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 Post subject: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2018 12:28 am 
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To start with I fixed the only known issue (so far) in v18.12:

The 'Disable final boing effect' setting in Dock Properties -> Behavior tab -> Auto-Hide Settings is not doing anything. Instead you must use the same setting in the Sub-Docks dialog in the same tab (assuming you are running Nexus Ultimate or Winstep Xtreme).

Had no idea until now how many people actually used that setting lol

Something else I just did (and was actually a LOT quicker to implement than I thought due to all the previous work done to simplify the creation of new modules) was to unify all the different desktop modules into a single object/class.

Previously each desktop module was its own separate and individual form, which also meant a TON of repeated code (all modules share the same basic functionality). Now everything is encapsulated into a single form/object which can be any desktop module you tell it to be - a unique module identifier set when it first runs tells it what it should be. Code shared between all modules only needs to exist in one place and code specific to each module type runs depending on that object's module identifier.

So, what does this DO in practice? Well, to start with the size of the executable is decreased since all the repeated code has been eliminated. Second, it's now a LOT easier to make changes to ALL desktop modules at once because they all share the same basic code, so I only need to make changes once (previously I would have to copy the same changes to each and every other desktop module).

But the single biggest advantage is that this is the first step (well, second, if you take into consideration that the first step was re-organizing all the code to make it a LOT easier to create new modules, which was actually a mammoth task all by itself) into multi-session modules.

Multi-session modules will allow you to have things like multiple weather monitors each displaying weather conditions at a different location, clock modules displaying the time at different locations, battery monitors displaying the status of multiple batteries (for instance, Surface Laptops with detachable screens have two batteries), etc...

This does not mean I will implement this in the very next release, as getting that to work will still require multiple and complex changes, but the foundation of the house has now been established onto solid ground.

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2018 7:08 pm 
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winstep wrote:
To start with I fixed the only known issue (so far) in v18.12:

The 'Disable final boing effect' setting in Dock Properties -> Behavior tab -> Auto-Hide Settings is not doing anything. Instead you must use the same setting in the Sub-Docks dialog in the same tab (assuming you are running Nexus Ultimate or Winstep Xtreme).

Had no idea until now how many people actually used that setting lol

Something else I just did (and was actually a LOT quicker to implement than I thought due to all the previous work done to simplify the creation of new modules) was to unify all the different desktop modules into a single object/class.

Previously each desktop module was its own separate and individual form, which also meant a TON of repeated code (all modules share the same basic functionality). Now everything is encapsulated into a single form/object which can be any desktop module you tell it to be - a unique module identifier set when it first runs tells it what it should be. Code shared between all modules only needs to exist in one place and code specific to each module type runs depending on that object's module identifier.

So, what does this DO in practice? Well, to start with the size of the executable is decreased since all the repeated code has been eliminated. Second, it's now a LOT easier to make changes to ALL desktop modules at once because they all share the same basic code, so I only need to make changes once (previously I would have to copy the same changes to each and every other desktop module).

But the single biggest advantage is that this is the first step (well, second, if you take into consideration that the first step was re-organizing all the code to make it a LOT easier to create new modules, which was actually a mammoth task all by itself) into multi-session modules.

Multi-session modules will allow you to have things like multiple weather monitors each displaying weather conditions at a different location, clock modules displaying the time at different locations, battery monitors displaying the status of multiple batteries (for instance, Surface Laptops with detachable screens have two batteries), etc...

This does not mean I will implement this in the very next release, as getting that to work will still require multiple and complex changes, but the foundation of the house has now been established onto solid ground.

Wow, excellent work Jorge!

Glad you said you're not doing all the rest to implement multi-session etc. modules immediately. There really is no rush, and we've had a bunch of major releases with loads of new and major features over the last few months alone, so I think it's time for you to slow down a bit and go easy on yourself.

