Grid-lines in L & R panes

[Derek Cornish]

Am I dreaming, or is it possible to customize TC so that the directory and file listing in each pane are within grid lines?

I've just lost all my settings owing to a crash and can't find any way in TC to restore the grid-lines...

Or am I going crazy and harking back to my Laplink and NC days?

Derek

[WatchUer]

AFAIK, TC can't display the grid lines.

[Jqn]

If it's possible, I would like to add it to wishs list

BR
Joaquin

[Derek Cornish]

Thank you. I must have been thinking of Outlokk and Zoot, whose grid-lines I had to re-instate.

Yes, I'd like to add this to the wish-list, too

Derek

[Nightburn]

me too . Id also like custom background images.. tileable.. but i won't hold my breathe...

[JohnFredC]

I too would like gridlines!

Here are a few display-related features I'd like to see in TC:

• Customizeable gridlines (color, horizontal on/off, vertical on/off)
• "Inplace" redating and attribute editing.
• Wider selection of columns (MP3 data, EXIF data, Comments, etc)
• Ability to hide or show individual columns
• Ability to rearrange columns (I'd like to put the extension column in the first position, for instance)
• Ability to sort on more than one column at a time
• Ability to freeze/fix columns a la Excel
• Ability to have separate scrolling for folders vs. files
• Separate background colors for active and inactive panes
• Ability to have a separate background color for the "fixed" columns
• Multiple toolbars with "anywhere" docking. Even between the panes ("center" docking is the most efficient toolbar docking location for minimizing mouse movements)
• Thumbnails thumbnails thumbnails!!!!! (with selectable sizes)
• With the thumbnail display, ability to position thumbnails at random in the pane and have their positions persist.
• Ability to display a folder treeview in EACH pane. SpeedCommander does this and it is very very useful.
• More options for each pane's status area: earliest date, most recent date, largest file, smallest file, etc. Double clicking the status indicator would select the corresponding file (or files).
• Clickable path in the pane title area a la Servant Salmander. (Another thread convinced me how useful this would be.)

To be honest, I would like most of this stuff to be saved in a "TCSettings" file in each folder, so that I could customize each folder if I chose to.

The TC file panes are just datagrids filled with data about files. Why not implement all the features that we customarily associate with data grids in other apps such as spreadsheets?

My computer and disk subsystem are so fast, and I have so much RAM, that I doubt I would notice any TC performance degradation from an implementation of these requests.

Unfortunately, I don't think even the genius Mr. Ghisler could fit ALL of that additional functionality in the space remaining on a floppy containing the current TC install. It seems to me natural to expect a "Pro" version of TC that no longer fits on a floppy. OK with me. I don't even have a floppy drive on my computers any more.

[djk]

2JohnFredC
I agree with most of your wishes/dreams

[Clo]

2JohnFredC

Unfortunately, I don't think even the genius Mr. Ghisler could fit ALL of that additional functionality in the space remaining on a floppy containing the current TC install. It seems to me natural to expect a "Pro" version of TC that no longer fits on a floppy. OK with me. I don't even have a floppy drive on my computers any more.

Hi John!
¤ I agree about the whole missing features addition... in the principle.
But the way in which Ch. Ghisler could materialize such a project isn't easy to define.
A full "Pro" version couln't be reachable by all users. Moreover, it needs to use services of another company to make a lot of CDs, for instance.
¤ Example: That exists with XnView -its author made a pro version "DeLuxe"-. But he needed to negotiate for the mass production and distribution with a specialized firm.
Hence, he no longer fully controls his software...
¤ We could have in first an "official" distinct package of the most used / useful author's pluggins, including some "nice-to-have" like the grids (sorry, personally, I don't care...); might be as a downloadable package for a tentative release.
¤ Such a package might have an installer, which'ld complete the program automatically.
Then, the distribution / licence problems remain, but it's not my cup of tea...
Best regards,
friendly,
Claude
Clo

[JohnFredC]

Hi Clo

I agree with your remarks, but I anticipate an unavoidable "turning point" sometime in the near future where requests for enhancements to TC (whether trivial ones like grid lines or more involved ones like thumbnails), if implemented, will cause the TC installer to exceed the 1.44Mb limit.

