Why are sources to search (directories) not saved with a search?

I would like to make a purchase of Directory Opus for three instances but I need an essential feature.

I need to be able to save a search filter, and if I restart my machine, I need to be able to launch Directory Opus and see the previous search results and also have the option of running the search again.

saving a search filter:

A search filter consists of:

  1. sources to search ( one or more directories spanning disk drives (windows))
  2. various search criteria

I am seeing that #2 is saved, but if I close and reopen directory opus the sources to search are lost and not saved.

If I enter a list of directories to search, and sub directories, when I open or click around this area is erased.

It's extremely super annoying. It seems like a very basic 101 feature.

I have attached an image pointing to the area (Find in | Add folder to search) that seems to not be saved. It goes away at random.

I need to associate all filters in the advanced tab with a list of source folders to search.

The UI needs a lot of work. It's frustrating in these modern times of software development the lack of things there that address user experience.

Search Filters specify search criteria but not where to search, which is separate.

At the moment:

  • You can make a button (or menu of buttons) which Opens the Find Panel with a specified filter and sets the paths to search.

  • Or you can make something similar where the buttons do the search on the specified folders without opening anything.

In the future, we also have plans for something that would be part of the Find panel.

@Leo

How can I accomplish the recommendation?

It does not seem obvious.

If there is a short screencast or video (visual) on how to do this, please post.


Ideally I would be able to create a 'source' list and then create a 'filter list' (which I can do), and then associate the two in various ways, but save that (those two linked) to a named search.

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I want to be able to create that type of search including both a source list and a filter list and copy that configuration to another machine.

I want to purchase a license for x3 machines but am holding off until this is possible. I do not want to recreate my filter list on each and every machine, and recreate a source list on each and every machine.

I have multiple drives in each machine: A:\ C:\ D:\ E:\ G:\

usually the same number with the same drive letters more or less.

Using the Find command.

For example:

Find ADVANCED NOAUTORUN FILTER NAME="Modified Today" IN C:\ D:\

Settings > Backup & Restore can be used to copy your Opus config between machines. Or you can copy individual parts of it. It's all files that can be copied around if need be.

I can try using the command and saving that instead of using the UI

Is there a way in the UI to save a search and have the search saved along with the list of directories that I entered when initially creating the search?

I see no way to save a full search as would be expected.


If I close dopus, or touch things here and there, the directory list that is part of a search disappear and the only way to get it back is to painstakingly enter the list of directories again.

In my world, I need to find files that span directories on a single drive and multiple drives with sub-directories.

I understand that no one else has this use case and that everyone everwhere just enters C:\ when wan ting to do a search and may not care about searching a list of specific directories.

Not currently.

We have plans to add something to the UI that would be similar to what you're looking for in the future.

At the moment, you can make a button that lists the folders you want to search (and/or the filter you want to use) and click that (or use a hotkey) to open the Find Panel with a predefined list of folders, or even run the search immediately without opening the Find Panel at all.

People usually want to search for things below the directory they're in, which is why it works that way. But you can set up buttons to populate the folder list to avoid typing the paths every time.

Folders and also be dragged on to the folder list to quickly add them, if that helps avoid typing.