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[Gromak]

Is there any way to manually assigns things for trade? Like bins and barrels. Using the trade depot menu I cant see the contents of barrels/bins so I dunno what Im trading, and through the stocks menu I cant see the contents either :S

Thanks

[Dzedajus]

You can put into depot whole bins for trading and then just mark for trading the contents of bin, there should be contents shown when trading. Other trick is to look (k) into bin and then designate individual items for dumping (d) into zone designated as garbage dump (i-g), then move them to trade depot after reclaiming them (d-b-c).
I personally avoid using bins because dwarfs put anything into them and it's harder to keep track of what you have, especially with cloth and leather. I mostly use quantum stockpiles using minecarts to sort stuff i need.

[Gromak]

Yes, but manually trading hundreds of crafts isnt good... the caravan takes ages to pack all those inidividual things

[Dzedajus]

Then set a custom stockpile only for crafts that you will trade and allow bins then forbid bins anywhere else. Generally bins are an enemy to the fortress.

[celem]

Dzedajus has a good solution.  I agree with the OP, generalised finished goods bins and trade depots dont mix.  You move every bin containing a craft, you get the jugs, splints, nest boxes, wheelbarrows etc etc.  One of my pet peeves is that flasks/waterskins move with these bins too and have my military dancing around trying to fish out a flask as it passes.

I use 2 finished good piles.  Both may use bins, however one may only take various 'crafts', the other may not take any crafts.  Thus, when you flag a 'craft' bin to be traded it comes up full of crafts, but *only* crafts.

Another fine tip for those who dont want to go into some pile management.  Remember once you have completed your trade to 'q-g' over the depot again and un-flag  anything remaining with a [T].  Otherwise that bin is unavailable to the fort until the merchants leave and any important objects within it are unreachable.

To answer the specific question: No, you cant see into the bin until it arrives at the Depot, neither from the 'summon items to depot' screen or the stocks.  You could 'k' over it where it sits in the stockpile, but thats about it.

[Thisfox]

I'm pro-bins.

When in the "items for trade" window, I can look in each bin by hitting v, and choose the one I want, whether it be full of glass instruments, or copper chains, or glazed stone crafts.

I just have customised Finished Goods piles. One for cloth products, one for stone, one for metal, one for glass, one for xxxx etc.... and a bin pile right next to the trade depot for anything I might have missed, with every finished good allowed. Stuff that doesn't fit in the others is then easily traded anyhow.

I've never had a problem with bins, really. I like them. You can look in 'em by hitting k,  if they're not on the move.

[Psieye]

I'm pretty sure you can look inside a bin while it's being hauled in the same way you look inside an equipped quiver: 'v' and look at the hauler dwarf's inventory, then select the bin he's hauling and examine it in more detail.

Also, I've heard that v0.40.xx has vastly sped up Merchants packing up (and the liaison talk, and eating/drinking).

[Thisfox]

Oh I agree it's sped up.  I keep going "where are the merchants? Oh. Gone. Darn." 

[SixOfSpades]

I've learned to use the Dump command not just for garbage, but for moving objects to specific locations.

Set up a special stockpile near your Trade Depot, set to hold whatever you think you'll be trading. Then set up a Dump zone, in or next to that stockpile. Lock the doors in front of your atom-smasher / incinerator / whatever, so that that only available dump zone is the one by the Trade Depot. Designate your desired trade goods to be dumped, watch it get carted into position, then unforbid it so the dwarves will move it to the closest acceptable stockpile. When the time comes to select goods for trade, the menu shows how far away the objects are from the Trade Depot--just pick the closest ones, because that's your Trade Goods stockpile. Then, remove your temporary Dump zone, unlock the doors to your regular garbage disposal, and you're done.