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View Full Version : Future File Management Mockup


PrimoTurbo
December 5th, 2007, 09:29 AM
I’ve been working on this mockup for a few days now and I’m getting really tired of it so I figure I would post it before I abandon making it.

http://img509.imageshack.us/img509/6995/futureinter7wz9.jpg

I’ve been working on this mockup for a few days now and I’m getting really tired of it so I figure I would post it before I abandon making it.

My idea that I have never seen implemented in file management is called pathview or perhaps webview. Maybe it’s already out there but I have never seen it, I think it would be quite revolutionary and genuinely useful if ever implemented.

Pathview/webview: All files are presented in a single window; the user is able to move around the files like in an RTS game or Google Earth. An excellent example of this implementation would be the game Defcon. The user is able to zoom in and zoom out and follow the mini-map in order to locate files.

Organization: Essentially you could create areas for files, like a map. It could be based on the world, planets or anything else. You can move files around by dragging them to different areas with out actually changing their position in the file system. It simply makes no sense that we have to follow the organization of our operating system in order to locate files. The line paths would still indicate the original location of the files in the file system even if the files are placed in other parts of the map.

File movement (not in the mockup): One problem with pathview could be moving large amounts of files. To speed this up, the user has a special tool. A temporary folder or basket, which allows the user to place files into this area temporally. Then move into another part of the map and move the files into that area by dragging them out of the basket. This is similar to the way that RPG games implement item management.

(Icons used in the mockup are called iVista)

staticvoid
December 5th, 2007, 09:46 AM
wow. that is cool. reminds me of the "clutter" desktop where you can throw icons around and stack them up. but this is way cooler. a different way birds eye view to view your files.


neato

hope you figure it out

sv

smartboyathome
December 5th, 2007, 11:16 AM
Cool! Eye candy for the soul! :D

oomingmak
December 5th, 2007, 05:36 PM
Reminds me a bit of "The Brain".

I tried out that software back in the late 90's. It had a really funky zooming animation (for the time) as you went from node to node.

Don't know what happened to it as a project though.

smartboyathome
December 5th, 2007, 05:41 PM
Reminds me a bit of "The Brain".

I tried out that software back in the late 90's. It had a really funky zooming animation (for the time) as you went from node to node.

Don't know what happened to it as a project though.

I think it is on this site now:
http://www.thebrain.com/
It does have a very similar style to the posted mockup.

smartboyathome
December 5th, 2007, 05:41 PM
edit: how did this get posted twice? I smell an opera bug ;)

molom
December 6th, 2007, 07:12 AM
Do you think this will be available on Windows Vienna ;)

Supremacy
December 7th, 2007, 07:51 AM
I really like this idea. Would be cool to see it implemented. Especially the way it shows the dvd cover for each movie ;) I guess the same for images and such would be just as sweet.

Same could be said for music albums and such.

Great work.

de_valentin
December 7th, 2007, 08:20 AM
That looks really cool I hope you won't quit or someone else will take it along.

I must say I think it will be difficult to watch dozenz of vacation pictures in a sort of random organised way. On the other hand going through hundreds of pictures in a folder isn't everything either.

Good luck and keep up the good work, I wish I could be of help but I can barely copy paste in the terminal.

Lucifiel
December 7th, 2007, 04:08 PM
Hey, this looks pretty nice.

Perhaps you could find another partner to assist with this project.

PrimoTurbo
December 8th, 2007, 01:03 AM
This is just a concept that I had, I do not know how to implement and lack the technical aspect to do so unfortunately. Anyone is free to use my ideas, I would be quite impressed if someone implemented it into gnome or kde.

bobbybobington
December 11th, 2007, 01:15 AM
It would be really kool if something like this could be done using compiz. Instead of opening a file browser window, a "widget-like" layer would come up as the background darkened. Opening a folder would make its contents "spill" out with 3d effects. Going up a layer would make the folder's contents go back in as if by a magnet. Searching a folder, would cause irrelevant files get "tossed out" and fade as you typed. Preview playback could be easy to enable.

Acid7711
December 13th, 2007, 10:10 PM
Decent idea, but I've seen something like this already, in video. I forget where. It feels cluttered to me, somewhat organized.

Sindwiller
December 15th, 2007, 07:17 AM
Quick, someone suggest this to be implemented into KDE4 :)

Xbehave
December 15th, 2007, 04:00 PM
wont there be problems if your not using a really good file system or with alot of files?

I do love the idea but for me it wouldnt be worth the performance hit, good luck tho, will be realy cool especially when reiser4 and SSD are about