Show HN: Re-Implementing the macOS Spatial Finder (github.com)

While the Finder really sucks, this is jarring. I just wish the Finder remembered the view type (List, Icon, etc), but jumping the window size all around is difficult to look at and may block other elements (windows, desktop) I do want to see.

This looks useful! A lot of the time, I open a Space to work on a project and I want all my folders arranged in a certain way. Until now, I’ve been using Shortcuts, but it would be nice if Finder just remembered where everything should go.

> seemingly random positions and sizes

No they don't? I'm on Sequoia and Finder windows open in exactly the position of my last window. Height does vary on the view style though.

This looks maddening, it's the complete opposite of what I'd want.

> seemingly random positions and sizes

Indeed, so let's open each folder in an actually random position and size, whatever I sized it 3 weeks ago, really.

I still use a Mac OS 9.2.2 based machine as my second brain, as no other file system I've used works like the human memory in the same way the spatial Finder does.

Great job bringing something similar to the modern Finder!

Interesting, but I think part of what made Classic Mac OS' spatial Finder work is that every folder only ever had a single window associated with it (similar to how in the physical world, spaces like folders and drawers only have a singular location) and opening a folder opens that window. It feels a touch strange to apply spatial logic to an Explorer-style navigator file manager.

Finder still supports spatial navigation mode. You just have to turn off the sidebar.

Ever since iTunes, I've always wanted to do this for music. Realizing I'm probably not going to get around to build that. Nowadays, would love it for Spotify.

> Only folders inside the Documents folder are affected.

That's quite a caveat. The reason for it is:

> size and position are stored in a hidden .framedata.json file in that folder. When a folder is opened, this file is used to restore its state.

Couldn't this information be stored centrally in the user's home for any folders opened/moved/sized, avoiding this limitation?

I don't think Spatial Finder is as useful as it once was. The reason is that these web interfaces block the whole screen, so I generally need to move the browser to the side, beep open a finder window, drag the file in, move the browser back, etc. What I would really like to have back from those days is to drag a folder to the bottom of the screen and have it turned into a little tab, so I can have a "CS602" tab for example during that class. Alternatively, how about putting the tab in the menu bar and doing it as a little popup? I'd probably pay $5 for that right now if it was implemented in a not annoying way.

The love for the spatial finder is the one thing I've never understood. It seems to fall apart when you work with a non-trivial number of files. For someone who has grown up comfortable with the abstractions of files and filesystems, what advantages do you get with this "spatial" metaphor, compared to just working directly with the hierarchy (e.g. list view or miller columns)?

Well, this is sure to come up on next week's (well, later this week) Accidental Tech Podcast. John Siracusa (one of the hosts) used to write those twenty page reviews of each major release of MacOS on ArsTechnica. He and I both miss the spatial Finder. I'll try this out tomorrow for sure. If I wasn't worn out from a busy weekend, I'd try it now. I can't wait to see how this holds up.

OP: whether this delivers or not, it's a concept that concerns me. Thanks for caring about this and doing something about it.

Why on earth does macOS support files being dragged into random locations at all let alone per directory?

macOS not remembering finders window size at all is a never ending source of annoyance for me. This is neat - but disabling SIP to use it is a no-go for me at least.