NEXT Version v4.x (?)

[Mathias (Author)]

For the next major versions there will be some focus on fixing UI stuff, colors and similar things.

So if you have any idea on what UI things should be changed/customized please drop a post.

In Menu > Configuration > "Quick Look'n''Feel Setup" > Customize
You can select from a couple of different colors profiles.
They will be extend with more ready to use profiles.

And I know that a lot of you guys are customizing the colors and settings heavily.
And If you think your color setup and nice and would like your colors-setup and Explorer Panel settings to be one of the fast set options. Then post a message with the ExplorerPanel.xml file here (or send it to me privately ) and It might be included in the list.
(The file is found in the config folder , type ":goconfig" in the command line bar to go the config folder )

[Jungle]

Extra columns (like mp3 tags) don't support unicode. Would be great to fix it (if possible).

[Mathias (Author)]

I use a 3d party library for that..so it is not something I can fix myelf. But I will check if there is an updated version of it and if they have added support for that.

[Jungle]

Maybe more icons for the menu items if possible?

[ice-man]

*Able to set customize tab colors for the explorer panel tabs.
    * Maybe auto set tab color based on path?  so if I go into c:\picture my tab turns green.
*New splash.. If you have the time. Low low priority (Just to make it look refresh.)
*Customize default background color (Menubar, toolbar, Buttonpanel, free tab area) Override the windows default "grey" background.. If possible.
* Flag files and folder with different colors flags that are shown before or after the filename.. (Like you can flag mail in outlook) and then some way to select all files that has green flag set. (Not sure if the flag information should be saved between runs, and if so how. Maybe in a (ADS) Alternative Data Steams in the file..Hm but then it will not be possible to flag files on write protected volumes.

Improve some of the icons like..
  "Show Hidden files" (Sorry I got now idea on how a icons for that should look like. Just that the current icon feels wrong)
   Calculate Folder size (Should be a icon with a folder not a file.)
  *new* Filter icon that can show a list f view filters to apply
 (Maybe if someone that can draw can provide some icons, that would be great)

[Mathias (Author)]

*Able to set customize tab colors for the explorer panel tabs.
    * Maybe auto set tab color based on path?  so if I go into c:\picture my tab turns green.

Maybe.. atleast the first one.

*New splash.. If you have the time. Low low priority (Just to make it look refresh.)

You are reading my mind, Someone have already provided me with a new splash..

*Customize default background color (Menubar, toolbar, Buttonpanel, free tab area) Override the windows default "grey" background.. If possible.

This is actually already possible. Atleast part of it. problem is that some part can not be overriden so it does not look good.
create a regvalue value under MultiCommnder section in HKCU with the name CustomPanelColor1 of type REG_SZ and insert color using HTML style.
Or for portable version add it to <mcinstall>\SessionConfig\Misc\MultiCommander.ini
Be aware. it looks ugly..

* Flag files and folder with different colors flags that are shown before or after the filename.. (Like you can flag mail in outlook) and then some way to select all files that has green flag set. (Not sure if the flag information should be saved between runs, and if so how. Maybe in a (ADS) Alternative Data Steams in the file..Hm but then it will not be possible to flag files on write protected volumes.

Been thinking about something like that. But as you say.. storing the flag information in ADS is not good because then you will not be able to flag files where you do not have write permissions. Storing the flag info in a personal storage is an option. But it would be nice if multiple users browsing the same shared network folder would see the same flags. So storing the flag data in a personal storage is not good then.  Might not exists a good solution for all use cases.

Improve some of the icons like..
  "Show Hidden files" (Sorry I got now idea on how a icons for that should look like. Just that the current icon feels wrong)

Exactly. How do you show a "Show hidden files" action as a picture ?? I have not come up with a good idea my self. If anyone got a good idea of how an icon like that should look like. please. let me know..

   Calculate Folder size (Should be a icon with a folder not a file.)

Yes. correct..

