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Island Dog
Island Dog
Join Date 06/2003
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WindowFX 4 Beta Update (v3.91)

November 5, 2010 10:51:10 AM from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

A new beta of WindowFX 4 is available on Impulse for Object Desktop subscribers.  WindowFX 4 is a new application which brings cool animations and functionality to the Windows interface.

This beta update includes:

  • Added new animations : expand / shrink to/from screen, slide from/to left, right, bottom, top and random
  • Added option to indicate to the user that the window flick they tried cannot be applied
  • Added flicks to move windows to monitor above / below
  • Modified flicks for moving monitors to move the window the correct amount
  • Tweaks for explorer not responding on shutdown
  • Fixed problem with close animation sometimes causing missing windows later
  • Fixed 'disco effect' on firefox minimizing when using darken inactive windows
  • Fixed bug with auto minimize impacting WindowFX config window if left open and active
  • Fixed inactive window transparency causing problems when a window is minimized and restored
  • Possible fix for problems with hibernation. If you're still having trouble, we need details on the settings enabled in WindowFX and if it happens with a quick laptop cover shut, or if there are additional repro steps.
2010-11-05_1046 11-5-2010 10-47-18 AM
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Island Dog
skyzyk
Join Date 09/2008
+45
Reply #1 November 5, 2010 11:15:08 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

That is truly good news ID and I thank you for the heads up. I'll have to reinstall it and give it a try. I know some will consider this useless or just eye candy but when you spend all your time in front of the screen, (disability) It's a much welcome change. Kudos ID.

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Island Dog
theAVMAN
Join Date 10/2006
+434
Reply #2 November 5, 2010 1:59:23 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

I had installed on the day of the release and did not know it was causing problem on resume,. My laptop was set to sleep upon a lid close it would restart the HDD's but not the display no matter what I did , I would end up doing a hard restart to get it back.

I installed the update and have put it to sleep 2x no problems now all seems to be fixed.

Thanks everyone ,There are some very nice and productive feartures very smooth interface and intuitive configure panel!!

 

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Wizard1956
Join Date 01/2008
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Reply #3 November 5, 2010 2:11:17 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Great update! Everything is working fine now.

Now if only CFX had a UI like this.

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Island Dog
Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
+1078 sdemployee
Reply #4 November 5, 2010 2:25:13 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Wizard1956,
reply 3
Great update! Everything is working fine now.

Now if only CFX had a UI like this.

What do you like about this UI vs the CFX one?

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Wizard1956
Join Date 01/2008
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Reply #5 November 5, 2010 2:57:07 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

What do you like about this UI vs the CFX one?

The colors and horizontal tabs/buttons used in WindowFX look great and are more consistant with other SD apps like DS and WB and the 3D program icon looks more modern as well.

 They make WFX have a much newer look and feel to it than CFX imho. (really...yellow?)

 

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theAVMAN
Join Date 10/2006
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Reply #6 November 5, 2010 3:43:37 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Wizard1956,
reply 5

What do you like about this UI vs the CFX one?


The colors and horizontal tabs/buttons used in WindowFX look great and are more consistant with other SD apps like DS and WB and the 3D program icon looks more modern as well.

 They make WFX have a much newer look and feel to it than CFX imho. (really...yellow?)

 

I agree!

Neil I would be glad to do a few CFX icons for this to see if you like any!!!

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ZubaZ
Join Date 11/2001
+917 sdemployee
Reply #7 November 5, 2010 3:50:39 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

@Niel: remote desktop connection acts like every other window when draped to the top edge and to maximize.  This is not the same effect as when you maximize remote desktop.

 

RD is usually fullscreen with just the yellow tab when maximized:

 

Is the maximized window the expected behavior?

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Island Dog
Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
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Reply #8 November 5, 2010 4:41:10 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Zubaz,
reply 7
@Niel: remote desktop connection acts like every other window when draped to the top edge and to maximize.  This is not the same effect as when you maximize remote desktop.

 

RD is usually fullscreen with just the yellow tab when maximized:



Reduced 95%

Original 627 x 150

 

Is the maximized window the expected behavior?

I suspect so yes, but I will investigate to be sure there is nothing we can do for this.

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Island Dog
ZubaZ
Join Date 11/2001
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Reply #9 November 5, 2010 5:00:30 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Neil Banfield,
reply 8
I suspect so yes, but I will investigate to be sure there is nothing we can do for this.

Thanks for lookign.

A question too.  The slide from bottom/top.  Should that be sliding from the bottom/top of screen or the bottom/top edge of the active window?

Vista 32, Radeon X1650

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Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
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Reply #10 November 5, 2010 5:01:17 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Wizard1956,
reply 5

What do you like about this UI vs the CFX one?


