Thumbnails won't load

[sinolog]

Hi there!

When I try to use the thumbnails-function the folder-trees will appear on the left side, but there are no pictures loading on the right. I have tried the option "Load thumbs from all subfolders" also. I've read about a bug that will take a long time to load these, but even after a couple minutes: nothing.

And then another question:
Should I ever get this to work - Is there a possibility how i can load only selected pics from selected folders (let's say a best-of of all my photos) and then have them printed on a couple of A4-sheets or is there no other way than copying them into a seperate folder first and then use the thumbnails-function?

Thanks a lot for your help and greetings from snowy-cold Zurich
sinolog

[Bhikkhu Pesala]

Look at the options in Properties, Extensions. IrfanView has filters to show only associated file types, or selected file types.

You can create contact sheets from the Thumbnail view with selected files.

[sinolog]

that was quick - thanks a lot

could recreate your tips.
can i also create a contact sheet from thumbnails in several different folders?

[Mij]

Has the divider bar been dragged too far to the right? Move your mouse slowly to the right across the box until the double headed arrow just appears. Left click and drag back left to see if you can open a hidden window.

[Skippybox]

Like Mij describes, there should be a divider bar between the tree and the thumbnails giving you two panes. You can check and quickly restore order by going to View > Directory tree and unchecking it. The thumbnails should be visible now, and turning the tree back on will resize it properly.

If this doesn't work, then I have to ask, can you move through a directory in the viewer? If not, then maybe you have no file types selected to load in IrfanView. You'd have to check that in Properties/Settings > Extensions as Bhikkhu advises.

***

There are a few methods to select files from different folders. Many options exist within each.

• You can rename them with special names (in batch), allowing you to search for them later using Search Files (CTRL+F), and put them in thumbs.
  
• You can tag images (X to tag and SHIFT+X to untag) while browsing, allowing you to work with many files in a directory and output them (SHIFT+Q) to thumbs. You can also remove thumbs from the window temporarily (CTRL+DEL).
  
• You can build a file list in Slideshow and save it as a txt file that you can open in thumbs. You can save one in thumbs as well.
  
• You can use F4 to add images to the current slideshow, allowing you to use the above item.

Some of these ideas have been presented in Filter thumbnails.

Look over the choices for output. You can do a contact sheet as mentioned, or batch print, or use panorama for a custom mosaic. More complex layouts are best done outside of IrfanView, but you could work on a canvas if you wanted.

[sinolog]

tagging

thanks. the division between tree- and thumbs-window works. that's not a problem. but still trying to select several pics from dozens of folders into one thumbnail-sheet (catalog).
the tagging seems to be a good idea but when i press X nothing happens. neither in the irfanview main window nor in the thumbnails-panda-progi.
any ideas are much appreciated.

[Skippybox]

Unfortunately, there is no indication of tagging until you revealed at the end what you've tagged by using SHIFT+Q. Plus, it only works in the current directory, so you have to dump your output into another container like the txt file option or much better use File> Append selected files to current slideshow. You may enjoy the other methods if you don't like this.

With Slideshow, you can drag files right from Windows.

[sinolog]

thank you

i am using the above mentioned solution now and i'm going through the slideshow mode.
but now another and hopefully the last question arose:
i have copied a pic in there that i don't want in the end and now cannot remove it without deleting it.
when i right-click on the pic there seems to be only the possibility of deleting it completely, not just the thumb. (i've loaded the list from a txt file.)

[Skippybox]

Easy, use the tip I previously mentioned. Select the file(s) and press CTRL+DEL or choose View > Remove selected thumbs from list. The txt file will remain unchanged though, so you would need to overwrite the change by saving as a txt file again if need be.

Don't forget, if you prefer a certain order to the images, then change the sorting option to No sort either in Thumbs, Slideshow or both. Ordering the list can be done in either place, but changes have to be resaved if necessary.

[sinolog]

alriiiiiiiiiight!

i think i got it figured out now.
thanks to all of you for your help. this really is a great program.

seasons greetings from Switzerland!
sinolog

[Skippybox]

Glad to hear it.

Seasons greetings to you as well, my friend!