Folder views and Picture preview

If you create a folder and open it, then go to View->Show View Options you'll see the default is "All Windows" for applying the various options you set. However, this will only apply to folders you have never opened or just created. And if you accidently have the "All Windows" set (easy to do since it is the default) and make some changes it will then apply those changes to all new folders or previously unopened ones. Every single folder ever opened has its very own invisible file, the .DS_Store file, which specifies how the Finder should display the folder. This makes it possible to have custom settings for different folders. It also drives lots of people bonkers (I happen to prefer it because I have many custom settings for different folders). Unfortunately there is no way to retroactively change this file for every folder on your drive that has already been opened--they'll each keep their own settings until they are opened and the settings are changed.

If you got a copy of iLife then you can use iPhoto to do side-by-side comparisons of pix. With the new version of iPhoto you can set it to leave the photos in their original locations, then just drag them into iPhoto. To easily do that, set the folder with the pix into List View, click the Kind column head to arrange by Kind, then click on the first picture file, hold down the Shift key and click on the last one, then drag the lot of them into iPhoto. Just make sure that when you launch iPhoto you first went to iPhoto->Preferences->Advanced and unchecked the Copy option.
Francine

silbeej

You can only set the view option on a folder by folder basis.

Some alternatives: Use column view, the last column will show a preview of the pic.

Download and install PicturePopPro2CM ( http://www.setnan.org/mac/picturepoppro/). It's a Contextual Menu plug-in, takes a second to install, then when you right-click on a folder of images you can view them by tapping the arrow keys. It's a wonderful piece of software, and the price is absolutely right! It's free!

Regards

TD

If you have column view selected which provides the preview function, this doesn't apply to all folders when selected since it does for me?

Have you considered using iPhoto to store and view all photos? When importing photos to iPhoto, there is a setting to copy files to the iPhoto library folder when adding to the library just as included with iTunes.

This way you still have access to all photos via the Finder if needed as you are doing now but using iPhoto makes this entire process easier IMO.

All photos are stored in a single location. Under the main Library are sub-libraries by the year the photos were taken so you can view photos taken in 2006 only for example. You can create photo Albums for selected photos just like Playlists with iTunes, email selected photos direct from iPhoto, export selected photos, burn selected photos or albums to CD or DVD, create a Smart Album just like a Smart Mailbox with the Mail.app, you can do a batch change for selected photos changing the date, file names, comments, etc., create a slide show which can be exported as a Quicktime movie complete with effects, transition type and with music added from iTunes along with many more options.