Picasa Photo Viewer

[jcasares]

It seems launching Picasa Photo Viewer from Total Commander breaks folder sorting (by name) and so images are shown in default last modified order. This is a problem for keeping order on numbered images.

Can something be done about this bug/issue?

Here a link to some information about it:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Picasa/thread?tid=02706f4968dda25b&hl=en

[Hacker]

jcasares,
How does this manifest in TC? From the quick glance I had at the linked page it seems this is a Picasa issue.

Roman

[jcasares]

No it isn't or at least not entirely.

When you open a file in the same folder with Windows Explorer the filename order is maintained (the one set for that folder). With Total Commander not.

To reproduce it you need to have multiple files on the directory numbered ascendingly but with different modification times. You open one and when you navigate to the next the asc/desc order is not maintained.

What they blame Picasa for in that thread is that there is no configuration (in the viewer) to force that setting an avoid the one passed by the application.

[fenix_productions]

2jcasares
How can TC get from Picasa its sorting order? How can it send its own to Picasa?

As far as I can read, there is no way for such communication. Picasa gets its order from Explorer configuration (not fully) and TC has nothing to do here.

For what reason TC should adapt its sorting to Explorer? Should TC also be buggy like E? On my PC explorer often forgets its sorting order, view mode and few other things. I don't think this would be good way to follow.

[Hacker]

jcasares,
I am sorry, I still do not understand. If you need my input apart from what fenix_productions already wrote, could you please create a short video detailing the issue?

Thanks
Roman

[jcasares]

How can TC get from Picasa its sorting order? How can it send its own to Picasa?

That's a question for the developer.

As far as I can read, there is no way for such communication. Picasa gets its order from Explorer configuration (not fully) and TC has nothing to do here.

You say because you know the code and how Windows works? When you open an image from Total Commander for preview, the sort order for the folder (the one that Windows sets) is not respected. Granted, I now tested that this happens as well with XYplorer and FreeCommander so it might be some non standard way of getting the sort order from Picasa or something missing from alternative file managers.

For what reason TC should adapt its sorting to Explorer? Should TC also be buggy like E? On my PC explorer often forgets its sorting order, view mode and few other things. I don't think this would be good way to follow.

What?! o_O;

Explorer works well. I'm sorry it doesn't for you but don't bring confusion to the thread. It's simple... Picasa Photo Viewer respects the folder sort order when an image is opened from Explorer and when it's opened from Total Commander is not. We should focus in finding where the problem lies and how to fix it instead of blaming others.

I am sorry, I still do not understand. If you need my input apart from what fenix_productions already wrote, could you please create a short video detailing the issue?

Let's say we have 10 pictures named picture01 to picture06. All of them were modified in different times like:

picture01 [Last modified 1/1/2011]
picture02 [Last modified 3/1/2011]
picture03 [Last modified 1/1/2011]
picture04 [Last modified 2/1/2011]
picture05 [Last modified 5/1/2011]
picture06 [Last modified 1/1/2011]

If you open picture01 in Picasa Photo Viewer and then click next, picture03 will be loaded and then picture06, picture04, picture02, picture05. Even while both Explorer and TC have sorted the folder by name (01>02>03>04>05). If you open the same file from Windows Explorer then that filename order is respected.

I think the video will be more confusing than helpful but I can manage to do it if there is a need after this response.

[Henrie]

Explorer works well. I'm sorry it doesn't for you but don't bring confusion to the thread. It's simple... Picasa Photo Viewer respects the folder sort order when an image is opened from Explorer and when it's opened from Total Commander is not. We should focus in finding where the problem lies and how to fix it instead of blaming others.

I blame Picasa for not getting the sorting order from the program it was opened from. As it does when it is opened from Explorer.

[Hacker]

jcasares,

I blame Picasa for not getting the sorting order from the program it was opened from. As it does when it is opened from Explorer.

I have to agree with Henrie here, it really is not TC's job to take care of the sort order in a gazillion programs in which pictures might be opened from TC.

Roman

[jcasares]

But didn't you think that maybe it's TC wrongdoing because it isn't passing such data to Picasa?
I'm not saying it is like that but I can't confirm also that it's Picasa's fault.

[petermad]

2jcasares

Have you tried this:

1. Open the folder yuo want to browse in Explorer and sort it the way you like (name).
2. Open the same folder in TC.
3. Now, from TC, open one of the images in PPV, and click next - is the sort order correct now?

[fenix_productions]

As far as I can read, there is no way for such communication. Picasa gets its order from Explorer configuration (not fully) and TC has nothing to do here.

You say because you know the code and how Windows works?

I don't know Picasa code but I know something about applications communication on Windows and I know about coding a little bit. But that's not the point.

Someone behind your link wrote:

PPV follows the order you have your photos sorted in in Windows explorer with you open a photo with PPV. Close PPV, select detail view in Windows explorers, click on the file name column, open a photo with PPV.`Viola!

I have assumed that when Picasa starts it checks Explorer sorting (probably from Registry or maybe there is system function for that) and adapts its mechanism to retrieved value. I am not 100% sure about it but it seems that Picasa doesn't get such info from any other application it is started from (either way XYplorer or TC could make some difference).

For what reason TC should adapt its sorting to Explorer? Should TC also be buggy like E? On my PC explorer often forgets its sorting order, view mode and few other things. I don't think this would be good way to follow.

What?! o_O;

This is the implication of what I wrote above. If Picasa defines sorting according to Explorer then TC should co-operate with Explorer to have consistant behaviour. Either TC should sort itself like Explorer or make Explorer sort files by TC rules. Both ways are troublesome in the case of custom columns usage.


So the only solution for your issue is to ask Picasa developers to implement messaging system for sorting which could be used by external applications.

Other members said this already: this is not a problem with TC.

[jcasares]

Have you tried this:

1. Open the folder yuo want to browse in Explorer and sort it the way you like (name).
2. Open the same folder in TC.
3. Now, from TC, open one of the images in PPV, and click next - is the sort order correct now?

Yes, that's what I did first but it doesn't work, so what fenix says about registry doesn't apply.

[petermad]

Did you leave Explorer open when you opened TC (you were supposed to) ?

[Hacker]

jcasares,

But didn't you think that maybe it's TC wrongdoing because it isn't passing such data to Picasa?

No, there is no standard about applications setting other applications' file sort order, same way as applications do not set each other's colors, icons, transparency, hotkeys or sound scheme. I do not think you would encounter anything similar to what Picasa does with Explorer if you'd check any other application pair.

Roman

[tebu2000]

Hi, i need basic info to set up picasa photo viewer on TC