Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support Directory Preivew
 

Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a directory with
folder images showing subdirectories and one or more images from
each subdirectory.

For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges, you can
put all photos of a particular one in a subdirectory for that
bridge and view a directory of subdirectories of all bridges and
see one image for each bridge in a folder symbol in the
directory. It is handy for locating things that you can spot
visually but can't identify verbally.

Do any other programs provide this function?

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support DirectoryPreivew
 

Phil R wrote:
> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a directory with
> folder images showing subdirectories and one or more images from
> each subdirectory.
>
> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges, you can
> put all photos of a particular one in a subdirectory for that
> bridge and view a directory of subdirectories of all bridges and
> see one image for each bridge in a folder symbol in the
> directory. It is handy for locating things that you can spot
> visually but can't identify verbally.
>
> Do any other programs provide this function?

A better question might be, "Which programs don't allow me to
find all my pictures of bridges, so I can avoid those programs?" To
my mind, the ability to locate all the images with a particular
characteristic and show them together in some way is a fundamental
requirement.

Paul Allen

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support DirectoryPreivew
 

Phil R wrote:
> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a directory with
> folder images showing subdirectories and one or more images from
> each subdirectory.
>
> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges, you can
> put all photos of a particular one in a subdirectory for that
> bridge and view a directory of subdirectories of all bridges and
> see one image for each bridge in a folder symbol in the
> directory. It is handy for locating things that you can spot
> visually but can't identify verbally.
>
> Do any other programs provide this function?

Many such viewers support a 'thumbnails' view. Not sure by your
description if that is what you mean. The Faststone image viewer is one
to check out, as well as Irfanview.

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support DirectoryPreivew
 

Paul Allen wrote:
> Phil R wrote:
>> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a directory with
>> folder images showing subdirectories and one or more images from each
>> subdirectory.
>>
>> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges, you can put all
>> photos of a particular one in a subdirectory for that bridge and view
>> a directory of subdirectories of all bridges and see one image for
>> each bridge in a folder symbol in the directory. It is handy for
>> locating things that you can spot visually but can't identify verbally.
>>
>> Do any other programs provide this function?
>
> A better question might be, "Which programs don't allow me to
> find all my pictures of bridges, so I can avoid those programs?" To
> my mind, the ability to locate all the images with a particular
> characteristic and show them together in some way is a fundamental
> requirement.
>
> Paul Allen

Humm. Paul do you know of ANY viewer that will manage to select and
display all images of a bridge, without some tagging or naming
function? If so, I would certainly be interested. PSE can match on
similar colors, but this feature is not reliable, and certainly won't
show me all the pictures of bridges unless I have tagged them so..

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support Directory Preivew
 

Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
news:Q8OdnYism4VmbkjeRVn-tg@giganews.com:

> Phil R wrote:
>> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a
>> directory with folder images showing subdirectories and
>> one or more images from each subdirectory.
>>
>> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges, you
>> can put all photos of a particular one in a subdirectory
>> for that bridge and view a directory of subdirectories of
>> all bridges and see one image for each bridge in a folder
>> symbol in the directory. It is handy for locating things
>> that you can spot visually but can't identify verbally.
>>
>> Do any other programs provide this function?
>
> Many such viewers support a 'thumbnails' view. Not sure by
> your description if that is what you mean. The Faststone
> image viewer is one to check out, as well as Irfanview.

Judging 1) from the reactions, 2) my own search which seems to
be that the Firehand Ember alone seems to do this well, and 3) I
think this is such an important functionality that I can't
believe its 2006 and we are discussing a fundamental situation
like this, let me restate the problem.

I have 50 pictures from 25 different bridges. I want to find a
particular one. I have little recollection of names or other
verbal means of identifying one from the other. Key words or
names are useless because I only stored limited data on them,
and I can't remember names. However, I do remember each one
because they look different in one way or another and my main
mental point of reference for each is the image of it in my
mind, about which all my recollections turn.

Further assume that I have a directory called bridges and the 50
photos are nicely organized and properly labeled in different
subdirectories, which is where I put them from my camera.

Suppose I found some new pictures of one particular bridge and I
wanted to put them with the ones I already have.

