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Panels & Layouts

DCommander’s dual-pane model keeps source and destination in view at all times. Mastering focus, tab behavior, and layout controls reduces context switching and prevents mistakes.

Legend: ⌘ Command · ⌥ Option · ⌃ Control · ⇧ Shift · ⏎ Return

Overview of DCommander user interface

Panes & focus​

  • Active vs inactive — The highlighted pane is active (source); the other is inactive (destination).
    Switch with ⇥ Tab or click inside a pane.
  • Directionality — F5 Copy / F6 Move always flow active → inactive.
  • Swap (⌘U) — Exchange left/right locations.
  • Equalize (⌘E) — Mirror the active pane’s path to the other pane.
  • History — Use Back/Forward (long-press to open the full history menu) per pane.

Splitter control​

A vertical splitter sits between panes:

  • Drag to adjust widths; double-click to reset to equal size (50/50).
  • DCommander remembers your last size per session.

Tabs (per pane)​

Each pane has its own tab bar for parallel work.

  • New tab (⌘T), Close tab (⌘W), Prev/Next tab (⌥⌘← / ⌥⌘→).
  • Drag tabs to reorder within a pane.
  • Right-click a tab for:
    • Duplicate tab
    • Close tab
    • Copy to other panel (opens the same path in the opposite pane)
    • Lock — tab stays pinned to its path
    • Lock (allow folder changes) — tab stays pinned but allows temporary navigation
tip

Keep a destination-pinned tab (e.g., ~/Pictures/Archive or a server share) and do all work from the opposite pane.

  • Left sidebar — Drag & Drop Storage (temporarily park items), Favorites, Drives.
  • Right sidebar — Mirror Favorites or show the Information bar (details + mini Quick Look). Toggle with ⌥⌘R or the toolbar.
  • Show/hide sidebars: ⇧⌘L (left), ⇧⌘R (right).

Path controls in each pane​

  • Drive Info Bar — Shows name, free/total space, and shortcuts to root (/) and parent (..).
  • Breadcrumbs — Click any segment to jump directly.
    Use the Folder Hotlist button (far right) for one-click jumps to saved locations (⌘D also opens Hotlist).
tip

Drives: Use the Drive Bar (top of each pane) to switch volumes. Right-click a drive to Unmount (if possible) or Scan for new drives.

File list layout (columns)​

Make dense directories scannable with the right columns.

  • Toggle columns — Right-click headers to show/hide. Common set: icon, name, extension, size, date, kind, permissions/attr.
  • Resize & reorder — Drag borders and headers.
  • Sort — Click a column header to toggle ascending/descending.
tip

Inline rename: Click in Name or Extension to edit, or press ⌥⏎; press ⇥ to switch between name/extension fields.

Command line & function keys bar​

  • Command line bar (below the panes) shows the current path and includes an input box. Type a command and press ⏎ to execute at that path.
  • Function keys bar mirrors keyboard actions for mouse users: F3 View, F4 Edit, F5 Copy, F6 Move, F7 New Folder, F8 Delete.

Workspace recipes​

See these presets to speed up common jobs:

  • Ingest workspace
    Left: camera card · Right: project folder
    Tabs (right): Raw, Proxies, Deliverables
    Columns: Name, Size, Date, Kind

  • Server sync
    Left: local working directory · Right: SMB share
    Right-click tab → Lock (allow folder changes) on the share
    Use Synchronize to preview differences before running

  • Review & curate
    Left: incoming drop folder · Right: curated archive
    Enable Information bar on the right to see metadata & mini previews
    Sort by Date or Kind; use Space for Quick Look

Keyboard-only flow​

  1. ⇥ to left pane → navigate with ↑/↓, ⏎ (or →), ⌫ (or ←) if Lynx-like navigation is enabled.
  2. ⌘T to open a new tab; ⌥⌘→ to switch tabs.
  3. ⇥ to right pane → ⌘U (swap) or ⌘E (equalize) as needed.
  4. F5/F6 to copy/move; ⌘J to watch the queue.

Tips​

  • Keep one pane destination-pinned for a whole session and work from the other.
  • Use Lock tabs for destinations that should never drift (e.g., production shares).
  • Save mental overhead: sort by Date before large selections.
  • Long-press Back/Forward to jump across recent places without re-navigating breadcrumbs.

Troubleshooting​

  • Accidentally copied to the wrong side? Check which pane was active; use ⌘U (swap) or ⌘E (equalize) to reset orientation and try again.
  • Columns keep moving? Set them once, then avoid dragging headers when selecting. Consider a minimal set for each workflow.
  • Right sidebar missing? Toggle with ⇧⌘R or the toolbar; switch its mode with ⌥⌘R.