Quick view window below file panel and thumbnail view

[Lefteous]

New idea for thumbnail view: Display additional text on thumbnail
Another nice addition to the thumbnail view could be to enable the plugin to add additional text information to a every single thumbnail.
The user should be able to configure if additional information is displayed. Here is my suggestion for far future versions:
A new operation, called GetThumbNailText(text, metadata) in the lister plugin interface provides maximum flexibility. The plugin author can decide if he uses the provided metadata given by Total Commander or overwrite this setting.Total has to provide this metadata. How metadata support can be enhanced has been discussed in many threads. The user can decide which metadata information is provided by Total Commander for the specific plugin from the metadata pool...
OK maybe this is too much for 6.5: A simple GetThumbNailText(text) operation would be just fine for 6.5

[ghisler(Author)]

I had a similar idea, but I plan to get the text from a separate contents plugin, which could then also be used in the search function, e.g. an exif plugin for JPEG, an mp3 tag plugin for mp3s, etc.

[Lefteous]

2ghisler(Author)

I had a similar idea, but I plan to get the text from a separate contents plugin, which could then also be used in the search function, e.g. an exif plugin for JPEG, an mp3 tag plugin for mp3s, etc.

Well that's just what I ment with "metadata providing" by Total Commander, but I didn't want to lay the focus of my previous posting on the often discussed "search plugins". It's great to see the professional solution instead of the simple one
I don't think it's really important if the lister plugin is able to overwrite the text which has been provided by the search (content or whatever) plugin.

[raytc]

Indeed thumbnail view is planned for the next big update later this year. My current plans are to solve this via an additional function for lister plugins, something like

GetThumbnailImage(filename,width,height)

or so. This would return a bitmap of the defined dimentions, which could then be stored in a thumbnail database. The suggestions above are very good. Please let me know if you have any other good suggestions!

Great news!

I would like to use a shortcut to see all images as thumbnails.
(Ctrl-I p.e.)
Using again this shortcut and the actual state of TC retuns.

[Clo]

2Lefteous
2ghisler(Author)
Good evening !
¤ What about text as info-balloons for the thumbnails ?
That exists in XnView.
* However, under Win 9x, we have randomly a second "parasitic" balloon coming from Windows with a few infos only for the same thumbnail; following Pierre Gougelet (author of XnView) it's impossible to fix up fully. I just checked again now, that occurs still, it's irritating. It seems that Pierre has made that the "good" info-balloon provided by XnView itself be "on top" now.
Any opinion ?

V G
Claude
Clo

[raytc]

2Lefteous
2ghisler(Author)
Good evening !
¤ What about text as info-balloons for the thumbnails ?
That exists in XnView.
* However, under Win 9x, we have randomly a second "parasitic" balloon coming from Windows with a few infos only for the same thumbnail; following Pierre Gougelet (author of XnView) it's impossible to fix up fully. I just checked again now, that occurs still, it's irritating. It seems that Pierre has made that the "good" info-balloon provided by XnView itself be "on top" now.
Any opinion ?

V G
Claude
Clo

I think that the info balloons aren't very usable and disturbing more than adding value.

[Clo]

2raytc
Hello !

I think that the info balloons aren't very usable and disturbing more than adding value.

¤ This is your opinion, I guess you are quite wrong; balloons are usable and handy; that saves space on the pannel to add more thumbnails. Just an example of got infos here.
- The last row shows the comment (as in the descript.ion file)

¤ Apart : please, avoid to quote a whole long message, try to save free space on the Ch. Ghisler's hard-disks !

Regards,
Claude
Clo

[raytc]

This is your opinion, I guess you are quite wrong; balloons are usable and handy; that saves space on the pannel to add more thumbnails. Just an example of got infos here.
- The last row shows the comment (as in the descript.ion file)

Claude, sure that it's my opinion not more and not less.
Your example is correct (and it would be a nice option) but it's not based on balloons but on the system bar javascript onmouse over tag.
I think balloons are not very usable; system information yes.

[Sheepdog]

Your example is correct (and it would be a nice option) but it's not based on balloons ....

I'm not familiar with the programming of ballons or mouse tags but this is exactly what I was imagining when I read Claudes post. This is also exactly the way Explorer displays the file-informatin of thumbnails (in XP pro).

sheepdog

[raytc]

Your example is correct (and it would be a nice option) but it's not based on balloons ....

I'm not familiar with the programming of ballons or mouse tags but this is exactly what I was imagining when I read Claudes post. This is also exactly the way Explorer displays the file-informatin of thumbnails (in XP pro).

sheepdog

Your example is with balloons. I realy think that this is very very disturbing.
Would be much much better to use the system bar as information object.
(mouse over --> info on systembar)
(IMHO)

[Lefteous]

2Clo

...What about text as info-balloons for the thumbnails ? ... balloons are usable and handy; that saves space on the pannel to add more thumbnails. Just an example of got infos here...

Your example shows a plain rectangular tooltip. Balloons look like messages bubbles which can be found in comics. They have been introcuced in newer windows versions.
Based on all i have heard about the new thumbnail view it will be just an additional view just like short, long or tree.
That means that the already existing command cm_ShowInfo can be used in the new thumbnail view too.

2raytc

I realy think that this is very very disturbing.

You can disable fileinfo tooltips. Simply uncheck Options/Configuration/Display/Win32-style tips.

[Clo]

2raytc
Hi again,

¤ Do you know really XnView ? I don't think that it uses Javascript anywhere in its "Browse" (Thumbnails) display mode! Isn't a HTML page. The HTML-thumbnail is supported too, but it's another function…
* Moreover, when you click on a thumbnail, you get :
1. the pic in a separated dock of the window,
2. all infos in the status bar (the same than in the balloon).
- The "Thumbnails" function in XnView is very elaborate.
I brought even some ideas to improve it : I make beta tests for that program for years…
- It could be possible so easily that XnView displays a thumbnails board in a Lister-pannel. I asked for this to its author ; I guess he's too overworked only currently to realize that.

Regards,
Claude
Clo

[Clo]

2Lefteous
Hello!
¤ I use "balloon" because it's the most close of the French denomination "Info-bulle" (Info-bubble), and given as is in the Harrap's.
* Except the shape, you get the same finally : a small pop-up info window ...
* Well, whether it could be supported by the "Win-32 style tips" option, there is no problem !

 V G
Claude
Clo

[Sheepdog]

Claude, sure that it's my opinion not more and not less.
Your example is correct (and it would be a nice option) but it's not based on balloons

Your example is with balloons.

I linked to Clos example. Puzzled

I realy think that this is very very disturbing.

Did you activate

Code: Select all

 'Configuration->Display: Help texts: win32-style tips with file comments (if available)'

or do you think a separate checkbox is needed?

sheepdog

[raytc]

Did you activate

Code: Select all

 'Configuration->Display: Help texts: win32-style tips with file comments (if available)'

or do you think a separate checkbox is needed?

sheepdog

I did for my job various usability studies for privat companies and I noted always that popup/balloons windows is mostly seen by users as a disturbing element (but sure TC users are more technical informed users). However I realy believe that it would be better to use the system/status bar for this kind of information or another possbility may'be is viewing it inline like the comments (SHIFT-CTRL-F2). With both options (balloons/system bar info) I prefere a new checkbox.