Three Lines Of Text For Filenames In Finder

[steiney]

Hello All!

I've done a good bit of searching here for an answer before posting, so please don't shoot me if this has already been addressed:

Is there any way to have filenames display three lines of text instead of two? I have files with long filenames and they get shortened with ellipses and it makes it hard for me to tell what is what, since I have many versions of the same file.

Currently, I have solved the problem by reducing the font size of filenames to 9pt, but I would prefer to have the normal 12pt font size and just expand to three lines of text so more of the filename can be shown.

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.

Thanks in advance,

steiney

 

[Variant]

I think your best bet is to just use list view for the folders which are experiencing this problem.

 

[chown33]

If anyone has any ideas, I'd be happy to hear them.

Concision.

 

[Pomeroy]

Depends on which view you are using in Finder. In List view or Cover flow If the column isn't already full size , some folders will already be full size, drag the separator bar in between the columns header to the size you need, to keep that size hold down the "option" key while you drag. In Column view you can drag the line between the columns or the little double line at the bottom of the scroll bar, or hold down the "control" key and click on the little double line and select Right Size This Column.

 

[steiney]

I guess I should clarify that I am looking for a solution for the icon view. I did think about switching to list view. I just don't want to have to switch views just to see the full filename.

Also, I definitely make the filenames as concise as possible, but the for the filenames in question, all the text in the filename is absolutely necessary.

 

[Pomeroy]

I guess I should clarify that I am looking for a solution for the icon view. I did think about switching to list view. I just don't want to have to switch views just to see the full filename.

Also, I definitely make the filenames as concise as possible, but the for the filenames in question, all the text in the filename is absolutely necessary.

I guess you have tried Quicklook and that doesn't work for you, I tried it on the longest file name I had and it showed all of it. I tried enlarging the grid spacing and enlarging the icon, both let me see longer files names but still just 2 lines.

 

[steiney]

Thanks Pomeroy. Yeah, I could use Quicklook to view the entire filename, but I'm trying to figure out a way to just get more of the filename to display in icon view. If I enlarge the grid size, everything becomes too spread out and I lose space efficiency, but I do appreciate the suggestions.

I was hoping someone knew of a command line operation that would change the value set for either the number of lines of a filename or the number of characters displayed.

 

[Gregg2]

If I recall correctly, in OS9 and before, only one line of text was available for file names. I seem to recall asking the same question you're asking, and it wasn't possible to make two lines. With OSX, you have 100% more! Relax and enjoy it.

At work, windows files have two lines and the ellipses. If you click to highlight the icon, the third line (or even a fourth) appears, but goes away again if you move focus.

I'm curious about these long names for which every character is absolutely necessary. Ve haf vays...

 

[steiney]

Thanks Gregg2. I wish OSX did the expanded filename when highlighted thing. To answer your question about every character of a filename being necessary: I'm work in real estate. When I've got a contract going, I've got several different stages of contract from the point of being an offer to purchase to being a fully executed contract. I have to keep all the versions, and the naming formula I use is:

[Seller] to [Buyer] [stage] [YYYY.MM.DD]

Usually, just with that info the whole filename can't be displayed. Then, if you've got more than one seller, buyer or if anything else needs to be incorporated into the filename, it get really bad. When I'm looking back, I have to quicklook each one to see the full name, or hit enter to rename and it will show the full filename. I know I can switch to list view to see longer filenames, but I'm just trying to find a solution where I can view the full filename in icon view.

I should probably just switch the windows for my "Real Estate" folder to list view and be done with it. Nothing is perfect, I suppose.

It occurred to me that this is one of the "first world problems". I'm worried about being able to see a full filename while there are highly impoverished people in the world that would be thrilled to have problems like that. I guess it's all about perspective.

 

[Gregg2]

That's a good perspective.

You really don't need YYYY because you weren't around in 1912, or in business before what, 1970(?) and you won't be around in 2112, and maybe not in 2070 either. So YY will do.

But, one thing to try that I just thought of: you can display file names to the side of the icon instead of below. Have you tried that? What kind of difference does that make, if any?

 

[steiney]

Thank you! The filenames on the right worked. That way shows at least twice the characters, in my estimation. Problem solved. I can just hit Command+J and switch a folder to the view when I need to and leave my personal folders and the ones that don't need it alone.

Good point on not needing the four year places (YYYY), however I actually have the format that way so that I can have the folder set to sort by name, but all the versions of a given document will display chronologically within their alphabetical grouping (assuming I follow correctly the part of the naming formula proceeding the date). I learned that trick a while ago and it really helps because I don't only have contracts to organize but disclosures, addendums, legal docs, closing statements, other stuff people have to sign, etc. for a given client.

Anyway, thanks for the help!

Edit: I just discovered that I can't have the grid spacing set for individual folders. Even though I have "this window only" checked in the view options, the grid spacing slider still affects every folder when I slide it. Oh well.

 

[Gregg2]

Anyway, thanks for the help!

Edit: I just discovered that I can't have the grid spacing set for individual folders. Even though I have "this window only" checked in the view options, the grid spacing slider still affects every folder when I slide it. Oh well.

You're welcome. Glad it helped somewhat. I don't even have the "this window only" option in Leopard, which might be better than having it and finding that it doesn't work.

I was playing with it myself and noticed that increasing the grid spacing helped, but if you can't live with that for every window, you'll be stuck adjusting it when you need to, then restoring the "normal" spacing. Kind of a pain, but might be worth it for you.

