Expand File list to expose all files in all subfolders?

[AWH]

It seems like the functionality should exist and maybe I'm just missing it...? I would like to select the root directory/folder and with one click/keystroke, expose every subfolder and every file in every subfolder so I can have ACDSee Ultimate scan all the files. Yes, I know that's a bit like cataloging every folder, but cataloging is so sloooow but manually opening the hierarchy of folders one at at time is morally equivalent to watching paint dry. Is there a keystroke or menu command that simply selects every file in the database?

[Greyfox]

.... Is there a keystroke or menu command that simply selects every file in the database?

Manage Mode->Left hand Pane->Catalog Tab
Go down near bottom of list to "Special Items" and select "Image Well" to show all images, then Ctrl +A to select them.

[AWH]

Many Thanks!

[curious]

Manage Mode->Left hand Pane->Catalog Tab
Go down near bottom of list to "Special Items" and select "Image Well" to show all images, then Ctrl +A to select them.

Wow, all these years and I never knew that. Also shows the files at the top which are not named within your naming scheme so you can correct that.

[Greyfox]

Wow, all these years and I never knew that. Also shows the files at the top which are not named within your naming scheme so you can correct that.

Most of us only get to really know a subset of the overall features in any complex application, that being the ones we use in our own work flow.
That is one of the benefits of the forum. Issues or solutions raised by others make you aware of other features or workarounds you would not otherwise be aware of.

[Emil]

. . . expose every subfolder and every file in every subfolder so I can have ACDSee Ultimate scan all the files

Manage Mode->Left hand Pane->Catalog Tab
Go down near bottom of list to "Special Items" and select "Image Well"

Sorry. but imho these are completely different things.
"expose every subfolder and every file in every subfolder" includes files not yet catalogued.
"Image Well" will not show files not catalogued yet, but include orphaned database entries.

To display all existing files in all subfolders you need to:
- first enable "display all files" in the Option (ALT-O), section "file list"
- go to folder tab and select the root folder
- type SHIFT-* several times to unfold the whole tree
- scroll down to the bottom of the folder tree
- SHIFT-Left-Click the last entry of the folder tree

AC will then fill it's view with all existing files in the selected tree and (if allowed) also add new found files to the db including all none hierarchical tags (no collections, no categories, no AC-keywords).

To include the hierarchical tags you still must catalogue the files.

AFAIK, there's still no easy solution to suppress orphaned database entries from the "Image well" and it of course does not shoe files not existing in the db.

[Greyfox]

Emil

Oops, you are quite correct. Image Well just brings up all of the images that already have records in the database, not all the images that are on the drive..

Your instructions to select the root folder (of a drive) and then tap the shift plus the asterisk key twice does expand all of the folders and sub-folders below the root folder (with the proviso that here on an English version of Windows 10 Pro, with a US keyboard, it has to be specifically the right hand side shift key, and the asterisk key on the number pad).

And then selecting all those folders does start the process of ACDSee adding database records for all of the folders and files on the drive into the database, but as you have pointed out it does not read in embedded ACDSee keywords, collections or categories, though it does read in the iptc keywords.
.
The other issues for me are the large number of records created for files that I would normally not want to include in the ACDSee database because they cannot be used from within ACDSee, and also that once the long process starts, there appears to be no visual progress indication, and as far as I could see, no indication as to when it finishes (except to watch CPU usage in Task Manager).

In short, I much prefer using the Tools->Database->Catalog function.

[Emil]

Emil...there appears to be no visual progress indication, and as far as I could see, no indication as to when it finishes (except to watch CPU usage in Task Manager).

Yep, the task manger is the most important tool if you use AC.

I've voted for a three state "easy select" in the past: "selected", "not selected" and "selected including all sub-folders". Could be set with CTRL-Click and be indicated with a third icon

In short, I much prefer using the Tools->Database->Catalog function.

At times I scan the image file base with a script, create .lnk files for each young file in a single temp. folder and then just catalogue this one folder. This can be useful for travel laptops that aren't used every day. Cataloging the whole file base takes much to long; it all depends on your set up and workflow.