Recent Posts

1701

Post New Requests Here / Re: bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 10:22 AM »

Now that i'm playing around with this, i think a "move everything but active window" feature is needed. (to organize the windows on screen)

[edit] and a way to limit the screen area, to make it easier to size windows [/edit]

-jgpaiva (February 15, 2008, 10:05 AM)

they sound like good features. and the snap feature also.

1702

Post New Requests Here / Re: bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 10:18 AM »

well, i obviously come up with brilliant ideas because i'm so lazy and hate having to do even slightly bothersome tasks on the pc   and i clearly love presenting you with a challenge that i know you will feel compelled to master  

the 'ctrl' key method is far better than the F8 key BUT as it will conflict with graphic editing programs i still suggest some strange key combination like 'spacebar' plus '¬' as these are not going to conflict with any software i know of.


things like messenger i'd not thought about. i'm not sure which i'd prefer to happen with that kind of program. these are my thoughts:

1. the window moves to the screen - sometimes i'd want this to happen. perhaps always, as it would be the quickest method. but what happens after you've finished with messenger - where does it go. perhaps it is just a case of making allowances for this kind of program when you are laying out the window positions on screen - so you'd just have to be ready to drag to the right area.

2. the screen is moved to the window - hmm, i see this could be fast also and it would avoid the problem of the messenger window moving about. but what makes the screen move to the window - is it another hotkey that makes the screen jump to the window that wants your attention. that doesn't sound too bad to me.

3. more hotkey features could perhaps be used to provide 'jump' zones. like jumping to a virtual desktop but you simply move the screen to a zone you've placed messenger in. zones could be 1 to 9 as in a square or 1 to 3 as in a strip.

4. er. are there other methods?

1703

Post New Requests Here / Re: bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 09:57 AM »

note: i've posted this before reading your above post.

i know it's early days at the moment but just a note on the hotkey feature. i'm guessing the user will have a choice in selecting which key to use but if that's not possible then it would be good to have something as easy to hit as the spacebar.

as many grahic editing programs use the spacebar already to initiate their drag feature perhaps something equally easy to hit could be used - and something that wouldn't conflict with anything else...

...something like a combination of spacebar + that key in the top left of the keyboard (under the escape key and to the left of '1'). whatever, something that would only work when held down - assuming it is to work like a graphic editor drag function.

1704

Post New Requests Here / Re: bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 09:48 AM »

excellent. it does just as you'd expect. it updates at a pretty decent rate also.

now i've seen it in action it's not too hard to imagine it working simply in a horizontal drag direction. like turning your head side to side (or eyes moving left and right) if you have a multi monitor setup. it would be nice to have a toggle feature to restrict vertical/horizontal movement. but really, what i'm getting at now is that it could perhaps feel smoother if the directions could be constrained (as a user option). this would also make things line up and look nicer as you move them about.

i noticed that kmplayer didn't move whilst video was playing and when it was paused. i wonder if this is because it uses a skin or if it's using video.

1705

Post New Requests Here / Re: bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 08:28 AM »

sounds great. i look forward to seeing the result.

your solution for just having the windows move around isn't such a bad thing. it might not look as nice as having the whole desktop scroll but there is probably little point in having a real desktop other than it would look nice.

i'm sure you could easily bring lost windows back onto screen with a hotkey or something.

however it works the main feature is the dragging idea - so it's nice to move things about and it feels intuitive to use. anything else would be a bonus.


(i just tried WinScroll also. i can see why i never used it. well, on this occasion it is completely unusable - i know it kind of worked last time i tried it but now the scroll bar is in the wrong place on screen and the other features don't work.)

1706

Post New Requests Here / Re: bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 07:55 AM »

i've found the winscroll util in my collection so i've uploaded it if anyone would like to try.

WinScroll Ver 5.6.9 by Tomoaki Nakashima.

1707

Post New Requests Here / Re: bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 07:35 AM »

i'm very pleased you are interested in the concept, jgpaiva.

perhaps it is not as advanced as you think. i know i've seen larger desktop area type things built into ati radeon drivers/utils (i think it was them but it was a few years ago when i saw it).

there is also a util that allows you to extend you desktop down below the visible screen area - you then have a scroll bar on the right of the screen to move down the tall screen that is available. (i know it has been mentioned on the forum somewhere.) if i remember correctly i think it does work in a smooth scrolling way as you'd expect - it just doesn't have any of the 'draggable' features i mentioned.

so, what i'm trying to say it that as the util above seems to work without really changing anything like shells then perhaps it is not that complicated to achieve. admittedly it only scrolls up and down and i can't remember if it scrolls the desktop icons, so perhaps it is a bad example.

i will try to find the util i'm talking about.

edit:
the util is called 'WinScroll' mentioned in this thread https://www.donation...ex.php?topic=11798.0

nolonger seems available to download.

