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General Software Discussion / Re: Feedback wanted: CtrlDeck, a visual shortcut panel for Windows workflows
« on: June 26, 2026, 07:33 PM »
Coming soon: Ctrl Deck V1.7 — a major redesign built for people who work with many applications, folders, files, URLs and everyday resources.
Ctrl Deck is not just an app launcher. It is a visual workspace designed to help you move from one tool to another without repeatedly searching through a crowded taskbar, the Start menu, multiple displays or a long list of open windows.
Open the panel when you need it, select the resource you want, and Ctrl Deck can open it or bring it forward. The panel then gets out of the way so you can return to work immediately.
SMART STARTUP IMPORT
Getting started should not mean rebuilding your entire setup from scratch.
At first launch, Ctrl Deck can analyze compatible application shortcuts already available on your desktop and taskbar. It suggests editable groups based on what it finds, such as Design, Productivity, AI & Development or Communication.
You stay in control at every step:
• select or deselect an entire suggested group;
• select or deselect individual applications inside a group;
• rename or reorganize suggested groups after import;
• ignore anything you do not want to add.
Nothing is moved, deleted or modified in Windows. Ctrl Deck only proposes a starting point based on the tools you already use.
GROUPS THAT MATCH THE WAY YOU WORK
V1.7 replaces the increasingly dense multi-column shortcut layout of earlier versions with a clearer grouped structure.
Create groups for your profession, daily routine, tools, projects, clients or personal organization method. For example:
• Design: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and project assets;
• Productivity: Excel, Word, reporting folders and dashboards;
• AI & Development: ChatGPT, Cursor, Visual Studio Code, documentation and technical portals;
• Communication: Outlook, Slack, Teams, web tools and meeting links;
• Client or Project: the applications, folders, URLs and resources linked to a specific job.
Groups can be expanded individually, collapsed individually, expanded all at once or collapsed all at once. This keeps large configurations readable instead of turning Ctrl Deck into another overloaded taskbar.
THE NEW APPS LIBRARY
The new Apps section helps you find a broad set of compatible applications detected on your computer.
Instead of manually looking for executable paths, you can browse or search the Apps Library and decide how each application should be used:
• add it as an individual shortcut;
• add it to an existing or new group;
• add it to a Workspace;
• use it as part of a dedicated work environment.
The Apps Library is designed to reduce technical friction when you install new software or want to bring an existing application into Ctrl Deck.
If an application is not yet available in the library, Ctrl Deck also keeps its Detect Application feature. Open the application, use detection, and Ctrl Deck helps identify its path so you can decide where to place it.
FAST ACCESS, YOUR WAY
Ctrl Deck remains fully usable through its visual panel. Some users prefer to open the panel, choose a shortcut visually and continue working with a few clicks.
Optional keyboard shortcuts are also available for users who want even faster access.
You can assign an optional shortcut to:
• a single application or resource;
• an entire group of tools.
V1.7 also redesigns shortcut conflict handling. When a configured Ctrl Deck shortcut could conflict with an action used by the active application, Ctrl Deck asks which action should take priority.
The application is selected by default, because standard commands such as saving, copying, searching or editing should normally continue to work as expected. The choice is requested once for the relevant shortcut, stored in the user’s settings and can be changed later.
To reduce conflicts with common Windows and application commands, Ctrl Deck uses three-key shortcut combinations by default. It also supports dedicated Ctrl + number shortcuts from Ctrl + 1 to Ctrl + 0 for direct access where appropriate.
WORKSPACES FOR DAILY WORK, PROJECTS AND CLIENTS
A Workspace is not limited to a client or a project.
Your first Workspace can simply be your daily work environment: the applications, folders, URLs and resources you want ready when you start your day.
You can also create Workspaces for:
• a design workflow;
• a marketing campaign;
• a development project;
• a client file;
• a property or real-estate case;
• a reporting routine;
• a specific professional task.
Workspaces can be prepared manually by adding the applications, folders, files, URLs and compatible resources you need.
They can also be created from a useful current work setup: once you have opened the compatible tools and resources that make up an environment you want to reuse, you can save that setup as a Workspace and return to it more easily later.
