Auto-hides...but it's still there!
Ghosts?
Friday, July 22, 2005 by esuyq | Discussion: ObjectDock
I sent this in to support@stardock..., but the automated response informed me that ObjectDock was not a supported product, so I'm posting a copy of my email here. Does anyone else suffer from this problem / find it annoying / wish it would be fixed? The way I like to use Objectdock, it's quite irritating...
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I've used a number of trial versions of the ObjectDock app, and would consider buying the full version if it were not for one extremely annoying glitch that has been present in every version I have tried. Here's the problem:
I have a single auto-hiding non-tabbed dock at the top of my screen. I have a link on there for my web browser. I like to have my web browser occupy most of the vertical space on my screen. This means that when the browser window appears, if I keep my mouse over the dock, and do not allow it to auto-hide, the address bar for the browser will appear underneath the dock. This is all perfectly fine.
But...if I click on my browser link icon, move my mouse cursor down below the dock, the dock will slide up and auto-hide. It's no longer visible - it's retracted itself the way it should. The browser window appears, and I instantly click on the address bar to enter a web address. Unfortunately, this is where the problem occurs. Although the dock has slid back off screen and no longer visible, when I click on the address bar in the location where the web browser icon was a moment before, another web browser opens!
The dock is "still there" - its visible presence has gone, but the clickable hot-spots where the icons were are still active! If I click on an icon move my mouse cursor down, the dock hides, but if I right click in the area the dock just vacated, I get the dock context menu. Similarly, if I left click and drag, I can drag icons off the dock, even though they were not visible.
So, this is very annoying, I have to click on the dock, allow the web browser to appear, move my mouse down to allow the dock to auto-hide, then move my mouse back and forth over the browser menu until the now-invisible dock goes away and the browser starts to get the mouse events (the menus highlight), which takes a couple of seconds, then click on the address bar.
This only happens when launching an app (and not just my browser - any app), not when simply making the dock appear, then allowing it to auto-hide.
Any of this make sense? Anyone going to fix this issue? I keep trying the latest versions you put up on the web site and am repeatedly disappointed that this happens with every successive version, hence this email.
My OS is Windows XP (same issue regardless of SP1 / SP2), I have the latest NVIDIA driver package. Currently using the version up on your web site and the problem is still there.
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Other than that, the only other minor bug I have noticed is when I activate my secondary display - half the time the dock icons start getting drawn under the dock. Unchecking and rechecking the 'Always on top' option invariably fixes this.
- R.
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I've used a number of trial versions of the ObjectDock app, and would consider buying the full version if it were not for one extremely annoying glitch that has been present in every version I have tried. Here's the problem:
I have a single auto-hiding non-tabbed dock at the top of my screen. I have a link on there for my web browser. I like to have my web browser occupy most of the vertical space on my screen. This means that when the browser window appears, if I keep my mouse over the dock, and do not allow it to auto-hide, the address bar for the browser will appear underneath the dock. This is all perfectly fine.
But...if I click on my browser link icon, move my mouse cursor down below the dock, the dock will slide up and auto-hide. It's no longer visible - it's retracted itself the way it should. The browser window appears, and I instantly click on the address bar to enter a web address. Unfortunately, this is where the problem occurs. Although the dock has slid back off screen and no longer visible, when I click on the address bar in the location where the web browser icon was a moment before, another web browser opens!
The dock is "still there" - its visible presence has gone, but the clickable hot-spots where the icons were are still active! If I click on an icon move my mouse cursor down, the dock hides, but if I right click in the area the dock just vacated, I get the dock context menu. Similarly, if I left click and drag, I can drag icons off the dock, even though they were not visible.
So, this is very annoying, I have to click on the dock, allow the web browser to appear, move my mouse down to allow the dock to auto-hide, then move my mouse back and forth over the browser menu until the now-invisible dock goes away and the browser starts to get the mouse events (the menus highlight), which takes a couple of seconds, then click on the address bar.
This only happens when launching an app (and not just my browser - any app), not when simply making the dock appear, then allowing it to auto-hide.
Any of this make sense? Anyone going to fix this issue? I keep trying the latest versions you put up on the web site and am repeatedly disappointed that this happens with every successive version, hence this email.
My OS is Windows XP (same issue regardless of SP1 / SP2), I have the latest NVIDIA driver package. Currently using the version up on your web site and the problem is still there.
-----
Other than that, the only other minor bug I have noticed is when I activate my secondary display - half the time the dock icons start getting drawn under the dock. Unchecking and rechecking the 'Always on top' option invariably fixes this.
- R.
esuyq
Reply #2 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 1:06 PM
Reply #2 Wednesday, July 27, 2005 1:06 PM
Hi,
Thanks for the response, and the 'always on top' suggestion. The dragging icons off of the dock was just an example of on possible annoyance this bug could cause. And unfortunately, setting the z-order to something other than always on top makes no difference.
I can get the dock to hide itself, then I can keep clicking over and over in the space where the dock just was, and open everything on my dock until I give it a couple of seconds to remove the clickable hot-spots too.
Just bad design - the visible and non-visible aspects of the dock should not be disconnected in this way.
Thanks for the response, and the 'always on top' suggestion. The dragging icons off of the dock was just an example of on possible annoyance this bug could cause. And unfortunately, setting the z-order to something other than always on top makes no difference.
I can get the dock to hide itself, then I can keep clicking over and over in the space where the dock just was, and open everything on my dock until I give it a couple of seconds to remove the clickable hot-spots too.
Just bad design - the visible and non-visible aspects of the dock should not be disconnected in this way.
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Reply #1 Friday, July 22, 2005 11:52 AM
You can also use the dragging lock option in the dock context menu to prevent dragging entries off the dock.
I do not know if the lock function will prevent the ghosting or not, but you might try.
Note - if you are using "Always on top" selection, this may account for some of the issue. If so, perhaps normal Z-order would suit better.