Windows 7 folder icons STINK!

[Animasta]

There's a button on the top-right with an arrow pointing down, click it.

[DanConnor]

If you mean being able to switch between list, details, large icons etc- that doesn't do the trick. There's still no version that gives useful information if you want to be able to reference folders visually.

[biliousfrog]

If you change the preview to 'icon' it will show a thumbnail of some of the documents inside the folder...or you can right-click the folder, select properties and choose a custom image for the folder icon

[DanConnor]

Yeah- that was my original point- the icon view is very inferior to the XP version. You can't scan a folder full of folders visually if all you see is 1/3 of a few overlapping thumbnails sticking out of a folder. It's a triumph of style over substance.

The custom versions of the icons show no thumbnails at all, so that is no better than list view, which is what I have gone back to.

I guess I was hoping a bit of software will come along that allows people to change this, maybe it won't if I'm the only person bothered by it! :)

[biliousfrog]

It doesn't bother me as most of the files I use couldn't be previewed in XP anyway so a generic PSD, EXR, OBJ, LWO etc. icon isn't going to help me much. The only thing that I would really like (and have done for years) is a way to colour folders like a Mac so that I could have green for active projects, red for finished projects, blue for library objects etc.

[DanConnor]

I use a lot of jpgs. I sort jobs by year, and if I want to steal a model from a past job, for example, I usually go and scan the approximate year visually looking for the scene. They all have arcane names and too many components for me to remember any other way.

Looking online it I found a lot of people complaining about the same issue with vista, so I guess we're stuck with it. Bah!

[goldilocks20]

it's part of the aesthetic change of windows 7 to indicate a change. Prolly not too much can be done except transfer back to windows xp. or otherwise, if the icon scheme can be changed may be windows xp ones are available?

[frog]

The only thing that I would really like (and have done for years) is a way to colour folders like a Mac so that I could have green for active projects, red for finished projects, blue for library objects etc.

Try this (works in XP, haven't tested it in Vista or Win 7 though):

http://www.proggle.com/labels/

[InfernalDarkness]

Maybe it's just me, but I always thought naming one's folders and subfolders properly was the way to go. It works wonders in my actual physical file cabinet, and works precisely the same in Windows.

The WinLite Proggle application didn't work with Windows 7, alas. I can't get any "Label" function in the Right-Click menu at all. Would have been kinda nice, I suppose.

[DanConnor]

Yes, my folders are all very nicely named. There are many instances in which this isn't enough. For example, when a customer comes back to me with an image they want revised, it usually doesn't have the correct file name any more. I create hundreds of images every year, and I certainly can't remember every name. So I guess the approximate year, and visually scan the folders. I am no longer able to do this. Another example would be if I want to steal some part of another scene- what I remember is the scene I want to steal it from, not the filename. That's how my brain works. So I can't scan the folders easily any more.

I was just fooling with adobe bridge hoping that would offer a solution, but no.

[frog]

Now I've upgraded my desktop to win 7 I found a replacement for Winlabels:

http://www.freewarefiles.com/Rainbow-Folders_program_5495.html

Rainbow folders, works a treat.

[DanConnor]

Hey, actually adobe bridge is pretty good. It doesn't make folder icons the way I like, but if you set it up right you can browse through folders and it opens all the contents in a preview pane, big and very fast. I think I can work with this.

[Bullit]

Yes Win7 is a step back in some stuff. I had almost all thumbnail preview in pdf's files now just some show up.

Then i have that explorer tab almost clean and have to go deep to a fancy interface with bar to choose what way i want my icons.

[Jettatore]

Did you try changing the view to "content" or "tiles"? If you tried it already just ignore me, but I'm getting folders with previews over here.

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