diff --git a/ui (gen4)/file.js b/ui (gen4)/file.js
index aa93c8f1..535ae9cf 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/file.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/file.js	
@@ -569,31 +569,33 @@ function(json, changes){
 		current: json.data.current,
 	}
 
-	// NOTE: we write the whole set ONLY if an item is true or undefined
-	// 		i.e. not false...
-	if(changes.bookmarked !== false){
-		res.bookmarked = [
-			json.data.tags.bookmark, 
-			// NOTE: this is for bookmark metadata line comments, text,
-			// 		tags, ... etc.
-			// XXX currently this is not used...
-			json.data.bookmark_data || {},
-		]
-	}
+	if(json.data.tags != null){
+		// NOTE: we write the whole set ONLY if an item is true or undefined
+		// 		i.e. not false...
+		if(changes.bookmarked !== false){
+			res.bookmarked = [
+				json.data.tags.bookmark || [], 
+				// NOTE: this is for bookmark metadata line comments, text,
+				// 		tags, ... etc.
+				// XXX currently this is not used...
+				json.data.bookmark_data || {},
+			]
+		}
 
-	if(changes.selected !== false){
-		res.marked = json.data.tags.selected
-	}
+		if(changes.selected !== false){
+			res.marked = json.data.tags.selected || []
+		}
 
-	if(changes.tags !== false){
-		res.tags = json.data.tags
-	}
+		if(changes.tags !== false){
+			res.tags = json.data.tags
+		}
 
-	// clean out some stuff from data...
-	delete res.data.tags.bookmark
-	delete res.data.tags.bookmark_data
-	delete res.data.tags.selected
-	delete res.data.tags
+		// clean out some stuff from data...
+		delete res.data.tags.bookmark
+		delete res.data.tags.bookmark_data
+		delete res.data.tags.selected
+		delete res.data.tags
+	}
 
 	if(changes.images){
 		var diff = res['images-diff'] = {}
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/images.js b/ui (gen4)/images.js
index eeafad65..56f27ee4 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/images.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/images.js	
@@ -279,16 +279,23 @@ module.makeImageSeqOrNameCmp = function(data, get, seq){
 var ImagesClassPrototype =
 module.ImagesClassPrototype = {
 	// XXX populate the image doc better...
-	fromArray: function(data){
+	// NOTE: if base is given then it will be set as .base_path and 
+	// 		removed from each url if present...
+	fromArray: function(data, base){
 		var images = new this()
 		// XXX stub...
 		var i = 0
+		var base_pattern = base ? RegExp('^' + base) : null 
 		data.forEach(function(path){
 			var gid = hash('I'+i)
 			// XXX populate the image doc better...
 			images[gid] = {
 				id: gid,
-				path: path,
+				path: base_pattern ? path.replace(base_pattern, './') : path,
+			}
+			// remove only of base path is given and in path...
+			if(base && base_pattern.test(path)){
+				images[gid].base_path = base
 			}
 			i += 1
 		})
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js b/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js
index 62b17ab8..62f19069 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/lib/actions.js	
@@ -254,7 +254,7 @@ function Action(name, doc, ldoc, func){
 				//res = h.apply(that, args)
 				res = h.apply(that,
 					[results[0] !== undefined ?
-						reults[0] 
+						results[0] 
 						: that].concat(args))
 
 			// deferred...
diff --git a/ui (gen4)/viewer.js b/ui (gen4)/viewer.js
index 86d8a86e..291788f7 100755
--- a/ui (gen4)/viewer.js	
+++ b/ui (gen4)/viewer.js	
@@ -263,10 +263,10 @@ actions.Actions({
 
 	// XXX should this be here???
 	loadURLs: ['File/Load a URL list',
-		function(lst){
+		function(lst, base){
 			this.clear()
 
-			this.images = images.Images.fromArray(lst)
+			this.images = images.Images.fromArray(lst, base)
 			this.data = data.Data.fromArray(this.images.keys())
 		}],
 
@@ -675,8 +675,6 @@ actions.Actions({
 
 	// crop...
 	//
-	// XXX should we keep this isolated or should we connect stuff like 
-	// 		tags, ...
 	crop: ['Crop/Crop image list',
 		function(list, flatten){ 
 			list = list || this.data.order
@@ -3338,14 +3336,33 @@ if(window.nodejs != null){
 // 		.loaded_paths
 var FileSystemLoaderActions = actions.Actions({
 	config: {
-		//'index-dir': '.ImageGrid',
+		'index-dir': '.ImageGrid',
 	},
 
