Show/copy path to files and folders

[GtrDude]

I'm having to do a lot of saving all over the place as I work in Reaper, the software I use for recordings.

In windows what I do is to simply right-click over the path location in the address bar and then copy and paste in Win Explorer, hit enter and I'm there.

Is there a way to do this in Mac?

Here is a screen shot of what I'm doing.
https://flic.kr/p/VhRLKB

All I can see is that I'd have to memorize where I am and then when I launch the Finder I can't paste the location there, I'd have to navigate there.

Is this actually true???? Please just please........tell me there's a way.

Also is it really not possible to run two instances of Finder?

 

[tarsins]

Hold down the Option key when clicking the Edit menu and you'll see "Copy as pathname", which is Option-Cmd-C.
To open "two instances" it's File>New Finder Window or Option-Cmd-N

 

[Significant1]

Drag a file or folder to the file dialogue and it changes to that folder

 

[GtrDude]

Thanks fellas.
Your tip along with this

http://www.macworld.com/article/1161022/software-utilities/copy-paste-file-paths.html

Will help a lot.

Not close to being as easy as in Windows, lots of keyboard stuff to memorize instead of just having it right there in front of you.

But these tips make a big difference.

Thanks again

 

[neeklamy]

GtrDude, I’m struggling to understand the workflow you’re wanting to replicate in macOS.

In windows what I do is to simply right-click over the path location in the address bar and then copy and paste in Win Explorer, hit enter and I'm there.

Maybe there is a better way to do what you’d like, could you explain that again, perhaps with screenshots? (Tip: You can upload screenshots direct to MacRumors and then embed them.)

But there’s a few tricks to navigate the filesystem in Finder that perhaps aren’t immediately obvious.

If you have a pathname in the clipboard, then in Finder use Go to Folder (⇧⌘G) and paste it in there.

Alternatively, with the Go to Folder sheet open, just start typing in a path and whilst the autocomplete is nowhere near as well designed as the path completion in a Terminal shell, it’s not too bad. Your home directory is ~/ – then just continue typing from there. It’s not case-sensitive, for example type ~/doc and it will autocomplete to ~/Documents (presuming of course you don’t have another folder that also starts with doc…).

Go to Folder works in any application’s save or open dialog too. The other thing you’ll see in the open and save dialogs is Recent Places, click on the location drop-down to see a small number of your recent folders.

And if the Go to Folder keyboard shortcut isn’t to your liking, maybe you want to simplify it to ⌘G, so long as it doesn’t clash with anything else, it’s easily done. The instructions, macOS Sierra: Create keyboard shortcuts for apps. Apple have differently worded articles for each OS release (El Capitan, Yosemite), but really the process hasn’t changed much since it was introduced in Mac OS X 10.3 Panther (John Siracusa’s Ars Technica mega review).

 

[GtrDude]

GtrDude, I’m struggling to understand the workflow you’re wanting to replicate in macOS.

Thank you for your reply.
Some of my issues have been solved except for one.
When I'm in the save dialog window in the link above there seems to be no way to copy the path to the folder into which I'm saving this document.

It's like that in all my "Save" or "Save as" windows.

Copy from the save dialog window the path of the folder to which I'm saving.

Then I can paste it using what you said above.
This would simplify everything for me and I wouldn't have to memorize where I am.
I can just go to the Finder and paste the path directly into the Finder window and I'm there.
No navigating.

Hope that clarifies what I'm trying to do.

 

[neeklamy]

I see, there seems to be no way to do exactly that.

But for a workaround, you could use the sidebar favorites as a temporary space.

In the save dialog:

1. If you’re not looking at the expanded save dialog click the disclosure button to toggle it on*;
2. Go to the parent folder of the folder you want to refer back to;
3. Drag your destination folder into the the favorites sidebar.

The same sidebar favorites are shown in every save and open dialog and in Finder, once you’re done with a favorite, removing it is as simple as dragging it out, or right-clicking in Finder ▸ Remove from Sidebar.

* I’ve not had this problem myself, but if your choice of the expanded save and open dialogs doesn’t stick between usage, then there is some command-line Fu you can try: How to show the expanded Save dialog by default on Mac.

 

[CreatorCode]

Thank you for your reply.
Some of my issues have been solved except for one.
When I'm in the save dialog window in the link above there seems to be no way to copy the path to the folder into which I'm saving this document.

It's like that in all my "Save" or "Save as" windows.

Copy from the save dialog window the path of the folder to which I'm saving.

Then I can paste it using what you said above.
This would simplify everything for me and I wouldn't have to memorize where I am.
I can just go to the Finder and paste the path directly into the Finder window and I'm there.
No navigating.

Hope that clarifies what I'm trying to do.

From any Save dialog, press ⌘R to reveal the current selection in the Finder.

To go the other way, just drag the icon from the Finder to the Save dialog.

 

[neeklamy]

From any Save dialog, press ⌘R to reveal the current selection in the Finder.

Great find! It looks like these hidden save and open dialog commands are inherited from the Finder, in the Finder ⌘R is Show Original, other Finder commands that work include Hide/Show Sidebar, View as Icons, as List and as Columns, sadly for any fans of Cover Flow, that’s unavailable (maybe there’s a hidden pref?).

Much more useful are the navigating commands, Back, Forward and Enclosing Folder all work.

The shortcuts for Documents, Downloads and the Desktop work. It’d be nice to have some official documentation, I found this much out thanks to an old Leopard era Mac OS X Hint: 10.5: Show file in Finder from the Open dialog box.

 

[GtrDude]

Thanks for the tips.
It changes a lot for me.

Don't understand why Apple can't just put the path to the folder right there in front of you.

Another keyboard shortcut that has to be memorized instead of having it readily available.

 

[Significant1]

In Apple's apps you can right click or cmd+click on window title, in a document window to see the path. Unfortunately it is not widely supported by thirdparty apps and I don't know about Reaper.

(Also you can move/rename the document. Drag the icon from title to create a shortcut to the file or Copy by holding down the alt-key.)

 

[GtrDude]

Ok.
Those are good tips that make it a little easier to navigate.
Again, lots of keyboard shortcuts instead of just having this stuff in front of you.

I'm sure once learned these things start coming naturally but if you don't do it all the time it's nice to have this in front of you and just right click with the mouse and paste it in another window of the Finder and you're there.

Thanks agian for your tips.

Great help

 

[Significant1]

Again, lots of keyboard shortcuts instead of just having this stuff in front of you.

Yes, that is sadly the way things has gone with modern user interfaces. No indication of where to press or what to press. :-(

There is an app called cheatsheet, which can show the current shortcuts. Unfortunately not those uncovered in this thread and it quickly gets forgotten or in the way:
https://www.cheatsheetapp.com/CheatSheet/