file management

[jeanlucb]

I don't know if it's normal but, I put mp3 and picture in my SD card... but when i am in my palm, I don't have the access to see the files, my mp3 are playing by RealOne, but i dont see my picture and i cannot remove any files...I don't know if a software exist or it's only a bad configuration...

Thanx
Jean-Luc.

[Telyx]

Photos have to be in a folder called DCIM on the card for the Palm Photos app to "see" them. Also, Palm's built-in "file management" is junk. There's a free program called FileZ that lets you do a whole lot more, including "seeing" every file on your Tungsten including the card. You can create folders and copy or move files to them, too.

[PalmTealLover]

For freeware Filez is amazing. I personally use TealMover but if I'd found Filez first it would be a real tossup. I had problems a few months ago "dragging" files from the DCIM folder to my desktop on a card reader, and can not explain why.

Some programs create a folder under "Programs" (Splash Photo, Acid Image, Fireviewer, WordSmith, Kinoma, others) in the PALM folder, and access them from there. Using a file utility like the one suggested by the poster above (there are several, I would say Filez and TealMover are the best), you can CREATE YOUR own folder under programs, and still access information. I have one for "MobileDB Archive" for example, for databases I don't use often.

I don't have MP3s on the T3, but I believe RealOne creates a folder called "Audio" but I don't know where; this also could be on "either side -- DCIM or PALM, depending on what you prefer. My only reason for using the PALM side of things is that you've got one roster to look at, and I never have any trouble "draggin and dropping" direct to the card reader rather than hotsyncing. Sometimes two different programs (AcidImage vs SplashPhoto, TealDoc vs WordSmith) will pick up the same file -- they're that god at "sniffing" where the source file is. That's why your MP3s are playing but you can't see the file. If you were to get Aero Player, for example, it might just play the same songs although the music is in a generic "Audio" folder and not specifically a folder created for either of those two apps.

As the poster above recommended, a file utility OTHER than Palm is a necessity; once you get the hang of creating folders on your Card, you can have, for example, under the Launcher, a folder called "App Library." These COPIED apps are not visible from the Launcher under your "Card" menu, but are there as "spares" in case you ever had a hard reset. Copy the apps you really like or need, ALONG WITH A COPY, (Don't "move," "COPY" !!) your Saved Preferences there too, because they contain all your registration codes. Wouldn't hurt to save "Unsaved Preferences" as well.

It's like you have your own little "backup utility" in ADDITION to a proper backup utility, as a "spare spare." It's EXCELLENT and MOST ADVISABLE to copy your "contacts database" in case you ever have a hard reset, forget to change your hotsync to "synchronize" or "desktop overwrites" AND NOT RESTORE your address book!! I know . . . . fumble thumbs here did it once!!

[Telyx]

MP3 files go into a folder called Audio, which is at the same "level" as the Palm and DCIM folders on the card. I have a few MP3, Ogg, and .wav files, a bunch of .jpg pictures, a native MS Excel document, all kinds of Palm apps, and databases for those apps, so if I look at the root level of my card I see folders called Audio, DCIM, Documents, JPEGs (could go in DCIM but I don't use the Palm Photos app for these), Palm, and RN_Audio (I think playlists for RealOne Player go here).

All of these folders actually would have a / before the name, like /DCIM, /Palm, etc. because if you stick the card in a reader, the reader's drive letter goes behind the / --for example, my reader is drive G, so in the reader the Palm folder is G:/Palm. So, subfolders have a / before the name too, like /Palm/Launcher or /Palm/Programs/FireViewer or /DCIM/Palm Photos.

If you put databases on the card, some apps let you put them in /Palm/Launcher, some want the database in /Palm/Programs/(name of app) like the FireViewer example above, and some apps let you navigate around the card wherever you want (VFSi--great free .jpg photo viewer--doesn't care what folder pictures are in). The Palm Photos app uses a folder called /DCIM (actually, the folder /DCIM/Palm Photos) because digital cameras typically save images in that folder, so you can take pictures, switch the card to the Palm, and see the pictures in Palm Photos. I think MP3 players with removable cards use the /Audio folder, so you can put the same card in the Palm and listen to your tunes with RealOne Player or any number of alternatives.

And, as PalmTealLover mentioned, if you have a big enough card, you can create an Archive folder (use any name you want, actually) to store copies of your PIM (address, to-do, memos, Calendar/datebook) databases in case of a hard reset; you can copy the databases back into RAM and have all your important stuff back. (Make sure you put a copy of your file-management program, whether it's FileZ or TealMover or whatever, in the /Palm/Launcher folder of your card.)

It seems confusing at first, but it actually all makes sense. (Not necessarily to someone typing long past bedtime, though... sorry if I rambled a bit there!)

[PalmTealLover]

Cool. I learned something too; Yes, Audio is on a shared level with DCIM and PALM.

Excellent advice about putting the FILE MANAGER on the card as well -- I forgot about that -- you wouldn't be able to do anything in a worst case scenario if you couldn't access those folders!!

Did it, but didn't proclaim it!! Thanks for noticing that rather IMPORTANT piece of info I left out.

Not having TealMover or Filez would be rather like:

"Hey - if we had some bacon we could have some bacon and eggs, if we had some eggs."

[cyclinghermes]

Originally posted by jeanlucb
I don't know if it's normal but, I put mp3 and picture in my SD card... but when i am in my palm, I don't have the access to see the files, my mp3 are playing by RealOne, but i dont see my picture and i cannot remove any files...I don't know if a software exist or it's only a bad configuration...

Thanx
Jean-Luc.


What you should get, IMHO, is Zlauncher it has a built in file manager and looks really cool. Also I'm kind of a technology/palm weenie I love filez and it's freeware but if you really want a well made file managers (I currently have 4, don't know why but I do) UniCMD is fabulous. It encyrpts, zips, files, sorts, moves, etc. etc. etc. It's the ultimate!.

Good luck young skywalker! lol

-CH

[Toysoft]

If you wan a excellent file manager have a look at myWorkbench. More features than fileZ and tealmover combinated. will support for all screen modes, backup/restore, play wave files and view jpg, the list goes on....

visit www.toysoft.ca

[PalmTealLover]

No, you can't have enough file manager. MyWorkBench is worth a look. Speaking of Toysoft, Captain Danny is working on an app that would allow you to put PHOTOS in your address book -- up to four, I believe -- which is fantastic if you A) are running in to people and don't want to be embarrassed by not remembering their name, or B) want to track the appearance of something, like the look of an account (storefront/real estate/etc). The former happened to me a few months back, and since then I've been SEARCHING for an app like this.

I hope he's finishing it up --

In the meantime I'll try MyWorkbench and look at it . . . file managers all bring "something different" and a combination gives you a lot of control. Personally I use SysTool, TomCatalog, TealMover and TealFiles -- all do something the others don't. MyWorkBench might be a "1 shot solution" and save time and room on your PDA, especially if Danny thinks it's "better than a couple of others." ToySoft make "different" stuff, and it all looks good -- developers like this are rare in today's "music for the masses" mentality.