Upgrade your file browser

janmonk · Post by **janmonk** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:14 am

The file browser, used with Live's Open Live Set command, isn't very user friendly, being a standard Windows File Open Dialog.

I just found the perfect companion to Live: File-ex (http://www.file-ex.com).
This replaces the open dialogs of all windows programs with the same, intuitive and customizable dialog. Some of the benefits:

- remembers sorting ... and
- recent used directories ... and
- recent opened files
- Favorites
- File management buttons
etc

Anyone else with better solutions?
Jan

conny · Post by **conny** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 4:06 pm

Sounds good. Not free, though.
// C

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 5:16 pm

I use http://www.explorerxp.com/
which is free.

there's some handy tools, its very simple and quite configurable - although my version is old, so I cant comment on the newer functions .. the Tabbed and 'Grouped' explorer model is cool.

You can suggest stuff to the guy on the forums that you would like to see in the next version. He is currentlt asking for input about the tab bar for instance

janmonk · Post by **janmonk** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 7:21 pm

ExplorerXP is indeed a nice explorer replacement, but does it replace the "File Open" dialogs inside windows applications, like Live?

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Wed Apr 20, 2005 8:57 pm

nope, that would be very hard.
unless an app is open source it's pretty hard to change fundamentals like that.

sweetjesus · Post by **sweetjesus** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 10:58 am

Angstrom wrote:nope, that would be very hard.
unless an app is open source it's pretty hard to change fundamentals like that.

nope sorry, you're wrong.

most programs which have a "file>open" menu in windows use a common windows library which handles that particular dialogue window called CommonDialogue.

All a 3rd party app would have to do is add new features to the "CommonDialogue" library and it would appear in every windows program which calls on that object.

The file browser panel of Live will not able to have such features, but the "file>open" for loading your sets will be able to benefit from "explorer enhancements"

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 11:33 am

sorry, for 'open dialogue' ... I somehow understood 'live file browser'

so to clarify - I don't think it possible to replace the live file browser - the big panel on the left hand side.

also AFAIK explorerXP does not add any new functionality to lives 'open' dialogue, not in the version I have anyway. Perhaps later versions do.

MrYellow · Post by **MrYellow** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 12:01 pm

And when you're 3rd party software crashes because it wasn't properly tested.

You might just find yourself with a copy of windows u can't fix.

-Ben

janmonk · Post by **janmonk** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:40 pm

Yes indeed, i only meant the File>Open dialog box. File-ex replaces this one. And though not free, it is cheap and saved me a lot of hassle.

But of course, the advantages depend on your working method. I tend to work on several sets per evening, and was quite annoyed by the standard dialog for "finding the sets I was working on yesterday".

Jan

Angstrom · Post by **Angstrom** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 1:50 pm

yep, 'recent projects' is surely number one on the list of wishes ?

I work on computers all day in many many apps, all of which have 'open recent' to remind me what I was working on, oh all apps .. apart from one!

I name my tunes with really lame titles until I think of an appropriate name. so I am always thinking .. what the hell did I call that breakbeaty one I was working on before the track I opened today??

In a 'live' situation we need much more than just a basic 'recent files'

we need a setlist .. IE a playlist or bookmarks of 'favourite' tunes for use in certain situations with metadata etc.

we need it IN LIVE , not through some 3rd party winXP tie in.

fall · Post by **fall** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 2:09 pm

edit : nevermind

janmonk · Post by **janmonk** » Thu Apr 21, 2005 7:05 pm

You're absolutely right, Angstrom. Any Abes listening?