[Feature Request] Quick Preview for Dolphin

With Dolphin File Manager I would like to be able to Quick Preview files from the File Manager without having to first open up the file in an external application.

Having being using Cinnamon Desktop for a long time before switching over to KDE Plasma 6, I noticed it’s lacking this feature. On Cinnamon Desktop you can select a file and press Space to quick preview files without opening in external apps. This is also something you can do on MacOS also as shown in the following video;

https://youtube.com/watch?v=xEZlQgm9wuo

I would like to see this as a feature implemented to KDE Plasma just being able to select a file and press Space key to quick view something. I couldn’t seem to find any extensions that work with Plasma 6 that can enable you to do this.

1 Like

https://phabricator.kde.org/D11875

Not since KDE4 13 years ago…

Check out Information Panel (default F11 shortcut).

Reported bug:
https://bugs.kde.org/show_bug.cgi?id=272539

This is being worked on.

3 Likes

This would be a very fitting feature for plasma.
Bonus: It should also be usable from a file dialog (also like macOS).

Information Panel is not he same as Quick Preview of files, nor does it show the contents of the file. Quick Preview allows you to view full contents of the file like Text document or PDF document just as if you were viewing them in a native external app, but in a limited view port that can be opened by pressing Space key when selected. People often mistake the Information Panel for Quick Preview, but it’s not the same thing.

I see the last update for this was about a month ago, no ETA when it’s finally merged?

No, not yet, only benevolent work, takes time, 2025 probably.

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Not just that but plasma (on the desktop) too.
At least that’s the plan.

I used something like quickview in the past: https://discuss.kde.org/t/apple-quick-view-gnome-sushi-in-dolphin-from-tweaking-existing-functionality/27002

It seems to be a little known feature but MacOS’s Quick Look feature actually runs on Spotlight! (MacOS’s version of Krunner). I’ve not seen it discussed much online at all, especially in discussions regarding Kiview and getting some Quick Look alternative from MacOS.

I was wondering if there has been any existing plans to implement such a feature with Kiview once integrated with KDE Plasma.

It’s a delight on MacOS.

An example use case: I use Spotlight to search a file by name, but maybe there are multiple files that have similar names or they’re too long and it’s hard to tell which one is which, by using Quick Look alongside Spotlight I can quickly identify which one I want and then drag and drop it from Spotlight itself.

There’s an article talking about this wonderful feature on zdnet but turns out I can’t include links here so you’ll just have to take my word :joy: (Just kidding! Search for an article named “How to use the new Quick Look feature in MacOS Ventura Spotlight” written by a Jack Wallen on December 14 2022 if you want to read it.)

Screenshot of this AWESOME feature! :smiley::
cool screenshot

Unrelated but I was SO relieved when I accidentally discovered that Krunner does allow for you to drag and drop selected files from the result list. Always good for those quick moments I need to attach files on the browser. Phew! :sweat_smile::sweat_smile:

Yes, the idea from the get-go, once we have KIview in place to use it anywhere it brings value. To do that we are designing it to be reusable.
Dev is slow, haven’t been active on it for a while.

Like I already said:

2 Likes

Glad to hear that. :slight_smile:

I eagerly wait the day this is completed.

1 Like

looking forward to a native quick view.

I’ve managed to bodge the “information panel” to be quite useful by hiding the tags panel and tweaking the thumbnailers to be bigger.

shortcut on “spacebar”, although this fu cks up the file reselection bodge thats hardcoded in there.