Feature request: Full refresh current folder

Submitted by Andrii on Mon, 04/29/2024 - 05:47
Forums: 
General discussion

It is often necessary to update the current folder (automatic updating of the file list does not always work). At the same time it is always necessary to update the subfolders tree. It would be very convenient to have a single shortcut that would update both the folder tree and the file list at the same time, so that you don't have to press several shortcuts sequentially to fully refresh the current folder.

lexa

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 05:53

Two actions are unrelated:

  • You need to re-read current folder view if new files added (or removed) to current folder.
  • You need to refresh folder tree if folder tree changed.

That's why these actions are different.

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Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

Andrii

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 06:13

The files of current folder are moved to new subfolder by other software.
So in the current folder:

  • a few files a disappears
  • a subfolder tree was changed

That's why I very often have to do the same - press one shortcut after another. And that's why I ask for such a feature as a full update of the current folder

lexa

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 09:35

Combining possible pairs (triples, etc.) of actions into one total action leads to a combinatorial explosion: the number of possible combinations of actions grows factorially.

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Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

Andrii

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 10:20

Yes, I know there are separately two tools to update files and folder tree, and it's not convenient when it needs to be done frequently. In my scenario 95% of the cases I need to use these 2 tools together. 
I see your answer about the factorial growth of possible combinations as very strange, when I asked for one simple function that makes sense to exist. No need to call it a "combination", let's call it a new feature that will perform a complete update of the current folder.
I really hope this clears up any misunderstandings.
The program is really great and I wish it was even better and more convenient.

lexa

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 11:21

We have two tools (actions) for two different tasks. You may use both frequently while others are not. You may re-assign these action to close keys (eg F11 and F12), maybe it will be more convenient if used together.

Some users may use '2 star rating + Yellow label' frequenly (or Auto-Exposure +Auto WB, or other action pairs). This is surprising, but no one has yet asked for single key action for '**/yellow', perhaps for the reason that the combinatorial explosion in this case is obvious.

 

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Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

Andrii

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 11:59

If I propose a feature like automatically updating the folder/subfolder tree... will it be rejected as well?

lexa

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 12:21

There are many technical reasons not to do this (since there are many storage media besides SSD/M2).

It is much better if the user did the action himself (in this case, delays in processing are acceptable) than for the program to freeze while automatically rescans a multi-terabyte network storage media connected via slow Wi-Fi

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Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

Andrii

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 13:28

Yes, you are right. This is an important nuance, and trying to get around it by setting what can be scanned in this way and what can't will be quite difficult to implement. 
 
By the way, perhaps you will be interested in the experience of using the program, and how this request appeared:
I am engaged in nature photography, I take a lot of photos, after which I sort the photos into folders (categories of subjects) and further mark folders with successful photos for processing by adding them to favorites. 
 
A couple of times there was a system crash, with a heavy load on the graphics system, and was not able to complete the program correctly. As a result, all changes to favorite folders were lost, I had to repeat the selection again. I addressed the problem here, asking you to make the function of saving settings either automatically or manually, instead of restarting the program in order to save the program settings. You rejected the suggestion, arguing that it would put a lot of stress on the disk to save the settings. Probably restarting the program to save settings makes less load.  I am forced to use this method for lack of alternative methods.
 
This has led to a new problem. When sorting photos, I use the "Move to new subfolder" function, which has a convenient history function. But, as it turned out, no history is saved when the program is restarted.
 
After researching the program, I found an interesting ExternalEditors functionality that allows you to transfer selected files to another program. So I made an external file moving utility that has a history that is saved and a very handy filter. Thanks to the resulting combination of program and utility, sorting photos could have been a pleasure, if not for the... FRV does not automatically update the folder structure. And automatic updating of files as it turned out sometimes fails and does not work. So, as a result, this request appeared. 
 
In summary - I really don't understand the problem of saving settings automatically, either on command. Or making it more convenient to update the current folder by a single shortcut. All I see is an unwillingness to change anything. Sorry for that opinion, but that's the truth as I see it.

Sorry for the long text, I hope you are interested in the usage scenarios of your program and are interested in simplifying users' tasks according to the way they use your product.

lexa

Mon, 04/29/2024 - 14:03

We have already answered this question (about saving settings) Requested functionality

1) Needed by users with a very unstable computer that crashes often

2) Such users are a vanishing minority and, I hope, they take measures to fix the computer (otherwise they have many other problems with maintaining the state and operation of other programs)



Unique requests are not implemented first.

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Alex Tutubalin/FastRawViewer team

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