, you do have what looks to be quite the advanced file manager here. Except for above...

Ok, so if the reason is performance and memory, if you add it in, do what good developers always do, make it an option. Then everyone's happy

As more and more people have 3+ghz machines with 2+ GBs of ram, such an option wouldn't really have that great an impact I think.

But in all honesty, yes, though it does sound a little ridiculous, sometimes the basic things are important to people, and if it wasn't for this, I'd have no reason not to purchase this program last night when I tried it again.

Actually while were on the issue, it's technically two things I see that I believe should have some fixing.

2) As you can also from my two pictures above, I just realized, XYplorer is not rendering the folder icons properly in it's display either. They're setup to be represented by icons as well as you can see from explorer's screenshot.

I have a ligitimate reason for wanting this to work too, I have a great program (freeware too), which lets me assign folders a color in order to help me keep organzied, much like how you can do that to anything on a mac. That and certain applications use folder icons, and well, there really seems to be no good reason against it that I can see, except for the usual we can only do so much...

But hey, thanks again for listening to my two cents, and like I said, the fact that I care to complain in the first place is really a compliment!

Edit:

Ender, I noticed this, too, but unlike you, I thought it was for consistency with the file tree, since the three options change icon spacing, not their size. Ninety-five percent of the time I'm a list view guy myself. It seems one of the main goals of XYplorer is speed and efficiency — visually, time-wise, and in its operations, and if I'm choosing XYplorer, the last thing I want to do is head toward big fat icon land.

I hear what you're saying, but I find explorer's rending of the folder no less structured than XYplorer's, and to be frank, the above one looks quite pointless, even ridiculous. I suppose it was never intended to be used that way, so I have to factor that in, but this seemed like it would be basic functionality.

Actually, thanks, you brought up what I believe to be the third thing missing from this program (see it really needed more inspiration from explorer).

The ability to assign/have remembered specific view settings for specific folders, and not others.

Ender, I'm asking out of curiosity: have you ever used DOS or Unix? I presume you came to computers after Windows 3.1 or 95 and like many depend on both visual cues and the mouse a great deal. Nothing wrong with that. It's just that I've never needed an icon to tell me what kind of file/s I have in any given folder.

Started on DOS actually. But like I said, icons can help with organization (colors indicate status on parts of jobs), icons can also be visually pleasing too, I just can't buy the argument for why pictures would scale to thumbnails, but not everything else, when most picture folders would have a lot more thumbnails than your average folder without them.

So to wrap up some features that would be useful to me (the second I believe would be useful to a lot of people, but I'm not certain these aren't all already implemented):

1) In icon/thumbnail view modes, the option of the icons/thumbnails drawn to the full size.
2) Color coating files/folders (folders could be done already, if the program could read folder icons)
3) The option to make the program save view settings per folder. This is useful when I like to override a column's width in certain folders, or have certain folders view settings come up as icons instead of details when accessed.

Again everything could be an option, though I can't see too many people being upset from the above additions, because they all have to be requested by the user anyway to take place in the first place.

95% of the time I would be using the detailed view, but I feel like the icon/thumbnail view is broken right now. Also I would like the detail view to have the option to pick up folder icons if they have them assigned. And the option to have the folder's view settings saved per folder. Well I think that thoroughly explains it all, time to wait and hope!

itsme28m · Post by **itsme28m** » 25 Sep 2006 13:04

An auto resize icons would be nice for this, not for the eye candy, but that you can see more files/directory's on the screen. For details with thumbnails and thumbnails. And i think only auto size the height is enough, because the filename is always there.

But only auto resize the items that have only a file icon, not the preview icons of a graphic for example. Hmm, actually, it's no auto resize, just removing the white space at the top and the bottem of the icon.

And... you can color directory's in xyplorer, just right-click the directory, then go to the "Mark" option, choose "set higlight color" for one directory, or "set box color" to set a color for a directory and all the subdirectorys within the tree.

Greetings,

Steve

ender-01 · Post by **ender-01** » 25 Sep 2006 13:09

One final thing I can point out, is that when looking on the two screenshots I posted above, in XYplorer's, you cannot easily tell if the text from the name of the file is supposed to be for the icon above or below it... I suppose spacing could be spruced up a tad more like how it's very apparent in explorer's rendering.

As to the auto-resize just on graphic icons, I believe it does that currently (sorry if my picture mislead, no graphic files in them), but I actually wish it did it to all icons, see above for long explanations. So options, options, options... they would be welcome!

