Arranging files for viewing

[brucet99]

Came from Picasa, which I shall miss terribly.

Where Picasa allowed easily dragging a thumbnail or a group of them to a different place in the viewing order, XnView seems to make a copy rather than moving the image. How can i avoid that?

When a folder contains several images that should be grouped together, Picasa allowed me to Command+click several non-adjacent images to select them and then Command click on one more image that is already where I want them to go; clicking on that image and dragging it a little bit would bring all of the selected images together. That sort of worked for me in XnView, but sometimes copied rather than moving the images and I had to move the last selected image clear past an adjacent one or nothing changed. Is there an easier way? Do I have to copy/paste?

After moving images, I found that when clicking through full-sized ones the order had not changed, even though the thumbnails had been re-located. I had to select another folder and then come back to get the new order to be displayed. Is there a simpler way to synch them up?

Having arrow-keyed through some images in full size, I found that by clicking on escape to get back to thumbnails, I still had the first thumbnail image selected, not the one belonging to the last full-sized image I had viewed. Is there some setting change I need to make so that thumbnails and full-size synch?

[helmut]

Welcome to the XnView forum and thank your for your request, brucet99.

Where Picasa allowed easily dragging a thumbnail or a group of them to a different place in the viewing order, XnView seems to make a copy rather than moving the image. How can i avoid that?

Do you use XnView MP on Windows? Which version of XnView MP do you use? Dragging a file and dropping it at a different location in the file panel works fine for me.

XnView supports a custom or user-defined order, i.e. by dragging file (thumbnails) in a folder the files can be reordered in an arbitrary, user-defined order.

Use Drag & Drop to change the order of a single file:
In file panel, drag (press mouse button and keep it pressed and then move mouse cursor) a file to a different location. The vertical bar indicates the position where the file is inserted. If position is as desired, drop the files by release the mouse button.

Use Drag & Drop to change the order of a multiple files:
In file panel, select multiple files.
Drag one of the selected files to a different location. The vertical bar indicates the position where the file is inserted.

Hints on selecting multiple files:
Use mouse click on a thumbnail/symbol to select a file.
Use Ctrl + mouse click on a thumbnail/symbol to add the appropriate file to the selection.
Use Ctrl + mouse click on a selected file to remove this file from the selection.
Use Shift + mouse Click on first file (e.g. File 5) and then Shift + Click on last file (e.g. File 8 ) to select all files between File 5 and File 8.
Use Shift + mouse Click on first file (e.g. File 5) and then Shift + Click on last file (e.g. File 8 ) to select all files between File 5 and File 8 and enhance the selection.

After moving images, I found that when clicking through full-sized ones the order had not changed, even though the thumbnails had been re-located. I had to select another folder and then come back to get the new order to be displayed. Is there a simpler way to synch them up?

For me, reordering the thumbnails works like a charm. But when viewing the files (image view mode) and then navigating using "Next" and Previous file, the new custom sort order is not used right away. When browsing a different folder and then browsing the folder with the customer sort order, again, the custom sort oder is also used when viewing files. Is this perhaps the problem/bug that you also experience?

Having arrow-keyed through some images in full size, I found that by clicking on escape to get back to thumbnails, I still had the first thumbnail image selected, not the one belonging to the last full-sized image I had viewed. Is there some setting change I need to make so that thumbnails and full-size synch?

In Tools > Settings | Interface | Interface please activate checkbox "Synchronize browser when view is closed". This should do the job.

[brucet99]

thanks for the helpful response.

I'm using Mac ver 1.02

"For me, reordering the thumbnails works like a charm. But when viewing the files (image view mode) and then navigating using "Next" and Previous file, the new custom sort order is not used right away. When browsing a different folder and then browsing the folder with the customer sort order, again, the custom sort oder is also used when viewing files. Is this perhaps the problem/bug that you also experience?"

Exactly, but I used right/left arrow <> keys to navigate from one image to the next.

I also noted that after right-clicking and "Open With > Affinity Photo", when I finished editing the image and saved it again, XnView continued to display the original unedited image even after I changed to a different folder and returned. It took maybe 5 to 10 minutes for XnView to "see" the revised image.
I wonder if "rebuild thumbnails" under the "view" menu would fix that?

"In Tools > Settings | Interface | Interface please activate checkbox "Synchronize browser when view is closed". This should do the job."
There is no "settings" choice in tools of my version, nor could I find it anywhere else. Maybe a bug? How can I report bugs?

How did you make quotes from my post appear as they did?

[helmut]

thanks for the helpful response.

I'm using Mac ver 1.02

You're welcome. XnView MP on Mac is supposed to work the same way as on Windows platform but this is theory and in practice there might be differences.

Exactly, but I used right/left arrow <> keys to navigate from one image to the next.

O.k., using Previous and Next files and right/left arrow keys do the same thing so the problem you experience is the same as I do.

I also noted that after right-clicking and "Open With > Affinity Photo", when I finished editing the image and saved it again, XnView continued to display the original unedited image even after I changed to a different folder and returned. It took maybe 5 to 10 minutes for XnView to "see" the revised image.
I wonder if "rebuild thumbnails" under the "view" menu would fix that?

