Thumbnails in Column & List views

My Finder (v10.4.5) mostly does NOT show the thumbnails of my JPGs in Column & List views, unless those JPGs were created on my computer (Tiger 10.4.6).

I got it to finally show the thumbnails in Icon view (View > Show View Options > Show Icon Preview + All windows), but I also want to see the little thumbnails in Column and List Views. Anyone know how to do this.

NOTE: those same JPGs that don't get the thumbnails on my MAC, do show thumbnails on my crappy-*** Windows ME Dell's Explorer.


By the way, (different Question) is there a way I can set up to be notified via email when somebody replies to my question here in this discussion area?

Thanks,
Ted

PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6) 2 GB DDR SDRAM

PowerBook G4 Mac OS X (10.4.6) 2 GB DDR SDRAM

Posted on Jun 13, 2006 2:49 AM

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6 replies

Jun 13, 2006 4:59 PM in response to TC3

I can answer question #2: when you are logged in and viewing a thread like this one, click the link to "subscribe". Then click "My Settings" on the right and scroll down to "Subscription Preferences". In the pop-up menu click Immediately. As for the thumbnails, all I can say is that I don't think Finder gives you that option. You would need to turn the icons into thumbnails in order to do this, which probably wouldn't serve your purpose. Sorry I couldn't help more. C

Jun 13, 2006 5:24 PM in response to TC3

I can answer question #2: when you are logged in and viewing a thread like this one, click the link to "subscribe". Then click "My Settings" on the right and scroll down to "Subscription Preferences". In the pop-up menu click Immediately. As for the thumbnails, all I can say is that I don't think Finder gives you that option. You would need to turn the icons into thumbnails in order to do this, which probably wouldn't serve your purpose. Sorry I couldn't help more. C

Jun 13, 2006 11:50 PM in response to TC3

Finder should be able to draw icons for all jpegs in Column view, just make sure you have the option set for it to do that. With a Finder window open in Column view, go to the View menu item and select Show View Options and check both Show Icons and Show preview column. When you select a jpeg file a nice large icon will appear in a new column. In both List and Column views the small icons will be generic unless the jpeg has a built-in thumbnail. There are a number of free programs that will add a thumbnail to the file. I did a little Applescript that does it and keep it in my Scripts menu in the menu bar--I adapted it from a folder action script that comes with OS X. You can attach the Apple version to a folder to do batch thumbnails--drop the jpegs into the folder and all will get icons.
Francine

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Francine
Schwieder

Jun 14, 2006 12:27 AM in response to Francine Schwieder

Francine,

With a Finder window open in Column view, when you go to the View menu item and select Show View Options there are not any "Show Icons" or "Show preview column" selections for me to check.

As for select a jpeg file a nice large icon appearing in a new column, that is not what I'm looking for.

In both List and Column views the small icons will be generic unless the jpeg has a built-in thumbnail.

WOW. So as where in PC/Windows, all you have to do is check View > Thumbnail, in Mac, you have to install a new program or script to get that same functionality? Say it ain't so!

Jun 14, 2006 12:49 AM in response to TC3

With a Finder window open in Column view, when you go to the View menu item and select Show View Options there are not any "Show Icons" or "Show preview column" selections for me to check.


That is very very strange. Try opening a Finder window, have it in icon view, and the bring up Show View Options, I presume you are getting the options? Now go to View (don't close the options window!) and change to List. A different set of options should appear in the options window, and if you then change the view to Column what happens to the options window?

If you want to see thumbnails for files that don't have them you either use Column view with a preview column set to display icons, or put the folder in Icon view. The Mac OS Finder does not create thumbnail.db files, as does Windows (I believe many Linux window managers create analogous files). Instead the Finder either reads the thumb from the resource fork of the file (most--maybe all--Mac graphics programs have always had the ability to create custom icons that are a part of the file), or else it will create a thumb "on the fly" for files that don't have them if told to do so in Icon and Column views. In List view it will display a small icon if the file has one, otherwise it just uses the generic icon. Windows is incapable of reading Mac resource forks, where the custom icon is for files created on a Mac, and the Finder is incapable of reading Windows thumbnail.db files. Any file you create on your Mac with a Mac graphics program will have a custom icon, if you set the preference of the program to save the file that way. This includes Image Capture, if you use it to transfer files from your camera. Images you get from a Windows or Linux box, or download from the Internet, do not have a resource fork and so do not have a custom icon.
Francine

User uploaded file
Francine
Schwieder

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Thumbnails in Column & List views

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