File Operations

Zoner Photo Studio behaves similarly to the file browsing tools in Windows itself.

Overview of basic file operations:

  • drag-and-drop copying and moving of files*
  • copying and moving of files via the Windows Clipboard*
  • copying (creating) Windows shortcuts
  • creating new folders
  • deleting files and folders
  • renaming files and folders
  • displaying files’ Properties windows

Right-click menu

When you right-click on a file in the Browser, a context-sensitive menu appears, similar to the one that appears when you right-click a file in Windows’ own file-browsing tools.

Selecting Files

Selecting files in the Browser works similarly to how it does in Windows overall. There are some extra methods for selecting files provided under Organize | Selection. Use Organize | Selection | Advanced Selection [Num /] to select files by criteria. The available criteria are: Existing filename, Rating and Labels. The way that file selection works depends on the selection mode you have chosen. They are: Select, Add to Selection, Remove from Selection and Refine Selection.. The Add to Selection and Remove from Selection modes can be quickly reached from the Browser using shortcut keys: [Num+] and [Num-].

File Tree Versus Database

Most programs for working with digital photos choose one of two basic approaches to working with photos – classical browsing of the disks on your computer, or browsing of databases of indexed files. Each of these methods has its advantages and disadvantages in certain situations. Zoner Photo Studio tries to provide the best of both methods. For ordinary work with pictures, you do not really need a database. But for detailed work with, above all, external (removable) media, you can take advantage of a picture database.

Advanced File Operations

Zoner Photo Studio enables you to queue up multiple file moving, copying, etc. operations at once. Each such operation can be in any of three states:

  • Running —the files are actively being copied/moved. Only one file operation is ever in this state at one time.
  • Paused —You must place an operation into this state manually. An operation will never take place as long as it still is in this state. You can remove it from this state and return it to the queue.
  • Queued —Operations enter this state when a new operation is added for processing—that operation automatically enters the Running state, and the previously Running one enters the queue. Any operation waiting in the queue can start running immediately if you intervene to make this happen.

As is hinted above, the operations queue works on a “last in, first out” basis. You have two ways of intervening here:

  • Letting an operation waiting in the queue jump to the front of the queue. Other operations will automatically start up after it has finished.
  • Pause the currently running operation—this makes the “youngest” operation in the queue start running automatically. You can place a paused operation back in the queue, after which it will start up automatically once its turn in the queue comes up.

Basic Organizing Tasks

The Organize menu contains commands for use in navigating, archiving, and organizing your photos (and other multimedia files). This menu contains commands for creating new folders and albums, for work with the Media Archive feature, for work with the Windows Clipboard (copying, pasting, etc.), and for selecting files (Select All, inverting the selection, or selection by various other criteria).