  *new* Filter icon that can show a list f view filters to apply

Yes.. Something like that is coming..

(Maybe if someone that can draw can provide some icons, that would be great)

That would be very very good. Since I can not draw at all my self.

[ice-man]

I just remember a UI option that I would like.

Option to add a little extra space between the rows. If you have small icons and font it can be a bit to tight, Option that would add 2-3 px extra spacing would be nice..
(This is not a normal user settings. so maybe place settings for this under some extra Advanced tweak category.)

[GrantSP]

One of the areas of this program that I really like is the button bar at the bottom. A great idea where you can easily assign your own commands to buttons. Brilliant! However the look of it is a bit "blah". No offense. Even providing the ability to resize the buttons or assign icons would make it more attractive.
If you are given an icon library that handles all the icons within the program itself as well as any extra commands that the user designs, then choosing one of those to be the button face would be good.

I imagine however that it might be a bit more of a rewrite for most of the interface to read the icons from a user defined icon library so maybe just the buttons on the bottom.

Just now as I am writing this post I was also looking at the configuration options in MC and noticed something odd.
You have too many ways to change the same sort of things and they don't always match up and produce the desired effect.

1) Configuration -- Quick Look'n'Feel Setup -- Customize -- Colors -- (choose from the list)
Too many clicks and changes of interface even within this one setting. File menu to new dialog to another new dialog and then a dropdown list.

2) Configuration -- Explorer Panel Settings -- Display or Layout of Colors (choose Display and then...) Fonts... As well as these options there is a button on the bottom of this new panel to "Import" a new scheme which loads a new dialog with another dropdown list to select a scheme.
As with 1) too many different changes in interface to edit settings: menu options to dialogs to tabbed panels to more dropdown lists and buttons.

Selecting one of those schemes changed the font colors but nothing else which meant my previous layout of the Quick Look'n'Feel setup of alternating colors now had some text with same background color. Other elements also changed to undesirable styles and there is no option to restore the layout, color or style to "factory" settings. I now have to figure out which style element was changed by which option menu.

So if I could summarize what I feel the most important UI changes you should make are:

1) Reorganize the different ways to edit all the elements onto one place from which ALL the settings are easily identified and changed. Don't have multiple ways to do the same thing for this sort of thing, it is something the user may do once in a while and doesn't need to be in a quick one click setup but it should also be presented in a unambiguous manner so as not to confuse simple users. Like me.
If these settings could be saved into some sort of config file then you may find users could share their settings and you might be able to include them in a list of easily defined settings, in the same way most code editors have different layout styles.

2) Pretty up the button bar with the ability to change the size and maybe adding icon support.

3) If ALL the icons, even those in the main program, were loaded from an icon library (some *.dll maybe) then users may also be able to load different libraries if so desired.
This last one is a really low issue one though. 1 and 2 really need attention in my opinion.

[Mathias (Author)]

1) Configuration -- Quick Look'n'Feel Setup -- Customize -- Colors -- (choose from the list)
Too many clicks and changes of interface even within this one setting. File menu to new dialog to another new dialog and then a dropdown list.

The customize dialog was there first.. But most user do not care..They only want to choose between the two main styles. CommanderStyled or WinExplorer-Style.
So the first dialog was added since most of the time that is want the user want to do. The second dialog might change a  bit. But having dropdown list is probably not removed. I don't see the problem with that. There are many too select. Dropdown list are a good UI component to use to select between many different options.

2) Configuration -- Explorer Panel Settings -- Display or Layout of Colors (choose Display and then...) Fonts... As well as these options there is a button on the bottom of this new panel to "Import" a new scheme which loads a new dialog with another dropdown list to select a scheme.
As with 1) too many different changes in interface to edit settings: menu options to dialogs to tabbed panels to more dropdown lists and buttons.

Selecting one of those schemes changed the font colors but nothing else which meant my previous layout of the Quick Look'n'Feel setup of alternating colors now had some text with same background color. Other elements also changed to undesirable styles and there is no option to restore the layout, color or style to "factory" settings. I now have to figure out which style element was changed by which option menu.

