Messages

126

Finished Programs / Re: IDEA: Toggle mouse acceleration with a simple program

« on: September 03, 2009, 12:27 AM »

Darn, I think I may have posted in the wrong forum. Mods, can you please move my post to the correct place? I apologize for the mistake.

127

Finished Programs / DONE: Toggle mouse acceleration with a simple program

« on: September 03, 2009, 12:24 AM »

My annoyance is fairly straightforward, as well as (I would hope) its solution:

I want to toggle this with a hotkey:



THE STORY:

I bought a touchpad for my desktop to combat RSI. It's... ok, I guess. See, the driver that it comes with doesn't actually recognize the touchpad, which means that Windows sees it as a mouse. This isn't a huge problem; it works fine. Though without the driver, it lacks some customizable options, I can live with it. My mouse remains plugged in, since I will be swapping between the two devices based on the tasks I am doing.

The problem is that I now have two devices that run on the same control panel settings, and physically are two devices with different kinds of sensitivity.

The touchpad actually causes more strain without the "Enhance pointer precision," option enabled, since moving the pointer requires repeated 'scrubbing' with the fingers. With the feature enabled, I can move the pointer much more easily while retaining control.

However, this setting is far too sensitive for my mouse, which flies all over the screen like an out of control fighter plane.

To switch devices, I have to launch the Mouse applet, toggle the "Enhance pointer precision" setting manually, then resume using my input device. Without a helpful shortcut, I have to do this many times a day.

PROBLEM: Two pointing devices on one system, one that needs mouse acceleration, the other doesn't. Need an easy way to toggle the "Enhance pointer precision" setting to aid in switching between the two devices.

SOLUTION: A small program that launches, toggles the "Enhance pointer precision" setting from the Mouse control panel applet, and then closes itself. (If the setting is active, it deactivates it. If it's inactive, it activates it.)

Since this is an issue I've found with laptops I've used as well, this could be useful beyond my specific use case. I've often had to resort to touchpad on the go, and later dock, to find that my mouse is flying uncontrollably until I toggle this setting off.

Since I already use a decent hotkey manager, I don't need this to be a running program. Ideally, it would just execute, toggle the setting, and close. I can call upon the program when I need it.

BONUS: The ability to store actual mouse settings as profiles, and toggle in between them with user-configurable hotkeys. This is far beyond my own needs, of course, but this might be a more interesting challenge for some.

Thanks for your time, o programmers of tiny things.

128

Coding Snacks / IDEA: Tooler-like GUI and shortcut maker for NirCmd

« on: June 01, 2009, 01:54 PM »

NirCmd is a fine program, a fine program, I say! I'm also a terribly lazy man who is spoiled by good GUIs and usability, and I want an easier, more intuitive way to use this utility, similar to Tooler, as described by FreewareGenius. Tooler screenshot.

NirCmd is a great program focused on function, but a little short on usability. Using a command line or Windows shortcuts, you can execute any number of shell features, changing volume, opening and closing CD drawers, running your screensaver, or any from a staggering list of features.

Unfortunately, to do any of this requires knowledge of the program's command line switches, since it seems to lack any sort of GUI. This means that to use the program, you must:

1) Create a generic Windows shortcut to the program.
2) Look up the appropriate command line switches in the help file.
3) Add the command line switches to the shortcut.
4) Test the shortcut to make sure you didn't screw it up.

This doesn't rate real high on the usability scale.

The preferred usage would be similar to Tooler:

1) Launch a GUI.
2) Choose from a list of functions, set your desired variable, if applicable. (For example, Set Volume -> Wave -> to 50% -> Create shortcut.)
3) You're prompted with a file save dialog to place the shortcut.

This seems like it would be a fairly short order, but it's a little tall, since there are so many ways to use NirCmd. For the purposes of keeping this a snack, I suggest that, at a minimum, the GUI program at least offer the first thirty or so features detailed on NirCmd's example table, shown here.

Bonus: make the GUI extensible, such that additional shortcut types can be created by the user. For example, if the GUI includes a way to change the Master Volume, but not the Wave setting, the user can add this feature into the GUI by editing a text file or options dialog.

The personal level: Tooler is a great little program, but I want something more powerful. NirCmd is more powerful, but much less usable. A GUI app would be a good middle ground.

Thanks for your time and indulgence! 