I could open the bridges directory, look at the 25 named
subdirectories, and open one in a serial search until I found
the one I was looking for.

With the Firehand Ember solution, this isn't necessary. I open
the bridge subdirectory, and I see not just 25 named
subdirectories, but 25 named subdirectories, with icons, and,
within each folder icon, a thumbnail from the directory, chosen
in some not immediately obvious manner. Thus I see 25 bridge
thumbnails all on one screen. I can instantly look at them all
at once and see the one I am looking for and open the directory.

I think his should standard.

For those of who may have little interest in civil engineering
and bridges and have minds elsewhere, the same principle applies
to photos of blonds, brunettes, and red heads.

I tried Faststore and noted it has basically the same thing. It
displayed 4 preview thumbnails but they were too tiny to see,
and I quickly got bogged down in other matters trying to
evaluate it.

I note one thing I don't like about Firehand Ember. You can't
click and open a photo in an external editor, like you can in
FotoAlbum, which doesn't have a good explorer functionality like
Ember.

Why is it with dozens of image viewer and organizer, someone
didn't get it all together long ago?

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support DirectoryPreivew
 

Phil R wrote:
> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
> news:Q8OdnYism4VmbkjeRVn-tg@giganews.com:
>
>> Phil R wrote:
>>> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a
>>> directory with folder images showing subdirectories and
>>> one or more images from each subdirectory.
>>>
>>> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges, you
>>> can put all photos of a particular one in a subdirectory
>>> for that bridge and view a directory of subdirectories of
>>> all bridges and see one image for each bridge in a folder
>>> symbol in the directory. It is handy for locating things
>>> that you can spot visually but can't identify verbally.
>>>
>>> Do any other programs provide this function?
>> Many such viewers support a 'thumbnails' view. Not sure by
>> your description if that is what you mean. The Faststone
>> image viewer is one to check out, as well as Irfanview.
>
> Judging 1) from the reactions, 2) my own search which seems to
> be that the Firehand Ember alone seems to do this well, and 3) I
> think this is such an important functionality that I can't
> believe its 2006 and we are discussing a fundamental situation
> like this, let me restate the problem.
>
> I have 50 pictures from 25 different bridges. I want to find a
> particular one. I have little recollection of names or other
> verbal means of identifying one from the other. Key words or
> names are useless because I only stored limited data on them,
> and I can't remember names. However, I do remember each one
> because they look different in one way or another and my main
> mental point of reference for each is the image of it in my
> mind, about which all my recollections turn.
>
> Further assume that I have a directory called bridges and the 50
> photos are nicely organized and properly labeled in different
> subdirectories, which is where I put them from my camera.
>
> Suppose I found some new pictures of one particular bridge and I
> wanted to put them with the ones I already have.
>
> I could open the bridges directory, look at the 25 named
> subdirectories, and open one in a serial search until I found
> the one I was looking for.
>
> With the Firehand Ember solution, this isn't necessary. I open
> the bridge subdirectory, and I see not just 25 named
> subdirectories, but 25 named subdirectories, with icons, and,
> within each folder icon, a thumbnail from the directory, chosen
> in some not immediately obvious manner. Thus I see 25 bridge
> thumbnails all on one screen. I can instantly look at them all
> at once and see the one I am looking for and open the directory.
>
> I think his should standard.
>
> For those of who may have little interest in civil engineering
> and bridges and have minds elsewhere, the same principle applies
> to photos of blonds, brunettes, and red heads.
>
> I tried Faststore and noted it has basically the same thing. It
> displayed 4 preview thumbnails but they were too tiny to see,
> and I quickly got bogged down in other matters trying to
> evaluate it.
>
> I note one thing I don't like about Firehand Ember. You can't
> click and open a photo in an external editor, like you can in
> FotoAlbum, which doesn't have a good explorer functionality like
> Ember.
>
> Why is it with dozens of image viewer and organizer, someone
> didn't get it all together long ago?
If you have the bridge pictures in a directory called 'bridges', then
Irfanview 'thumbnail view' will do just fine for your purposes. Most
programs that allow this type of view allow adjusting the size of the
thumbnail images.

