Release 24.20
XYplorer 24.20 has been released on 28-Feb-2023. Here’s a quick introduction to the main new features:
Image Columns. So far a data record in a file listing consisted of an icon, maybe a thumbnail, and various bits of text. The signature look of a details view in a file manager. Those days are over. Now you can add images to the mix. And not just one per file, but many: Up to 80 different pics per file, all in one list!
These images can be arbitrarily assigned to a file (and recorded in a database), or based on rules (e.g. based on the file name or other file properties). Typical use cases would be showing wave forms for sounds, or album covers for songs, or different states or angles of people or designs.
And that’s just the beginning. Since columns can be scripted, the possibilities are endless. A column could even create the image it’s about to show.
By the way, if you move your mouse over these images, you’ll optionally get an enlarged view, the so-called Hover Box.
Absolutely massive new feature. Ground-breaking.
This is a screenshot by a user showing a display of wave form images in an XYplorer Image Column:
Wave form images in Details View.
Note that the wave form images are not created by XYplorer itself. Another software has to take care of that. But in XYplorer you can assign them to a sound file, and display them along with the sound file.
So, how do we get there, step by step (arbitrary assignment)?
First, set the list to Details View and add an Image Column. For arbitrary assignment we take an Extra Column (there are 16 available) via View | Columns | Show Columns..., open the Configuration Dialog via right-clicking the column header, call it "Waves" (or whatever you like) and set the column type to "Image":
Configuring an Extra Column as Image Column.
Now here is our minimalistic example setup: one WAV file and one PNG file containing the corresponding wave form image. Both files have the same base name, but obviously different extensions. Our new Image Column "Waves" is already visible but still empty, folder tree is hidden:
Image Column "Waves" is still empty.
Now we select the PNG file and press Ctrl+Shift+P to copy the filename to the clipboard without the path. We could as well copy it with the full path (Ctrl+P) but keeping it relative to the WAV file's path has advantages when moving/copying the files.
Then we right-click the WAV file cell in the Waves column and select the Paste command:
Pasting the image file name into the Image Column cell.
Done. This is how it looks now:
Voila, the wave form is there!
Move the mouse over it to get a zoomed view (need to tick "Image Columns" in Configuration | Information | File Info Tips & Hover Box | Show Hover Box | Select Context... first):
Wave form zoomed in a Hover Box.
Do it again, but differently (automatic assignment)!
Okay, this was an arbitrary assignment and it is stored in a database. If you are well-behaved and your wave form files always have the same base name as your corresponding wave files then there is something better: automatic assignment based on rules! No database involved, no disk space wasted.
This time we add a Custom Column (there are 64 available), and configure it like this:
Configuring a Custom Column as Image Column.
As Template we use <cc_base>.png which is template speak for "same base name, but PNG extension".
And that’s it! Once you OK the configuration dialog, the wave form image will show in your column. And it will do like this for all WAV files that have corresponding wave form image files, in all locations, wherever you show this column!
Voila, the wave form is there (again)!
Of course, you don’t have to keep your wave form images where your wave files are. You can as well have them in a different place, for example in a sister folder "WaveForms", which you could reference like this (using standard Windows relative path syntax) in the template: ..\WaveForms\<cc_base>.png.
Songs & Pics (another example for automatic assignment)
If you are a proper audio nerd and have a decent naming strategy for your songs and pics, you can easily do this with Custom Columns. There is no database involved, you just have to setup the columns once, doable in 5 minutes. This list is in "Details with Thumbnails" view to gain additional line height and thus larger images:
Almost like leafing through the record collection. Showing off the Hover Box in the lower right corner.
The pics are in a parallel folder called "SongPics". Here is the configuration of the "Front" column (..\SongPics\<prop #tag.artist> - <prop #tag.album> - Front.jpg). You can figure out the other columns yourself:
All that’s needed for the "Front" column.
These are the pics used in the shot above:
The pics, neatly named.
Finally
That was just a small scratch on the surface. The possibilities are endless. Check out the Help file and the User Forum for more ideas, tricks and tips.
SketchUp Preview. Now previews and thumbnails are supported for SketchUp Pro (3D CAD software) *.skp and *.layout files.
I told you it works.
Many Other Improvements. See change log (about 1.5 MB).
