> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pensiv.so/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# 2.4 Folder view: concept and behavior

> What you see when you open a folder – Grid, List, Prism, Timeline

In Pensiv, folder view\
is not just a list of files.

It’s the **workspace that opens when you click a folder**\
inside a section in the sidebar.

So

> Open a folder → you get a screen that shows that folder’s files in different ways.

That screen is **folder view**.

***

## Where does folder view open?

1. Expand a section in the left sidebar.
2. Click a folder inside it (e.g. Characters).
3. The center panel shows that folder’s view.

That screen is folder view.

***

## Four ways to view a folder

In folder view you can look at the same files\
in four ways:

### 1. Grid

Files as cards so you can scan quickly.

Use when:

* Comparing character cards
* Getting an overview of setting files

***

### 2. List

Text-focused, in rows.\
Good for scanning.

Use when:

* Sorting by name
* Checking by recent edit

***

### 3. Prism

Files grouped by **label (tag)**.\
You see which files share a label.

Use when:

* Grouping characters by color tag
* Checking groups by role or attribute

***

### 4. Timeline

Files on a **time axis**.\
Good for order and flow.

Use when:

* Ordering by when something appears
* Following how settings change over time

***

## Main idea about folder view

Folder view is not “where things are stored.”

> It’s the screen where you **change how you look at the same files**.

* Grid → compare units
* List → quick scan
* Prism → group by attribute
* Timeline → understand flow

The files are the same;\
**changing the view changes how you read them**.

***

## In one sentence

Folders are location.\
Folder view is perspective.

Pensiv is\
not a tool for storing files;\
it’s a system for **looking at files in different ways**.

***

Related: [1.2 Main navigation](/en/guide/basic-ui-and-navigation/main-navigation), [1.5 Pensiv UI terms](/en/guide/basic-ui-and-navigation/ui-terms), [2.1 Structure concept](/en/guide/folders/structure-concept), [2.2 Understanding connections](/en/guide/folders/connection-relationship)