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support Directory Preivew
 

Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
news:UN2dnTDl8pEtREveRVn-ow@giganews.com:

> Phil R wrote:
>> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
>> news:Q8OdnYism4VmbkjeRVn-tg@giganews.com:
>>
>>> Phil R wrote:
>>>> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a
>>>> directory with folder images showing subdirectories and
>>>> one or more images from each subdirectory.
>>>>
>>>> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges,
>>>> you can put all photos of a particular one in a
>>>> subdirectory for that bridge and view a directory of
>>>> subdirectories of all bridges and see one image for each
>>>> bridge in a folder symbol in the directory. It is handy
>>>> for locating things that you can spot visually but can't
>>>> identify verbally.
>>>>
>>>> Do any other programs provide this function?
>>> Many such viewers support a 'thumbnails' view. Not sure
>>> by your description if that is what you mean. The
>>> Faststone image viewer is one to check out, as well as
>>> Irfanview.
>>
>> Judging 1) from the reactions, 2) my own search which
>> seems to be that the Firehand Ember alone seems to do this
>> well, and 3) I think this is such an important
>> functionality that I can't believe its 2006 and we are
>> discussing a fundamental situation like this, let me
>> restate the problem.
>>
>> I have 50 pictures from 25 different bridges. I want to
>> find a particular one. I have little recollection of
>> names or other verbal means of identifying one from the
>> other. Key words or names are useless because I only
>> stored limited data on them, and I can't remember names.
>> However, I do remember each one because they look
>> different in one way or another and my main mental point
>> of reference for each is the image of it in my mind, about
>> which all my recollections turn.
>>
>> Further assume that I have a directory called bridges and
>> the 50 photos are nicely organized and properly labeled in
>> different subdirectories, which is where I put them from
>> my camera.
>>
>> Suppose I found some new pictures of one particular bridge
>> and I wanted to put them with the ones I already have.
>>
>> I could open the bridges directory, look at the 25 named
>> subdirectories, and open one in a serial search until I
>> found the one I was looking for.
>>
>> With the Firehand Ember solution, this isn't necessary. I
>> open the bridge subdirectory, and I see not just 25 named
>> subdirectories, but 25 named subdirectories, with icons,
>> and, within each folder icon, a thumbnail from the
>> directory, chosen in some not immediately obvious manner.
>> Thus I see 25 bridge thumbnails all on one screen. I can
>> instantly look at them all at once and see the one I am
>> looking for and open the directory.
>>
>> I think his should standard.
>>
>> For those of who may have little interest in civil
>> engineering and bridges and have minds elsewhere, the same
>> principle applies to photos of blonds, brunettes, and red
>> heads.
>>
>> I tried Faststore and noted it has basically the same
>> thing. It displayed 4 preview thumbnails but they were
>> too tiny to see, and I quickly got bogged down in other
>> matters trying to evaluate it.
>>
>> I note one thing I don't like about Firehand Ember. You
>> can't click and open a photo in an external editor, like
>> you can in FotoAlbum, which doesn't have a good explorer
>> functionality like Ember.
>>
>> Why is it with dozens of image viewer and organizer,
>> someone didn't get it all together long ago?
> If you have the bridge pictures in a directory called
> 'bridges', then Irfanview 'thumbnail view' will do just
> fine for your purposes. Most programs that allow this type
> of view allow adjusting the size of the thumbnail images.
>

If you had all 1,250 (=25 x 50) images in one directory called
bridges, (note: this contradicts the hypothesis that they are
organized in 25 subdirectories by bridge) you would have to
serially search 750 images to find what you were looking for.
With the Ember directory preview images approach, you only have
to serially search 25 images, the preview image for each of the
25 subdirectories. Looking at 25 images is less work than
looking at 750. Also, you can look at 25 different ones
simulataneously on one screen, something you couldn't do in a
750 image directory.

Suppose also that the numbers were not 25 x 50 but 250 x 50 =
12,500.

Irfanview provides viewer/player and some editing functions, but
not explorer functions, although you can view a tree. If a
directory has both images and directories, you do not see the
directories on which to click to navigate down, and there is no
up icon to go up a level.

