[Synnical]

I just reformated my windows and before that I could view my CS2 files in preview thumbnails in the designated folders, but now I can't. Is there a hidden feature in CS2 that allows this? I find it odd because I never had this problem before until now.

[Lunatique]

I use image management/browsing apps to view all my image files, including PSD's. XnView is an excellent free app that does it very well, plus a host of other excellent features like file conversion, create contact sheets..etc.

[Mikko K]

Did you delete the 'thumbs.db' files that PS saves to each directory? They might be hidden files.

Maybe you have to open and re-save each psd file.

In CS2:

Under Edit --> Preferences --> File handling
there's Image Previews, set that to Always Save.

[Synnical]

Thanks guys, I appreciate the help.

Lunatique: I'll give the program a try

Mikko K: I didn't do any alterations to the directory, which is the reason why i didn't understand the changes from before. I checked on the CS2 preference and I have "Always Save' enabled, yet the re-saves don't seem to do the trick.
Any idea how I can find the 'thumb.db' files? They should still be there...

[genocell]

Try this one first. Download this file

http://www.sitepoint.com/images/aiicon.zip

Read the read me file in there. Works everytime for me. [/url]

[Synnical]

This XnView program is really neat! I think I'll be using it from now. thanks again, Lunatique.

genocell: I am following the readme instructions, but I can't seem to find the 'shell' directory under the 'Adobe'. is that the case for you?

[genocell]

Oh I forgot to tell you, if you don't have the shell folder, you have to make one. Let me know if it works or not.

By the way I'm liking the xnView program too. Pretty neat.

Also I have to mention if you use Painter and save any .psd files using Painter itself, for some inane reason it won't show up as thumbnail in windows or in xnView. But if you save in PS the thumbnail works.

[Lunatique]

In Painter, if you save PSD with more than one layer, you will lose the ability to view that PSD as thumbnail, but if it's only one layer, then you can still view it as thumbnail.

My favorite image browsing configuration right now is to have the left pane be the folders, the middle pane be the thumbnails, and the right pane as preview area. The preview area takes up roughly the right half, while the folders and thumbnails (showing 4 columns across) takes up the left half. In Xnview, if you go to View and Layout, then pick the 7th one from the top--that's the layout I use.

[genocell]

Thanks for the info, now I understand.

I dabbled some more with xnView and this is really a great program. Now I use it exclusively as as my image browsing software. The performance is really fast and I've tried a lot image browsing software. I will concur that Bridge is hideously, monstrously slow and I think nview is the best. Thanks!

[Gort]

Believe it or not, but Google's Picassa image viewer views PSDs as thumbnails.
_________________
- Tom Carter

"You can't stop the waves but you can learn to surf" - Jack Kornfield

[Synnical]

genocell: yep, it now works fine like before. thanks a lot!
Lunatique: cool, I'll give it a try.
Gort: I've only used Picassa for a short while, and that was an older version. very interesting.