129

General Software Discussion / Re: deploying windows sound themes (XP, specifically)

« on: May 15, 2009, 02:18 AM »

It's the right idea, and I don't mind paying for good software... but... leave it to Stardock to charge too much for something that's incredibly simple and should be free, and then make the distribution packages reliant on the original software for installation. Unfortunately, for this to be worth the effort, it should support standalone distribution.

130

General Software Discussion / deploying windows sound themes (XP, specifically)

« on: May 13, 2009, 02:40 PM »

Hi all. Using the fun little freeware video game sound generator sfxr, I've created my own little sound theme for Windows XP. I'd like to be able to be able to offer the sound theme to others for easy installation, but the only apparent way to do this is to provide the individual .wav files and leave it up to the user to manually add them using the Sounds and Audio Settings control panel applet, which is a bit of a trial.

I would also use this method personally to switch between different sound themes on my own machine, as well as deploy on my personal Windows machines here at home. It would be really convenient.

Is there a way to deploy an executable or .inf file that will automatically assign .wav files for Windows event sounds? The solution should be standalone, not relying upon installing other software just to get a sound theme. I know this is possible because back in the Windows '95 days, Microsoft offered a handful of sound themes like Robotz and Utopia that would install via a .inf file.

Thanks.

131

Coding Snacks / Re: CHKDSK Assist - Schedule CHKDSK Operations

« on: February 21, 2009, 02:37 PM »

Just giving this useful script a modest bump. Thanks for this, it's a great improvement over the meaningless progress bar that accompanies the default Windows control for CHKDSK.

132

Find And Run Robot / Re: Feature Request: Most frequently executed programs instead of most recent

« on: December 28, 2008, 10:26 PM »

Wow, I honestly could not have asked for a more detailed or faster answer than that. Illustrated with a screenshot and a callout, even. I'll give it a try.

Thank you, Mouser! 

133

Find And Run Robot / Feature Request: Most frequently executed programs instead of most recent

« on: December 28, 2008, 09:50 PM »

I think I spent about a half hour looking for this option within FARR because it seems like such an obvious default feature:

On launching FARR, rather than display the n most recent programs, I'd much rather FARR keep track of those programs I launch most frequently, and present those instead. If I've launched Opera 100 times, Outlook 60, and Hamachi 12, I should see Opera in the number one position, followed by Outlook at 2, and Hamachi at 3. As it is, I don't see that, I see only the programs in reverse order in which I've launched them, regardless of how popular or necessary they are.

The reason for this is personal, but also rooted in a desire for greater usability overall. As it is, the list FARR provides by default is ever-shifting, ever-changing, essentially as random and unpredictable as my tasks and program needs. I could execute iTunes 70 times a day, but it would appear sporadically on that menu. Sometimes it would be number 1, or next number 7, or not on the menu at all, if I've managed to launch more than 10 items since the last time I launched iTunes. Instead of developing an instinct where iTunes actually is on the menu and hitting the corresponding number key or clicking on it, I have to actually look for it every time, which makes this initial pop-up menu useless. It's less of a hassle for me to type out 'itu' and hit enter than to even look at this menu, or (groan), create a hotkey for iTunes to be launched (which is not a possibility if I am using a portable version of FARR).

I emphasize: a random menu is a useless menu.

FARR's core strength is 'learning' what I mean when I type in a keyword. It seems obvious that it should also learn what my favorite programs are, and present them to me in an intelligent (if not slightly eerie) fashion.

To the anticipated argument that the Windows Start Menu provides this option already: I use an alternate shell (bblean) and do not have access to this feature. Even users that have access to this feature within Windows may prefer it to be emulated in FARR, and as I've stated, FARR's ever-shifting initial display is less useful than this alternative, so this request is not spurious. This feature also allows the nerdier fractions of our personalities to track trends in our favorite programs...

Implementation: I'm not going to pretend that I'm a programmer, but it seems to me that this would necessitate a second scoring system, which increments by a certain amount each time a program is launched. Thus, higher scoring apps 'float' to the top. The separate scoring system would also allow user control over 'clearing' the score of an app that did not deem a position on the menu. I can only imagine that this is a programatic hassle, and I understand if this feature request elicits a groan or two.

Mouser, community, thank you for your time.

134

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Autopick custom icons for folders based on resources in folder

« on: February 06, 2008, 12:39 AM »

Wow, a guy blinks and look what happens! Thanks a lot, Scott!

