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sdinweoinasd9384152
Inspiring
March 15, 2019
Question

Open image from Windows Explorer into Bridge?

  • March 15, 2019
  • 2 replies
  • 1344 views

After a recent Windows 10 update, Windows Photos App broke and won't launch. I spent several hours trying all the solutions I could find in the Windows support forum, but nothing fixed it.  So I'm switching to using Adobe Bridge to quickly browse through images. But switching between Windows Explorer and Bridge is inconvenient.

1) Is there a way to setup Windows Explorer Shell so that double clicking an image will launch Bridge and make the image show up in the preview panel?

I see that you can right click a folder and select "open folder in Bridge". But that would mean having to back out of the folder, and losing the selection of the image that I wanted to see, and having to find it again. Right clicking an image has no option to open in Bridge, and using "open with" and selecting Bridge does not work.

2) Otherwise I would try an image viewer, but which one has color management across dual monitors, each with its own calibration profile?

3) In Bridge, I would prefer using the Filmstrip workspace, but I want a way to quickly close all panels other than the Preview Panel, so that the image fills the window. Is there a way to do this?

I don't want to use the space bar to enter full screen mode because I may have some other windows that I need open side-by-side. Also, TAB key will not close the Content Panel that is docked below the Preview Panel. And pressing a TAB key a second time will open the empty panel to docked to the right, which is inconvenient because I then have to double click the empty panel to close it again.

Thanks

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    2 replies

    Stephen Marsh
    Community Expert
    Stephen MarshCommunity Expert
    Community Expert
    March 15, 2019

    You can right click on an image and use the “open with” option to use Bridge. Or if you would prefer this as a permanent option, select an appropriate image file and right click and select properties. Change the file type association to use Bridge as the default program to open the file.

    Although Bridge is a browser, it can be directed to “open” a file – which is just opening the containing/parent folder that holds the selected image (as a bonus the image will also be selected).

    L
    Lumigraphics
    Legend
    March 15, 2019

    Bridge does not open images, it browses folders.

    You could probably write a shell command in Powershell or VB.net. Its MUCH easier on a Mac, BTW.

    Windows Powershell: Executing commands via the context menu? - Super User

    How to Add Any Application Shortcut to Windows Explorer’s Context Menu

    You can save a workspace with specific panels opened and closed.

    How to use the Adobe Bridge panels, manage workspaces, change language settings, and set user interface scaling preferen…

    You cannot customize keys in Bridge.

    S
    sdinweoinasd9384152Author
    Inspiring
    March 15, 2019

    Thanks. I did make custom workspaces. It's just that there is no easy and quick way to get the preview panel to be the only panel open, without a keyboard shortcut that doesn't require looking at the keyboard. If I assign the workspace with the full preview panel to Ctrl F6, I have to look at the keyboard, since the function keys are out of reach. Also, some notebooks don't have function keys, or need to have the Fn key also pressed at the same time.

    I noticed that I can't zoom in and pan with Bridge.  So I guess I'll need to find a third party image viewer.  Any recommendations for something that color manages across dual monitors that each have their own calibration profile, and will switch profiles when the window is dragged from one to the other monitor?

    S
    sdinweoinasd9384152Author
    Inspiring
    March 15, 2019

    Oh, nevermind, I found the way to zoom and pan. First press space bar to enter full screen mode.

    Also, after a while, images are now opening in Bridge when I double click them in Windows Explorer, except Bridge doesn't become the active window, so I have the extra step of clicking on the Windows task bar.

    I'm not sure what changed. I had set JPG to open in Bridge by default, but it took a couple hours for it to go into effect. Well, anyway, seems to work the way I want it to now, except for a few inconveniences.

    1) No single keyboard key to go fill the window with the preview (not full screen mode, because I might want to have 2 windows side by side),

    2) Can only zoom and pan in full screen mode, but then I can't have windows side by side,

    2) Bridge does not become the active window (it's sent to the back) after double clicking an image in Windows Explorer.

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