Author Topic: New user  (Read 24911 times)

Ulfhednar

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New user
« on: March 13, 2013, 20:10:17 »
Oh well so much for a day off... found this prog & the day has disappeared!  ;D

Some of the following are possibly requests, but as I have only had today to play with your outstanding prog I wonder if some things are achievable with scripts or features I haven't found yet.

I personally have a favourite file manager - Dir Opus, but I cannot justify the price-tag for a prog of which I could only use about 25% of the features.  I dislike NC & the many clones / off-shoots for some reason & Win explorer is just too irritating for words.  (How the hell does MS create an 'explorer' without panes, tabs or whatever!!??  :P)
MC seems to have about 75% of what I need so I will be investigating further.  8)

I am wondering how to emulate some of the Dir Opus features that I actually do use.  Please excuse me if I am mis-posting all this.

I wanted to start the prog with multiple tabs pre-loaded - achieved via an ini & -F   :)  8)
But what else can I add to the ini?
Can I add these other options on load:-
  • Calculate all folder sizes in pre-loaded tabs (call shift+alt+return for tabs xyz) A one-time scan. 
  • Load folder tree to x tabs (call Alt+num* for tabs xyz)
i.e. for 'tabs xyz' = 'panel_x' in the ini

Something like:-
[PANEL_131]
Path=I:\Nowhere
Side=R
Cmd=Alt+*

  • Save & reload panel sort state on MC start, e.g:- tab b has date sort asc;  tab z has size sort desc etc


I modified a button to open device manager successfully
Used this string :- MC.Run CMD="devmgmt.msc" SHELL

I wondered how to drag & drop folders with media into VLC via a button.  I tried both vlc.exe & the full path c:\....exe but it didn't work.  I based the attached screen on the 'Notepad' button but I just get an invalid path msg when dropping files & folders on the button.

What did I do wrong?



I'd like to know if I can do the following :-
invert selection
customize (add/remove/edit) top toolbar buttons (e.g. I would like to add the existing F3 search command/icon to the default top toolbar)
set background colour for inactive pane (eg grey instaed of white) [Found it! config>exp panel>color]
Alter size & number of the buttons at the foot of the main dialog.
Run files from the search dialog (i.e. Double click a result & have it run (in its' default handler where req'd))
Undo (call ctrl+z, or use the MC history log to step backwards)

BTW I like the idea of preview panels at opposite ends of the main dialog, that would be very useful.

Sorry for such a long Noob 1st post!
Thanks for an awesome program! 8) 8)
« Last Edit: March 13, 2013, 21:04:56 by Ulfhednar »

Mathias (Author)

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Re: New user
« Reply #1 on: March 13, 2013, 21:25:58 »
Something like:-
[PANEL_131]
Path=I:\Nowhere
Side=R
Cmd=Alt+*

Available settings are
Code: [Select]
Path=<path>
ViewMode=<1..3>
SortCol=<1...>
SortAsc=<1/0>
Side=<L/R>
ShowTree=<1/0>
Locked=<1/0>
AllowSubPathChange=<1/0>

I wondered how to drag & drop folders with media into VLC via a button.  I tried both vlc.exe & the full path c:\....exe but it didn't work.  I based the attached screen on the 'Notepad' button but I just get an invalid path msg when dropping files & folders on the button.
What you written should work. I do not have vlc.exe but for other program it works. (I used full path)
Press Ctrl+L and look at the Application log and see if some error is printed there

I'd like to know if I can do the following :-
*invert selection
*customize (add/remove/edit) top toolbar buttons  (e.g. I would like to add the existing F3 search command/icon to the default top toolbar)
*Alter size & number of the buttons at the foot of the main dialog.
*Run files from the search dialog (i.e. Double click a result & have it run (in its' default handler where req'd))
*Undo (call ctrl+z, or use the MC history log to step backwards)

BTW I like the idea of preview panels at opposite ends of the main dialog, that would be very useful.

* Exists in menu and with hotkey num*
* Main toolbar can not be changed. But it is possible to add own command to the quick launch bars. (the area after the command line field. (and also possible to add an entire new quick launch bar row ))
* The number of buttons in the button panel can be change by manually editing MultiButtons.xml  at the top there is a rows="4" cols=8" items that can be change.
 a settings for that, is coming. so in the future you will not need to manually change that.
* Right now you press return twice.  first time for taking you to the item on the filesystem, a second time for executing it. :) but a option for it is planed. Got a long list with changes planed for search
* Undo is not support. but is on the todo list. however that is not a small task do add.

Yes preview panel is planed..  I got a lot of things on my list but time is limited.