I've suggested explorer functionaility in the thumbnail to
Irfan. If some more people would join me in requesting this, it
might happen.

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support DirectoryPreivew
 

Phil R wrote:
> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
> news:UN2dnTDl8pEtREveRVn-ow@giganews.com:
>
>> Phil R wrote:
>>> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
>>> news:Q8OdnYism4VmbkjeRVn-tg@giganews.com:
>>>
>>>> Phil R wrote:
>>>>> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a
>>>>> directory with folder images showing subdirectories and
>>>>> one or more images from each subdirectory.
>>>>>
>>>>> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges,
>>>>> you can put all photos of a particular one in a
>>>>> subdirectory for that bridge and view a directory of
>>>>> subdirectories of all bridges and see one image for each
>>>>> bridge in a folder symbol in the directory. It is handy
>>>>> for locating things that you can spot visually but can't
>>>>> identify verbally.
>>>>>
>>>>> Do any other programs provide this function?
>>>> Many such viewers support a 'thumbnails' view. Not sure
>>>> by your description if that is what you mean. The
>>>> Faststone image viewer is one to check out, as well as
>>>> Irfanview.
>>> Judging 1) from the reactions, 2) my own search which
>>> seems to be that the Firehand Ember alone seems to do this
>>> well, and 3) I think this is such an important
>>> functionality that I can't believe its 2006 and we are
>>> discussing a fundamental situation like this, let me
>>> restate the problem.
>>>
>>> I have 50 pictures from 25 different bridges. I want to
>>> find a particular one. I have little recollection of
>>> names or other verbal means of identifying one from the
>>> other. Key words or names are useless because I only
>>> stored limited data on them, and I can't remember names.
>>> However, I do remember each one because they look
>>> different in one way or another and my main mental point
>>> of reference for each is the image of it in my mind, about
>>> which all my recollections turn.
>>>
>>> Further assume that I have a directory called bridges and
>>> the 50 photos are nicely organized and properly labeled in
>>> different subdirectories, which is where I put them from
>>> my camera.
>>>
>>> Suppose I found some new pictures of one particular bridge
>>> and I wanted to put them with the ones I already have.
>>>
>>> I could open the bridges directory, look at the 25 named
>>> subdirectories, and open one in a serial search until I
>>> found the one I was looking for.
>>>
>>> With the Firehand Ember solution, this isn't necessary. I
>>> open the bridge subdirectory, and I see not just 25 named
>>> subdirectories, but 25 named subdirectories, with icons,
>>> and, within each folder icon, a thumbnail from the
>>> directory, chosen in some not immediately obvious manner.
>>> Thus I see 25 bridge thumbnails all on one screen. I can
>>> instantly look at them all at once and see the one I am
>>> looking for and open the directory.
>>>
>>> I think his should standard.
>>>
>>> For those of who may have little interest in civil
>>> engineering and bridges and have minds elsewhere, the same
>>> principle applies to photos of blonds, brunettes, and red
>>> heads.
>>>
>>> I tried Faststore and noted it has basically the same
>>> thing. It displayed 4 preview thumbnails but they were
>>> too tiny to see, and I quickly got bogged down in other
>>> matters trying to evaluate it.
>>>
>>> I note one thing I don't like about Firehand Ember. You
>>> can't click and open a photo in an external editor, like
>>> you can in FotoAlbum, which doesn't have a good explorer
>>> functionality like Ember.
>>>
>>> Why is it with dozens of image viewer and organizer,
>>> someone didn't get it all together long ago?
>> If you have the bridge pictures in a directory called
>> 'bridges', then Irfanview 'thumbnail view' will do just
>> fine for your purposes. Most programs that allow this type
>> of view allow adjusting the size of the thumbnail images.
>>
>
> If you had all 1,250 (=25 x 50) images in one directory called
> bridges, (note: this contradicts the hypothesis that they are
> organized in 25 subdirectories by bridge) you would have to
> serially search 750 images to find what you were looking for.
> With the Ember directory preview images approach, you only have
> to serially search 25 images, the preview image for each of the
> 25 subdirectories. Looking at 25 images is less work than
> looking at 750. Also, you can look at 25 different ones
> simulataneously on one screen, something you couldn't do in a
> 750 image directory.
>
> Suppose also that the numbers were not 25 x 50 but 250 x 50 =
> 12,500.
>
> Irfanview provides viewer/player and some editing functions, but
> not explorer functions, although you can view a tree. If a
> directory has both images and directories, you do not see the
> directories on which to click to navigate down, and there is no
> up icon to go up a level.
>
> I've suggested explorer functionaility in the thumbnail to
> Irfan. If some more people would join me in requesting this, it
> might happen.
It IS there! Select 'thumnails' from the menu and a window showing the
'explorer-like' directory structure beside the thumnails (which you can
set the size of) is displayed. Not sure what else you are expecting.

