A few simple FR's...

[sl23]

I am a big fan of Cubic Explorer, I've used it for around 4-5 years now and despite it's minor bugs it is simply the best file manager for my needs.

As it is becoming apparent that the dev is not going to continue with it I'm looking for a replacement. XYplorer, MultiCommander and FreeCommander are the only viable options for me. The XYfree won't suit me so I would definitely be interested in the Lifetime License should my requests be met. Though I realise you have to choose what you think is in your best interests.

We all have our ways of working and although it's impossible to cater for everyone's different ways, it is possible to achieve this to a great extent by making apps completely customisable.

A simple interface is also a major key which few dev's seem to realise. It's good that app's have a 1000 features to cater for the masses, but most users probably only use around a third or less during the life of the app.

The more a user can change things to suit their 'style' the more likely you have a winner app. So with this I politely request the following features:

1. Open in New Tab by default:
Drives - via buttons on drop down or toolbar
Bookmarks

2. Theme needs to cover ALL components of user interface. Not just Fileview, Tree and Tabs.

3. More flexible customisation options:
 Toolbars - Customise items shown throughout Toolbars. Have button for the main menu instead of toolbar. Allow buttons to be moved between Toolbars.
 
 Buttons - Change icon sets.
 
 Menus - Ability to customise which items are shown so as to be easier to use and spend less time looking through many unused items. Something like Ffx's MenuEditor Addon
 
 Info Panel - Ability to remove tabs not used or maybe have option for basic panel as in windows. Conform to theme colours.
 
4. Session Tabs - On startup I want certain Folders open each time, but no others.

5. Single display only, not everyone requires a dual display at all times.

Thank you for your consideration

Scott

[Mathias (Author)]

1. Open in New Tab by default:
Drives - via buttons on drop down or toolbar
Bookmarks

Holding shift and pressing drive in toolbar or dropdown will open it in a new tab.

2. Theme needs to cover ALL components of user interface. Not just Fileview, Tree and Tabs.

But think you need to be more specific, but most UI elements are able to change color (if that what you mean by theme) But it is not exposed in settings because it looks terrible if changed.  Also not all UI components can be change.

3. More flexible customisation options:
 Toolbars - Customise items shown throughout Toolbars. Have button for the main menu instead of toolbar. Allow buttons to be moved between Toolbars.
 
 Buttons - Change icon sets.
 
 Menus - Ability to customise which items are shown so as to be easier to use and spend less time looking through many unused items. Something like Ffx's MenuEditor Addon
 
 Info Panel - Ability to remove tabs not used or maybe have option for basic panel as in windows. Conform to theme colours.

You can customize and change all the icons on the button panel. and you can also create your own MCIcons.dll. That would replace
all the icons that MC uses.

Menu/Toolbar will not be customizable any time soon since the underlaying design does not allow for that.
It is a change that is planed. But it is a major one. And a lot of other more important thinks have higher priority.
Not sure what you mean with Info Panel, You can remove tabs by pressing the X on them. Do not need an new panel for that

4. Session Tabs - On startup I want certain Folders open each time, but no others.

Something link this is in the pipe line.

5. Single display only, not everyone requires a dual display at all times.

No. everything in MC is designed around the Dual Panel concept (Source/Target).
If you really want to use a single panel filemanager then MC is not for you.

[sl23]

1. Open in New Tab by default:
Drives - via buttons on drop down or toolbar
Bookmarks

Holding shift and pressing drive in toolbar or dropdown will open it in a new tab.

2. Theme needs to cover ALL components of user interface. Not just Fileview, Tree and Tabs.

But think you need to be more specific, but most UI elements are able to change color (if that what you mean by theme) But it is not exposed in settings because it looks terrible if changed.  Also not all UI components can be change.

3. More flexible customisation options:
 Toolbars - Customise items shown throughout Toolbars. Have button for the main menu instead of toolbar. Allow buttons to be moved between Toolbars.
 
 Buttons - Change icon sets.
 
 Menus - Ability to customise which items are shown so as to be easier to use and spend less time looking through many unused items. Something like Ffx's MenuEditor Addon
 
 Info Panel - Ability to remove tabs not used or maybe have option for basic panel as in windows. Conform to theme colours.

You can customize and change all the icons on the button panel. and you can also create your own MCIcons.dll. That would replace
all the icons that MC uses.

Menu/Toolbar will not be customizable any time soon since the underlaying design does not allow for that.
It is a change that is planed. But it is a major one. And a lot of other more important thinks have higher priority.
Not sure what you mean with Info Panel, You can remove tabs by pressing the X on them. Do not need an new panel for that

4. Session Tabs - On startup I want certain Folders open each time, but no others.

Something link this is in the pipe line.

5. Single display only, not everyone requires a dual display at all times.

No. everything in MC is designed around the Dual Panel concept (Source/Target).
If you really want to use a single panel filemanager then MC is not for you.

Thanks for your quick reply.

