XYplorer Beta Club

Currently, folders containing other folders look completely empty in Thumbnail view:
Structure:
- Empty folder
- Filled folder
-- Image set 1
--- 1.png
--- 2.png
--- 3.png
-- Image set 2
--- 4.png
--- 5.png
...

I would think 'Filled folder' should at least show an empty thumbnail, so that it differs from empty folders (and in turn preventing someone from accidentally deleting it for them thinking it was empty): Or, more clear for the above still looks empty albeit different: a folder icon as thumbnail, like this: Even nicer would be if it would show the icon of the first directory within (so the thumbnail of 'Image set 1', meaning '1.png'). So that if the first contained folder has a (cached) thumbnail, it uses that one, and it otherwise showing the aforementioned folder icon as thumbnail instead:

There are a number of forum threads closely related to this topic. Take a look at viewtopic.php?f=5&t=24054 and viewtopic.php?p=196872
viewtopic.php?t=23063 and viewtopic.php?t=15509 There are other referrals within those threads.

klownboy wrote: ↑24 Apr 2023 01:39 There are a number of forum threads closely related to this topic. Take a look at viewtopic.php?f=5&t=24054 and viewtopic.php?p=196872
viewtopic.php?t=23063 and viewtopic.php?t=15509 There are other referrals within those threads.

Interesting! That is a couple more I was able to find through search here. However, I don't think they apply (ZoomtoFillFolderThumbs seems to be the closest and is great for those who want something like that, but it's also much more complicated with many more thumbnails than needed (and random ones at that), and unless I missed something it seems to require a manual activation each time).

The main concern is just that a folder with content (even if it's just folders) simply shouldn't look the same as an empty folder. If it can automatically inherit the first thumbnail from a folder within, that would be a plus but that's not as important.

Don't get me wrong,. I certainly don't want to come off as negative on the idea. Take another look at the very first link I provided above.

avivariba wrote: ↑24 Apr 2023 09:01 Even nicer would be if it would show the icon of the first directory within (so the thumbnail of 'Image set 1', meaning '1.png'). So that if the first contained folder has a (cached) thumbnail, it uses that one, and it otherwise showing the aforementioned folder icon as thumbnail instead:

Unless I'm out to lunch (probably), it seems very close to what I asked for last year (i.e., your "filled folder" would show the thumbnail "1.png"). Showing some kind of generic modified folder thumbnail for a "filled folder" vs an "empty folder" with no content would be different than what I asked for.

By the way the display of the folders in Zoom to Fill is all automatic, no need for Custom Event Actions or hitting toolbar buttons. The main folder view is saved as FVS and that's it.

klownboy wrote: ↑24 Apr 2023 12:42Don't get me wrong,. I certainly don't want to come off as negative on the idea. Take another look at the very first link I provided above.

Unless I'm out to lunch (probably), it seems very close to what I asked for last year (i.e., your "filled folder" would show the thumbnail "1.png"). Showing some kind of generic modified folder thumbnail for a "filled folder" vs an "empty folder" with no content would be different than what I asked for.

I can see its similarities with the "even nicer" idea, but instead mine wouldn't have any recursion of looking up folders within folders (and possibly within other folders) to determine the thumbnail. It would only check if there is a thumbnail cached for the first subfolder, and otherwise show just a default folder icon within the thumbnail.

It's not so much about the thumbnail images for me, just about there being a visible difference between folders that are actually empty and ones that aren't.

Like in Windows File Explorer:

Interesting. I was not even aware of the difference. Must have been introduced with Win10. Needs more thought.

OK I see what you mean more clearly now and agree. The "ideally" part of the wish threw me off track a bit. The view from Explorer explains it best. A "Filled Folder" has any kind of content, folder(s) or file(s). The "Empty folder" is void of any content.

Don, this is similar to the return of scripting command Property("empty" and "nosubs"). The folder with any kind of content would show a folder thumbnail with the papers in it as shown in avivariba's last post.

Edit: Don to incorporate something along the lines of this request, it would seem you would need to exhaust all the hierarchy of possibilities for displaying a folder thumbnail first (e.g., desktop.ini, folder.jpg, etc.) and if not one of those types in the chain applies, then this paper filled type thumbnail would be shown.

Made some tests on Win10. It should work if you set this tweak:

That tweak works Don. It was initially with a black background, but after refreshing thumbnails it was white. In dark mode its background is white until refreshed. Though if I remember correctly, this is the case with icons as well.

Yes, the thumbnail cache only returns opaque pixels.

That works surprisingly well! Great stuff!

One of the main issues I had with Windows File Explorer (which made me use XY in the first place) is that it tends to hang for me until it has loaded all the thumbnails for everything in view (even when in List view) and then loading all at once afterwards, but no issues with this whatsoever.

For those of us new to XYplorer, can you please explain where one places this code so we can all tell the difference between empty and not empty folders.
Thank you

admin wrote: ↑25 Apr 2023 16:23 Made some tests on Win10. It should work if you set this tweak:

Code: Select all

FolderThumbsShell=1

https://www.xyplorer.com/faq-topic.php?id=tweak

Thank you for this link.

I tried the "FolderThumbsShell=1" tweak but in Windows 11 I still get the usual empty folder thumbnail even if the folder contains subfolders.
Am I missing a step or something?

The tweak works fine here under Windows 11.
See the screenshot (the folders Hold and XML are empty)