Import is to import parts of settings from a files that is "exported". So you can import just selected parts.

1) Reorganize the different ways to edit all the elements onto one place from which ALL the settings are easily identified and changed. Don't have multiple ways to do the same thing for this sort of thing, it is something the user may do once in a while and doesn't need to be in a quick one click setup but it should also be presented in a unambiguous manner so as not to confuse simple users. Like me.

Not sure that would work. Having all settings in one big window would be messy. and it would not work

If these settings could be saved into some sort of config file then you may find users could share their settings and you might be able to include them in a list of easily defined settings, in the same way most code editors have different layout styles.

You can export part of the settings.
Also the Quick Setup profiles is based on files in config. So it is possible to create own.
<mcinstall>\ConfigProfiles.xml
<mcinstall>\Config\CfgProfiles\*.xml
The files in CfgProfiles contains what setting to set in settings if it is selected.

2) Pretty up the button bar with the ability to change the size and maybe adding icon support.

Button panel already support font change (if you edit buttonpanel.xml manually), Icon support might be added.
Configuration option for changing font and fontsize might be added.

3) If ALL the icons, even those in the main program, were loaded from an icon library (some *.dll maybe) then users may also be able to load different libraries if so desired.

All Icons are already read from a resource dll..   MCIcons.dll

[Kreator]

I agree with previous message about the bottom button panel. It isn't very important for me, but it could add some gracefulness and individuality to the interface.
What about configuration issues, I'll rejoin:

1) Configuration -- Quick Look'n'Feel Setup -- Customize -- Colors -- (choose from the list)
Too many clicks and changes of interface even within this one setting. File menu to new dialog to another new dialog and then a dropdown list.

Maybe the last dialog is unnecessary (it's possible to add those dropdown lists to the previous dialog), but the option is called Look'n'Feel, it have to change lot's of settings. Maybe it should be reworked to 3 radiobuttons and those 4 dropdown menus, which will reflect the radiobuttons' change (i.e. you choose "MC style" and 4 dropdown menus change their items to "Commander style....", if you change dropdown lists manually, radiobutton "Customize" will be active). Here's some kind of example (in attachment).

2) Configuration -- Explorer Panel Settings -- Display or Layout of Colors (choose Display and then...) Fonts... As well as these options there is a button on the bottom of this new panel to "Import" a new scheme which loads a new dialog with another dropdown list to select a scheme.
As with 1) too many different changes in interface to edit settings: menu options to dialogs to tabbed panels to more dropdown lists and buttons.

Selecting one of those schemes changed the font colors but nothing else which meant my previous layout of the Quick Look'n'Feel setup of alternating colors now had some text with same background color. Other elements also changed to undesirable styles and there is no option to restore the layout, color or style to "factory" settings. I now have to figure out which style element was changed by which option menu.

I believe that the way it's made to choose tabs and then a dialog with the dropdown list is quite logical and easy to manage (it was clear to me). Maybe Core settings and panel settings should be mixed to one menu item and be shown together. Maybe it's a bit long way to click, but it's custom settings. You can do the trick from Look'n'Feel menu without opening settings at all. Most users do it that way, I guess.
I didn't use all Look'n'Feel options (I'm used to do all setting 1 by 1 in full list), I just chose WinExplorer style. But if different settings are made to colours from customization panel and from Look'n'Feel tool, it should be clear to a user what settings he's going to change with this or that button.

[Mathias (Author)]

I agree with previous message about the bottom button panel. It isn't very important for me, but it could add some gracefulness and individuality to the interface.
What about configuration issues, I'll rejoin:

1) Configuration -- Quick Look'n'Feel Setup -- Customize -- Colors -- (choose from the list)
Too many clicks and changes of interface even within this one setting. File menu to new dialog to another new dialog and then a dropdown list.