1. Shortcuts are all too good if you have two hands! I prefer the mouse to the keyboard anyhow.

2. I would disagree that "most UI elements are able to change color" as there are many items that don't/can't be changed. Other file managers have this ability as do many others apps. It's good that you allow the file view area to be coloured but it looks ugly when you have that themed dark and the rest of MC themed light. Here's a list of things that should be considered themeable:
Menu bar
Toolbars
Tabs background
Drives/Navigation bar
Columns
File view border and Status bar
MC Status bar
MC Button panel

3. Icons - Not user friendly to customise.
Menu customisation - Yay! 
Info Panel Tabs - Sorry not MC related.

4. Sessions - Yay!

5. Single pane Explorer -
With the greatest respect, every file manager in existence has this ability. I understand if due to the way you've coded MC this is a major issue, I remember reading that MC cannot start with Right Pane hidden due to complications and possible crashes, but FreeCommander, Q-Dir, XYplorer all can do this so it seems strange MC cannot. Due to being a major fan of CubicExp. I only ever used or needed single pane, but admit it would have come in useful on many occasions, so I would like this ability but not all the time.

[Mathias (Author)]

1. you can also use script.. There can't be settings for all kind of weird behaviours. There is already way to much settings.
And I put this "option" in the weird column. Opening new tabs all the time would result in have massive amount of tabs all over the place.

2. Yes they can.. and as I wrote.. "it is not exposed in settings because it looks terrible if changed" ..
And also a lot of the standard UI elements are not possible to change. If you see other program that have them changed they are not standard components. They are custom components.
and custom component are very very time consuming to create and I have better things to spent the time on
And just because one program can do something do not automatically make it possible for other program, no program works the same.

3. Just replace the dll. can't be more simple. The hard part is creating the new dll.. but there are tools for that. But that is for people who want to create Icon Packs.

5. No, not all FMs do this. Most Explorer Styled FMs might do, But most commander styled dual panel managers do not allow for that.
And some do and it is dangerous. Because you always have a source panel and a target panel and hiding one of them you
can by accident do stuff to the hidden panel since a lot of the command in a dual-layout works against the "other" panel.
Q-Dir, XYplorer, (FC?) are not using the command styled dual panel layout. Some of them can be configure to work "like" that. But they are not Dual Panel layout First.
The Commander Styled Dual Panel layout is designed for speed with keyboard first. Mouse second. It is a very different from how it works from the Windows Explorer Style.

[sl23]

Thank you for your time Matthias, I hope I didn't come across as rude btw, I wasn't meant to 

All the best with your project and I appreciate you taking time to answer my questions. I see that MC isn't really for me so I shall try another FM, shame, I liked the look of MC too. Thanks again...

[sl23]

Hi,

I'm still looking for a FileManager replacement and have narrowed my list to XYplorer, very appealing, but due to the 'messy' context menus have since reconsidered MC. As a start, would you mind pointing out how I would go about changing those colours you mention that aren't in the settings please. Which files need editing? If it isn't too much trouble, could you give some sort of guide as to what and how to edit? Or just something that might point me in the right direction.

Also, two other things from the list above:
1. Is it possible to create a script to show one pane on startup? I made a button to do this but would prefer it to be automatic.
2. My F/R for Open Bookmarks and Drives in new tab, is that currently achievable in some way? Preferably with mouse though! If not can a script be made to do this?

Are scripts difficult for those with zero programming ability to learn?

I think you've done a fantastic job with MC btw, great app! 

Thanks for any help you can offer...

[Mathias (Author)]

I'm still looking for a FileManager replacement and have narrowed my list to XYplorer, very appealing, but due to the 'messy' context menus have since reconsidered MC.

XY and MC are very different.  They have a very different approach to how they work.

As a start, would you mind pointing out how I would go about changing those colours you mention that aren't in the settings please. Which files need editing? If it isn't too much trouble, could you give some sort of guide as to what and how to edit? Or just something that might point me in the right direction.

Some of the standard panel colors can be overriden. Atleast part of it. problem is that some part can not be overriden so it does not look good.
Anyway create a regvalue value under MultiCommnder section in REG:\HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\MultiCommander\  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

Also, two other things from the list above:
1. Is it possible to create a script to show one pane on startup? I made a button to do this but would prefer it to be automatic.
2. My F/R for Open Bookmarks and Drives in new tab, is that currently achievable in some way? Preferably with mouse though! If not can a script be made to do this?

1. Yes. Create a script that you autorun on startup..  (there are example somewhere on the forum..) But it is not recommended.
MC is designed around a dual panel solution and some things will not work or work strange running with one panel.
2. You can create command for opening any path in any tab.  and then you can assign those path to button/menu/quicklauchbar/alias
And you can also assign user created commands to mouse buttons.

Are scripts difficult for those with zero programming ability to learn?

The more simple CustomCommands scripts should be easy enough. They can only run 1 action per command. But you get
The more advanced and powerful MultiScript scripts require some programming understanding. and can be a bit hard without understanding programming