By the way, highlighting the icon does reveal more of the name, similar to what I described in Windows. You get that yellow box thing with a smaller font. But it takes two clicks. Not too fast, or it will open, of course.

 

[steiney]

Thanks. I knew about the slow double click. That is almost more annoying because you have to time out the slowness of the click. I will say that I feel like a schmuck complaining about having to time out the double click.

Regarding the "this window only" switch, I was surprised to hear you didn't have that option. Then, I realized I only have it because I'm using Path Finder instead of Finder, and it has more control over the view options.

 

[Need Help!]

I Can't Even Get it to 2 Lines Let Alone 3 Lines

I'm going to reinvigorate this thread because I have now just run into the same problem after doing a fresh reinstall of 2 OSX's on separate partitions.

I have the same issue as steiney says with long titles being truncated of folders and files in the finder using the Icon View which is the only view which I prefer.

I do not want to have a massively wide grid spacing, nor do I want to make my icon sizes as big as an iPhone, so any of the previously mentioned options of using these in the Show View Options is not and options for me, nor is making the font size to 3 to squeeze it in :/

I have the best grid spacings and icon sizes that I want, and I don't want to ruin them. But I can't even get these titles to go to 2 lines let alone 3 lines.

All of my folder and file titles are currently truncated to 1 line only, and it make the folder that you are trying to recognize illegible.

If I have a jpeg called Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited but this 1 liner only shows me William...mited.jpeg then how great is that?!

Williams Grand Prix
Engineering Limited

is a much better "full" title to have under my folders and/or files listed in this way.

I know that there is a way to make this into a 2 liner, I have done this before somehow but forgot, and Apple Care has no idea what I was saying after too many calls to customer service reps. whom don't know their own jobs.

Any help?...a command line in the terminal, a setting that I'm missing somewhere?

 

[steiney]

I'm going to reinvigorate this thread because I have now just run into the same problem after doing a fresh reinstall of 2 OSX's on separate partitions.

I have the same issue as steiney says with long titles being truncated of folders and files in the finder using the Icon View which is the only view which I prefer.

I do not want to have a massively wide grid spacing, nor do I want to make my icon sizes as big as an iPhone, so any of the previously mentioned options of using these in the Show View Options is not and options for me, nor is making the font size to 3 to squeeze it in :/

I have the best grid spacings and icon sizes that I want, and I don't want to ruin them. But I can't even get these titles to go to 2 lines let alone 3 lines.

All of my folder and file titles are currently truncated to 1 line only, and it make the folder that you are trying to recognize illegible.

If I have a jpeg called Williams Grand Prix Engineering Limited but this 1 liner only shows me William...mited.jpeg then how great is that?!

Williams Grand Prix
Engineering Limited

is a much better "full" title to have under my folders and/or files listed in this way.

I know that there is a way to make this into a 2 liner, I have done this before somehow but forgot, and Apple Care has no idea what I was saying after too many calls to customer service reps. whom don't know their own jobs.

Any help?...a command line in the terminal, a setting that I'm missing somewhere?

I'm not sure about the two lines thing although I know what you are talking about and all my files display the names on two lines.

However, the solution I ended up with for folders with files that have long names is to view them in "list" mode, which gives you only one line but it is much longer. That probably won't be a viable solution for images or videos if you want to be able to see thumbnails, but in my case I was running into the problem with PDFs and other documents, so it works for me.

I hope that helps a bit. I've received more help than I can count on this forum so just trying to return the favor as best I can.

 

[Need Help!]

I'm not sure about the two lines thing although I know what you are talking about and all my files display the names on two lines.

yes, I had this before where all my titles were on 2 lines, but now truncated to 1 line only after my new op installs, so there must be a setting where I can change these 1 liner titles back to the 2 lines that you have now?

However, the solution I ended up with for folders with files that have long names is to view them in "list" mode, which gives you only one line but it is much longer. That probably won't be a viable solution for images or videos if you want to be able to see thumbnails.

yes, I need this for Icon Views only as it is for folders and images, etc. as I prefer not to use the List View. Was the 3 liner stack that you wanted ever possible? I would assume that there is something in terminal or preference settings which should be able to set how many ever lines you want?

 

[steiney]

yes, I had this before where all my titles were on 2 lines, but now truncated to 1 line only after my new op installs, so there must be a setting where I can change these 1 liner titles back to the 2 lines that you have now?



yes, I need this for Icon Views only as it is for folders and images, etc. as I prefer not to use the List View. Was the 3 liner stack that you wanted ever possible? I would assume that there is something in terminal or preference settings which should be able to set how many ever lines you want?

Yeah, I have to believe there is a preference that can be set via Terminal, but none was ever uncovered in this thread or anywhere else, to my knowledge. I tried googling briefly for an answer on the two line file names but didn't see anything right away. That answer has to be out there though because it is definitely possible.

You might consider purchasing a copy of Path Finder as it allows you much more customization and control in general than Finder does. It's really light years ahead of Finder.

 

[Patth9]

Was trying to find the answer to why my icons on the desktop only allowed one line for title. Long story short, the folks on OSXDaily nailed it. I'm sure I messed up the titles myself, but never realized it until one day I noticed that all my files on other volumes didn't have the problem of only a partial one line label. Check it out, now my desktop icons/folders have easy to read titles.