Maybe the last dialog is unnecessary (it's possible to add those dropdown lists to the previous dialog), but the option is called Look'n'Feel, it have to change lot's of settings. Maybe it should be reworked to 3 radiobuttons and those 4 dropdown menus, which will reflect the radiobuttons' change (i.e. you choose "MC style" and 4 dropdown menus change their items to "Commander style....", if you change dropdown lists manually, radiobutton "Customize" will be active). Here's some kind of example (in attachment).

Something like that might work..

2) Configuration -- Explorer Panel Settings -- Display or Layout of Colors (choose Display and then...) Fonts... As well as these options there is a button on the bottom of this new panel to "Import" a new scheme which loads a new dialog with another dropdown list to select a scheme.
As with 1) too many different changes in interface to edit settings: menu options to dialogs to tabbed panels to more dropdown lists and buttons.

Selecting one of those schemes changed the font colors but nothing else which meant my previous layout of the Quick Look'n'Feel setup of alternating colors now had some text with same background color. Other elements also changed to undesirable styles and there is no option to restore the layout, color or style to "factory" settings. I now have to figure out which style element was changed by which option menu.

I believe that the way it's made to choose tabs and then a dialog with the dropdown list is quite logical and easy to manage (it was clear to me). Maybe Core settings and panel settings should be mixed to one menu item and be shown together. Maybe it's a bit long way to click, but it's custom settings. You can do the trick from Look'n'Feel menu without opening settings at all. Most users do it that way, I guess.
I didn't use all Look'n'Feel options (I'm used to do all setting 1 by 1 in full list), I just chose WinExplorer style. But if different settings are made to colours from customization panel and from Look'n'Feel tool, it should be clear to a user what settings he's going to change with this or that button.

Joining Core and Explorer Panel settings does not work. It is separated for a reason and that is because Explorer Panel is really an extension (Built into MC, but could have been a its own .dll.) 
I know that it can sometimes be confusing if a settings should be found in Core or ExplorerPanel, It is where it is because of the Extension/Plugin architecture.
MC is build around an extension/plugin architecture, Almost everything in MC is a plugin. Many of the Build into MC but they should just as well have been separate dlls. It makes it easy to add new things but it also put up some limits.

Right now only core and explorer panel are using the "generic" settings views. (Some other plugins that will get some settings will also show up in the list in the future), The layout and connection to the settings files are actually defined in the MultiCommander_def.xml and ExplorerPanel_def.xml file, so it is easy to move stuff around and add new settings, But it also put limits on what kind of settings to show.

[GrantSP]

Ok let's look at this again.

I actually think the way you have the Explorer Panel and the Core settings in tabbed panels is the best way to do it. I was in no way saying you should put all the settings onto one page, rather one location. There should be no reason why changing the layout or colouring of the explorer panel can be done by two or more different commands. Just one.

For instance, there is the Configuration -- File Coloring Rules Editor and then on the Colors tab of the Explorer Panel Settings there is the options to use that Editor. It should be easily seen that these two need to go together. To open one editor dialog and be told to use it you need to open another settings panel is needlessly obtuse and confusing.

Also I understand the need to have separate settings panels for core and explorer, because of the modular nature of your program but what is the need to change the style of interface with different menu options?

Your tabbed panel UI for the Core and Explorer Panel settings is excellent. It looks good, is functional, clean and informative. Why can't the other dialogs and menu options also be placed in similar tabbed panels? It would present a more unified and clean look.

So File Coloring Rules Editor -- into a tabbed panel
Quick Look'n'Feel -- scrap it. It can be accomplished just as well with the saved/exported configurations from the other methods

The other menu options under the Configuration menu can probably stay exactly as they are, unless they too can be moved to one of your tabbed panels.
I really like the look of that UI with the settings inside a panel in the main program, it has a touch of class or something about it. Nice job.

One minor point that needs fixing. In the Explorer Panel Settings -- Display and in the Fonts section. The first item is "Freepace" I assume that should be "Free space"?

