How-To: Create Custom Actions for Phatch in the Thunar File Manager

Summary:

It's easy to add Phatch Droplet functionality to Thunar as a Custom Action, which will be available via Right Click.

How-To: Create Custom Actions for Phatch in the Thunar File Manager

elliio 04 Feb 2008 19:05

How-To:

Add Phatch Droplets as Custom Actions in the Thunar File Manager.

1. Let's get started!
2. Install Phatch.
3. Create a Droplet. You can create an: Action List Droplet, or a Phatch Recent Droplet for use with Thunar's Custom Actions.
4. Remember that an Action List Droplet is single-purpose, while the Phatch Recent Droplet is multi-purpose.
5. We will use the Phatch Recent Droplet for the puroposes of the How-To since it is a more versatile tool.
6. Remember, the same procedure will apply to creating a Custom Action in Thunar with the Action List Droplet.
7. In Phatch go to the (File > Create Droplet From… > Copy Recent as Command to Clipboard) menu.
8. Go to the (Applications > Accessories > Thunar File Manager) menu.
9. This will open the Thunar File Manager.
10. In the Thunar application, go to the (Edit > Configure Custom Actions) menu.
11. A Custom Actions Dialog Box will appear.
12. On the Top Right Hand side of the Dialog Box you will find a "+" Button.
13. Go ahead and Click it now.
14. You will now be presented with a Create Action Dialog Box.
15. Paste the Phatch Recent Droplet Command in the field labeled "Command:".
16. Go to the "Name:" field and enter something useful such as "Phatch Recent" or "PHoto & bATCH", you get the idea.
17. In the "Description:" field enter something useful such as "Process Photos according to a recent Action List" or whatever works for you.
18. Click on the "No Icon" button.
19. A new Select an Icon for "Phatch Recent" (i.e. the "Name:" you entered) Dialog Box will open.
20. Click on an icon. On your keyboard press the letter "p" followed by the letter "h".
21. This is a shortcut to scrolling down to the "phatch" icon. You can of course simply use the scroll bar and scroll down to the "p" section of the Application Icons list.
22. The phatch icon, if you aren't already familiar with it, looks like an eye with a green gear for the iris.
23. Once the "phatch" icon is selected, Click the OK Button.
24. The "phatch" icon will now appear in the Create Action Dialog Box.
25. Almost done!
26. You must now click on the "Appearance Conditions" Tab.
27. Under the section: "Appears if selection contains:" Check the following boxes: "Directories", "Image Files". Deselect the "Text Files" Checkbox.
28. Now click the OK Button.
29. In the Custom Actions Dialog Box you should now see an entry labeled Phatch Recent, with the Description: Process Photos according to a recent Action List.
30. Now Click the Close Button.
31. That's it! You made it! You now have a Custom Action that will appear whenever you Right Click on the Icon of a Directory/Folder or Image File.
32. Let's test it out!
33. In the Thunar File Manager, navigate to a folder of screenshots or backgrounds or any other kind of photos.
34. Right Click on the Directory/Folder Icon.
35. You will see a "phatch" icon and the label Phatch Recent near the bottom of the pop-up menu that appears upon Right Clicking.
36. Click on "Phatch Recent" in the pop-up menu.
37. You will be presented with a Phatch Dialog Box.
38. Select an Action List from the list in the Dialog Box.
39. Go ahead and select "Round Corners Shadow".
40. Now Click the OK Button.
41. Phatch will now display the Drag & Drop Dialog Box. Here you can select the options that suit your needs.
42. Lets accept the defaults for now (you can play later!).
43. Click the Batch Button to begin processing your folder full of photos.
44. If, like me, you have some image files Phatch (or more accurately, The Python Imaging Library (PIL for short) is unable to handle, you will get an error message. With my work I often run into interlaced PNG files whick PIL currently can't handle.
45. This is no show-stopper. Just Click the Checkbox on the Error Dialog named "Apply for future errors" and select the "Skip To Next Image" Button.
46. Phatch will now skip all unreadable files but continue processing the entire batch so you can walk away from your desk, go get coffee, engage in watercooler gossip, or take care of something urgent, like the phone that's ringing in the background.
47. With the "Round Corners Shadow" Action List, it is set up to write output files to a folder with the same name as the source folder, but amended with "_round". So if your folder was named "Screenshots" you will now find another folder in the parent directory named "Screenshots_round".
48. I hope you have enjoyed this How-To Guide, and will be able to further enjoy your interaction with Phatch and Thunar.

Re: How-To: Create Custom Actions for Phatch in the Thunar File Manager

stani 05 Feb 2008 03:48

Please post this under tutorials > workflow on the wiki with screenshots with the vanilla theme.

Thanks a lot!
Stani

Re: How-To: Create Custom Actions for Phatch in the Thunar File Manager

itsanudae 14 Apr 2008 02:11

This will be modified with the vanilla theme Post-Hardy Launch for Phatch 0.1.3