135

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Autopick custom icons for folders based on resources in folder

« on: February 02, 2008, 09:30 AM »

Another request, if there's room. I realize this one will require some further program logic:

If the first icon resource (exe) the script encounters does not have an icon present, move to the next resource. Good example: 7zip. The directory is full of headless exe's, but the one with the icon resources is the 7zFM or some such.

136

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Autopick custom icons for folders based on resources in folder

« on: February 01, 2008, 12:49 PM »

I can live with it. ;-)

137

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Autopick custom icons for folders based on resources in folder

« on: February 01, 2008, 11:46 AM »

If I had the chops, I'd do it :-) However, I am at best a power user. I was just able to figure out how to adjust the script to do it's thing somewhere other than g:\apps (which it does as a default).

Is it possible to compile a VBScript to run as a Visual Basic .exe? If so, you can add in:
- a user prompt for specifying directory
- an option so the user can whether or not it is appropriate to recurse subdirectories
- a cleanup option that runs through and deletes all desktop.ini files, or removes the icon entries in them

If not possible, well, shucks.

138

Post New Requests Here / Re: IDEA: Autopick custom icons for folders based on resources in folder

« on: February 01, 2008, 10:13 AM »

That's pretty decent there, Scott, and embodies my idea well. Barring the production of a formal app, I think I can make do with this. I suppose I could remove the customization by finding all desktop.ini files in a directory structure and deleting them?

139

Post New Requests Here / DONE: Autopick custom icons for folders based on resources in folder

« on: February 01, 2008, 07:07 AM »

This is an idea I had a while back, and blogged about, back when I cared about blogs: http://doctorfrog.bl...lector-software.html

Basically, I want a function similar to the way Windows will sometimes change folder icons based on what's inside them, except I want the .ico or .exe icons present inside the folder to be used instead of icons of stock images of music notes or flowers. This is one of those things that sounds simple to a non-programmer, lucky me if it actually ends up being simple to execute.

There are a few (somewhat more complicated) extensions to this idea as well (consider them nice-to-haves):
- if the resources within the folder are image files, auto-pick one of them and create an .ico from it, then apply as custom folder icon
- offer ability to create rules to apply stock icons based on the majority file types within the folder (ie. if the folder contains mainly .mp3s, apply a certain icon image)
- ability to recurse and apply icons for subdirectories, or only apply to the top tier of directories the application is aimed at
- support for creating/scaling very large icon files, for those persons who pump up their icon sizes beyond 32x32

Here's a copy of my original blog post blatherings:

I wasted some time late last week picking custom icons for some folders on my Windows XP box:



Avoiding actual work, I headed over to my games folder and started doing the same:



And I noticed something. Mostly, to pick an icon, you go to the only .exe in the folder, or the only .exe with an embedded icon, or the only .ico in the folder, and select it as your folder icon. It is a repeated, mechanical process, something that can be handled with a fairly simple program.

Such a program can be sent to crawl among a top-layer collection of folders, crib the most likely icons to be used for the folders, and present them to the user for approval, similar to Album Cover Art Downloader. If no appropriate icons are found, the program can offer a standard selection of icons from a specified .icl or folder full of icons (I'm partial to foood's delicious icons, as shown above).

All of the icons in the second image above exist in their respective folders, and are, in most cases, the only icons in the folder. They'd be ideal for this program, since they can be automatically assigned. If there are other icons in the folders, the program can just pick one and present it, along with alternate icons, for approaval, similar to Album Cover Art Downloader. I keep a bunch of general-purpose icons in a folder, and Windows of course has its Shell32.dll. If no icons are found to autopimp the folder (hey, hey! great software name!), these resources can be presented to the user to hand-pick an icon.

The following logic can be applied to automatically pick the 'correct' icon:
If there is only one icon available (.ico, .icl, .exe), use it. Otherwise: Use the icon with the highest resolution, most colors, etc. (This avoids picking an icon from a .exe that isn't the main program in the folder, since icons designed to represent a program usually contain multiple resolution and color depth versions, and 'helper'programs are often given a more generic icon.)

Does something like this exist? And, am I the only one who thinks it should?

140

Mini-Reviews by Members / Re: FastStone MaxView Mini-Review

« on: February 01, 2008, 06:35 AM »

Hey this is very nice, I did not know about this software. IrfanView has been getting pretty cluttered over the years, plus the addition of an adware bar in a recent install package has soured the deal further. This is an excellent viewer that retains the ability to flip over to IrfanView or Picasa for when I want to do some more in-depth image mangling. Thanks for the recommend!