From my experience, DOpus, SpeedCommander, and Servant Salmander all exceed TC's functionality in a few specific areas. Their programmers are learning fast and each iteration of their products gets closer to TC in the functionality and ease of use I need.

I personally do not want to have to use 3 different file managers at once. It would be nice if all the features I need were in TC.

The value of any future efforts Mr.Ghisler might make is influenced partly by TC users (us). I personally would like a more aesthetically pleasing and more "complete" Total Commander for my own use. Others may disagree. Apparently you do.

I am sure Mr. Ghisler is already contemplating these issues and listening closely to what we have to say.

[Clo]

>>>JohnFredC

will cause the TC installer to exceed the 1.44Mb limit.

In fact, the current diskettes are 1.3xxx MB now, that increases the problem!

From my experience, DOpus, SpeedCommander, and Servant Salmander all exceed TC's functionality in a few specific areas

in a few specific areas For the fun, I tested the third once: better only to display pics In Lister for *.RTF ... and big inconveniances: settings in the register, languages, no user's / drives buttons and so on.

I personally would like a more aesthetically pleasing and more "complete" Total Commander for my own use. Others may disagree. Apparently you do.

I don't refuse TC improvements! About the look, there are five narrow stripes backgrounds to "customize"... This subject has been discussed a lot already...
In one hand, I think simply that a one-piece Pro version could be too expansive for many users (even in Europe... I know that I tell, I'm retired, isn't the Paradise!).
¤ In the other hand, it's true that some features are currently missing in our Dear TC... Hence, I thought to the previously described tentative medium way (just an idea, of course!)
Please, remember too that we are ~4% of registered users here (most certainly, very active!), but 96% of other users' opinions are almost unknown...
Friendly regards,
Clo

[JohnFredC]

there are five narrow stripes backgrounds to "customize"...

What do you mean by this?

[Clo]

there are five narrow stripes backgrounds to "customize"...

What do you mean by this?

Hi again!
Except the file-lists windows, what remains as areas to change on the screen which belongs to TC itself?
¤ Of course, it's very variable following each user tastes and needs...
¤ Mainly:
- the left-border (BkGr colour by Windows...)
- the right-border "" "" "" ""
- the drive-buttons / drives infos / folder-tabs area (BkGr colour by Windows...)
- the sorting-tabs headers area (BkGr colour by Windows...)
Under win 2000 / Xp, you can improve the look of these items, choosing various themes...
¤ Under Win98, it's more limited (though mine is patched to use the Win 2K themes, but I didn't set any one!)

The main dish - and the main bone of contention too - is the file-lists background.
¤ Some users required a background-picture feature...
Maybe you wish this too? If yes, I respect your opinion, though I guess -and a lot of others too, author included...- it doesn't help the reading into these pannels...

¤ Such an option'ld have its place in the "second-part" pack...
Personally, the color choice (improved now) is enough for me...
...and too much for someones who don't like my style!
That's all! (It's 6:35 AM here!)
Friendly regards,
Clo

[omdawe]

Here is another vote on getting vertical grind lines!.. Or something like the recently added for TC that each and other raw have a different color, but for vertical so its more easy to see what extensions belongs to what raw!..

[Boofo]

2Derek Cornish
Why not just using alternating row colors?

[omdawe]

2Derek Cornish
Why not just using alternating row colors?

I use that and i love it, but i would think it would look nicer with also vertical alternating color!.. Standard i use Name - Ext - Size - Date.. And for a more visual look i think it would look better if could for a example have size in another background color.. or the other ones.. or lines as i said before..