A new version of DFX is now finished and up on the web site (the Japanese installer should be coming later today).  Version 4.0.6 contains a bunch of compatibility fixes for various applications that do things in slightly nonstandard ways that would confuse Default Folder X.

I’ve also added a little code to try and make column view more tolerable in Open and Save dialogs.  Default Folder X will now set the default size for columns based on the size of the rightmost column in the last Open or Save dialog you used (not the preview column, but the rightmost column containing a list of files and folders).  I know this is still a little “clunky” - it’d be great if I could save and restore the various widths you’ve set for all the columns, or auto-size them to fit the actual contents of the column - but there are limitations in Leopard’s Open and Save dialogs that make those impossible or impractical.  So, this change makes it better than it was, but still not as I want it.

David over at http://www.macbeginners.net/ has posted a screencast showing off some of Default Folder X’s features. You can view the HD version directly at vimeo if you like, too, but give David’s site a look, especially if you’re new to the Mac.

If you want to include one of Default Folder X’s menus (Favorites, Recent Folders, etc) in a Finder contextual menu, it’s easy to do with Abracode’s free OnMyCommand contextual menu plugin.

To add a DFX Favorite menu, follow these steps:

1. Download OnMyCommand.
2. You’ll get a disk image that looks like this. Run the “Install OnMyCommandCM” script and let it relaunch the Finder after it installs the CM plugin.
3. Open the “OMCEdit” folder and launch OMCEdit. You’ll get a message that it needs to create a new preference file. Tell it to do so.
4. From the “Command” menu, choose “New”.
5. Fill in the command fields like this:
6. Once you save the command, it should appear in your contextual menus like so. Clicking on it will bring up the full Default Folder X hierarchical Favorites menu.

You can do this same thing for other DFX menus by substituting a different name for “Favorite” in the AppleScript command you use in OMCEdit. Valid options are “Disk”, “Favorite”, “Recent”, and “Finder”. Leaving off the ‘named “Favorite”‘ entirely will pop up the entire DFX menu hierarchy as it appears in the menubar.

I’ve just posted a new release of Default Folder X. Version 4.0.4 doesn’t contain any major feature additions, but resolves a number of problems that have been reported in the last few weeks. Some of those problems could be serious (crashes or hangs) so all users of version 4 should update to this latest release. Just download the installer and run it - if you’re a new user, it’ll install DFX for you. If you’re an existing user, it’ll replace the version you’re already running and your existing registration number will continue to work.

Full details and download links are available on the Default Folder X Release Page along with links to localized installers in Japanese, French, German, and Danish. As always, thanks to our great bunch of localizers:

• Takanori Taniguchi (Japanese)
• Mogens Thyregod (Danish)
• Philippe Bonnaure (French)
• Eberhard Woentz (German)

as well as Ronald Leroux, who jumped in while Philippe is on vacation to get the French version updated this time.

And, of course, thanks to all you DFX users out there who continue to send suggestions, bug reports, and encouragement!

Yup - your chance to win an iPod touch ends at midnight tomorrow, so if you’ve been procrastinating on submitting an entry, get to it now!  We’ve had hundreds of folks submit ideas - some really great ones and a few really off the wall ones - though they’re all generating even more ideas here, so keep ‘em coming

It’s going to be hard to decide on a winner, but I’ll post an announcement here as soon as the choice is made. Be creative!