Finder
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Forklift 1.5: fast, pretty and stable.
Forklift, the split-pane file manager with support for multiple network protocols, is officially at version 1.5 now. We covered the initial release a while back, and we're excited about the progress it's made. With an interface update (Leopard goodness) and some behind-the-scenes tweaks, it's turning into a sweet piece of work. Forklift has always been of interest to me, with its support for SFTP and Amazon S3, but my previous experiences with Forklift had shown it to display a tendency toward a little sluggishness and the occasional poorly-timed crash. This latest version has not only been stable for me, but has been snappy. And by that I mean speedy to the extreme, especially when dealing with (S)FTP servers and S3. Ten times faster on remote transfers, actually, according to their own benchmarks. Quick Look and FXP Copy (server-to-server file transfer) round out a great feature set. If you're looking for a Finder add-on/replacement (or a great FTP client), definitely download the trial. At $29.95, it's quite reasonably priced for what it can do. And for current users the upgrade is free and will fix quite a few shortcomings you may have noticed thus far. Version 1.5 is Leopard-only, but 1.2 is still available for our striped friends.
Finder sidebar separators
Here's a nifty idea to add a little organization to your Finder sidebar. Since it does not natively support separators, one fellow decided to hack up a solution by creating some fake applications whose icons are transparent and whose names consist of line characters. You can then drag and drop these on the sidebar to give the desired effect.It's a small thing, but a nice one for keeping your Finder sidebar visually tidy. The package also contains a nifty little AppleScript application that will launch the Terminal at the location of a folder dropped on it.[via Lifehacker]
Mac Automation: image tweaking plug-in for Finder
Here's a task that most computer users run into on a daily basis: cropping and dealing with small image tweaks. This could be a daunting task if it were not for the Mac and Automator. In this how-to, I will show you how to make a small Finder plug-in that will allow you to manipulate images quickly. Please note, some of the actions required for this how-to are dependent upon Pixelmator being installed. For this automation, you will need the following Automator actions (in the same order): Get Selected Finder Items Transform Images (this action is only available when you install Pixelmator)
Mac Automation: saving Automator workflows
Now that you've been introduced to Automator, let's let's get into the "nitty-gritty." In the previous Automator post, we learned how to make a workflow that would take photos from your camera, import them into iPhoto, then allow you to e-mail them. Let's look at the three ways in which you can save this workflow for later reference. Workflow File You can save the workflow as an actual Automator workflow file by clicking File > Save; choose "workflow" from the format drop-down menu. By saving as an Automator workflow all of your actions are preserved, and when you re-open the file, you will be presented with your workflow just as you left it. This is a great way to save your workflow for editing later on.
Path Finder 4.8.2 can now replace the Finder, supports Quick Look
The guys over at Cocoatech have released an update to their excellent Finder replacement Path Finder that adds a couple of absolute gem features in Leopard. First, Path Finder now supports the brilliant Quick Look feature. Better yet, Path Finder now integrates with the OS in that it can now intercept the "Show in Finder" calls from other applications and direct them to Path Finder. What this means it that those little magnifying glass icons in, for example, the Safari downloads window (right) will now take you to Path Finder instead of the regular Finder. This even works on Stacks where the "More in Finder" button again goes to Path Finder. While there were some Input Manager style hacks that had previously allowed similar functionality, this is the first time this has really worked seamlessly with the OS. Thanks, apparently, is due to Apple themselves for making this possible with Leopard.This really opens the door to replacing the Finder wholesale in Leopard with Path Finder.Path Finder 4.8.2 is available for download in a demo. It's a free update for registered users of PF4, $17.95 for upgrades from earlier versions of PF, and $34.95 for a full version.[via Infinite Loop]
24 Hours of Leopard: Finder
Feature: The new FinderHow it works: People have been complaining about the Finder since OS X was first released. Finally, Leopard brings a variety of long-awaited features. Perhaps most important is the one-two punch Quick Look and Cover Flow, but there are a many other new features as well. The new Finder takes its design cues from iTunes, with the sidebar now looking very much just like the source list. Taking a cue from Cocoatech's Path Finder, Leopard adds a live path bar to the bottom of the Finder windows. There are also new folder view settings and the option to make particular folders sharable.Who will use it: Everyone, and while it's unlikely all the critics will be fully satisfied, the improvements will likely make third-party Finder replacements seem less necessary.
Mac 101: Enlarging Finder Previews
Leopard may be just around the corner but we're not ignoring you readers who aren't ready to upgrade. Here's a quick tip for those of you who plan on staying in Tiger land. Sometimes you want to view pictures by previewing them directly in Finder. To automatically view the largest possible preview, just double-tap the column resizing handle at the bottom right of the preview image. This automatically maximizes the picture without affecting your other columns.
