"Filter" use red color in the address bar, for normal user it's not intuitive and it's even not easy to disable it.
"Selected only" use underlined address bar path, not intuitive either.
"Linked browsing" has no indicator and it's easy to forget to disable it.
My suggestion is to add additional intuitive indicator for these modes (and perhaps others) as option, they could be:
- text in the address bar, like "C:\Program Files (plain view)", even for mode modes: "C:\Program Files (plain view, quick filter)"
- similar text in the status bar
- similar text in the title bar
- similar text in the additional bar below or above the status bar, it could be shown only if any special mode is used, similar to Queue bar
Similar option already exist in the status bar, if multiple files are selected, text "2/20 Object(s) selected".
If needed, those text indicators could have some highlight, like underline, bold, etc.
EDIT: Additional suggestions:
It could be also for other options, like "Lock view", "Size of folders".
These indicators would have higher priority over address bar path or status bar text.
If possible, indicators could use the colors from Color/Font - File list background if quick filter, plan view, or only selected is active, as background color, perhaps also with a border of text color, it could look like this:
- fc Screenshot_07232024_205830.png (3.78 KiB) Viewed 14921 times
- fc Screenshot_07232024_205715.png (6.96 KiB) Viewed 14921 times
- Don't use special color for file list background if quick filter, plan view, or only selected is active.
In this case use color for active / inactive colors.
It would be clearer than changing the whole panel color - and even better, because if 2 or more modes are used, e.g. plain view + quick filter, just 1 special background color can be used now, with my suggestions all special mode indicators (with colors) could be shown. Another current issue, it special mode colors are used, it's not visible, which panel is active.