File Manager – User Guide

1. The Workspace & Layouts

Vibe is designed around a flexible, multi-pane interface that allows you to manage files across multiple directories simultaneously without opening new windows.

Changing the Layout

Go to the Layouts menu to select your preferred workspace. Options include:

• 1 Pane: Traditional view.

• 2, 3, or 4 Panes: Vertical splits or Grid views.

• + Props: Layouts that include a persistent Properties Pane on the right side for viewing detailed metadata.

Pane Navigation

• Drive Selector: Use the dropdown in the top-left of any pane to switch drives (C:, D:, USB, Network).

• Breadcrumbs: Click any folder name in the top bar to jump to that parent directory.

• Manual Path: Click the ... button to toggle a text box where you can type or paste a path directly.

• Console Access: Click the PS (PowerShell) or CMD (Command Prompt) buttons to open a terminal window rooted in the current folder.

View Modes

Use the View menu to change how files are displayed in the active pane:

• Detailed: Standard list with columns (Name, Size, Date, etc.).

• Narrow: Minimalist list showing filenames only.

• Images: A thumbnail grid view. Supports multi-selection (Ctrl/Shift + Click).

2. Profiles & Fields

Profiles allow you to save different sets of columns and metadata views for different tasks (e.g., a "Photo" profile showing Resolution/Camera, vs. a "Docs" profile showing Date/Size).

Switching Profiles

In any file pane, use the Profile Dropdown (located next to the Sort button) to instantly switch column configurations.

Managing Profiles

Go to Options > Fields... to open the Field Manager.

1. New Profile: Click "New Profile" to create a custom set based on the current one.

2. Customize: Drag fields from the "Available" tree on the left into:

   • Display Fields: Columns shown in the file list.

   • Properties Pane: Data shown in the side properties panel.

3. Delete: Remove unwanted profiles (Default cannot be deleted).

3. Search & Filtering

Vibe uses a local database index for instant search results.

• To Search: Type in the search bar at the top of any pane and press Enter.

• To Reset: Click the X in the search bar or delete the text to return to the normal folder view.

Search Syntax

You can filter results using specific prefixes. You can combine terms (e.g., report ext:pdf size:>1MB).

Filter

Syntax

Description

Extension

ext:jpg

Files ending in .jpg

Size

size:>500MB

Files larger than 500MB (Supports B, KB, MB, GB)

Modified

modified:>2025-01-01

Files changed after this date

Created

created:<2024-01-01

Files created before this date

Exact Name

name:budget

Forces a strict filename match

Note: You can configure search to ignore the Recycle Bin in Options > Settings.

4. File Operations

Vibe performs file operations on background threads to keep the interface responsive.

Copy, Move, & Delete

• Drag & Drop: Drag files between panes. A menu will appear asking if you want to Copy or Move.

• You can also Drag and Drop files to other applications (like Gmail)

• Clipboard: Standard Ctrl+C (Copy), Ctrl+X (Cut), and Ctrl+V (Paste) are supported.

• Delete: Press Del or Right-Click > Delete.

  • Safety: Files are moved to a staging Trash folder (undoable) or the system Recycle Bin.

Undo / Redo

Accidentally moved or deleted a file?

• Undo: Press Ctrl+Z or go to Edit > Undo.

• Redo: Press Ctrl+Y or go to Edit > Redo.

• Note: This works for Copy, Move, and Delete operations.

Archives (Zip)

• Compress: Select items -> Right-Click -> Compress to Zip.

• Extract: Right-Click a .zip file -> Extract Here or Extract to [Folder Name].

5. Sidebar: Bookmarks & Favorites

Bookmarks (Folders)

• Add: Drag a folder from the file pane onto the Bookmarks area, or go to File > Add Bookmark.

• Organize: You can drag bookmarks inside the tree to reorder them or create nested folder structures.

• Context Menu: Right-click a bookmark to delete it.

Favorites (Apps)

• Add: Right-click any executable (.exe) file in the file pane and select Add to Favorite Apps.

• Launch: Single-click a favorite to launch the application.

6. Metadata & Sorting

Sorting

Click the Sort button in the pane header to access advanced sorting options (Name, Size, Type, Dates) and toggle between Ascending/Descending order.

Extended Metadata

Vibe reads metadata from specific file types:

• Images: Displays Dimensions, Resolution, Camera Model, ISO, F-Stop, and Shutter Speed.

• Audio: Displays Album, Artist, Duration, and Bitrate.

To view this data, either enable the relevant columns via Profiles, or open a layout with the Properties Pane.

7. System Integration

• Send To: Right-clicking a file shows the Send to menu, mirroring your Windows SendTo folder (Desktop, Documents, etc.).

• Custom Editor: In Options > Settings, you can define a custom text/code editor (e.g., VS Code, Notepad++). Once set, an "Edit in [App Name]" option appears in the right-click menu.