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Feature request: configurable default expand depth (or remember expand state) to avoid visual overload #2
Description
Thanks for building mathom, the MFT scanning speed and the treemap view are really impressive.
I've been using it as a WizTree alternative, and one thing keeps bothering me: after a scan, the tree/treemap seems to expand all nodes by default. In large directories this creates a huge amount of visual noise, and honestly it becomes quite uncomfortable to look at. I often just want to see the top-level layout first, then drill down manually.
Would you consider adding an option to control the default expand behavior? For example:
Default expand depth: 0 / 1 / 2 / all (current behavior)
Remember expand state: keep the last expanded/collapsed state between sessions
Or both, with the default remaining all so existing users aren't surprised
I think keeping the current "expand all" behavior as the default would make this a non-breaking change, while giving users like me a way to avoid the initial visual overload.
I'd be happy to submit a PR if you're open to it. I'd probably start with a defaultExpandDepth setting and only expand the root (or the first level) when set to 0/1. If you prefer a different design, I'm open to suggestions.
Activity
Li3age commentedon Sep 16, 2026
Li3age commentedon Sep 16, 2026
Also, would you mind if I vibe-code the PR? I’ll still review and test everything before submitting.
gitRasheed commentedon Sep 18, 2026
@Li3age sorry, I have no idea why I didn't get a notification for this, yeah feel free to go ahead and do that, I'll also take a look at a fix for this on my side, ty!
gitRasheed commentedon Sep 18, 2026
btw do you mean the folder list on the left, or the coloured treemap? The folder list currently starts with only the root expanded, while the treemap shows all nested contents which I think is what you're referring to? tbh I just had it showing all because it's what I'm used to from wiztree / windirstat; we could also potentially do it by relative depth of what you have selected instead of absolute 🤔
Li3age commentedon Sep 19, 2026
@gitRasheed Thanks! Yes, I mean the coloured treemap.I like SpaceSniffer's view (even though it's slow). WizTree shows everything by default, which feels too overwhelming for large folders.
Li3age commentedon Sep 19, 2026
To be honest, I don't know the exact technical term for SpaceSniffer's view. But it feels like an interactive drill-down or relative depth. You double-click a block, it zooms in and expands to show the children, instead of showing everything at once. Then, when you click on another block, the previous one collapses back into a single whole. This keeps the view always looking clean and comfortable.
gitRasheed commentedon Nov 1, 2026
This is in v0.2.3-alpha.1: Settings → Treemap style → SpaceSniffer, and Treemap depth.