THCanvasView: Icon viewer for Cocoa apps
Scott Stevenson has dropped a pretty handy Finder-like view interface for Cocoa applications called THCanvasView. I don't do a ton of Cocoa programming, but even I can see how handy this is-- Scott's coded almost all the functionality of Finder, including resizing of icons, image previews, Cocoa bindings awareness, and repositioning within the view, and it's available right there as a free download under a BSD license for your own application.He's also included a short wrapper app called CorkBoard designed just to show off what the viewer does. Very cool indeed. If you're working on a new Cocoa application (at least before Leopard comes out and shows us all how applications should really look in 2008), it could be just what you're looking for in a file interface.
Replace the Finder with Quicksilver
Our love of Quicksilver, the sometimes inscrutable application launcher (and much more) runs deep, but Daniel over at waferbaby has us beat. It would seem Daniel isn't a big fan of the Finder and he is crazy for Quicksilver. Clearly, it took the next obvious step and replaced the Finder with Quicksilver. Read his post for the details, but be warned it isn't for the faint of heart.
Mac 101: Using the Up Arrow in Finder
It's no surprise to most Mac users that you can use arrow keys to navigate through Finder windows. Arrow-key presses work in all three window styles: icon view, list view and column view. What many new Mac users don't realize though is that there are Command versions of these arrow keys. When viewing folders using icon view or list view, both Command-Up-arrow and Command-Down-arrow play a special role. Command-Up-arrow moves you up to the parent folder of the currently-displayed folder. So if you are in, say, /Users/ericasadun/Pictures/Family, Command-Up-arrow would take you to /Users/ericasadun/Pictures. Press Command-Up-arrow again and you move to /Users/ericasadun. You can check your current folder by command-clicking the icon at the top of the folder window. Command-Down-arrow only works when the selected item is a folder, and, like Command-Up-arrow, only in icon and list views. Pressing Command-Down-arrow opens and selects the current folder. So it essentially does the opposite of Command-Up-arrow. It moves you further down in the folder hierarchy as opposed to Command-Up-arrow which moves you up the folder tree. These are useful shortcuts to have at hand when you prefer to use the keyboard to navigate through your files rather than the mouse.
Mac OS X tools for real life
This article made me chuckle-- Stuart Frisby of Thirty Six Degrees wrote a short piece about five Mac OS X tools not that he'd like to see on the iPhone, but that he'd like to see in Analog Life (or Analogue Life, in his case).The Finder function is an old favorite-- it really would be great to find your keys via a Spotlight-like interface. But Disk Utility in real life would be a nice bonus as well; a quick Restore right after I'd said something inappropriate to a lady friend would be a lifesaver. But the best would be Uno-- every car could be a Porsche, everyone could be beautiful all the time, and even fast food could taste like steak.Five tools doesn't seem like enough-- if you could put a Mac OS X app to work in your real life, what would you choose?Thanks, James!
Love your Finder: A keyboard shortcut for adding items to the sidebar
While the Mac web generally (and justifiably) has quite a few gripes with the long-disregarded Finder, it actually offers quite a few unsung features that make working with your files efficient and fun. The upcoming changes to the Finder in Leopard certainly do look nice, but I think it's about time we set aside our differences with the Finder, if only for a moment, and rekindled our love with its truly pleasant and useful features. Hence an unofficial new TUAW mini-series: Love your Finder (I call it a mini-series because a lot's changing in October when the new Finder finally arrives in Leopard).Take the File > Add to Sidebar (command-T) feature that I forgot all about until listening to Thursday's MacBreak Tech episode. The beauty of the Finder's sidebar is that you can drag anything you want into it, including folders (including those from networked volumes like an iDisk), files and even applications. Your customized sidebar is then available in every Open and Save dialog throughout Mac OS X, making it a great spot to quickly place and remove projects you're working on, apps you need for a short time and important folders in which you need to often save or retrieve things.The sidebar gets even cooler, however, if you can wiggle that keyboard shortcut to your workflow. Got a file you need to remember later today? Cmd-T. A pictures folder you use for blogging that's buried deep in your Home folder? Cmd-T. A bunch of applications you're testing out for business or pleasure? Boom - that shortcut makes it easy to turn your Finder sidebar into a pseudo-cork board for all the stuff flying up and down your todo list, since all you have to do to remove an item is click and drag it off the Finder window to get that satisfying 'poof.'Combine this trick with our Mac 101 tip for adding your own items to the Finder's toolbar and you can put together one mean, lean window that can let you browse your files faster than ever before.
Mac 101: Hovering to copy
Many new Mac users think that in order to drag a file into a folder, that it must already be open on your screen. In fact, OS X offers a lovely trick that allows you to navigate through folders as you perform your drag and drop. To make this happen, start dragging the file you want to relocate. When you reach the parent folder of the folder you want to relocate to, hover for a few seconds. Finder recognizes that you're hovering and opens that folder for you. You can then locate the next folder down in the path, hover there, and so on until your reach your destination. This is particularly useful when dragging items onto other desks, especially networked disks. You can drag and hover items onto disks in Finder window's source pane as well to move files between computers. And what do you do if the item you want to drag onto is off screen? Drag in the direction you need to go. Finder is smart enough to help scroll the window for you.