The goal is simple: prepare a useful environment once, then avoid rebuilding it from memory every time.
LIVE SPACES FOR INTERRUPTIONS
Live Spaces provide an additional layer of continuity when you have to leave a task quickly.
Before an interruption, save a Live Space based on your current compatible work context. When you return, Ctrl Deck helps you reopen compatible items and recover a useful part of that environment faster.
Live Spaces do not replace saving your documents and do not claim to restore every aspect of Windows, every application state or every unsaved file. Their purpose is practical: help you return to the compatible tools and resources you were using without starting from zero.
SEARCH, DRAG AND DROP, REPAIR AND CONTROL
V1.7 improves access across the application:
• search for shortcuts, applications or groups from the management screen;
• search the Apps Library to find compatible detected applications;
• use drag and drop to place compatible resources where they are useful;
• add folders, files, URLs and shortcuts to your personal setup;
• check and repair resources when a shortcut target has moved, disappeared or is no longer available;
• keep your panel accessible while using the new quick hide option when you need it out of view.
EXPORT, IMPORT AND QUICK START
Your configuration can be exported and imported, including the groups you created or renamed. This makes it easier to back up, reuse or transfer your Ctrl Deck setup.
The new Quick Start button links to guided help and video resources so users can understand the main features quickly and get more value from Ctrl Deck without having to guess how everything works.
AN ENVIRONMENT FOR PROFESSIONALS — AND USERS WHO WANT MORE CONTROL
Ctrl Deck V1.7 is designed for professionals who use many tools throughout the day, but it does not require expert Windows knowledge to be useful.
Designers, marketers, developers, office professionals, sales teams, real-estate professionals, project managers and multi-tool users can organize their tools around the way they actually work.
An advanced area is also available for users who want to go further with developer-oriented actions and associations.
Ctrl Deck V1.7 is more than a launcher.
It helps you access tools faster, organize your environment more clearly, prepare useful Workspaces, recover from interruptions more smoothly and spend less time searching for what you already use every day.
If you have any ideas for improvements, please use this link : https://www.com-box.fr/en/feedback/
or obviously, you can give me your feedback right here. Thanks.
Ctrl Deck is not just an app launcher. It is a visual workspace designed to help you move from one tool to another without repeatedly searching through a crowded taskbar, the Start menu, multiple displays or a long list of open windows.
Open the panel when you need it, select the resource you want, and Ctrl Deck can open it or bring it forward. The panel then gets out of the way so you can return to work immediately.
SMART STARTUP IMPORT
Getting started should not mean rebuilding your entire setup from scratch.
At first launch, Ctrl Deck can analyze compatible application shortcuts already available on your desktop and taskbar. It suggests editable groups based on what it finds, such as Design, Productivity, AI & Development or Communication.
You stay in control at every step:
• select or deselect an entire suggested group;
• select or deselect individual applications inside a group;
• rename or reorganize suggested groups after import;
• ignore anything you do not want to add.
Nothing is moved, deleted or modified in Windows. Ctrl Deck only proposes a starting point based on the tools you already use.
GROUPS THAT MATCH THE WAY YOU WORK
V1.7 replaces the increasingly dense multi-column shortcut layout of earlier versions with a clearer grouped structure.
Create groups for your profession, daily routine, tools, projects, clients or personal organization method. For example:
• Design: Photoshop, InDesign, Illustrator and project assets;
• Productivity: Excel, Word, reporting folders and dashboards;
• AI & Development: ChatGPT, Cursor, Visual Studio Code, documentation and technical portals;
• Communication: Outlook, Slack, Teams, web tools and meeting links;
• Client or Project: the applications, folders, URLs and resources linked to a specific job.
Groups can be expanded individually, collapsed individually, expanded all at once or collapsed all at once. This keeps large configurations readable instead of turning Ctrl Deck into another overloaded taskbar.
THE NEW APPS LIBRARY
The new Apps section helps you find a broad set of compatible applications detected on your computer.