Ulfhednar

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Re: New user
« Reply #2 on: March 13, 2013, 23:22:17 »
Thanks for a fast response Mathias.  Looks like most of my queries can be resolved. 8)

The codes are just what I need for my ini.  Will start experimenting.  ;)

I will have to figure out how to add the F3 icon to quick launch, for the times when I am too lazy to press F3 on the keyboard, same goes for mass rename etc.

I need to start looking more closely at .xml's before asking questions...  ;)

I guess UNDO functionality would be a big job, I hope time allows you to implement this. 
If you were to make a paid-for version this could be a paid-for feature I guess.

A perfect MC is probably a life-times work - I certainly appreciate what has already been achieved.

Ulfhednar

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Re: New user
« Reply #3 on: March 14, 2013, 12:46:17 »
Fixed the VLC issue -
path had to have ""s
 - "C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe"
not - C:\Program Files (x86)\VideoLAN\VLC\vlc.exe

Curious but worth knowing.

Ulfhednar

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Re: New user
« Reply #4 on: March 14, 2013, 16:01:15 »
Added my desired toolbar functions to the quick launch.  I uploaded the 3 icons I used to the icon thread http://forum.multicommander.com/forum/index.php/topic,600.0.html

Question about tabs -
Can these have more than 1 row?
Can I change the font used?

I've been digging around but cannot find anything that jumps out at me.

Any input appreciated.

Mathias (Author)

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Re: New user
« Reply #5 on: March 14, 2013, 18:11:00 »
Can these have more than 1 row?
Not currently. But they get smaller the more you have.

Can I change the font used?
For the tab label ? or for the text inside the tab ?
Tab label, No it should use the font set as default font for Windows.
Text inside the tab. Depends on what extension is shown in a tab..  If it is a Explorer Panel that is shown, the font inside that can be configured.





Any input appreciated.

Ulfhednar

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Re: New user
« Reply #6 on: March 14, 2013, 18:22:26 »
Thanks for feedback Mathias.
Text that is tab label was what I meant.

That explains why the tabs labels haven't matched the fonts used elsewhere.

I'm really enjoying your program.  8)

Mathias (Author)

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Re: New user
« Reply #7 on: March 14, 2013, 18:56:39 »
I might add an option for it. Not sure if it will be for just the tab label or a more common font option that will be used in many places

Ulfhednar

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Re: New user
« Reply #8 on: March 14, 2013, 19:03:43 »
I guess if you have a global call to the OS for fonts that appears in many places, you could use that entry point, that could be a way round it.
Not vital  though considering everything else you have planned.

Ulfhednar

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Re: New user - Find dialog
« Reply #9 on: March 15, 2013, 14:02:30 »
Decided to keep my queries in this thread...

Find dialog -
can I force more or less view on open?
Most often I search inside files so having the dialog open in 'more' status would save me a click.  ;)

Multi-rename -
how do I exclude the .ext from edit?
e.g.
If I have a SAR a with b on abc.avi I get bbc.bvi

Assume I'm doing something wrong....  ::)

Mathias (Author)

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Re: New user
« Reply #10 on: March 15, 2013, 17:27:22 »
Find dialog -
can I force more or less view on open?
Most often I search inside files so having the dialog open in 'more' status would save me a click.  ;)

Multi-rename -
how do I exclude the .ext from edit?
e.g.
If I have a SAR a with b on abc.avi I get bbc.bvi

Assume I'm doing something wrong....  ::)

A) No..  (But will change so it remember last setting )
But there is hotkey ctrl+C to move focus to "File Content" field. problem is that ctrl+C is also copy to clipboard :) and when dialog first is show focus is in "Look for" field so ctrl+C will not work to change forcus. but pressing tab first to move out of that field work.
So Tab then Ctrl+C and focus in the "File Content" area.
(Hmm Btw, I think Ctrl+X will toggle more/less of the dialog without changing focus)

B) Looks like a case that was missed. I think a new option for the Search / Replace is needed,  something Replace in Name and Ext, Only Name, Only Extension.
Will try to add that to the next release. should be easy.


Ulfhednar

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Re: New user
« Reply #11 on: March 15, 2013, 17:49:05 »
Thanks Mathias.
I like CTRL+X - it does toggle the dialog  & is a quick way to access it all.  Saving the state on close would definitely be helpful.

As your in-line rename (slow-click) does exclude the extension automatically (unlike those cowboys at MS  ;D ) I thought the mass rename would too.   ;)
Would be great if you could make it exclude the ext by default, with options for the variations.

...Not that you need the extra work  :)