A few bug/buglet/issue fixes should be more than enough for the next update or two, surely. And then, bearing in mind the site development, perhaps what was originally planned after 18.8, dare I suggest?

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nexter - so, what's next?

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Fri Dec 21, 2018 9:02 pm 
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Yes, I have been thinking about how to best continue work on the Theme Builder lol

These last internal re-organizations were important because the data structures also affect the Theme Builder.

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Sat Dec 22, 2018 10:07 pm 
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winstep wrote:
Yes, I have been thinking about how to best continue work on the Theme Builder lol

These last internal re-organizations were important because the data structures also affect the Theme Builder.

LOL! Well, a bit of boredom now and then doesn't hurt all that much, does it? ;)

As for continuing work on the TB, if/once all the relevant internals are fully sorted, wouldn't it be best to start by perfecting/finishing the Nexus part first? There are e.g., among other things, a few problems with tiled docks, and with top edge docks generally when bitmaps exist for all edges.

Anyway, don't worry about it for now, just take it easy Jorge and enjoy the holidays first of all. :)

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2018 5:48 pm 
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Looks like I am really going for the Theme Builder this time. :)

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2018 6:10 pm 
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winstep wrote:
Looks like I am really going for the Theme Builder this time. :)


go Jorge, go


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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Tue Dec 25, 2018 7:21 pm 
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winstep wrote:
Looks like I am really going for the Theme Builder this time. :)

Everybody hold still, don't move, and don't say anything. The man's workin' on important stuff.


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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Wed Dec 26, 2018 4:36 am 
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DesertDwarf wrote:
winstep wrote:
Looks like I am really going for the Theme Builder this time. :)

Everybody hold still, don't move, and don't say anything. The man's workin' on important stuff.

Shhh.... Be vewy qwiet! Da wabbit's onto weally impowtant stuff. :)

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 11:48 am 
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Beside the fact, that i like the new grid stack, I do have some complaints:

1.) If the shelf (or a drawer) is placed on the top edge of the screen, it does no longer use the flipped bitmaps (WsFullBodyF, WsFullTabAF, WsFullTabIF, ...). It never used flipped symbols for settings an closing the shelf body, but the bitmaps (if provided) where used. I know, this option was hardly used by any themes ...

2.) The grid stack uses elements from the shelf, as do drawers. While the drawers respect shelf settings like symbol distances, icon shadow and reflection settings and wether the grid should be shown, the grid stack does not. In my opinion this is somewhat inconsistant and users need to configure each single grid stack seperatly, if one does not agree with the defaults.

3.) I'm using two screens. While the preferences panel does allow me, to place a drawer on the first monitor, it always appears on the second one. Placing the drawer by using the context menu works as expected. This does not happen with docks and shelves.

Anyway, thank you for a great software and happy 2019!


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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 1:43 pm 
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FranzS wrote:
1.) If the shelf (or a drawer) is placed on the top edge of the screen, it does no longer use the flipped bitmaps (WsFullBodyF, WsFullTabAF, WsFullTabIF, ...). It never used flipped symbols for settings an closing the shelf body, but the bitmaps (if provided) where used. I know, this option was hardly used by any themes ...


Ric (Nexter) had already pointed this out. This happened when I added the ability for vertical shelves and also multiple shelves. I ended up forgetting to look into that again, but will eventually.

FranzS wrote:
2.) The grid stack uses elements from the shelf, as do drawers. While the drawers respect shelf settings like symbol distances, icon shadow and reflection settings and wether the grid should be shown, the grid stack does not. In my opinion this is somewhat inconsistant and users need to configure each single grid stack seperatly, if one does not agree with the defaults.


Ah, but what defaults? You do realize that you can now have more than one Shelf, right? As such - and as it previously happened with docks - each Shelf, Drawer and Grid Stack has its own individual settings.

When you create a new Grid Stack (and also a Drawer!) it assumes the *factory* default settings.