Instead of manually looking for executable paths, you can browse or search the Apps Library and decide how each application should be used:
• add it as an individual shortcut;
• add it to an existing or new group;
• add it to a Workspace;
• use it as part of a dedicated work environment.
The Apps Library is designed to reduce technical friction when you install new software or want to bring an existing application into Ctrl Deck.
If an application is not yet available in the library, Ctrl Deck also keeps its Detect Application feature. Open the application, use detection, and Ctrl Deck helps identify its path so you can decide where to place it.
FAST ACCESS, YOUR WAY
Ctrl Deck remains fully usable through its visual panel. Some users prefer to open the panel, choose a shortcut visually and continue working with a few clicks.
Optional keyboard shortcuts are also available for users who want even faster access.
You can assign an optional shortcut to:
• a single application or resource;
• an entire group of tools.
V1.7 also redesigns shortcut conflict handling. When a configured Ctrl Deck shortcut could conflict with an action used by the active application, Ctrl Deck asks which action should take priority.
The application is selected by default, because standard commands such as saving, copying, searching or editing should normally continue to work as expected. The choice is requested once for the relevant shortcut, stored in the user’s settings and can be changed later.
To reduce conflicts with common Windows and application commands, Ctrl Deck uses three-key shortcut combinations by default. It also supports dedicated Ctrl + number shortcuts from Ctrl + 1 to Ctrl + 0 for direct access where appropriate.
WORKSPACES FOR DAILY WORK, PROJECTS AND CLIENTS
A Workspace is not limited to a client or a project.
Your first Workspace can simply be your daily work environment: the applications, folders, URLs and resources you want ready when you start your day.
You can also create Workspaces for:
• a design workflow;
• a marketing campaign;
• a development project;
• a client file;
• a property or real-estate case;
• a reporting routine;
• a specific professional task.
Workspaces can be prepared manually by adding the applications, folders, files, URLs and compatible resources you need.
They can also be created from a useful current work setup: once you have opened the compatible tools and resources that make up an environment you want to reuse, you can save that setup as a Workspace and return to it more easily later.
The goal is simple: prepare a useful environment once, then avoid rebuilding it from memory every time.
LIVE SPACES FOR INTERRUPTIONS
Live Spaces provide an additional layer of continuity when you have to leave a task quickly.
Before an interruption, save a Live Space based on your current compatible work context. When you return, Ctrl Deck helps you reopen compatible items and recover a useful part of that environment faster.
Live Spaces do not replace saving your documents and do not claim to restore every aspect of Windows, every application state or every unsaved file. Their purpose is practical: help you return to the compatible tools and resources you were using without starting from zero.
SEARCH, DRAG AND DROP, REPAIR AND CONTROL
V1.7 improves access across the application:
• search for shortcuts, applications or groups from the management screen;
• search the Apps Library to find compatible detected applications;
• use drag and drop to place compatible resources where they are useful;
• add folders, files, URLs and shortcuts to your personal setup;
• check and repair resources when a shortcut target has moved, disappeared or is no longer available;
• keep your panel accessible while using the new quick hide option when you need it out of view.
EXPORT, IMPORT AND QUICK START
Your configuration can be exported and imported, including the groups you created or renamed. This makes it easier to back up, reuse or transfer your Ctrl Deck setup.
The new Quick Start button links to guided help and video resources so users can understand the main features quickly and get more value from Ctrl Deck without having to guess how everything works.
AN ENVIRONMENT FOR PROFESSIONALS — AND USERS WHO WANT MORE CONTROL
Ctrl Deck V1.7 is designed for professionals who use many tools throughout the day, but it does not require expert Windows knowledge to be useful.
Designers, marketers, developers, office professionals, sales teams, real-estate professionals, project managers and multi-tool users can organize their tools around the way they actually work.
An advanced area is also available for users who want to go further with developer-oriented actions and associations.
Ctrl Deck V1.7 is more than a launcher.
It helps you access tools faster, organize your environment more clearly, prepare useful Workspaces, recover from interruptions more smoothly and spend less time searching for what you already use every day.
If you have any ideas for improvements, please use this link : https://www.com-box.fr/en/feedback/
or obviously, you can give me your feedback right here. Thanks.