Five tips for working more efficiently with files

We access files all day long, and it's a repetitive task.
Windows Explorer is slow and not very user-friendly, so we quickly end up with a myriad of explorer windows that we eventually get lost in.

Here are five original features of 3DBrowser that you may not be aware of and that will save you time.

1 - Directory filtering

3DBrowser allows you to quickly filter the contents of a directory to display only certain types of files.

Information in the status bar — Detailed information at the bottom of the window

The status bar at the bottom of the explorer window displays information about the number of files and directories that are not displayed.

By default, zip files and directories are hidden.

Filtering by file type

The View > Filter menu or the following numeric keypad shortcuts allow you to display:

Shortcut	Function
`Ctrl+0 (numeric keypad)`	all files
`Ctrl+1 (numeric keypad)`	only recognised files (for which 3DBrowser generates a thumbnail)
`Ctrl+2 (numeric keypad)`	only images
`Ctrl+3 (numeric keypad)`	only 3D scenes

`Ctrl+8 (numeric keypad)`	show or hide zip files
`Ctrl+9 (numeric keypad)`	show or hide directories

`Ctrl+4 (numeric keypad)`	custom filtering, which shows or hides certain extensions
`Ctrl+5 (numeric keypad)`	edit custom filter extensions For example, capture.jpg capture.png will display all jpg or png files containing capture in the name.

Quick filtering of a directory

The View > Filter by content function or Ctrl+F displays files matching a simple expression or a regular expression.
File metadata is taken into account. This means you can specify a keyword, title, subject, etc.

For example:

capt displays all files whose name (or metadata) contains capt.
capt??? jpg displays all jpg files AND whose name (or metadata) contains 7 letters beginning with capt.
capt??? ^ jpg displays all jpg files OR all files whose name (or metadata) contains 7 letters beginning with capt.

2 - Multi-directory mode

You can display the contents of multiple directories very easily. To do this, simply select the relevant directories to see all the files in thumbnail view.

Selecting directories

In the My Computer panel:

Right-click on a directory

Using keyboard shortcuts

Press Ctrl and select a folder to add it to the selection. Repeat the operation to deselect it.
Press Shift to add a series of folders.
Press Ctrl+Shift and select a directory.

Note: keyboard shortcuts only select directories that are already expanded in the tree view (unlike the functions available in the menu).

Multi-directory favorites

You can save a multi-directory selection by creating a favourite with Ctrl+D or favorites > Add to favorites.

A favourite appears with a blue star in the favorites list, indicating that it is a multiple selection.

3 - Masked mode

The My Computer window displays all the directories on your computer/network. Depending on your needs, this list may be cluttered with numerous directories that make navigation difficult.

You can hide directories that are not useful to you using Masked mode Ctrl+Alt+H

Hiding a directory

Activate Masked mode Ctrl+Alt+H. Only directories that have not been hidden are visible.
Select one or more directories, then Right-click > Hide directory or Ctrl+H to hide these directories.

Unhide a directory

Deactivate Masked mode Ctrl+Alt+H. All directories are visible.
Select one or more directories, then Right-click > Unhide directory or Ctrl+Shift+H. These will be visible again in Masked mode.

4 - Split screen

The split screen is ideal for comparing the contents of two directories or facilitating operations between two directories.

Split view — A screen split into two views

To split a view:

① Click on the + in the tab bar. A new tab is created.
② Click on this tab and move it to the right of the screen. The window is now split.
③ Click in the left or right view and select the directory you want to display for that view.

5 - Customised display

The command View > Display > Custom offers a customisable view of the file contents.
The information you want to see is displayed next to the thumbnail.

Modify customisation

Using Edit > Preferences > Custom Display, you can modify the information you want to display. This information varies depending on the file type: images, 3D or others.

① Select the type of files for which you wish to modify the information.
② Edit the text that will be displayed next to the selected file in the editing area.
③ This text is in RTF format. It can be formatted according to your needs (colors, fonts, alignment, etc.).
④ The tags menu allows you to insert dynamic codes associated with the file metadata.