TUAW Tip: Using FTP in Finder
This week, Apple posted a tip about using FTP directly from Finder. What Apple fails to mention in its tip is that whenever you connect via the Finder's Go -> Connect to Server option, make sure to include the user name in the ftp address. Don't connect to ftp://foo.org, instead, connect to ftp://erica.sadun@foo.org. Adding the user name fixes nearly all the connection problems that people write to me about. Instead of getting "The Finder cannot complete the operation because some data in (address) could not be read or written. (Error code -36)." an authentication window appears.Update: Apple appears to have removed the tip page. Interesting. Thanks, Arlo.Update 2: Apple's tip is still live here. (Thanks Francis.)
iChat screen sharing now a Finder feature
Quite a few of you have noticed that the iChat screen-sharing feature introduced at last year's WWDC seems to have gone missing in the refresh of the Leopard feature pages on Apple's site. This would have been so helpful for the family tech support and whatnot, and probably easy to implement under the Apple Remote Desktop/VNC stack; why would Apple drop it? Turns out it's not dropped so much as relocated. The Finder feature page now indicates that "[by] clicking on a connected Mac, you can see and control that computer (if authorized, of course) as if you were sitting in front of it." Sounds like what iChat loseth, the Finder picketh up and runneth with...eth.
Path Finder 4.7 is available
Don't feel glum that you can't use Leopard's new Finder for another four months, just download Path Finder!Pathfinder is the Finder replacement for Mac OS X that has earned many fans. It's a dream for power users, as it greatly enhances the amount of information available about your files, customization and more. Today, Cocoatech released version 4.7. Changes include: A revamped Get Info window that provides summary information for multiple items. "Experimental" Subversion support from within Path Finder with basic svn functionality (status, update commit, diff, add, etc.). A redesigned Applications Launcher The integrated Terminal feature has been updated to the latest iTerm code. There's more, of course, and you can get the full run-down here. Path Finder 4.7 costs $34.95US (existing customers can upgrade to Path Finder 4.7 for $17.95US) and requires Mac OS 10.4 or later.
Hello Tomorrow: The 300+ new features of Mac OS X 10.5 Leopard
While Steve Jobs introduced ten major features coming in Mac OS X Leopard at last year's WWDC, the entire list of new features has finally been unveiled. We already knew about some of the enhancements coming in apps like Mail and the all-new Spaces and Time Machine, but Jobs today highlighted some significant new features such as an interesting new approach to the Desktop and a (finally!) updated Finder. This isn't all that's coming in Leopard, however; not by a long shot. In fact, along with a redesigned Apple.com, the company has unveiled the full Leopard features site, elaborating a lot more on most (but likely not all) the new features we'll get to play with in October. The list this time around actually tops over 300+ new features - the most significant upgrade in Mac OS X's history. Included in the list are apps we haven't seen featured on stage, including iCal, Parental Controls, DVD Player, Automator and more. There's a lot to look through here (and likely much more to discover that Apple hasn't detailed), so we're going to take some time to digest this all. As always, feel free to send us tips as we publish more info on new features as quickly as possible.
ForkLift 2-pane file manager with SFTP ships
A while back when we mentioned a preview of ForkLift, a new 2-pane file manager for the Mac, the comments suggested that I may have somewhat under-appreciated what it offered. Well ForkLift has now shipped and appears to include quite a few nice features. Among these are a full-fledged (S)FTP client, tabs, spring loaded folders, Amazon S3 support, an Application Deleter (a la AppZapper), the ability to browse archives as if they were folders, and quite a bit more. For those moving over from using an orthodox file manager on the PC, or for anyone who finds the Finder rather limiting, ForkLift is worth a look. (Incidentally, if you're interested in the new Mac indie development company behind ForkLift, BinaryNights, MacApper had an interesting interview a while back.)ForkLift is $30 and a demo is available.[via MacNN]
Terminal Tip: Four ways to turn off Finder animations and speed up your system
Mac OS X Hints has posted several ways to disable Finder animations like the snap-to-grid animation and the Info window opening animation. They are: 1. Disable standard Finder animations.defaults write com.apple.finder DisableAllAnimations -bool true 2. Disable 'snap to grid'. defaults Write com.apple.Finder AnimateSnapToGrid -bool FALSE 3. Disable Info pane animations defaults write com.apple.finder AnimateInfoPanes -bool false 4. Disable slow-mo animations (seen when you press Shift during Exposé launches or window minimization) defaults write com.apple.finder FXEnableSlowAnimation -bool true Issue any or all of these at the command line, and then restart Finder. (Enter killall "Finder" at the command line.) To reverse these effects, change from true to false or false to true and restart Finder again. So did this make my creaky 733 G4 Power PC Mac run faster? Perhaps a little. The biggest changes in speed I noticed were in accessing folders from the dock.
Boost your contextual menus with FileUtilsCM
Here's a very useful utility. FileUtilsCM beefs up your Mac's contextual menus with a number of useful features. Our favorite, by far, is the ability to copy a file's path to the clipboard with click.Other functions include touch modification date, lock, make read only and refresh view in the Finder. You can even toggle extension visibility and make use of a full "File Info" submenu.FileUtilsCM is free and requires Mac OS 10.3.9 or higher.
