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Last post Author Topic: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?  (Read 26011 times)

Curt

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #25 on: November 29, 2014, 04:46 PM »
Their $10 TaskLayout is also to be found via http://www.task-space.com/

TaskLayout is a small Windows utility which allows to save/restore the desktop layout(a set of specified apps/windows with corresponding positions on the screen) in just a few clicks.
tasklayout.png

MilesAhead

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #26 on: November 30, 2014, 09:47 AM »
Their $10 TaskLayout is also to be found via http://www.task-space.com/

TaskLayout is a small Windows utility which allows to save/restore the desktop layout(a set of specified apps/windows with corresponding positions on the screen) in just a few clicks.
(see attachment in previous post)

I wonder if WinSize2 might do the same.  Although it may take more work to set up your desktop.

cshnik

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #27 on: November 30, 2014, 11:04 AM »
I wonder if WinSize2 might do the same.  Although it may take more work to set up your desktop.
The main point of TaskLayout(TL) is to save a set of running apps(and/or opened shell windows) with corresponding positions on the screen to file on disk. When TL restores desktop layout from this file it searches for specified windows/apps running on the desktop. If required application is not found TL will start it using the same command line as it was originally specified. The next step is to restore windows positions on the screen respecting their original size, state and Z-order.
Special handling for shell windows was implemented in TL to allow user to restore properly navigated windows (e.g. folder path C:\, special folders "Control Panel", "Administrative tools").
By the way, restoring of the layout will pick up opened shell windows and reuse them as a part of this layout.

Now you can see that window resizing is only the part of TL's functionality. :)

IainB

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #28 on: November 30, 2014, 07:20 PM »
I just opened up 2 Windows Explorer windows, then did a Win+Left key to one and a Win+Right key to the other, then set each screen as topmost using Autohotkey:
Code: Autohotkey [Select]
  1. ^>+T::  ; Ctrl+RightShift+T  - OnTop - TOGGLE FUNCTION
  2.         WinGetTitle,title,A     ; this code cribbed from MilesAhead (DonationCoder) TopMost Toggle script.
  3.           WinSet,Topmost,Toggle,A       ; toggle TopMost state
  4.           WinGet, ExStyle, ExStyle, A   ; DLLCALL to tell if window AlwaysOnTop
  5.           if (ExStyle & 0x8)            ; 0x8 is WS_EX_TOPMOST.
  6.             tiptext := "Topmost ON"
  7.           else
  8.             tiptext := "Topmost OFF"
  9.           ToolTip,%tiptext%
  10.           Sleep, 500
  11.           ToolTip
  12.         Return

Is that the sort of thing wanted in the OP? I know it doesn't make the two screens "sticky" to each other.
You can "Peek" under each window using another bit of Autohotkey script.

By the way, I have remapped my keyboard's Right Shift key to the CapsLock key (using Microsoft's remapkey).

MilesAhead

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #29 on: December 01, 2014, 05:41 AM »
I wonder if WinSize2 might do the same.  Although it may take more work to set up your desktop.
The main point of TaskLayout(TL) is to save a set of running apps(and/or opened shell windows) with corresponding positions on the screen to file on disk. When TL restores desktop layout from this file it searches for specified windows/apps running on the desktop. If required application is not found TL will start it using the same command line as it was originally specified. The next step is to restore windows positions on the screen respecting their original size, state and Z-order.
Special handling for shell windows was implemented in TL to allow user to restore properly navigated windows (e.g. folder path C:\, special folders "Control Panel", "Administrative tools").
By the way, restoring of the layout will pick up opened shell windows and reuse them as a part of this layout.

Now you can see that window resizing is only the part of TL's functionality. :)

I understand the specialized function.  WinSize2 is a more general purpose resizer.  But if for some reason the Layout program is not desired one may hack some things together with WinSize2 and perhaps a helper batch or program.  I haven't used WinSize2 in depth.  So I'm not sure how much work is involved.  TL sounds like a nice utility for those who want a consistent work panel of applications.  I don't work that way so have no real incentive to try it though.


dr_andus

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #30 on: December 01, 2014, 07:20 AM »
@cshnick

Does TaskLayout work with multiple (in my case 3) monitors?

Does it open the apps all at the same time or in some sort of a delayed sequence?

I have a lot of resource-hungry apps that manually take me 5 to 10 min to open at the start of the day, and if I would try to open them all at the same time or very quickly one after the other, it would freeze and probably crash my PC. Would TL work in this scenario?

Otherwise this app would be very useful to me, but only if I could somehow ensure that a new app doesn't launch until the previous one has properly launched.

cshnik

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #31 on: December 01, 2014, 01:22 PM »
Does TaskLayout work with multiple (in my case 3) monitors?
I think I have checked TL on multi-monitor workstation, but not sure. Technically, I don't see any troubles on this but anyway you need to try it yourself :)

Does it open the apps all at the same time or in some sort of a delayed sequence?
I have a lot of resource-hungry apps that manually take me 5 to 10 min to open at the start of the day, and if I would try to open them all at the same time or very quickly one after the other, it would freeze and probably crash my PC. Would TL work in this scenario?

Otherwise this app would be very useful to me, but only if I could somehow ensure that a new app doesn't launch until the previous one has properly launched.
Currently, all applications are opening at the same time.
Your question is very good. I will include an option(will name it like "sequential app startup") in one of the next releases of TL.

dr_andus

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #32 on: December 01, 2014, 05:17 PM »
I will include an option(will name it like "sequential app startup") in one of the next releases of TL.

Great! Looking forward to trying it.

wraith808

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #33 on: December 01, 2014, 05:33 PM »
Currently, all applications are opening at the same time.
Your question is very good. I will include an option(will name it like "sequential app startup") in one of the next releases of TL.

This is the first indication that I've seen... though I've had my suspicions.  What is your relationship to TaskLayout?  It's usual on this forum to state if you have a relationship to the software you're discussing.

cshnik

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #34 on: December 02, 2014, 02:00 AM »
What is your relationship to TaskLayout?  It's usual on this forum to state if you have a relationship to the software you're discussing.
I'm the developer of this tool.

wraith808

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #35 on: December 02, 2014, 08:44 AM »
What is your relationship to TaskLayout?  It's usual on this forum to state if you have a relationship to the software you're discussing.
I'm the developer of this tool.

Welcome to the boards!  You can announce your products/get your own threads in the Announce Your Software/Service/Product section, which will give you more lift than posting deep in a thread like this.  And it will establish you as the developer for future reference :)

cshnik

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #36 on: December 03, 2014, 02:34 AM »
Welcome to the boards!  You can announce your products/get your own threads in the Announce Your Software/Service/Product section, which will give you more lift than posting deep in a thread like this.  And it will establish you as the developer for future reference
Thank you for the welcome! Your advice will help me a lot, thanks! :)

mouser

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #37 on: December 03, 2014, 02:45 AM »
Welcome to the site, cshnik :up:

cshnik

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #38 on: December 04, 2014, 10:19 AM »
I will include an option(will name it like "sequential app startup") in one of the next releases of TL.

Great! Looking forward to trying it.
I have just released a new version of TaskLayout. Please check my new thread.

cshnik

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Re: Group two windows so they get focus together. Possible?
« Reply #39 on: December 04, 2014, 10:40 AM »
Welcome to the site, cshnik :up:
Thank you! Nice to meet you all :)