I'm trying Directory Opus 9 for the first time, and have run into a major frustration: I normally do massive file sorting operations in thumbnails view in Windows Explorer, and I absolutely need to be able to drag-deselect multiple image thumbnails.
Is there any way whatsoever, however arcane and/or difficult, to tweak Directory Opus into doing this?
You don't need to do anything special to do that. What exactly are you doing/expecting and what happens?
Hi there... How about a way that's not arcane, occult, or difficult 
?
I'm guessing that the default Opus settings (mine are long since customized to suit my needs) don't provide much room or spacing between thumbnails that you can use to do drag select... Have you found the options under Settings -> Preferences -> Lister Display Modes -> Thumbnails Mode? Specifically, increasing the following options should give you some space padding in order to make clicking between thumbnails easier for drag select...:
If adjusting those settings don't help make things the same or better than Explorer, can you explain exactly what about it doesn't work well for you, i.e. what are you expecting vs what's actually happening?
Welcome to Opus btw...!
No, I'm sorry, I wasn't clear. I know I can drag-select. I want to use the power-mode feature "Normal Drag Select"--that is, to be able to deselect multiple selected files by mouse dragging--in thumbnails view and not just power.
Aha - FWIW - I wouldn't call it "normal drag select" or "power mode" specific... it "works" properly in details mode as well, and I would describe what you want as "drag deselect"...
Anyhow... it doesn't seem to work in thumbnails, tiles, or list views; I'm surprised.
The Power-Mode option called "Normal drag select" (which is badly named, IMO; it's not normal at all on Windows) only works in Power Mode. It won't work in Details, Thumbnails, etc. modes.
But you can still drag-select around the thumbnails, or shift-select, for similar results. You can also use the middle mouse button* (or hold control) to toggle-select files without affecting the selection of other files. (Aside from the middle mouse button addition, pus is pretty much the same as Explorer there.)
(*Assuming the mouse drivers are configured to send a standard middle-click.)
Well, I'll tell you, I'm so in love with the other features that I think I'll still buy D. Opus after my 30 days, I'll just have to use Explorer for thumbnail-sorting. Maybe one day the feature will be included in an update or there'll be a plug-in that does it or something. Thanks everyone for your help.
I still don't understand what Explorer allows here that Opus doesn't. Isn't Explorer's thumbnail selection the same as Opus's (except that it doesn't have the extra middle-button feature)?
You can drag a box around thumbnails in both programs to select them.
It's not selection that's the issue, it's deselection.
For example, you draw a box around nine image file thumbnails in thumbnail view, selecting them. Their are six of them in two rows that you decide you want to deselect. In Windows Explorer, you can hold down ctrl and draw another box around those six to deselect them. In Directory Opus you would have to hold down ctrl and click them individually. (You can however deselect with drawing boxes in detail and power views.)
But when you need to see thumbnails and it's 30 or 40 files you want to deselect in a selected group of a few hundred or so, you can see how this would be a little more tedious.
I see what you mean now. I think I completely missed that you said deselect; sorry about that.
FWIW, drag-deselection using Ctrl-LMB should be in Opus 10 for Thumbnails mode. (In Opus 9 it only seems to work in Details & Power modes.)
[quote="leo"]I see what you mean now. I think I completely missed that you said deselect; sorry about that.
FWIW, drag-deselection using Ctrl-LMB should be in Opus 10 for Thumbnails mode. (In Opus 9 it only seems to work in Details & Power modes.)[/quote]
Yeah - same here... maybe because the topic "subject" said 'select' - even though upon reread of the actual post he did in fact say "deselect". Woopsy...
Sorry chiron11 - not normally so dense .
No, not at all, you were all really helpful, and you responded so quickly. And I'm glad to hear that Opus 10 will fix it. Thank you!