Make QuickLook preview more kinds of file types
In recent posts we talked about QuickLook, which allows you to instantly preview a file, without having to open it in an application.
However, there are file types, that can’t be previewed with the standard installation of Leopard.
Let’s find out how to add more plugins, so we can preview more file types (eg. compressed .zip files, flash video or even folders).
We already added a plugin to QuickLook (in the visual web history tutorial). So this is not entirely new. However there are so many more file types QuickLook can preview, so we felt it deserves a post of its own.
QuickLook does accept plugins to expand it’s functionality (read: preview more, different file types).
Getting QuickLook plugins
Of course, you don’t have to come up with a plugin yourself. There are websites, which collect the QuickLook plugins created.
www.qlplugins.com
www.quicklookplugins.com
Both have more or less the same content, use the one that is more appealing to you. For this tutorial we’ll use the “BetterZip” QuickLook plugin. It will allow us to preview compressed file types (such as .zip).
It’s available through both of the pages mentioned above. But we’ll head directly to the developers site.
Download the .zip file and extract it (by clicking on it in the Downloads stack). For a detail explanation of .zip files and installation in general, please read this post on installing applications in Mac OS X.
Installing QuickLook plugins
We end up with a folder in our Downloads stack, named BetterZipQL. It contains 3 files:
You can read the license agreement and the Read me - file. The file we are most interested in, is the first one - BetterZipQL.qlgenerator.
In brief (for more experienced users)
Copy this file to /Library/QuickLook or ~/Library/QuickLook (you might have to create that folder) and jump ahead to Make Finder recognize the new plugin.
In detail: Just read on, we take it step by step.
1) Click the file once, so it’s highlighted.
2) From the Edit menu, select Copy “BetterZipQL.qlgenerator” or press the keyboard shortcut command-C.
3) We will install this plugin for all users.
So go to the directory Macintosh HD > Library > QuickLookIf you want it only for the current user, go to the directory
> your home directory > Library > QuickLook.4) From the Edit menu, select Paste or press the keyboard shortcut command-V.
Make Finder recognize the new plugin
In order for Finder to recognize and start using the plugin, you need to restart Finder. Make sure there is no progress in Finder (like copying or moving files). Press alt-command-escape and pick Finder from the list.
Click the Relaunch button. The other applications are not affected.
For more information on terminating or relaunching applications please read this post. Sometimes this method might not work, since the QuickLook is a bit slow to update. If that is the case, restart your Mac and it will work.
Done - now you’re able to preview .zip files (and a lot of other compressed formats). All with only one plugin.
Go and check out the other ones and get what’s useful for you. The installation procedure is always the same.
Hint: In the near future we will learn how to automate an installation process like this, with an application called Automator. Stay tuned.
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Tags: add-on, installing, keyboard, preview, QuickLook
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