There were similar bug reports but I thought that this has been fixed. Looks as if there is still an issue with caching.

"In Tools > Settings | Interface | Interface please activate checkbox "Synchronize browser when view is closed". This should do the job."

There is no "settings" choice in tools of my version, nor could I find it anywhere else. Maybe a bug? How can I report bugs?

Hmm, I don't know the Mac version at all but there supposed to be a "Tools > Settings" menu to open the settings/options. Maybe a Mac user can help here.

How did you make quotes from my post appear as they did?

Instead of clicking on "Post Reply" button underneath the latest post you can quote a post by pressing "Reply with quote" button at the right of every post . While editing a post you can also press "Quote text" button and add a quoted text.

[brucet99]

The vertical bar indicates the position where the file is inserted. If position is as desired, drop the files by release the mouse button.

I had expected a gap between thumbnails to widen as with Picasa. Once you told me about it, I was able to see the subtle gray bar that appears between thumbnails.

Thanks

[helmut]

Good that you've found out how rearranging works. As written above different order of files in browser mode and image view mode is more a bug than a feature and discussed in a different topic.

[pineappleeli]

Welcome to the XnView forum and thank your for your request, brucet99.

Where Picasa allowed easily dragging a thumbnail or a group of them to a different place in the viewing order, XnView seems to make a copy rather than moving the image. How can i avoid that?

Do you use XnView MP on Windows? Which version of XnView MP do you use? Dragging a file and dropping it at a different location in the file panel works fine for me.

XnView supports a custom or user-defined order, i.e. by dragging file (thumbnails) in a folder the files can be reordered in an arbitrary, user-defined order.

Use Drag & Drop to change the order of a single file:
In file panel, drag (press mouse button and keep it pressed and then move mouse cursor) a file to a different location. The vertical bar indicates the position where the file is inserted. If position is as desired, drop the files by release the mouse button.

Use Drag & Drop to change the order of a multiple files:
In file panel, select multiple files.
Drag one of the selected files to a different location. The vertical bar indicates the position where the file is inserted.

I have a same problem in win 10 and it doesn't work. Drag&drop only capable of rather move to another folder or make a copy when drop in empty space. No rearrange function at all.
Sometimes(I don't know how it triggered) it generates an unnamed .XnViewSort format file in the folder some times, only when it exists, I can move a file next to it... that verticel bar only appear on the right side of this file that can drop files on. is it a bug?

[helmut]

Thank you for your problem report, pineappleeli, and registering, here.

Custom sort order is stored in a hidden file named ".XnViewSort" and I suspected that custom sorting would only be possible if XnView can write this file. But in fact, XnView allows for custom sorting even without appropriate access rights to save the custom order. As a consequence you can custom sort files but you will loose this custom sort order as soon as you browse a different folder and then return to this folder. So access right seems not to be the problem, here.

I've just created a short screen capture video which shows how to apply custom sort order. This shows how custom sorting should work. Please note that left mouse button is held as long as the mouse cursor has a red circle around it - this way you can see how files are dragged & dropped.
Video "XnView MP: Custom Sort Order"

[pineappleeli]

Thank you for your problem report, pineappleeli, and registering, here.

Custom sort order is stored in a hidden file named ".XnViewSort" and I suspected that custom sorting would only be possible if XnView can write this file. But in fact, XnView allows for custom sorting even without appropriate access rights to save the custom order. As a consequence you can custom sort files but you will loose this custom sort order as soon as you browse a different folder and then return to this folder. So access right seems not to be the problem, here.

I've just created a short screen capture video which shows how to apply custom sort order. This shows how custom sorting should work. Please note that left mouse button is held as long as the mouse cursor has a red circle around it - this way you can see how files are dragged & dropped.
Video "XnView MP: Custom Sort Order"

Thank you a lot.

I was doing the same drag&drop under custom sort order, but was dragging this single one file among folders, so it didn't work. now I can see it works fine for files, but cannot custom sort folders?
Now I understand this .XnViewSort file about. But will it stay there forever if I don't delete it?

Another issue is about the drag&drop copy function... is there any way to disable it? I don't think it needs to do quicker making a copy than copy&paste... and there is no undo. It's easily misoperated. the app crashed when I dragged a huge folder wrongly, and I felt lucky it crashed before the copy process starts (maybe it stopped and crashed because I pushed Esc immediately).
I hope there can be a way to disable this function, it really is UNNECESSARY

Thank you for your patience.

[cday]

Another issue is about the drag&drop copy function... is there any way to disable it? I don't think it needs to do quicker making a copy than copy&paste... and there is no undo. It's easily misoperated. the app crashed when I dragged a huge folder wrongly, and I felt lucky it crashed before the copy process starts (maybe it stopped and crashed because I pushed Esc immediately).
I hope there can be a way to disable this function, it really is UNNECESSARY

Thank you for your patience.

Glad you original issue is resolved, a new thread with a suitable title for your other issue would help others who might search the forum in the future...

[obelisk]

I'm trying to sort custom in windows and while I can see the grey bar when I let go the image stays where it was before