As usual, work on the next release started almost immediately after the release of v18.10.

I've fixed the issue with Windows Store Apps that I thought I had fixed in v18.10 but hadn't completely, and also fixed the issues Vlad reported with dragging floating Drawers around the screen (which goes back to v18..

A couple of quick easy additions for the next release were suggested by users here in the forums:

1. Add more control over the dock's floating icon labels (e.g.; drop shadow plus drop shadow transparency).

I actually like this one because I've been meaning to move label settings into their own separate dialog, as they needlessly take up a lot of space in the main Appearance tab.

2. The same way you can specify 'icon labels remain opaque' in the Shelf's transparency dialog, add an option to do the same for the actual tab text. This way you can make the Shelf background completely transparent while keeping the Shelf functional.

Hi

You working on 'Icon containers' for this build or will that be a major update aka stacks. I know you said you was considering it.

Yes some sort of font background control will be useful.

Yeah, that too lol

And the Winstep Theme Builder.

Another suggested idea is a way to apply one dock settings to all other docks.

This is the problem when each dock has it's own individual settings: great for flexibility, not so great when you want to change the same settings for all the docks.

So, we need an 'Apply to All' button, like there is for modules. The problem is: which settings should be shared, and which settings should not (needless to say, position settings should not, for instance).

Personally, I like that I can apply different themes to different modules, however as far as the docks go (and I include the shelf in this) I like them all to be the same, (plane glass zoomers, transparent) as you have seen my desktop you know what I am talking about.

So themes the same, Icons the same, Icon size the same, a lot the same really for me, Iam not one for colourizing the icons though. It’s the hide and seek settings I find hard to remember, I have to go over the tabs one by one till I find the right button to bring up extra settings to find the one I want.

If containers followed the same theme as the dock that launched them that would be cool, I don’t know how plain sailing or close to the wind you are going to go with this feature but I really liked the RD stacks docklet(grid.view) it even had an option to open the folder where the icons where……

maybe by implementing separate backup/import only for individual dock/shelf: backup settings and backup all (settings+content)?

winstep wrote:





You can have an "Apply to..." button that will open a dialog window with 2 sides:
one side with checkmarks next to the docks/drawers/shelfs that will be the target for the settings
and another side with checkmarks next to the settings that you can choose to be copied to the named targets.

also.... the search function that can filter content in shelfs/drawers would be sweet...

Too much work for the user... and for me.

No, I must decide which settings to carry over and which not to.



Thanks for reminding me.

Good news re: ThemeBuilder, so get stuck in and get thoroughly bored Jorge, but all the rest can surely wait. The TB is way more important than anything else at this point, and then there is the NextSTART Taskbar of course, so long neglected.

I have no problems with any of the additions mentioned above (except perhaps the IMO totally superfluous search, but what the heck ), but at this point I feel they are just distracting from what should be top priorities.

Apropos ThemeBuilder, Jorge. If you really want skinners to provide digital in-shelf clocks, then for pity's sake give them more freedom along the lines that I already suggested previously. The old standard digital in-shelf/-dock clock is not only way too limited in what you can do with it as a skinner, but also just totally dated. I can only urge you to think again about this and more free-form skinning for in-shelf/-dock modules in general. What is especially needed is for the skinner to be able to specify the colour of the metering mods.'s histo. Hell, the user can still change it if they absolutely want to.

The same also applies to the running apps indicators for NeXus, which the ThemeBuilder alpha saves but then omits saving to the configuration.

Please Jorge, consider these matters very carefully. The user has all the options in the world already to change just about everything and completely mess up a theme if he's so inclined. Allow skinners more freedom, and thus make skinning a more rewarding experience. I fail to see why in-shelf modules should be any different from the desktop ones in re: skinning freedom. With what little we as skinners can change/set a default for, it's hardly worth the effort of doing any in-shelf mods. Apart from, that is, the recycler, where we have fullest free-form freedom to do as we please, of course - so why should other mods. be treated any differently?

I for one shall certainly never do another in-shelf digital clock, e.g., until and unless there is the freedom to do something worthwhile. Probably do. in re: the metering mods. The way things stand, it would be pointless, as I see it.

Jorge,

Will the next release include a way for Nexus Menu items to not overlap the dock?

In v18.10 I already did the necessary changes so the first menu that pops up does not overlap the icons, Adrian.

As I wrote on the other thread: "you should notice the menus no longer overlap the middle of the dock, they will always pop up above or below the (non magnified) icon area."

This does not mean the first menu will not partially overlap part of the dock's body: doing that would be completely wrong because a) some dock backgrounds are HUGE and b) you don't want the menu to pop up too far from where you clicked to minimize travel distance.

Done this already. When the Shelf is set to transparent but the labels to remain opaque, a outline effect is automatically added to the text (unless the theme is already using this or another effect), black if the text color is light, white otherwise. This ensures the text remains (somewhat) readable regardless of the background.



Currently working on this.

Finally, all going well we will soon have a Winstep themes gallery added to the website.

All well and nice, all these pithy things, but - as per my last post - where's the beef, Jorge? Surely things should be prioritised?

But certainly excellent news re: the themes gallery. Once the ThemeBuilder becomes available - even if only in beta form - it should see many more new themes coming along there than the rate of uploads to WC over the last few years, and start paying back in terms of increased (apps) registrations also.

Well, the Theme Builder is going to be a HUGE amount of work. These are little things I can add quickly while I try an psyche myself up to work on the builder.

Anyway, things keep moving along, but you have to remember there is only one of me, and in this past year we've already had 6 updates - all of them filled to the brink with new goodies. Things will get done.