TopDesk Feature Suggestions

[OtakuAdmin]

Hi picksteady,

Yes, this feature has been suggested before, and will be included in the next version of TopDesk.

[blzrd]

I don't know if this has been addressed yet, but I noticed that when you try to use the win+tab activation, it doesn't work. It just reverts back to the activation used last. I love this program because this is one of the main features of windows vista that I loved, and now I can use it with XP. But you can't use the same activation that can with vista.

It just seems to be selecting through the windows in the taskbar, (chaning colors) but it doesn't do anything besides that. It doesn't even activate the window that you select.

Great program though.

Edit: Also I noticed that if you have windows that have virtual "windows" inside the window (IE photoshop, AOL) it won't show them, only the background of the main window. Is there any way it topdesk can take an image of the whole thing? It would be helpfull to see what is in the window to help you find what you are looking for quickly. Thanks.

[OtakuAdmin]

Unfortunately under Windows XP Win+Tab is a built-in hot key used to navigate the taskbar, and Windows doesn't let any other applications use it.

[blzrd]

That is not entirely true. I use a program called macro express and it can use the win key to activate flawlessly.

www.macros.com


EDIT: ohh I see what you mean. Well what does it do? When I try to do use it, all it does is change colors.... nothing useful. What I don't understand is you can change alt+tab to do it but that is a built in hotkey for xp also. Why can't you also change the win+tab?

[OtakuAdmin]

TopDesk uses the standard Windows hot key functionality, which allows you to use Alt+Tab but not Win+Tab.

Macro Express uses a low-level keyboard system hook to detect the Win+Tab key and "see" it before Windows does. TopDesk doesn't use a low-level keyboard hook because it causes problems with some anti-virus and anti-spyware applications.

[OtakuAdmin]

Sorry, I wasn't clear about the Win+Tab behaviour your seeing; it isn't a TopDesk feature, it's something Microsoft built into Windows.

[nvrnuff]

This software is great. Exactly like the feature on my friend's mac. It really speeds up productivity and keeps my desktop clean. However, I will buy this program the day it includes support for openoffice.org windows. Perhaps you could include a workaround for java-drawn windows wherein the program actually takes a jpeg capture for that window. It would be slow, but it would be better than nothing. It looks like the program talks mostly to directx, but directx drives the GUI, and openoffice windows get up there somehow.

All I know is that's the defining factor for me. Winplosion's awful compared to topdesk. It just needs the openoffice support.

P.S. I know you've already said no so I don't expect you to dignify me with a response.

[OtakuAdmin]

We haven't said we won't add OpenOffice support, we've said we *can't* add OpenOffice support. It's not something we're holding off on or don't want to do, it's just not technically possible (to the best of our knowledge) to take a screenshot of a Java window. Please remember that the Windows XP graphics system hasn't changed much from the days of Windows 3.1 (nearly 14 years ago!), and is *very* primitive compared to the graphics systems of OS X and Vista.

A more in-depth explanation of the problem:

The only way to properly take a screenshot of a window under Windows XP is to use the "PrintWindow" graphics function (*). This function is the core of TopDesk; without it TopDesk wouldn't be possible.

The function works by sending a special version of the WM_PAINT message to the window that tricks the window into drawing itself to an image buffer in memory instead of on-screen when it responds to the message.

Almost all native Windows applications redraw themselves when they receive a WM_PAINT message, so most of the time PrintWindow (and therefore TopDesk) works. Unfortunately Java windows don't draw themselves when they receive a WM_PAINT message, so nothing gets drawn into the image buffer in memory. Since there's nothing in the image buffer, there's nothing for TopDesk to draw.

As with other issues caused by the technical limitations of Windows XP that have been mentioned in this forum, if we could fix this problem we would. There's nothing we would like better than having TopDesk be a 100% seamless experience.

--

(*) You can also take a screenshot of a window using the BitBlt function (this is what the PrintScreen key uses). Unfortunately if there are windows on top of the window you're taking the screenshot of, they will also show up in the screen shot. If the window is completely covered by other windows, all you'll see are those other windows. We've tested TopDesk out using this function and it makes TopDesk almost unusable - most windows have another window at least partially covering them, which makes trying to identify each individual window very difficult.

[adrenaline]

Would it be posible to add a little zoom for selection in 2D mode? Other then that I would have to say it is by far the best clone I have seen!

[OtakuAdmin]

Yes, zooming will be in the either the next version of TopDesk or the version immediately after that, depending on time constraints.

[firecracker6]

was wondering if you'd feel comfortable sharing a little info on the next expected release timeframe? I would enjoy a teaser to keep the anticipation sustained
kind regards & TopDesk fan

[bonstio]

Greetings

Nice program. Seriously considering buying it too! Except for one minor annoyance... I use ultramon (realtimesoft.com/ultramon/download.asp) and when I hit the spatial hotkey, the ultramon smart taskbar on my second (and third) monitors gets hidden... I don't think it should! There... I told you it was minor! Be nice if this could be changed. Then I promise to buy your software.

The only other thing is that it would be nice to have spatial, tile and flip all assigned to different hotkeys but this will have been mentioned before.

Oh and how about an RSS feed for your site to keep us all updated?

Good work all round.

-B

[bonstio]

I'm sure you know that topdesk has problems with some GUIs like IntelliJ Idea and Valve's Steam client. At least in my case... just to let you know.

[OtakuAdmin]

firecracker6: The next version of TopDesk will probably be out next month. The delay between versions has been because we don't know what TopDesk sales figures will look like after Vista is released (we're assuming they'll plummet) so we've had to spend time developing other products in case the worst happens.

[OtakuAdmin]

bonstio: The smart taskbar is hidden by design - it's not needed (nor is it usable) when you're tiling windows. We'll see what we can do about displaying it in a future version of TopDesk, but we can't promise anything; because it's only a visual "nicety" that doesn't affect usability it'll be a low priority addition.

Different hot keys will be supported in the next version, and we're aware of the problems with IntelliJ Idea and Valve's Steam. Because of the limitations of Windows XP, TopDesk won't properly display any window that doesn't follow the standard Windows drawing procedure.

We have an existing RSS feed that you can subscribe to at feed://http//www.otakusoftware.com/blog/feed.