New user has a couple basic questions

hi, I have just began using directory opus a few days ago, and I clearly see that this is an excellent piece of software and a clear improvement over windows file navigator. i realize that learning and familiarity of something like this just takes time and cant be rushed, but I had a couple questions that are basic:
i was wondering how i can set the program to remember certain views for certain folders? for instance, list view for docs folder, and filmstrip view for my pictures folder?

can certain images be used as a background for certain folders?

basically at this point im trying to learn how to make the program remember preferences for individual folders.

any other tips for a beginner would also be greatly appreciated. like i said, this is a most excellent piece of software.

thanks in advance!

I use saved folder formats to do just what you are asking for. You can set one or more up by going to PREFERENCES/FOLDERS/FOLDER FORMATS. Click the ADD/FOLDER FORMAT button to add a new format (tip, if your source lister is already in the folder you want to set up, Opus will default to that folder for a new folder format). Once you add a new folder format you can set the options for it up any way you want, including what background image to use whenever you're in that folder.

While you're in that section of preferences, you might also want to click on the OPTIONS tab and uncheck the "Enable Folder Content Type detection" option. If that options happens to be enabled your folder might change on you unexpectedly depending upon what types of files are in the folder.

I think you're approaching Opus with the right attitude, meaning you and I and everyone else is not going to learn this powerful program in a short while. I've been using it for 3 years now, and while I'm doing everything I want with it, I still learn new things about it quite often.

There's a detailed FAQ on folder formats which is a good way to get started.

All the things you want to do are possible.

thanks men- after your good advice, it took only minutes to figure it out :wink:

id post a picture of what my config looks like so far if i knew how ;([/code]

That's easier to do than you might think. When you have what you want to post as a screenshot displayed in front of you either hit the:

Print Screen key
To copy the entire screen to the Windows clipboard or:

ALT+Print Screen
To copy only the open dialog box (when there is one open) to the Windows clipboard

Then edit/paste the clipboard into an empty place in a lister and Opus will create:

Clipboard Image.bmp

Which will be a bitmap image of what you copied. The problem with that is a bmp format image is too big in its file size to upload to many web sites, so next convert that bmp file to either the JPG or GIF or some like to use PNG format by going to Tools/Convert Images.

Note as a general rule the GIF format should be used with images that have limited colors in them (255 or fewer different colors) while JPGs are better for pictures or graphics with gradients.

a related question:

ok, ive figured out, how to set certain views for certain folders-

i have my main folders with all my subfolders set to list view-

then i set up my picture folder(on another drive) to thumbnails, with the viewer panel enabled

when i go now back to that main folder i mentioned above, the viewer panel is also enabled on that, and if i disable it, it is also disabled in the pictures folder.

maybe folder preferences dont include which panels you view?

If you want to trigger the viewer pane like that you may want to use PREFS/LAYOUT/LISTER STYLES in conjunction with your saved folder formats. A style can turn on or off the viewer pane automatically, and do lots of other overlapping things with folder formats, but to set your background image for a specific folder, you'd need to use a saved folder format.

For what it's worth, that's all I used the saved folder formats for, to set specific background images in specific folders. Most everything else I set with lister styles.

basically, i want my main folder to open as list (which ive got that done)

and my pictures folder to open as filmstrip- but every time i set it to do so, it seems to carry over to the other folder

can this be done?

thanks in advance

You can make a Style or a button or hotkey which goes to your pictures folder and turns on the viewer pane but you cannot make the viewer pane turn on automatically when you go to your pictures folder via some other method (e.g. navigating to it like any other folder).

Folder formats only affect the file display area; they can't turn other panes on and off. Styles can but cannot be triggered by entering a directory (but a Style can change the directory as well as turn on the viewer pane).

thanks for trying to help- but that last comment confused me more than a little ;(

so the short answer then, is no i take it- but no biggie :wink:

The answer is:

No, you can't make Opus automatically turn the viewer on when you go to your pictures folder.

But, you can make something you click on which goes to your pictures folder and turns on the viewer.

I figured it out-cool- set it and click the tab :wink: