Extra buttons. Which do you find most useful?
Saturday, March 13, 2004 by Keila | Discussion: WinCustomize Talk
I am trying to make a decision on which to use for a skin I am making. I have a roll-up, screensaver button because they are preferences mine but I have to have a third to keep with the design of the skin. I have it set for transparency at the moment but was thinking about changing it to always on top. I figure for the calculator alone this may be useful. I was wondering at which point people find transparency useful if it does not stay on top. Just curious I guess as to what people prefer to use. 
Snowman
Reply #2 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:00 PM
Reply #2 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:00 PM
can only speak for myself though, but I preferr as few buttons as possible.
(minimize/maximize/exit)
(minimize/maximize/exit)
Keila
Reply #3 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:11 PM
Reply #3 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:11 PM
That is another very good point about the ontop Jafo. i did not think of that. For myself that would come very much in handy for certain things.
Snowman,I get you point but I find some of them very handy and since I can I do-. I do have to admit that even the roll-up I do not use. I have yet to find a good reason with the things I do. The screensaver on the other hand comes really in handy for me. I use a screensaver to begin with and at times I need it on faster then the time I have set. For instance, my computer is in the livingroom. If we are watching tv and during a commercial someone looks something up really quick the screensaver button can be pushed instead of looking at a bright wall I may have on.
Snowman,I get you point but I find some of them very handy and since I can I do
-. I do have to admit that even the roll-up I do not use. I have yet to find a good reason with the things I do. The screensaver on the other hand comes really in handy for me. I use a screensaver to begin with and at times I need it on faster then the time I have set. For instance, my computer is in the livingroom. If we are watching tv and during a commercial someone looks something up really quick the screensaver button can be pushed instead of looking at a bright wall I may have on.
sig101
Reply #4 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:11 PM
Reply #4 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:11 PM
I'm not much into a lot of extra buttons myself. One thing though with the newer WB is that one can set a rollup function to a right click (I think I recall) on the top bar so as far as I'm aware specific buttons are no longer needed for that, although from some comments for some skins it appears that a number of users may not be aware of that.
Keila
Reply #5 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:17 PM
Reply #5 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:17 PM
I have set that in a couple of my skins that I did not have the roll-up button sig101 and yes it is cool. I did not do it for this one because I was already have enough trouble coming up with 3 different buttons. In time you will see why my design needed it.
Shameless Designs
Reply #6 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:35 PM
Reply #6 Saturday, March 13, 2004 8:35 PM
I typically use Doubleclick on the titlebar to nail on top as that makes sense to me. I use right click for rollup. When there are extra buttons in a skin that already have those functions, I will typically edit the skin and use one to launch Notepad, as I find it a very handy way to copy info from a window that I intend to edit or use in some other way. If I have yet another button available, I usually reprogram that one to minimize to system tray, something I find handy when I have a lot of windows open and grouped on the task bar.
CerebroJD
Reply #7 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:03 PM
Reply #7 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:03 PM
I have right-click to set windows on top and dubble click to minimize to tray.
Transparent would be good tho.
Transparent would be good tho.
Essencay
Reply #8 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:12 PM
Reply #8 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:12 PM
I've never really used any of the extras that can be set up with WB's. I used to use roll-up, but I stopped because I was running into a problem with explorer crashing if I had a few windows open....haven't tried it with the latest version of WB. I like the feature of being able to make a window "Stay on top" didn't know that it existed. I'd have to have it as a button though, because I'm used to double-clicking the titlebar to maximise a window.
So I think that "Stay on Top is a must have feature (now that I know that it exists)
So I think that "Stay on Top is a must have feature (now that I know that it exists)
Sput
Reply #9 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:25 PM
Reply #9 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:25 PM
Pin on top is the only button (besides the basics) I'd use on anything like a regular basis. It's actually one of the features that convinced me to buy WB many years ago as I'd had that on a Mac and found it so useful to keep it on a PC.
Right-click I have set to rollup and double click is set to maximize/restore (yes, I know I could asign that to something more useful, but I'm a creature of habit and my fingers know what to do if they want to maximize a window before I can stop them!)
I never user the maximize/resore buton for exactly the same reason above, so that could be removed in any skin for me.
I very rarely use the system icon menu -but in a few cases it's essential, and it gives a nice visual clue to the running application.
Until I get a fast enough video card, transperancy isn't an option for me, but it would be good to have when the machine I'm using is up to the task.
