"Open Image" change default folder and thumbnail view?

[Dave001]

Hi just started using GIMP, and have run into a couple of things that I'm wondering if it's possible to change.

1. Clicking File, Open, brings up the "Open image" window, it always defaults to "Recently Used" and list the last files edited to the right, I'd like it to default to a particular folder. Is this possible?

2. Also in the "Open Image" window, is there a way to have the files shown as thumbnail view instead of list view? Having to click on each file name to see the thumbnail image in the far right of the window is very slow.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

[Blighty]

(08-14-2017, 02:53 AM)Dave001 Wrote: 1. Clicking File, Open, brings up the "Open image" window, it always defaults to "Recently Used" and list the last files edited to the right, I'd like it to default to a particular folder. Is this possible?

In the File Open dialogue, on the lower, left hand side, are + and - buttons. Navigate to the folder you want and click the the + button. That folder will be available for you to use in the File Open dialogue.

[Dave001]

(08-14-2017, 06:40 AM)Blighty Wrote: In the File Open dialogue, on the lower, left hand side, are + and - buttons. Navigate to the folder you want and click the the + button. That folder will be available for you to use in the File Open dialogue.

Thanks for the reply Blighty, but that just adds the folder to the list, it doesn't make it the default folder, when opening the "File Open" dialog, it still defaults to "Recently Used".

[rich2005]

You list both Windows and Linux as used. AFAIK no definitive way to change the default open directory from recently used.

Windows
You can get around it (sort of) by appending an image to the Gimp start up command in a shortcut.
This will open the image when gimp starts, and any subsequent 'opens' will go to this directory 'as-the-last-used'. Until you save else-where for that session.
example http://i.imgur.com/5jdk3gf.jpg

Linux
You can do a similar thing in linux with the .desktop file.
and for the ever increasing list of recently used, disable the file ~/.local/share/recently-used.xbel All the applications complain bitterly, but w-t-h let them.

Thumbnails
Look in Edit -> Preference -> Environment
Check that you have Image Thumbnails set to a size and there is a checkbox for Document history which I think has to be enabled.

In linux thumbnails are stored in the directory ~/.thumbnails/normal which can grow to a large size. I go in and delete every now and again, let Gimp build up again as I open images.

[rich2005]

If it is really a problem, use a graphics manager such as XnViewMP which automatically creates thumbnails.

Then there is an option to open any image in a graphics editor, set Gimp as that editor. A quick look, it is in (xnviewmp) Tools -> Open with -> .....

[Ofnuts]

(08-14-2017, 02:53 AM)Dave001 Wrote: Hi just started using GIMP, and have run into a couple of things that I'm wondering if it's possible to change.

1. Clicking File, Open, brings up the "Open image" window, it always defaults to "Recently Used" and list the last files edited to the right, I'd like it to default to a particular folder. Is this possible?

2. Also in the "Open Image" window, is there a way to have the files shown as thumbnail view instead of list view? Having to click on each file name to see the thumbnail image in the far right of the window is very slow.

Thanks in advance,
Dave

For 1) find your gtkfilechooser.ini. This file exists somewhere, on Linux it's ~/.config/gtk-2.0/gtkfilechooser.ini (I can't tell where it is on Windows but I'l sure Rich will come to help). Replace StartupMode=recent by StartupMode=cwd . And change your Gimp startup directory to the required directory in your shortcut. Not that this doesn't change the default directory when you save things, so adding your favorite directory/directories as a bookmark(s) is still a good idea. Other tweaks (not much) are documented here.

For 2) no. Yes, clicking on every image is slow,  but opening the dialog in a directory full of complex XCF (or full of JOG on a slow medium/network share) would be even slower. If you Gimp is correctly set up, you can use your file explorer in thumbnail view on open images in Gimp from it.

[Dave001]

Thanks for the replies everyone, much appreciated.

Looks like GIMP is not going to suit me then, thanks again for the help.

[rich2005]

Still worth a post, Learn something new every day. 

In my Win7 VM, and I assume Win 10 will be the same.

1. gtkfilechooser.ini is in C:\Users\your-name\Appdata\Local\gtk-2.0
and in Windows NotePad the term to change is right at the end of the line, change 'recent' to cwd 

   

2. Probably a good idea to create a new folder for your work, change the Gimp shortcut as

   

3. Starting Gimp up, Open -> File goes to that folder.

   

[StageMan]

(08-14-2017, 06:40 AM)Blighty Wrote:

(08-14-2017, 02:53 AM)Dave001 Wrote: 1. Clicking File, Open, brings up the "Open image" window, it always defaults to "Recently Used" and list the last files edited to the right, I'd like it to default to a particular folder. Is this possible?

In the File Open dialogue, on the lower, left hand side, are + and - buttons. Navigate to the folder you want and click the the + button. That folder will be available for you to use in the File Open dialogue.

  I don't know who decided on the Themes but in Dark Mode the + sign is indistinguishable from the dark background, and - sign is not much better.
I had to change the Theme to "System" to see what you were talking about. The Gray and Light Themes suck and no one uses them. Can other Themes be had?

  I find it unimaginable that after all these years that no one has built a Module or Plugin for Gimp to view Thumbnails of our work right in the Gimp Program.
 
  Every other Graphics program has been doing that for decades.
  I've been using JASC Paint Shop Pro 7.02 since 2000. I just changed over to Gimp 2.10.24, But in PSP 7.02... under the "File" menu, there is "Browse". Click on it and it opens a built in small explorer window that allows the User to browse through their folders and see sizable thumbnails of images.
  When the User sees an image in a thumbnail that they want to work on... they either "double" click on it to open it in PSP 7.02, or they "right" click on the thumbnail image and choose "Open". Either way it's convenient and not in a word list form where if the User has been working on an image and has several variations like "image1.xcf, or png, or jpg... and image2.xcf... image3.xcf. Under the current circumstances the Gimp User has to click every file name to display a thumbnail, unless it's a reasonably large file, at which time not only does the User have to click the file name, but then they have to click on the Thumbnail area to the right of the file name list to have the thumbnail generated. That's a lot of work when a User has A LOT of Graphics work to already do. 

Thanks for reading!

[rich2005]

Keeping it short:
It is possble to change the theme. I use an old one from Gimp 2.8 days and a layout that I am comfortable with. You also posted questions on GimpChat. More users experiment with themes there than here.

screenshot: https://i.imgur.com/KFJkdzQ.jpg

PSP7 - if you still have files, it is very portable ( same as Gimp) you can run it in linux if you install WINE.

https://i.imgur.com/QdBLiAL.jpg

..even get Gimp to look a little like that layout, most linux desktop environments (DE's) will 'shade ' a window, which opens usually with mouse hover-over.

https://i.imgur.com/ckechDR.jpg all sorts of things you can do. Best of luck