What if it's a USB device (like a camera or phone) or a write protected media? How would you like that to be handled?
Such devices are not going to have permanent files, ie as in your storage on your hard drive. On cameras, or phones, the storage is removable, and limited, as such it is probably not a good idea to automatically store thumbnails. On write protected media it is not possible to store thumbnails. I don't think archiving thumbnails elsewhere on a hard drive is sensible, because they could too easily become orphaned. Portable USB devices are not likely to be as large as a hard drive directory, so speed may not be a problem, and on the fly thumbnail generation could be used. Saving them to the device or not should be up to the user.
Please NO. I have enough c**p filling my hard-drive, without doubling the number of files within my picture folders (especially as those extra files will be totally useless to any other app).
If this really has to be made an *option*, can I suggest that thumbnails be stored within a sub-folder. Call it ".FilerThumbnails" or something.
I couldn't agree with you more. It has to be a user option. What I don't want is an archive driectory somewhere on my hard drive getting bigger for every picture file I look at. If I want to store thumbnails, thats my decision, and if I want to archive my photos to back-up medium, I want to backup my thumbnails at the same time, if I have chosen to create and store them.
On cameras, or phones, the storage is removable, and limited, as such it is probably not a good idea to automatically store thumbnails. On write protected media it is not possible to store thumbnails. I don't think archiving thumbnails elsewhere on a hard drive is sensible, because they could too easily become orphaned.
This is why I'm suggesting T:, AmigaOS's place for temporary storage.
I am with you. For me T: looks more that ok, because it's done exactly for that kind of works (store something whyle programm work, and then erase when programm quit or machine reboots).
As usual Amiga people can't agree to anything and any software trying to follow it will be a total mess of different options ;) I sometimes feel like I'm in a room with a Hindu, Christian, Muslim and Tibetian munk, except that each Amigan seems to be his separate religion :P
Anyway, jokes aside, to sum up what people want:
Option for real time thumbnail rendering Option for asynchronous rendering Optional generate thumbnails button Optional view for thumbnails Option for pre-rendered thumb in directory in sub dir Option for pre-rendered thumbs in global directory Option to define global thumbnail directory Options for size Options to prevent certain other options for specific devices
Seems I have my work cut out for me and new users are going to be somewhat .. confused ;)
Could someone draw up a prefs gui for me that does all that please
Ohh well, we'll see what I can make out of all this.
It's a logical solution. Removable devices are "temporary", and so is their thumbnail storage. When the device is removed, there will be no orphaned junk files stored anywhere because T: gets erased with every reboot.
@orgin Maybe one more tab in the prefs, called "thumbs config" or kind, and all those options put here just plainly ?
But on which we all agree:
1. there must some kind of button with choice: thumb,real_icons,lister without spawning a prefs 2. almost all of us (except CrhisH) say that T: are good for storage temporaty data (and there does not matter in general how, it will be erased anyway after quit or reboot). 3. Async load ON/OFF (but that is logical, even without our words i think you in any case was in interest to add that (or already) ).
Imho that more that enough for the first test-release.
Have in mind, you do very good job, and your work will bring for os4 new blood for sure, just some more work, we all will help you with ideas and testing :)
I will narrow it down a bit so it'll not just end up a complete mess for the end user.
At any rate, with the number of options (and checkbox gadgets) increasing in the settings, you should consider using a single listbrowser gadget with check-able nodes. This will save space, memory, and will be faster to display on low-end systems.
almost all of us (except CrhisH) say that T: are good for storage temporaty data (and there does not matter in general how, it will be erased anyway after quit or reboot).
I was actually the first one to suggest using T: !!
And in fact, my suggestions were not intended to please me, but rather trying to please as many people as possible, without being overly complex.
So if no-one (else) wants thumbnails permanently stored, then I am fine with that. I just don't want it regenerating the thumbnails just because I went into a sub folder & then back into the parent folder.