Drag'n'Go

Please read the description!

Often when you open a file, the default action of single/double clicking the icon is not what you want.
That is why I came up with this idea. Or rather, as many ideas, this one is inspired from an already existing product.

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Here is how this works:
1. Middle click an icon (the default mouse button can be discussed, this is just an example). Some visual feedback will show up (optional).
2. While holding down the mouse button, drag the icon to a 'direction'.
3. Depending on where you drag and release it, different actions are executed.

Example (see screenshot)
0. There is a tar.gz. The default click action is "Open in Ark", but I want to explore/preview the content in Achiever (embedded viewer).
1. Middle click on the icon. Some visual feedback appear.
2. While holding down the middle mouse button, I move the mouse pointer to the right
3. When I release the button, instead of opening the tar.gz in Ark, I now explore/preview it in the embedded Achiever. Fast and simple!

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I hope you have got an idea of how this works. There is a Firefox extension which does the same thing, download it here:
https://addons.mozilla.org/firefox/2918/

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The actions should be different depending on what kind of icon you drag. I you drag a folder, maybe only two actions would be necessary:
up to open in a new tab and down to move to trash.

The actions should of course be configurable. However, it might be a good idea if the default positions of some actions are the same, for example drag down to “Move to trash”.

Also, I think this feature should, like the mouse gestures, be disabled by default.

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Please let me know what you think. And thanks everyone who has already posted comments, it is very nice to read them!

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I want to hear your thoughts

1. Any ideas how the visual feedback could look like? If you have an idea, maybe you can make a mockup and post it here?
2. What do you think the default options should be? What should be configurable?
3. Are there any problems with this feature? How can they be solved?
4. How can we make this idea into reality?
5. Anything else?

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User comments:

+ Additional ideas

THEpengu
"When you click the middle mouse button and hold down, a transparent diagram like the one in the mock up should appere, telling you what you can do by dragging in each direction."

jls
"Clicking the middle mouse button on any icon fades in a transparent overlay image showing the available options for every 'direction'"

Kwilliam
(answers the questions)
1. The default options ought to be the options listed in the Actions submenu when you right click a file.

2. How about a simple donut shape with the options and their icons presented in a ring around the cursor? Just drag and drop directly onto the icons that represent the actions.

3.Middle clicking is often used to open stuff in a new tab. Have a delay before the feedback appears and/or show it immediately if the user drags with the middle button.

07/11 Changed the description slightly
29/10 Uploaded 1.0