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support Directory Preivew
 

Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
news:QsSdnetK583ME0XeRVn-vg@giganews.com:

> Phil R wrote:
>> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
>> news:UN2dnTDl8pEtREveRVn-ow@giganews.com:
>>
>>> Phil R wrote:
>>>> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
>>>> news:Q8OdnYism4VmbkjeRVn-tg@giganews.com:
>>>>
>>>>> Phil R wrote:
>>>>>> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a
>>>>>> directory with folder images showing subdirectories
>>>>>> and one or more images from each subdirectory.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges,
>>>>>> you can put all photos of a particular one in a
>>>>>> subdirectory for that bridge and view a directory of
>>>>>> subdirectories of all bridges and see one image for
>>>>>> each bridge in a folder symbol in the directory. It is
>>>>>> handy for locating things that you can spot visually
>>>>>> but can't identify verbally.
>>>>>>
>>>>>> Do any other programs provide this function?
>>>>> Many such viewers support a 'thumbnails' view. Not
>>>>> sure by your description if that is what you mean. The
>>>>> Faststone image viewer is one to check out, as well as
>>>>> Irfanview.
>>>> Judging 1) from the reactions, 2) my own search which
>>>> seems to be that the Firehand Ember alone seems to do
>>>> this well, and 3) I think this is such an important
>>>> functionality that I can't believe its 2006 and we are
>>>> discussing a fundamental situation like this, let me
>>>> restate the problem.
>>>>
>>>> I have 50 pictures from 25 different bridges. I want to
>>>> find a particular one. I have little recollection of
>>>> names or other verbal means of identifying one from the
>>>> other. Key words or names are useless because I only
>>>> stored limited data on them, and I can't remember names.
>>>> However, I do remember each one because they look
>>>> different in one way or another and my main mental point
>>>> of reference for each is the image of it in my mind,
>>>> about which all my recollections turn.
>>>>
>>>> Further assume that I have a directory called bridges
>>>> and the 50 photos are nicely organized and properly
>>>> labeled in different subdirectories, which is where I
>>>> put them from my camera.
>>>>
>>>> Suppose I found some new pictures of one particular
>>>> bridge and I wanted to put them with the ones I already
>>>> have.
>>>>
>>>> I could open the bridges directory, look at the 25 named
>>>> subdirectories, and open one in a serial search until I
>>>> found the one I was looking for.
>>>>
>>>> With the Firehand Ember solution, this isn't necessary.
>>>> I open the bridge subdirectory, and I see not just 25
>>>> named subdirectories, but 25 named subdirectories, with
>>>> icons, and, within each folder icon, a thumbnail from
>>>> the directory, chosen in some not immediately obvious
>>>> manner. Thus I see 25 bridge thumbnails all on one
>>>> screen. I can instantly look at them all at once and
>>>> see the one I am looking for and open the directory.
>>>>
>>>> I think his should standard.
>>>>
>>>> For those of who may have little interest in civil
>>>> engineering and bridges and have minds elsewhere, the
>>>> same principle applies to photos of blonds, brunettes,
>>>> and red heads.
>>>>
>>>> I tried Faststore and noted it has basically the same
>>>> thing. It displayed 4 preview thumbnails but they were
>>>> too tiny to see, and I quickly got bogged down in other
>>>> matters trying to evaluate it.
>>>>
>>>> I note one thing I don't like about Firehand Ember. You
>>>> can't click and open a photo in an external editor, like
>>>> you can in FotoAlbum, which doesn't have a good explorer
>>>> functionality like Ember.
>>>>
>>>> Why is it with dozens of image viewer and organizer,
>>>> someone didn't get it all together long ago?
>>> If you have the bridge pictures in a directory called
>>> 'bridges', then Irfanview 'thumbnail view' will do just
>>> fine for your purposes. Most programs that allow this
>>> type of view allow adjusting the size of the thumbnail
>>> images.
>>>
>>
>> If you had all 1,250 (=25 x 50) images in one directory
>> called bridges, (note: this contradicts the hypothesis
>> that they are organized in 25 subdirectories by bridge)
>> you would have to serially search 750 images to find what
>> you were looking for. With the Ember directory preview
>> images approach, you only have to serially search 25
>> images, the preview image for each of the 25
>> subdirectories. Looking at 25 images is less work than
>> looking at 750. Also, you can look at 25 different ones
>> simulataneously on one screen, something you couldn't do
>> in a 750 image directory.
>>
>> Suppose also that the numbers were not 25 x 50 but 250 x
>> 50 = 12,500.
>>
>> Irfanview provides viewer/player and some editing
>> functions, but not explorer functions, although you can
>> view a tree. If a directory has both images and
>> directories, you do not see the directories on which to
>> click to navigate down, and there is no up icon to go up a
>> level.
>>
>> I've suggested explorer functionaility in the thumbnail to
>> Irfan. If some more people would join me in requesting
>> this, it might happen.
> It IS there! Select 'thumnails' from the menu and a window
> showing the 'explorer-like' directory structure beside the
> thumnails (which you can set the size of) is displayed.
> Not sure what else you are expecting.
>