Edit:
I had a feeling the color thing might have already been implemented, so that's nice, but I still think not rendering folder icons should be fixed.

ugus · Post by **ugus** » 25 Sep 2006 15:14

ender-01 wrote: I had a feeling the color thing might have already been implemented, so that's nice, but I still think not rendering folder icons should be fixed.

You can color and change icons from shell context menu with this nifty freeware tool.

http://www.foldermarker.com

Just restart XY and voila!

/Ulrik

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 25 Sep 2006 15:42

ender-01 wrote:3) The option to make the program save view settings per folder. This is useful when I like to override a column's width in certain folders, or have certain folders view settings come up as icons instead of details when accessed.

First, welcome to the XY forum! As you may gather, we're a devoted bunch of folks...

Second, I believe your comments about icon sizing may have been discussed at least once before, but don't recall the outcome...

Third, regarding folder settings: I seem to recall a post by Don/Admin in last week or so in another thread that this may be coming as a part of the Catalog...

Update: See a thread about "Folder Specific Settings"

jacky · Post by **jacky** » 25 Sep 2006 16:00

And just to add my name to the list

I too think it'd be better if XY used large icons whenever it's possible on thumbnails view. I mean using a Thumb 128x128 view (for example) means one want some large thumbs/icons/etc; not havea 128x128 space blank with the usual 16x16 icon in the middle, that's just silly/space wasted!

Also, not directly related here but, when we got icons ona folder, and use the Thumbs view, instead of usig the largest/best-fit icon size (when an icon file has more than one) XY always uses the LAST one in the file. So it the file was made from smaller to larger, it looks great, if it was made from larger to smaller, same deal: we got a 16x16 icon on a 128x128 thumb area

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 25 Sep 2006 16:16

ender-01: Just curious...in your 2nd screen shot, you have a Firefox icon with label XYplorer???

jacky, seeing those screen samples, I'd agree that XY does look unusual...and if performance is the issue, as stated, with higher capacity systems, it may not be as much of an item...and if user config'd, then not a problem for anyone.

ender-01 · Post by **ender-01** » 25 Sep 2006 17:56

Aye, it's actually an internet shortcut, i kid you not. The executable comes further down where you can't see. See another case where icons can help!

I honestly will buy this program once/if my request is added. Not a demand, but in order for this to replace explorer's file manager, well it first has to replace explorer's file manager! Starting by being able to do the few things it does correctly

Post by **j_c_hallgren** » 25 Sep 2006 18:20

ender-01, I guess it's definitely a matter of personal preference...for me, I only use thumbnail views on rare occasions and never use the Icon view..

I use details view 99% of the time and have never figured out why anyone would ever use icon view...the icons that show on details are plenty enough for me...

Now given ALL the things that XY can do which Win Expl just can't do, isn't that enough to make one buy XY? Yes, there are still a handful of things that W-E does that XY maybe can't, but that can be said for most any pair of software combinations for the same task...that's why I use IE and Firefox and Opera...each does it own thing best...but I couldn't live without the other options for those times when I need it...I use XY as a replacement for WE 98% of the time, but I don't require a replacement to do everything identical to the original, as sometimes it's a good chance for me to learn new and better ways of doing the task.

ender-01 · Post by **ender-01** » 25 Sep 2006 18:56

I like to use the icon/thumbnail views for folders I like to see icons on. Everything else I use a details view.

If I wanted to switch amongst file managers, I wouldn't have brought this up. If this is what is recommended to me, then so be it, there's certaintly no reason why what I'm requesting can't be added, it's just a matter of whether or not it's worth my money, or if they agree to my logic, so to speak.

Certaintly there's no reason I can see to offering the modes in only the way they work now.

And the not saving views per folder thing is quite annoying too. If I want to browse photos in the thumbnails view on just a few directories, I don't want to have to change my view twice everytime I do so (to and back).

I certaintly could go on using 3 or 4 different programs like I do now, but it'd be nice to use just one. Those are my hopes anyway

ender-01 · Post by **ender-01** » 25 Sep 2006 23:19

I don't know how much it helps/hurts my case, but even 7-zip's file manager, which is constantly mocked for being outdated / ugly, has no problems displaying large icons in it's icon view mode (I personally don't mind it's look so much myself)... and I don't see any slowdown whatsoever with it, infact it's one of the faster file managers I've used (albeit not too many).

zridling · Post by **zridling** » 26 Sep 2006 06:04

Ender, you've made some good points, and thanks for your answers. Now the day when 7-Zip gets customizable keyboard shortcuts.... watch out!

XYplorer Beta Club

Why only the itty bitty icons?

Why only the itty bitty icons?

Re: Why only the itty bitty icons?

Auto resize icons....