Add a folder structure to a Visual Studio Solution

Question

Is it possible to add a folder structure to Solution Items without manually adding each level of the tree?

We have a multi project solution which requires several third-party libraries, at least one of which has a multi-layer tree.

We have a libs folder at the solution root level, alongside all the other projects.

The answers regarding Show Hidden Files, etc. don't work for solution items, only within a project.

Is there any way to get around this?

Do we have to add them folder by folder if we want them at the solution level?

(A similar question has been answered many times regarding Visual Studio projects. However my question is about Visual Studio solutions.)

Answer 1

Not quite an answer to the question, but to view folders on the file system within Visual Studio Solution Explorer there is now a way of switching views between the solution and the folders. Here is the button to switch:

Clicking/tapping on this brings up "Solution Explorer - Views" content showing all available solution files and option for "Folder View":

Double clicking the "Folder View" shows the folders in the underlying file system:

Screen shots taken with Visual Studio 2019 16.10 preview 4, but this has been there for a while now.