Here is a tip, though: you can actually *copy* an existing Grid Stack by dragging and dropping its icon while pressing CTRL. If you do this, the settings of the original Grid Stack are also cloned - so you can copy an existing Grid Stack and *then* change the target location of the new Grid Stack.

Likewise, you can duplicate (clone) Drawers and Shelves via the 'Dock and Shelf Management' sub-menu of the main right click menu.

FranzS wrote:
3.) I'm using two screens. While the preferences panel does allow me, to place a drawer on the first monitor, it always appears on the second one. Placing the drawer by using the context menu works as expected. This does not happen with docks and shelves.


Sounds like a bona fide bug, strange that it only happens with Drawers. I'll look into that, thanks. :)

FranzS wrote:
Anyway, thank you for a great software and happy 2019!


Thank you, you too! :)

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:42 pm 
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ad 3.) There is more ...
I tried to change settings of the shelf (I'm currently using only one) via Shelf-properties, and it was suddenly placed on the second screen, although the panel read, it sould be placed on the first screen. I had to use the context menu to bring it back to its supposed position.

ad 2.) I'd enjoy some functionality, to set icon spacing depending on wether there is a label or not. I'd also enjoy a possibility to globally set Icon reflections depending on wether Icons are displayed in a horizontally or vertically oriented container. To me (and that means to me, not somebody else) it does make little sense to have diffferent settings on every container. It seems also somewhat strange to me to have different defaults to objects with the same basic appearance. But again, maybe that's just me ...


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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Wed Jan 02, 2019 7:58 pm 
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FranzS wrote:
ad 3.) There is more ...
I tried to change settings of the shelf (I'm currently using only one) via Shelf-properties, and it was suddenly placed on the second screen, although the panel read, it sould be placed on the first screen. I had to use the context menu to bring it back to its supposed position.


I have two monitors, tried this but it worked as it should.

Is anyone else experiencing this?

FranzS wrote:
ad 2.) I'd enjoy some functionality, to set icon spacing depending on wether there is a label or not. I'd also enjoy a possibility to globally set Icon reflections depending on wether Icons are displayed in a horizontally or vertically oriented container. To me (and that means to me, not somebody else) it does make little sense to have diffferent settings on every container.


Alas, many would disagree with you on that. Personally I have the same theme all over, for instance, but I know many people who even use different themes in different objects.

In the end, that is what 'customization' is for.

FranzS wrote:
It seems also somewhat strange to me to have different defaults to objects with the same basic appearance. But again, maybe that's just me ...


It's just you lol

Now seriously, maybe I'm not understanding what is truly happening in there.

What is different in terms of defaults when you create a **new*** Shelf, Drawer or Grid Stack?

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Sat Jan 26, 2019 7:58 pm 
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im running 18.12 last beta, and i have issue i think i reported before. not sure when it started but shelf and item properties appear slowly, with observable delay, and switching from properties tab to tab can feel slow too (depending on the tab)


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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 12:21 am 
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seeker wrote:
im running 18.12 last beta, and i have issue i think i reported before. not sure when it started but shelf and item properties appear slowly, with observable delay, and switching from properties tab to tab can feel slow too (depending on the tab)


Apologies for the late reply... missed this one. You have the sliding animation turned off in Preferences, right?

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 Post subject: Re: So, what's next after v18.12?
PostPosted: Tue Feb 05, 2019 3:05 am 
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winstep wrote:
seeker wrote:
im running 18.12 last beta, and i have issue i think i reported before. not sure when it started but shelf and item properties appear slowly, with observable delay, and switching from properties tab to tab can feel slow too (depending on the tab)


Apologies for the late reply... missed this one. You have the sliding animation turned off in Preferences, right?


yep, with it was even worse, dont know how to describe it really. and with item properties there is no animation involved whatsoever yet its still 'lagy'
now it might be up to my old windows install, havent done a clean install in a while, but everything else is running smoothly


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