Application Review: Default Folder X

Every once and awhile you find a piece of software that does its job so well that you stop noticing it completely. You know what I’m talking about. That app that just works. Simply. Un-obtrusively. I often also end up realizing that said application has loads of features I’m not utilizing and even cooler ways to do what it already does well. Default Folder X is one of those apps.
I don’t even know how I learned about DFX but I’ve had it installed on my MacBook Pro for quite some time. I think the following sentence from the user’s manual sums up what this app does nicely:

Default Folder X makes Mac OS X’s Open and Save dialogs work as quickly as you do.

After installing the preference pane, DFX will show up on all Open and Save dialogs. It can appear as a black, grey, or colored addition to the standard OS X dialog window. One of the cooler features of this app is the ability to click an open finder window and have the dialog show that location. This makes it super simple to open or save files to any currently open Finder windows.
Another useful feature is the option-up and down arrow key combinations in Save dialogs. These step forward and backward through the recent folders list allowing you to quickly and easily access folders you're been using without the mouse. This is a life-saver when doing image manipulation and conversion for web use. I usually have an "Originals" and an "Edits" folder and can switch between them seamlessly using the above keyboard shortcuts.
Incredibly, this was one of the only things I used DFX for and it is still a must-have application for me. Since I've been reviewing my own Applications folder to try and trim some fat I decided to refresh my memory as to what else this app could do. Boy was I surprised. I've been missing out on all sorts of productivity enhancements which, since I'm keeping the app in my workflow, I'm going to take full advantage of.
Something I hadn't been using was the ability to set default folders on an application by application basis. This makes an application's open or save dialog show a folder you choose by default for that app. I use this to automatically save documents of different types to different folders and I never have to navigate to the location I want to save to. Combine this with the ability to add tags and Spotlight comments on the fly and you're on your way to file organization heaven. You can even set keyboard shortcuts for specific folders to go to locations at the press of a button.
DFX gives you several different ways to access recently used or favorite folders through the in-dialog menus. You can rename, move, and create archives right from the same window as well. I don't know how I got along without this app before. The $34.95 price tag might seem steep at first but trust me, try this app and you'll see that it's worth every penny.