At a minimum, little programming involved:

1. An up command button, and short-cut key, to go up a level in
the directory structure and view the contents of parent
directory.

2. Directory icons that on which I can click to see the contents
of child directories.

Would be nice, but admittedly require more coding:

1. A back button, to the screen that you viewed before.

2. A forward button to go forward in the viewed chain.

Re: Do Any Image Viewers Besides Firehand Ember Support DirectoryPreivew
 

Phil R wrote:
> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
> news:QsSdnetK583ME0XeRVn-vg@giganews.com:
>
>> Phil R wrote:
>>> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
>>> news:UN2dnTDl8pEtREveRVn-ow@giganews.com:
>>>
>>>> Phil R wrote:
>>>>> Ron Hunter <rphunter@charter.net> wrote in
>>>>> news:Q8OdnYism4VmbkjeRVn-tg@giganews.com:
>>>>>
>>>>>> Phil R wrote:
>>>>>>> Firehand Ember has a nice feature that displays a
>>>>>>> directory with folder images showing subdirectories
>>>>>>> and one or more images from each subdirectory.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> For example if you keep multiple pictures of bridges,
>>>>>>> you can put all photos of a particular one in a
>>>>>>> subdirectory for that bridge and view a directory of
>>>>>>> subdirectories of all bridges and see one image for
>>>>>>> each bridge in a folder symbol in the directory. It is
>>>>>>> handy for locating things that you can spot visually
>>>>>>> but can't identify verbally.
>>>>>>>
>>>>>>> Do any other programs provide this function?
>>>>>> Many such viewers support a 'thumbnails' view. Not
>>>>>> sure by your description if that is what you mean. The
>>>>>> Faststone image viewer is one to check out, as well as
>>>>>> Irfanview.
>>>>> Judging 1) from the reactions, 2) my own search which
>>>>> seems to be that the Firehand Ember alone seems to do
>>>>> this well, and 3) I think this is such an important
>>>>> functionality that I can't believe its 2006 and we are
>>>>> discussing a fundamental situation like this, let me
>>>>> restate the problem.
>>>>>
>>>>> I have 50 pictures from 25 different bridges. I want to
>>>>> find a particular one. I have little recollection of
>>>>> names or other verbal means of identifying one from the
>>>>> other. Key words or names are useless because I only
>>>>> stored limited data on them, and I can't remember names.
>>>>> However, I do remember each one because they look
>>>>> different in one way or another and my main mental point
>>>>> of reference for each is the image of it in my mind,
>>>>> about which all my recollections turn.
>>>>>
>>>>> Further assume that I have a directory called bridges
>>>>> and the 50 photos are nicely organized and properly
>>>>> labeled in different subdirectories, which is where I
>>>>> put them from my camera.
>>>>>
>>>>> Suppose I found some new pictures of one particular
>>>>> bridge and I wanted to put them with the ones I already
>>>>> have.
>>>>>
>>>>> I could open the bridges directory, look at the 25 named
>>>>> subdirectories, and open one in a serial search until I
>>>>> found the one I was looking for.
>>>>>
>>>>> With the Firehand Ember solution, this isn't necessary.
>>>>> I open the bridge subdirectory, and I see not just 25
>>>>> named subdirectories, but 25 named subdirectories, with
