[Feature Request]: Pattern-based file collapsing

[Elarcis]

Checklist

• I am using an up-to-date version.
• I have read the documentation.
• I have searched existing issues.

Description

Hi! I know this might be a contrived request, but processing photos (as a hobby, should I note), I have a lot of files that have the same name, but differing in extension (see below).

Those are, to me, the same picture, but for three different uses: raw photo, Affinity project, and final output. There are a few problematics that prompted me to write this:

• It would be nice to have those file collapse under a single one
• Having all those files collapsed, the “best” preview could be automatically chosen amongst them (so files without thumbnails could be hidden behind matching files that have one)
• It would be even nicer to have tags being synchronised between this file
  • for example, adding the pidgeon tag to one should, obviously, reflect on them all
  • Counter-example, adding the raw tag to a single file (although redundant with the file name) would not need to be synced

Solution

So here is my suggestion:

• Having a pattern-based file grouping. e.g. files with the same name (and same path) but different extensions can be grouped together
• An optional “prefix” or “suffix” setting allows to ignore a part of the file name, for example LRS0501_1.jpg, LRS0501_2.jpg, LRS0501_3.jpg may still be grouped. (by specifying a delimiting character, perhaps?)
• When indexing files, each one is assigned to a group matching its name only (and ignoring the configured suffix)
  • If the group already exists (i.e. a file with the same name already has been listed) the new file is put in it
  • The lightest (or more recently modified?) file is used for the thumbnail
• In the UI:
  • Groups are shown once, and act like virtual folders
  • Single clicking the group shows mostly the same UI and features than for files, except maybe the preview
  • Double clicking the group opens a list view with all the files in it
  • One can apply tags to the whole group, they’re then added (or removed) from all the files
  • One can also open the group and individually apply tags to some of the files only

Alternatives

This is, of course, just a suggestion. Having any way to collapse files together would be welcome, not necessarily in the way I described. I mostly wanted to share my use case so that it is considered.

Thanks in advance!