1708

Post New Requests Here / bigger screen area than monitor size - with quick scroll features

« Last post by nudone on February 15, 2008, 05:51 AM »

(i know of a util that is similar to what i'm about to describe but it doesn't have the same features. i can't remember the name of it at the moment.)

the general idea for this util is that it would make your desktop/screen larger than the physical output you see on your monitor.

so, if you have a monitor set to 800 x 600 resolution, the actual screen that the operating system is generating could be 1024 x 768 - you simply only see an 800 x 600 section of the larger output at any one time. as i said, i know there are utils that do this already.

the feature i'm suggesting is that the underlying larger screen would be 'draggable' in a similar way to how graphic editing software works with images that are zoomed in.

typically, graphic editing programs allow you to drag the image around the screen via a convenient key toggle. you simply hold down the 'spacebar' and then move the mouse cursor at the same time - this then moves the image in the same direction as the cursor.


what i'd like to be able to do is have a large working area that extends beyond the boundaries of my monitor. i could then arrange my open programs that i'm working with on this large working area - so that nothing overlaps - and then 'drag' the large area around when i needed to view a specific program.

you may suggest i use virtual desktops instead. i've tried but i never quite seem to get on with them. i think that having a large screen i could quickly drag or nudge back and forth would be more intuitive to use. it would require other features like 'reset to center' and 'jump to top' to make it practical but the 'draggable' idea is the important part - as it would be something instantly accessible.

to avoid conflicting with graphic editing programs that also use draggable operation the new util would have to work with certain conditions, maybe only drag if the cursor is over an empty desktop area.

i suspect that this would not be such a simple util to create because of the need to control the graphics card output.

perhaps there is something already out there that does this - any thoughts?

1709

Living Room / Re: Stephen Fry has a blog!

« Last post by nudone on February 10, 2008, 11:24 AM »

Stephen Fry fans in the US should pop over to here http://www.qi.com/tv/ and sign the petition to get QI shown on your TV sets. alternatively, you could try the first series (season) DVD - but i remember Mr. Fry coming across as a bit pompous sometimes during the early shows so you may get the wrong impression about the rest of the 'seasons'. after a year or two he appeared more relaxed and welcoming. the show itself is extraordinary in that it educates (putting many myths to bed) whilst being consistently hilarious.

i avoided the show for a long time when it was first broadcast but now i can easily say it's an all time favourite of mine. (if you watch early shows against later ones you'll notice how the format changes ever so slightly - there's just a better atmosphere with the later shows.)

edit:
oh, i've just realised you can watch a few clips over on the QI website.

1710

Living Room / Re: Cody - The 3d model

« Last post by nudone on January 27, 2008, 10:07 AM »

excellent.

i like the retro look to it - like when you first saw 3d animations back in the early 80's and thought "oh my god, that is incredible - it almost looks real".

1711

Living Room / Re: 12 Crazy old ads!

« Last post by nudone on January 27, 2008, 02:51 AM »

more genuine old ads selling dubious content can be found in this book...

http://www.amazon.co...201423613&sr=1-1

i recommend it if you like that kind of thing. there are about 80 or more pictures in it.

1712

Living Room / Re: Did dual-layer recordable dvd discs ever make it mainstream?

« Last post by nudone on January 17, 2008, 03:00 AM »

maybe it's due to people getting used to DVDShrink (etc) before dual layer came out. also, there's little point in converting a 700 meg downloaded film into a 8 gig dual layer file to watch on your dvd. yeah, piracy is naughty but let's face it - i think it fair to say it drives the sales of dvd disks.

i suspect the cost also put people off - and there lack of availability in the first place.

1713

General Software Discussion / going back to XP (InformIT article)

« Last post by nudone on January 07, 2008, 02:41 AM »

had enough of vista but were too scared to do anything about it?

this InformIT article will help out: http://www.informit....x?p=1160388&rl=1

Is your honeymoon with Windows Vista over? Long for the days of XP? Peter Ehm provides a few simple steps to bring back the glory of XP.
You’ve bought a new PC with Windows Vista installed. Or you’ve upgraded to a version of Vista from your pokey XP installation. After a few days of getting used to the new and improved operating system in all its glory, you decide you hate it. You long to return to the good, old and reliable Windows XP, be it nostalgia or simple nausea from Aero, Vista’s cutesy candy interface.

Here’s how to do it in a few simple steps

1714

Living Room / Re: Thank you nudone!

« Last post by nudone on December 10, 2007, 11:57 AM »

thanks, you are welcome.

cody hopes that your move goes well, he'd like you to go somewhere near a tree so he can nest nearby.

