Start CircleDock via Desktop Context Menu?

[dkazaz]

Hi, I just started using Circle Dock and find it incredibly useful!

I have just one problem but it's a big one (for me).

I am primarily a mouse user i.e. I'm not used to keyboard shortcuts and only touch the keyboard when I type.

I would really like to start Circle Dock by mouse clicking anywhere on the desktop. My microsoft wheel mouse has a pretty inconvenient middle mouse button built into the wheel and in nay case there's something else assigned to it.

I'd love to be able to right click the desktop and have Circle Dock as an option on the context menu (ideally the first one).

Is there a way to do this?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

[sgtevmckay]

Greetings dkazaz
Welcome to DonationCoder.com and Circle Dock's little portion.  

I have submitted as Feature #65
It can be tracked here:
http://redmine.dcmembers.com/issues/65

I note that this functionality will be limited, as the context menu (say in Firefox) is different from Windows and so forth, so teh functinality would not be available all the time.
I would let Markham confirm this, but it just makes sense at first glance 

Let us know if you have any more great concepts  

[sgtevmckay]

Greetings sir.

Unfortunately this concept was rejected

Quote from Markham:

Whilst this may seem a neat feature, it isn't going to happen, for technical reasons: you can not get an external program, such as "Explorer" (which controls the Desktop") to toggle the visibility (or any other setting) of a running application.

Full information here:
http://redmine.dcmembers.com/issues/65

That being said.
There is still options for keyboard hotkey usage.

If you have any questions, please let me know 

[Dormouse]

For anyone who is primarily a mouse user, I'd've thought the best (though not the cheapest) solution would be a better mouse.
One of the buttons on mine is set up just for Circle Dock (though I actually do it by triggering a keyboard shortcut rather than directly).

[Target]

Fast Explorer may also be a useful option

[Markham]

Possibly Fast Explorer in conjunction with Auto HotKey would work. However Fast Explorer on its own won't work. It's one thing to get Explorer to open a file, or folder, and quite another to have it generate mouse clicks or keystrokes; the former is possible, the latter isn't.


Mark

[dkazaz]

That's a real pity. I was hoping whatever works for ATI's catalyst control center could work for circle dock (CCC is also an always running application that adds a desktop context menu entry allowing you to bring up it's configuration panel), but I'm not a programmer so I have no way of knowing if that's even vaguely similar to hos circle dock works. I assume its not.

[Markham]

No, I'm afraid it is not at all the same. In your case, an external program is being summoned by the menu.

I don't know if this will be of interest to you but the next release will allow you to specify modifier keys for the mouse button visibility setting. See this entry for more information.


Mark

[sgtevmckay]

Mark:

How difficult would it be to add command line arguments/instruction; Similar to Foobar and Winamp???

Example:
Address
Command
C:/Circledock.exe/ Toggle Appearance

There are entire lists of items in Foobar and Winamp that can be activated in this manner.
I am unaware of the programming issues, but this may also make for an alternative...

I could come up with a list of goodies I would like to see, but unaware of the entire scope!
BUT....In conjunction with Autohotkey and other scripting tools, it would then make Various access interface a lot more accessible.
Also: Combined with third party tools (ie: Fast Explorer) a context menu shortcut could then be created with easy.

[Markham]

Mark:

How difficult would it be to add command line arguments/instruction; Similar to Foobar and Winamp???

Example:
Address
Command
C:/Circledock.exe/ Toggle Appearance

-sgtevmckay (January 25, 2010, 11:29 AM)

If Circle Dock is loaded but hidden and then restarted from the command line, the hidden instance is re-activated - though you will get a warning dialog regarding multiple instances. I guess it could have a command line parameter that effectively does not show the warning dialog but still activate the hidden instance. Why not suggest it to the Developer by posting on the tracker site?!


Mark