[Kreator]

For instance, there is the Configuration -- File Coloring Rules Editor and then on the Colors tab of the Explorer Panel Settings there is the options to use that Editor. It should be easily seen that these two need to go together. To open one editor dialog and be told to use it you need to open another settings panel is needlessly obtuse and confusing.

It's the right way. But as I get it, now it's the limitation of modular structure of the program.

Also I understand the need to have separate settings panels for core and explorer, because of the modular nature of your program but what is the need to change the style of interface with different menu options?

Your tabbed panel UI for the Core and Explorer Panel settings is excellent. It looks good, is functional, clean and informative. Why can't the other dialogs and menu options also be placed in similar tabbed panels? It would present a more unified and clean look.

So File Coloring Rules Editor -- into a tabbed panel

The author is moving that way, I think. It's just because all is done via plugins.

Quick Look'n'Feel -- scrap it. It can be accomplished just as well with the saved/exported configurations from the other methods

I don't think LNF is bad idea. It's the key for those who don't like lots of settings and searching those settings. And for those who come from WinExplorer, not from TotalCommander. I think it's good solution.

[Mathias (Author)]

There should be no reason why changing the layout or colouring of the explorer panel can be done by two or more different commands. Just one.

For instance, there is the Configuration -- File Coloring Rules Editor and then on the Colors tab of the Explorer Panel Settings there is the options to use that Editor. It should be easily seen that these two need to go together. To open one editor dialog and be told to use it you need to open another settings panel is needlessly obtuse and confusing.

The old style coloring was inside the Explorer Panel settings. But the new File Coloring rules offer an UI that is more advanced and it is not possible to show by the generic settings panel.
So because of that it had to move to its own place.

Your tabbed panel UI for the Core and Explorer Panel settings is excellent. It looks good, is functional, clean and informative. Why can't the other dialogs and menu options also be placed in similar tabbed panels? It would present a more unified and clean look.

The Generic settings panel can not show that kind of UI. It only support standard options like Checkboxes (enable/disable) and Listboxes for picking one of many, and some other controls. I been planing to maybe moving some of the settings Dialog Windows to a dialog panel that is shown inside a tab, But that can sometimes give strange look if the tab is not large enouth and other strange issue that I have not had time to look at.

Quick Look'n'Feel -- scrap it. It can be accomplished just as well with the saved/exported configurations from the other methods

No, there is a need for a one click options to switch between Commander <> WinExplorer mode..
But I think I like Kreator's suggestions about joining the two dialogs.

One minor point that needs fixing. In the Explorer Panel Settings -- Display and in the Fonts section. The first item is "Freepace" I assume that should be "Free space"?

Whops.. Thanks.. ( Why have I not notice before....  I might be going blind. )

[Krekkie]

Maybe these are more like bugs instead of feature requests but all are UI related:


1) Active tab when closing a tab
Suppose you have 2 tabs open pointing to c:\ and d:\ in that order and c:\ is the active tab. Press Ctrl-T to duplicate the active tab. Then close this newly created third tab. I would expect the c:\ tab to become the active tab again but that is not the case. In practice: when you are doing stuff on a tab and then quickly create another tab to check something or whatever and close this again you have to go looking for your previous active tab.


2) Sort by extension
My explorer panel is always sorted by extension but sometimes when starting MC it reverts back to sorting by name and the little arrow besides Ext is gone. This happens in about 1 in 7 cases but I can't reproduce this on command.


3) Delete progress dialog
Since the new delete progress dialog has been introduced (build 1457) MC switches screens while deleting in a multi-monitor setup. Steps to reproduce this: put MC on the second screen and delete a file. The confirmation dialog also appears on the second screen but the progress dialog and any error dialogs appear on the main screen. This didn't happen with the 'old' delete progress dialog.

[Crash+Burn]

Ability to customize what appears in the main Toolbar (on top) --- the button-bar on the bottom can be undocked, closed, redocked. Whereas the Toolbar is pretty static.

