How to use QGIS tile server provider with local TMS folder

I just learned that QGIS 2.18 has a Tile Server (XYZ) provider in the Browser Panel. I created a large tile map using gdal2tiles and I'm trying to load it. However, I'm not publishing the tiles through a web server instead, I though about reading the files strait from the disk. So, in the Tile Server url I used file:///I:/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png. The tiles do not load and I see the following error in the log panel: Tile request max retry error. Failed 3 requests for tile 13 of tileRequest 2 (url: file:///I/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/6/19/38.png).

So, the questions are:

1. Does QGIS Tile Server provider works with local files?


2. Can I use the file:/// protocol? How?

I tried the following lines as the TMS Server address:

• file:///I:/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png


• file:///I/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png


• I:/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png



• I/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png


• /I/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png


• /I:/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png


• file://I:/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png


• file://I/SUL/rapid_tms_utm21/{z}/{x}/{y}.png

And the tiles work using the TileLayerPlugin