an "Explorer" style dialog window instead of classic dialog in Windows using folder.selectDialog()?

[Gary Reisman @NBC]

I've made a script that uses folder.selectDialog() to bring up a folder location save window. It works perfect in OSX, but in Windows it brings up a "classic" windows dialog box instead of of the more robust "Explorer" style window.  I've tried a few other methods but no success.  Any verified way to bring up an Explorer style window with an After Effects script  (without going too complex).  thanks.

[Aaron Cobb · Accepted solution]

This is what I use, a cross-platform method that runs a PowerShell script to access the more modern(ish) folder picker dialog. Credit for this method is in the commented URL in the script.

// Better Windows folder picker via an elaborate powershell script
function betterFolderPicker(pickerTitle, defaultFolder)
{
	function powerShellCall(commandString)
	{
		return system.callSystem('cmd.exe /c powershell.exe -c "' + commandString +'"');
	}
	var folderForTempFiles = Folder.temp.fsName;
	//create a new textfile for writing the folder path from PowerShell
	var scratchFileName = "/ExtendscriptFolderPickerTempFile.txt";
	var scratchFile = new File(folderForTempFiles + scratchFileName);
	var chosenFolder = null;
	var chosenPath = null;

	if($.os.match(/Windows/) != null)
	{
		// powershell script courtesy of https://www.reddit.com/r/PowerShell/comments/9s0q6k/folder_browser_dialog_with_an_address_bar/
		var powerShellScript = "$AssemblyFullName = 'System.Windows.Forms, Version=4.0.0.0, Culture=neutral, PublicKeyToken=b77a5c561934e089'\
		$Assembly = [System.Reflection.Assembly]::Load($AssemblyFullName)\
		$OpenFileDialog = [System.Windows.Forms.OpenFileDialog]::new()\
		$OpenFileDialog.AddExtension = $false\
		$OpenFileDialog.CheckFileExists = $false\
		$OpenFileDialog.DereferenceLinks = $true\
		$OpenFileDialog.Filter = 'Folders|`n'\
		$OpenFileDialog.Multiselect = $false\
		$OpenFileDialog.Title = '" + pickerTitle + "'\
		$OpenFileDialog.InitialDirectory = '" + defaultFolder.fsName + "'\
		$OpenFileDialogType = $OpenFileDialog.GetType()\
		$FileDialogInterfaceType = $Assembly.GetType('System.Windows.Forms.FileDialogNative+IFileDialog')\
		$IFileDialog = $OpenFileDialogType.GetMethod('CreateVistaDialog',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($OpenFileDialog,$null)\
		$null = $OpenFileDialogType.GetMethod('OnBeforeVistaDialog',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($OpenFileDialog,$IFileDialog)\
		[uint32]$PickFoldersOption = $Assembly.GetType('System.Windows.Forms.FileDialogNative+FOS').GetField('FOS_PICKFOLDERS').GetValue($null)\
		$FolderOptions = $OpenFileDialogType.GetMethod('get_Options',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($OpenFileDialog,$null) -bor $PickFoldersOption\
		$null = $FileDialogInterfaceType.GetMethod('SetOptions',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($IFileDialog,$FolderOptions)\
		$VistaDialogEvent = [System.Activator]::CreateInstance($AssemblyFullName,'System.Windows.Forms.FileDialog+VistaDialogEvents',$false,0,$null,$OpenFileDialog,$null,$null).Unwrap()\
		[uint32]$AdviceCookie = 0\
		$AdvisoryParameters = @($VistaDialogEvent,$AdviceCookie)\
		$AdviseResult = $FileDialogInterfaceType.GetMethod('Advise',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($IFileDialog,$AdvisoryParameters)\
		$AdviceCookie = $AdvisoryParameters[1]\
		$Result = $FileDialogInterfaceType.GetMethod('Show',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($IFileDialog,[System.IntPtr]::Zero)\
		$null = $FileDialogInterfaceType.GetMethod('Unadvise',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($IFileDialog,$AdviceCookie)\
		if ($Result -eq [System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult]::OK) {\
		$FileDialogInterfaceType.GetMethod('GetResult',@('NonPublic','Public','Static','Instance')).Invoke($IFileDialog,$null)\
		}\
		$OpenFileDialog.FileName > \"" + scratchFile.fsName + "\"";

		var formattedScript = powerShellScript.replace(/\t+/g, "").replace(/[\r\n]+/g, "; ");
		powerShellCall(formattedScript);

		scratchFile.open("r");
		chosenPath = scratchFile.readln();
		scratchFile.close();
		scratchFile.remove();
		if(chosenPath == "") chosenFolder == null
		else chosenFolder = new Folder(File.encode(chosenPath));
	}
	else
	{
			chosenFolder = defaultFolder.selectDlg(pickerTitle);
	}
	return chosenFolder;
}

[Gary Reisman @NBC]

Wow!  Thanks so much, I'll give it a try.  (had attempted a powershell thing, but no luck, hard to test being in OSX as well).
my semi workaround was to use var saveFile = defaultFile.saveDlg("Select folder and save");
the metho you provided is pretty deep, but no dobut will look like a "real" open dialog (not a "Save" dailog like mine).
thanks again!

[Gary Reisman @NBC]

Thanks again for the tip, I gave it a a try - and it works to produce the desired results!

However, I'm not so sure I'm a fan of how it goes about doing so.  appears to open up an .exe/powershell tht needs to write a temp file to the computer (and no doubt requires turning on "Allow AE to write to computer", and the temp window showing up in the background and in the windows dock.
I think this method certainly works sufficient for personal use.  Then again,  defaultFile.saveDlg produces can fullfill that need more efficientaly with only a few lines of code. (albeit with a "save" input that is ignored.).

If anyone from Adobe catches this thread,.  how about having AE bring up a better dialog window if folder.selectDialog()  is called on Windows. (or some other call that will do so,),  thanks.