Portable file icons

[binocular222]

But it's worth it. The feature is a hit.

For sure. No more "dammit, just deleted the original instead of the USB stick copy - wth did I have to press <del> plus <shift> "-events anymore.
Together with Tree Path Tracing, 6/4 Keys Navigation and SC this is the function I will benefit the most from during daily XYing.

OK, the configuration is lacking from the POV of the layman ("XYplorer Icon Path" <xyicons>\>SmileyHearts.ico -- typing sth like this will already frighten away many users).

I still do think a careful collection of optional examples would do the trick to motivate at least some geeks to spent more time on getting the "descriptor language". These example configs could just be supplied as default configs. Upon activation they simply serve as templates that an can be deleted anytime (if a Restore Defaults-action is available).

Obviously, those example configs must refer to paths that are very likely to be present on any "uncorrupted" windows installation. Maybe 3 examples for folders and files each?

Folder suggestions
- C:\Users\${user}\Documents -> nice icon
- C:\Users\${user}\Pictures -> nice icon
- C:\Temp -> nice icon

File suggestions
- *.mp3|*.wav or *.jpg|*jpeg|*.gif|*.png or *.doc|*.xls or *.htm|*.html-> nice icon
- *.ini|*.sys -> nice icon
- *.xys -> THE icon (I really hope for a nice one here)


My general take on this
Pattern based stuff is surely for the advanced only, because it essentially requires deeper commitment to some in-depth learning.

But I guess, most people ("laymen") will only like to change icons for
- file types/extensions
- explicit/dedicated folders
- complete drives

And these can be technically mapped to
- pick icon (aka inputfile, common action)
- pick path (aka inputfolder, for drives and folders)
- pick or add list entry (for file types/extensions)

Presented by a sort of simple wizzard this might could be realized with a manageable effort on top?
Of course, I would await the first user feedback upon official release.


Cheers,
Filehero

Final release should have some advanced examples (unchecked by default).
The pattern is so much flexible that I haven't imagine all its usage

[admin]

The problem I have not ultimately solved here is the deployment of the icons. On install the installer cannot know the app data path (it could have been customized via admin.ini). So any icons in the package must be copied to app path. That is not nice (because UAC often disallows users to write here), and it also means that the CFI definitions must point to <xypath> path instead of <xyicons> which is also not nice ("why doesn't XY use its own default path?").

[admin]

Since recently (0214?) the PFI exclusion entries like this one

<xyicons>\*

apparently have the standard folder icon showed left of the entry. I believe this was blank before. Blank seems to be a more logical choice to me.

EDIT: Ahh, when > is appended then it is blank. So, forget it.

Yep, that was a bug. It should always be empty.

[Regmos]

OH.

Uhm, the normal/open distinction is ONLY made for the generic folder icon (patterns *\ versus **\). Sorry, you can choose just one color and use it for the generic icon.

Thanks. I think even I got it now

Custom folders.gif (65.76 KiB) Viewed 2608 times

[admin]

Nice one! I might use it in my release notes of you don't mind!

It was my error that I did not make this clearer. Of course, I *could* make it work for custom icons as well, but it would be some effort and would have a (minimal) performance price -- not worth it IMO.

[admin]

Another nice usage of the **\ icon is to make the current Tree folder stand out more clearly, especially useful when you work without Tree Path Tracing (which I do only for this screenshot ).

[Regmos]

I might use it in my release notes of you don't mind!

I don't mind

[FluxTorpedoe]

I *could* make it work for custom icons as well

If by that you mean it couldn't be necessarily system-wide, well...

Because for me, the main selling points of PFI are what Win can't do by itself:
- iconize file icons
- iconize whole drives folders (Win can do specific folders)

So with **\ not "compatible" with drives or anything not system-wide, it looses much interest IMHO.
Anyway, since Win7 doesn't even differentiate opened/close, maybe it's not such a big deal for most users - and it's a nice surprise it works at all, I didn't dare ask for it a few days ago...

Nice ribbon BTW!

[FluxTorpedoe]

Hi'

First a quick question:
Would it be possible -and wise- to have a tweak/option "Create all icons at once" like we have for thumbnails? (for those with slowww computers...)

---------

Now, more fancy stuff:
I'm starting to like the fineness of the Win7 folders icons...
So to complement the debauchery of icons we already have here here's an update to my "Win7 Discreet" pack.

FXT_Folder7_Icons.png (12.84 KiB) Viewed 2601 times

It now includes sizes 16 / 32 / 48 (seems like MS dropped the other sizes by default?).
There are (names have changed since the screenshot):
- Folder7_o (opened) which are opened at all sizes
- Folder7_c (closed) which are closed at 16x16 only (at higher sizes, there's not much visual conflict, so they're the same as in the "Folder7_o")

[admin]

Would it be possible -and wise- to have a tweak/option "Create all icons at once" like we have for thumbnails? (for those with slowww computers...)

You mean for those with fast computers? "Create all icons at once" would really slow it down.

[FluxTorpedoe]

"Create all icons at once" would really slow it down.

Oh, ok.
I thought this procedure meant: create the visible icons (like it does), then go on creating the rest of them (even if slows down things a bit), so a few secs later upon scroll, they'd be all nice already! Because on a slow computer, icons take their time building up on each scroll.
Not the end of the world, mind you... and I DO intend to upgrade one day!

[Filehero]

Would it be possible -and wise- to have a tweak/option "Create all icons at once" like we have for thumbnails? (for those with slowww computers...)

I don't get that. Why "create" something that already exists?


Cheers,
Filehero

[admin]

Would it be possible -and wise- to have a tweak/option "Create all icons at once" like we have for thumbnails? (for those with slowww computers...)

I don't get that. Why "create" something that already exists?

So speaks the owner of a fast machine.

[admin]

"Create all icons at once" would really slow it down.

Oh, ok.
I thought this procedure meant: create the visible icons (like it does), then go on creating the rest of them (even if slows down things a bit), so a few secs later upon scroll, they'd be all nice already! Because on a slow computer, icons take their time building up on each scroll.
Not the end of the world, mind you... and I DO intend to upgrade one day!

Since all is done in the foreground thread browsing a large folder would simply paralyse the app.

[Filehero]

So speaks the owner of a fast machine.

Ahh, now I start to see.

What defines a "slow" machine in this context, CPU or file system IO? My CPU is > 4 years (i7 920 at 3,6 GHz), but I have a bunch of SSDs.


Cheers,
Filehero