Non of the other buttons I've seen on skins offer any use to me...media playing etc I use the keyboard shortcuts for (use the SDC Keyboard app to set up things for) - including screensaver running if I felt the need.
Right-click I have set to rollup and double click is set to maximize/restore (yes, I know I could asign that to something more useful, but I'm a creature of habit and my fingers know what to do if they want to maximize a window before I can stop them!)
I never user the maximize/resore buton for exactly the same reason above, so that could be removed in any skin for me.
I very rarely use the system icon menu -but in a few cases it's essential, and it gives a nice visual clue to the running application.
Until I get a fast enough video card, transperancy isn't an option for me, but it would be good to have when the machine I'm using is up to the task.
Non of the other buttons I've seen on skins offer any use to me...media playing etc I use the keyboard shortcuts for (use the SDC Keyboard app to set up things for) - including screensaver running if I felt the need.
DavidK
Reply #11 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:57 PM
Reply #11 Saturday, March 13, 2004 10:57 PM
With WB buttons you can set up a "Shift" function so the 'lock on top' button can have 'lock on bottom' also programmed in.
buttons I'd like in a skin:
Notepad (or the text editor system default)
Screen Saver (to quickly lock the screen)|
Calculator / Character Map
A smart button for Quick Launch
Winamp controls
Clock
Green Reaper's transparency plugin
I would actually use all of these...
also, I always set roll-up for right-click and maximize for double click. It's become a habit.
Essencay
Reply #12 Saturday, March 13, 2004 11:06 PM
Reply #12 Saturday, March 13, 2004 11:06 PM
My MS keyboard handles most of what's on DavidK's list along with web and email functions....though character map would be nice
voo
Reply #14 Saturday, March 13, 2004 11:16 PM
mmm tasty, shame WB didn't have a futuristic sliding compartmant like small dock type panel that opens all these controls up. But still its the key to the design how it all fits in like AlienTech.
Reply #14 Saturday, March 13, 2004 11:16 PM
| With WB buttons you can set up a "Shift" function so the 'lock on top' button can have 'lock on bottom' also programmed in. buttons I'd like in a skin: Notepad (or the text editor system default) Screen Saver (to quickly lock the screen)| Calculator / Character Map A smart button for Quick Launch Winamp controls Clock Green Reaper's transparency plugin I would actually use all of these... also, I always set roll-up for right-click and maximize for double click. It's become a habit. |
mmm tasty, shame WB didn't have a futuristic sliding compartmant like small dock type panel that opens all these controls up. But still its the key to the design how it all fits in like AlienTech.
kongit
Reply #15 Sunday, March 14, 2004 12:59 AM
Reply #15 Sunday, March 14, 2004 12:59 AM
I like to just have a close button. I have the mouse buttons set to double click to maximize, and right click to minimize on the titlebar. I often use no buttons and just use alt-f4 to close windows with a itty-bitty title bar with no text on it. super minimum so to say. With a small 14" screen I take all the space I can get.
DavidK
Reply #16 Sunday, March 14, 2004 1:05 AM
Reply #16 Sunday, March 14, 2004 1:05 AM
Great idea Voodoo, wouldn't that be cool if you could have all the buttons on a panel that slides out like a flash menu. As long as it's not a java app, that would make Rainlendar freak out. hmm interesting possibilities... I just had an idea how it could be done...
Keila
Reply #17 Sunday, March 14, 2004 8:28 AM
Reply #17 Sunday, March 14, 2004 8:28 AM
I really appreciate all the input. 
I made a decision for my skin from what I read. I forgot about being able to set the right click to always be on top. Now I have exactly what I want. I can have something like the calculator on and right click to keep it on top and then click the button I have for transparency. Really cool!
this also works great on MSN messenger and you can still see what you are doing enough to still type.
I made a decision for my skin from what I read. I forgot about being able to set the right click to always be on top. Now I have exactly what I want. I can have something like the calculator on and right click to keep it on top and then click the button I have for transparency. Really cool!
this also works great on MSN messenger and you can still see what you are doing enough to still type.
nkannan99
Reply #19 Sunday, March 14, 2004 4:22 PM
Reply #19 Sunday, March 14, 2004 4:22 PM
Im not much of a skinner, but it would be really nice if you could make a button that put the window always on top and made it transparent with a single click. This would be really convenient
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Reply #1 Saturday, March 13, 2004 7:57 PM