+	// NOTE: these will remove the trailing '/' (or '\') unless the path
+	// 		is root...
+	// 		...this is mainly to facilitate better browse support, i.e.
+	// 		to open the dir (open parent + select current) and not 
+	// 		within the dir
 	// XXX need to revise these...
 	// XXX should there be a loaded path and a requested path???
-	base_path: null,
+	get base_path(){
+		var b = this._base_path
+		if(b && b != '/' && b != '\\'){
+			b = b.replace(/[\/\\]+$/, '')
+		}
+		return b
+	},
+	// XXX use .loadPath(..)
+	set base_path(value){
+		if(value != '/' && value != '\\'){
+			value = value.replace(/[\/\\]+$/, '')
+		}
+		this._base_path = value
+		this.loadIndex(value)
+	},
 	loaded_paths: null,
-	
+
 	// NOTE: when passed no path this will not do anything...
 	// XXX should this set something like .path???
 	// 		...and how should this be handled when merging indexes or
@@ -3450,7 +3467,7 @@ var FileSystemLoaderActions = actions.Actions({
 					that.loaded_paths = loaded
 					// XXX should we get the requested path or the base path currently loaded
 					//that.base_path = loaded.length == 1 ? loaded[0] : path
-					that.base_path = loaded.length == 1 ? loaded[0] : path
+					that._base_path = loaded.length == 1 ? loaded[0] : path
 
 					that.load(index)
 				})
@@ -3468,20 +3485,29 @@ var FileSystemLoaderActions = actions.Actions({
 
 			return glob(path + '/*+(jpg|png)')
 				.on('end', function(lst){ 
-					that.loadURLs(lst)
+					that.loadURLs(lst, path)
 
 					// XXX not sure if this is the way to go...
-					that.base_path = path 
+					that._base_path = path 
 				})
 		}],
 
 	// XXX auto-detect format or let the user chose...
 	loadPath: ['File/Load path (STUB)',
+		function(path, logger){
+			// XXX check if this.config['index-dir'] exists, if yes then
+			// 		.loadIndex(..) else .loadImages(..)
+		}],
+
+	// XXX
+	loadNewImages: ['File/Load new and not indexed images',
 		function(){
+			// XXX list images and add ones that are not in .images
+			// XXX
 		}],
 
 	clear: [function(){
-		delete this.base_path
+		delete this._base_path
 		delete this.loaded_paths
 	}],
 })
@@ -3663,6 +3689,7 @@ var FileSystemWriterActions = actions.Actions({
 	// 		// saved.
 	// 		prepared: <prepared-json>,
 	// 	}
+	//
 	prepareIndexForWrite: ['File/Prepare index for writing',
 		function(json){
 			json = json || this.json('base')
@@ -3671,7 +3698,6 @@ var FileSystemWriterActions = actions.Actions({
 				prepared: file.prepareIndex(json),
 			}
 		}],
-	// XXX should this get the base uncropped state or the current state??? 
 	// XXX get real base path...
 	saveIndex: ['File/Save index',
 		function(path, logger){
@@ -3689,7 +3715,9 @@ var FileSystemWriterActions = actions.Actions({
 
 			file.writeIndex(
 				this.prepareIndexForWrite().prepared, 
-				path, 
+				// XXX should we check if index dir is present in path???
+				//path, 
+				path +'/'+ this.config['index-dir'], 
 				this.config['index-filename-template'], 
 				logger || this.logger)
 		}],
@@ -3699,9 +3727,55 @@ var FileSystemWriterActions = actions.Actions({
 		function(){
 		}],
 	// XXX export current state as a full loadable index
-	// XXX might be interresting to unify this and .exportView(..)
+	// XXX might be interesting to unify this and .exportView(..)
+	// XXX local collections???
 	exportCollection: ['File/Export as collection',
-		function(){
+		function(path, logger){
+			var json = this.json()
+
+			// get all loaded gids...
+			var gids = []
+			for(var r in json.data.ribbons){
+				this.data.makeSparseImages(json.data.ribbons[r], gids)
+			}
+			gids = gids.compact()
+
+			// build .images with loaded images...
+			// XXX list of previews should be configurable (max size)
+			var images = {}
+			gids.forEach(function(gid){
+				var img = json.images[gid]
+				if(img){
+					images[gid] = json.images[gid]
+					// remove un-needed previews...
+					// XXX
+				}
+			})
+
+			// prepare and save index to target path...
+			json.data.order = gids
+			json.images = images
+			// XXX should we check if index dir is present in path???
+			path = path +'/'+ this.config['index-dir']
+
+			file.writeIndex(
+				this.prepareIndexForWrite(json).prepared, 
+				path, 
+				this.config['index-filename-template'], 
+				logger || this.logger)
+			
+			// copy previews for the loaded images...
+			// XXX should also optionally populate the base dir and nested favs...
+			var base_dir = this.base_dir
+			gids.forEach(function(gid){
+				json.images[gid].base_path = path
+				var previews = json.images[gid].preview
+
+				for(var res in previews){
+					// XXX copy from .base_dir +'/'+ preview_path to path +'/'+ preview_path
+					// XXX
+				}
+			})
 		}],
 })
 
@@ -3761,7 +3835,6 @@ module.FileSystemWriterUI = ImageGridFeatures.Feature({
 
 ImageGridFeatures.Feature('viewer-testing', [
 	'base',
-
 	'ui',
 
 	// features...