PsiFS: Menu Entries

File Conversion

File Conversion

A file conversion window is opened whenever a file is dragged to a PsiFS iconbar icon, or a file transfer within the desktop is intercepted. The exact appearance and behaviour of the window depends on the source of the file, but the basic behaviour is the same.

Drag to Iconbar

The simplest way to perform a conversion is to drag the icon for the file to be converted to one of the PsiFS iconbar icons. This opens a window from which the required conversion can be selected.

At the top of the window there is an icon for the converted file. This may be dragged to a filer window or another application to perform the conversion and save the result. Next to the file icon there is a writable field allowing the required file name to be typed.

In the middle of the window there is a field allowing the type of conversion to be selected. PsiFS attempts to select the most appropriate conversion based on the type of file and past usage. When a new converter is selected the file icon changes to indicate the type of the resulting file.

There are four buttons at the bottom of the window:

Info - Open a window displaying information about the selected converter.
Options - Open a window allowing options to be set for the selected converter.
Cancel - Close the window without performing a conversion. Clicking with Adjust leaves the window open, but resets the options to their original values.
Convert - Perform a conversion using the selected options. Clicking with Adjust performs a conversion without closing the window.

File Intercept

PsiFS can also intercept files double-clicked or dragged within the desktop. Only the configured intercepts are performed automatically, but this can be overridden by pressing Left Alt to force an intercept and allow a converter to be selected or Right Alt to prevent an intercept.

A the top of the window there is an icon for the converted file. The original filename and task names are also shown as appropriate.

There are four buttons at the bottom of the window:

Info - Open a window displaying information about the selected converter.
Options - Open a window allowing options to be set for the selected converter. This feature is not currently supported.
Cancel - Close the window without performing a conversion. Clicking with Adjust leaves the window open, but resets the options to their original values.
Load, Run or Save - Perform a conversion using the selected options and close the window.

Installing Converters

It is not normally necessary to install a file format converter; ensuring that the file format converter is seen by the filer before PsiFS is loaded is usually sufficient. Alterntatively, the converter may be copied to the !PsiFS.Converters directory to ensure that it is always available. However, additional steps may be required for some file format converters; see the documentation supplied with the individual file format converter for details.

If PsiFS is already running then it will need to be restarted before any new converters are available.

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