How to set up folder icons

[obelisk]

I have folders under my folders, like RAW, jpg, etc so the root has nothing in it
to use xmp, I move a folder from the jpg subfolder to the main folder, then I build thumbnails
then I move it back where it belongs

But it's unreliable, because if I optimize my catalog it'll get deleted
What's a better way? shortcuts don't get thumbnails so that doesn't help.

[xnview]

Sorry but i don't understand your problem.

[michel038]

You want to have a folder containing only subfolders illustrated by the thumbnails of photos ?

- You can take a screenshot of the thumbnail of a subfolder, (crop it), and name it "folder.jpg" .
-You can also build your own thumbnail with a photo editor with this name.
Then, the parent folder will be illustrated with it's "folder.jpg" picture

[obelisk]

You want to have a folder containing only subfolders illustrated by the thumbnails of photos ?

- You can take a screenshot of the thumbnail of a subfolder, (crop it), and name it "folder.jpg" .
-You can also build your own thumbnail with a photo editor with this name.
Then, the parent folder will be illustrated with it's "folder.jpg" picture

Yes technically you can. It is way too much work for thousands of folders. And waste of space. :(
In win explorer you can just assign a pic.

[michel038]

(...) too much work for thousands of folders (...) In win explorer you can just assign a pic.

Right, but even assigning a shortcut gives work ...

Another method :
Select a first photo in a "jpg" or a "raw" subfolder for example

Tools > Batch convert

in "Output" tab", Filename field, type : folder
in Folder selection field, type .. (dot dot, that will create a "folder.jpg" picture in parent folder)
See also Format area, if you need to change output format from raw to jpg and quality settings, and disable copying metadata .
Unmark "preserve metadata"

in "Actions" tab, add an action , "Image > Resize" , and choose for Width Heigt something like 200 x 200 to save space
in "Input" tab, browse a subfolder for each parent folder , and select a photo in each one ... (it's as long as creating shortcuts )

"Convert" ...

I made a few tests, seems OK, but be careful and try this for a small number of places


Edit 1 : maybe easier
- First, "tag" the photos you want to become thumbnails. (if you are using tags for other purposes you can use a color label instead)
- In Categories filter, select "tag" (tagged pictures) (or color label)
- Select all the photos you have got and apply Batch convert the same way I wrote above. (The "input" tab is now automatically filled)
With this method, you can renew thumbnails by adding or removing tags, and launch batch convert.

Edit 3 :
For my own use, I had already assigned a category like "iconic" to a few photo in some subfolders. Today, I filtered this category to create my "folder thumbnails"
It is thanks to the questions in this forum that I have often improved my use of XnviewMP !

Edit2 :
If one wants to use "4 thumbnails" for folders , you can tag up to 4 photos for each parent folder, and use any output filename (but different from "folder.jpg" ). Use for example thumb# so that thumb1.jpg thumb2.jpg thumb3.jpg thumb4.jpg will be created.

- To update folder thumbnails, select them and use View> Rebuild thumbnails

[obelisk]

Thanks very much.
this is a great idea, it seems to work in a small test.
Still lots of clicks but less than the old task.