1715

Living Room / Re: Top 10 Reasons Ralf is Still Awake after 31 Hours

« Last post by nudone on December 02, 2007, 03:47 PM »

sounds like you need some advice from mouser. after that, 5 minutes sleep a day will seem indulgent.

1716

Living Room / Re: Another cody spotting?

« Last post by nudone on November 30, 2007, 08:52 AM »

what's more, he also appears to be banned! but from what?

1717

Living Room / Re: The Doppelgänger Effect

« Last post by nudone on November 30, 2007, 04:41 AM »

hmm, and you don't suffer from blackouts? 

i have no doppelgänger tale to tell but it seems to me that there are types of people. i don't believe we are as anywhere near as unique or individual as we like to believe. i never met an exact replica of someone that i know but i've met many people that are similar to each other in many ways, i.e. if you saw them standing next to each other you'd think they were deliberately trying to appear the same.

okay, fair enough, everyone falls into some fashion group. but often these 'clone' like people will have the same tone of voice and interests.

nothing paranormal, it's bound to happen.you can only be so 'unique' afterall. i'm sure that i fit into a 'clone' group of some description.

1718

Living Room / Re: Top 10 Signs You May Have Overclocked Your PC Too Much

« Last post by nudone on November 28, 2007, 02:35 AM »

i'm looking forward to when we can have the top ten list of Ralf's top ten lists.

sorry. someone had to say it eventually.

but the lists - i think are top quality humour. you need to get syndicated, Ralf.

1719

General Software Discussion / Re: Are you testing XP SP3 RC ??

« Last post by nudone on November 27, 2007, 02:21 PM »

will it make crysis play better on my worn out computer?

no.

ah, what's the point then.

1720

Living Room / Re: Forum Angst

« Last post by nudone on November 27, 2007, 02:13 PM »

this method sometimes helps me...

don't read things immediately on finding them - whether they be links, feeds, posts - save them, hoard them, collect them until they fill your hard drive maybe.

come back to them in a month or two and see if the desire is still there to read them. if you can't remember why it was saved just delete it or mark as read. no point spending time on something that only seemed interesting at the time you saw it, i.e. it looked interesting because it you were trying to avoid doing something else.

1721

General Software Discussion / Re: Going back to XP

« Last post by nudone on November 24, 2007, 11:05 AM »

like mouser says, could be hardware if you've only been running vista on the machine - so you might be in for a bit of a dissapointment with xp yet.

fingers crossed it will go smoothly with xp.

1722

Living Room / Re: Breaking News: Multiple Universes Exist!

« Last post by nudone on November 20, 2007, 12:31 PM »

  there may be an infinite number of universes where the device requires an infinite amount of energy to operate but likewise there will be an infinite number of universes where the device doesn't require an infinite amount of energy.

an infinite amount of energy isn't a problem anyway. there will be an infinite number of universes that have resolved the problem of requiring an infinite energy source - maybe they are swallowing up an infinite number of universes as their energy source.

i don't think you can lock the infinite inside thermodynamic laws - or any other law or rule. how do i know?

god told me.

1723

Living Room / Re: Breaking News: Multiple Universes Exist!

« Last post by nudone on November 20, 2007, 11:43 AM »

i'm an idiot for opening my mouth but i think this kind of thing just shows (again) that we really have no understanding of what infinite implies.

every branch that is taken that forms a new path obviously then leads to a further infinite number of universe paths - each one of those infinite universe paths also having an infinite number of branching universe paths. in other words, we're multiplying infinities by infinities. every possibility is happening and has happened and will happen.

taken to the extreme i'm trying to say something like this: in an infinite number of these universes there is a device that eliminates all universes - that's all infinite universes wiped out. how so?

at some point in an infinite number of universes (note i'm not saying in one single universe - as an infinite number of branching universes allows me to have an infinite number of universes within that infinite set that all have the same event occurring), okay, at some point in an infinite number of universes a device is created that has the ability to transcend time and prevent the origin of the universe(s). therefore an infinite number of universes are eliminated from ever existing.

likewise there are an infinitive number of universes that has a device created as some point that prevents the above device being constructed.

etc. etc.

1724

Living Room / excellent SketchUp vidoes on youtube

« Last post by nudone on November 20, 2007, 02:53 AM »

want to learn to draw more than a couple of blocks with SketchUp?

then have a look at Aidan Chopra's youtube area with lots and lots of tutorials. he's also got a Dummies book out on the same subject.

youtube videos: http://www.youtube.com/aidanchopra

Aidan's personal site: http://www.aidanchopra.com

1725

Living Room / Re: About Rudeness in Forums

« Last post by nudone on November 20, 2007, 02:04 AM »

i vote never as it must be around the 0.001 percentage area - or less. possibly things are misinterpreted sometimes but they don't take long to resolve.