IDEA: mouse wall - would you like to code this?

[sopan123]

I would love to donate for a small bit of coding.  Could you build a mouse wall similar to the mouse fence, which would leave any drop down box in windows open on just one side?  i'd love to be able to "hit the side" of a tool drop down, with a right sweep, and just slide down the right side without being able to overshoot the box.  It really would help with start-programs-, etc., but actually with anything.  Just wall off the drop downs, except for one side.  They all are connected to their parent toolbars, at the top or from the left, so you could "get in" right?   Couldn't it be done easily?

[kimmchii]

i cannot understand the request at all.

[AndyM]

I think I get it, and it would be pretty cool.  The idea is that once the mouse cursor is in a drop down box, or a fly-out menu, you can't slide the cursor out of the box by accident.  There is a "mouse fence" on three sides of the box.  If someone could actually get something like this to work, I'd contribute some Donation Credits too.

[sopan123]

I think I get it, and it would be pretty cool.  The idea is that once the mouse cursor is in a drop down box, or a fly-out menu, you can't slide the cursor out of the box by accident.  There is a "mouse fence" on three sides of the box.  If someone could actually get something like this to work, I'd contribute some Donation Credits too.

-AndyM (May 21, 2006, 09:43 PM)

thanks Andy...yes you totally get it, and thanks for the second, [vote], 

[skrommel]

  Try this one!

ControlFence - Prevent the mouse from sliding off certain controls once inside.



You'll find the downloads and more info at 1 Hour Software by Skrommel.

Skrommel

[mouser]

i was just about to post that this doesn't seem possible.
good thing i waited 

having tried this, i have to say - this has to be one of the coolest effects i have ever seen - it's actually fun to watch the mouse bounce around inside a combobox.

amazing. 

and i love the new about box. 

ps. don't forget to give skrommel some DonationCredits!!!

[AndyM]

I won't be able to spend any real time playing with this for a day or two, but so far I haven't been able to figure out how to identify the names of the Controls I want to fence in.

One set of menus I am interested in is the All Programs fly-out menus.  I'm constantly mousing too far to the right and losing my selection, instead ending up in the second column of All Programs when I wanted to stay in a sub-group of the first column.

[skrommel]

  It's called ToolbarWindow32, but so does every other windows on the system, so I think I need to extent ControlFence to check for parent or something before it gets useful.

Instead, I think you should try to increase the time it takes before a menu automatically slides out. Download TweakUI from http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx, install and run it, and click on the line called Mouse. Now move the slider in the Menu Speed all to the right to Slow, and I think you're troubles are over.

Skrommel

[DesertEagle]

You might want also to try JetStart http://www.codesector.com/jetstart.asp to find a faster way of launching Start Menu programs.

[AndyM]

The little I use the Start Menu, it's not worth me looking for an alternative.

My problem is with any kind of "fly out" menu, that when I'm moving quickly, the mouse can excape the menu and then I have to start all over.  I have several toolbar menus and the Quickstart menu that I do use often.

So if skrommel figures out a way to fence the mouse in, it would be slick.