Consider,
1) allowing to set a min-max width on the "command line" or even the option to place it on the bottom -- which would also entail separating the Address-Bar icons from the Address-bar command line.
2) Ability to reorganize the other bars (drag, move), remove/add commands, and/or change icons.
3) Align the functionality of the ButtonBar with the toolbar: Allow editing default commands.

If the functionality of the ToolBar cannot be improved to match the flexibility of the ButtonBar - then consider:
1) Allowing the USER-Defined-Functions (ICON/Buttons) to be on their own line
OR if the "command-line" width can be limited, then at least the UDF's would have more space.

The few changes to the ButtonBar, that might improve it as noted by others: allow icons,
* possibly allow individual buttons to be "split": customizable layout.
* multiple button-bars, left-right, or more than 1 that can be undocked.

"split": e.g.
[ Sample Button #1] [ Sample Button #2] [ Sample Button #3]
[ Split#4] [ Split #5] [ Sample Button #6] [ Sample Button #7]


Buggy Large Icons in the ToolBar, when using "tabbed view" when you choose larger icons, it affects the AddressBar and UDF's but the bar doesn't gain any height to allow proper display of the icons. And none of the other tabbed icons get resized, they are still 16x16.

Also changing the ICON Size of the ToolBar could possibly be separated from choosing the icon-size of UDF's - especially if UDF's were allowed on their own line.

[Mathias (Author)]

1) allowing to set a min-max width on the "command line" or even the option to place it on the bottom -- which would also entail separating the Address-Bar icons from the Address-bar command line.

Is that really needed since it will auto size it self if you place more icons after it.
You can Disable the QuickLaunch part there and you can enable a QuickLaunch toolbar that is its entire row.

2) Ability to reorganize the other bars (drag, move), remove/add commands, and/or change icons.

The toolbar are a bit special, Because of the plugin/extension architecture and that they are created at runtime. There are some limits.
Changing Toolbar location/order can not be supported without major redesign.
Customizing the toolbars (Add/Remove buttons) is planed. But with some limits, Mixing buttons from many toolbar into one will not work.
 

3) Align the functionality of the ButtonBar with the toolbar: Allow editing default commands.

Not sure what you mean.. but all buttons in the button panel can be changed.

If the functionality of the ToolBar cannot be improved to match the flexibility of the ButtonBar - then consider:
1) Allowing the USER-Defined-Functions (ICON/Buttons) to be on their own line
OR if the "command-line" width can be limited, then at least the UDF's would have more space.

See QuickLauchbar..  Configure it to take an entire row.

The few changes to the ButtonBar, that might improve it as noted by others: allow icons,
* possibly allow individual buttons to be "split": customizable layout.
* multiple button-bars, left-right, or more than 1 that can be undocked.

"split": e.g.
[ Sample Button #1] [ Sample Button #2] [ Sample Button #3]
[ Split#4] [ Split #5] [ Sample Button #6] [ Sample Button #7]

* Icon support is coming.
* Splitting will cause issues. But.. What about the other way around. Allowing button to span multiple columns.. that might be possible.. should be able to create the same layout of it. I will investigate if that is possible.
* Multiple button panels.. Create multiple is supported in the code. But not sure they can be docked to left/right. I remember there was some issue with it. But It was a long time ago.

Buggy Large Icons in the ToolBar, when using "tabbed view" when you choose larger icons, it affects the AddressBar and UDF's but the bar doesn't gain any height to allow proper display of the icons. And none of the other tabbed icons get resized, they are still 16x16.

Also changing the ICON Size of the ToolBar could possibly be separated from choosing the icon-size of UDF's - especially if UDF's were allowed on their own line.

Yes the Tabbed toolbar is an old relic and should probably just be removed.
I'm now sure if it is worth the time to fix it..

[Crash+Burn]

Thanks Mathias, I'll take a look at those.