>>>>> icons, and, within each folder icon, a thumbnail from
>>>>> the directory, chosen in some not immediately obvious
>>>>> manner. Thus I see 25 bridge thumbnails all on one
>>>>> screen. I can instantly look at them all at once and
>>>>> see the one I am looking for and open the directory.
>>>>>
>>>>> I think his should standard.
>>>>>
>>>>> For those of who may have little interest in civil
>>>>> engineering and bridges and have minds elsewhere, the
>>>>> same principle applies to photos of blonds, brunettes,
>>>>> and red heads.
>>>>>
>>>>> I tried Faststore and noted it has basically the same
>>>>> thing. It displayed 4 preview thumbnails but they were
>>>>> too tiny to see, and I quickly got bogged down in other
>>>>> matters trying to evaluate it.
>>>>>
>>>>> I note one thing I don't like about Firehand Ember. You
>>>>> can't click and open a photo in an external editor, like
>>>>> you can in FotoAlbum, which doesn't have a good explorer
>>>>> functionality like Ember.
>>>>>
>>>>> Why is it with dozens of image viewer and organizer,
>>>>> someone didn't get it all together long ago?
>>>> If you have the bridge pictures in a directory called
>>>> 'bridges', then Irfanview 'thumbnail view' will do just
>>>> fine for your purposes. Most programs that allow this
>>>> type of view allow adjusting the size of the thumbnail
>>>> images.
>>>>
>>> If you had all 1,250 (=25 x 50) images in one directory
>>> called bridges, (note: this contradicts the hypothesis
>>> that they are organized in 25 subdirectories by bridge)
>>> you would have to serially search 750 images to find what
>>> you were looking for. With the Ember directory preview
>>> images approach, you only have to serially search 25
>>> images, the preview image for each of the 25
>>> subdirectories. Looking at 25 images is less work than
>>> looking at 750. Also, you can look at 25 different ones
>>> simulataneously on one screen, something you couldn't do
>>> in a 750 image directory.
>>>
>>> Suppose also that the numbers were not 25 x 50 but 250 x
>>> 50 = 12,500.
>>>
>>> Irfanview provides viewer/player and some editing
>>> functions, but not explorer functions, although you can
>>> view a tree. If a directory has both images and
>>> directories, you do not see the directories on which to
>>> click to navigate down, and there is no up icon to go up a
>>> level.
>>>
>>> I've suggested explorer functionaility in the thumbnail to
>>> Irfan. If some more people would join me in requesting
>>> this, it might happen.
>> It IS there! Select 'thumnails' from the menu and a window
>> showing the 'explorer-like' directory structure beside the
>> thumnails (which you can set the size of) is displayed.
>> Not sure what else you are expecting.
>>
>
> At a minimum, little programming involved:
>
> 1. An up command button, and short-cut key, to go up a level in
> the directory structure and view the contents of parent
> directory.
>
> 2. Directory icons that on which I can click to see the contents
> of child directories.
>
> Would be nice, but admittedly require more coding:
>
> 1. A back button, to the screen that you viewed before.
>
> 2. A forward button to go forward in the viewed chain.

I believe that ACDSee has those features, but at a price... You can
also do that with Photoshop Elements 3 and above. Also at a price.