The colors and horizontal tabs/buttons used in WindowFX look great and are more consistant with other SD apps like DS and WB and the 3D program icon looks more modern as well.

 They make WFX have a much newer look and feel to it than CFX imho. (really...yellow?)

 

The CursorFX UI is certainly older as it was last updated before DeskScapes 3 and WindowBlinds 7 were released.  It is also not part of ObjectDesktop so there is less need for it to match up with the UIs of those apps.

It was a design decision with WindowFX4 that the UI looked similar to the UI in DS3 and WB7 and in fact it is based on the same code as the WB and DS configuration apps, though a different artist did the graphics.

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Neil Banfield
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Reply #11 November 5, 2010 5:03:23 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting theAVMAN,
reply 6



Quoting Wizard1956,
reply 5

What do you like about this UI vs the CFX one?


The colors and horizontal tabs/buttons used in WindowFX look great and are more consistant with other SD apps like DS and WB and the 3D program icon looks more modern as well.

 They make WFX have a much newer look and feel to it than CFX imho. (really...yellow?)

 



I agree!

Neil I would be glad to do a few CFX icons for this to see if you like any!!!

Unfortunately CursorFX is not one of the applications I am involved in.  Of the ObjectDesktop components I work on WindowBlinds, DeskScapes, SkinStudio and WindowFX.

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DrJBHL
Join Date 04/2002
+4020 wcwizop
Reply #12 November 5, 2010 5:17:22 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Neil, The darker interfaces seem to have gained great popularity; not just here, but at WinStep Extreme also. They're much easier on the eye. As for a need to match it with WB/Wfx4, I agree that it isn't part of ODesktop, but that isn't a reason not to do it.

Seems to me that no matter which package an app belongs to, SD would want it to look it's best, no?

Have a great weekend, Neil and...enjoy!

*edit: SD could always do a survey, no?

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neophil78
Join Date 06/2003
+67
Reply #13 November 5, 2010 5:18:06 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Is it an habit at Stardock to bring newer version on an app removing nice functionnalities of previous version ?? 

I loved the "Maximize to size" functionnalities in WFX 3.0: you can define a limit size of maximized windows and position of them (settings which are done for ALL windows at once !!! )

I was hoping this functionnality would be updated to bring different possibilities of settings coming for example by selecting apps as a list as there's an exclusion list ... But no, it seems it can't be possible anymore (or i didn't see it)

I didn't go much far in the program as i am so disapointed, but i noticed at least:

- no way to load or not WFX4 at startup

- no way to set an exclusion list of app (well anyway as one have to set for each window the settings he wants, i think it's not necessary )

- WindowBlinds can set the RightClick on Window Titlebar to specific action (i'm using it), though, how to use the RightClick features of WFX4 if it's already used by WindowBlinds ?

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Wizard1956
Join Date 01/2008
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Reply #14 November 5, 2010 5:38:14 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Of the ObjectDesktop components I work on WindowBlinds, DeskScapes, SkinStudio and WindowFX.
And you're doing a damn fine job!

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Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
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Reply #15 November 5, 2010 6:06:20 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting neophil78,
reply 13
Is it an habit at Stardock to bring newer version on an app removing nice functionnalities of previous version ?? 

I loved the "Maximize to size" functionnalities in WFX 3.0: you can define a limit size of maximized windows and position of them (settings which are done for ALL windows at once !!! )

I was hoping this functionnality would be updated to bring different possibilities of settings coming for example by selecting apps as a list as there's an exclusion list ... But no, it seems it can't be possible anymore (or i didn't see it)

I didn't go much far in the program as i am so disapointed, but i noticed at least:

- no way to load or not WFX4 at startup

- no way to set an exclusion list of app (well anyway as one have to set for each window the settings he wants, i think it's not necessary )

- WindowBlinds can set the RightClick on Window Titlebar to specific action (i'm using it), though, how to use the RightClick features of WFX4 if it's already used by WindowBlinds ?

The features in WindowFX 4 have changed from WindowFX 3 but as you are on XP you should be able to continue to use WindowFX 3 together with WindowFX 4 if you wish.

You can save a maximum size for a given application from the new right click menu.

WindowFX will automatically remember the last state it was in so thats why there is no startup control options.

As well as right clicking, using alt + space on the keyboard should show the right click menu.

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DaveRI
Join Date 09/2003
+465
Reply #16 November 5, 2010 6:37:03 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Thanks for such a prompt update and the announcement!  You rock!

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theAVMAN
Join Date 10/2006
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Reply #17 November 5, 2010 8:08:48 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Neil Banfield,
reply 11



Quoting theAVMAN,
reply 6



Quoting Wizard1956,
reply 5

What do you like about this UI vs the CFX one?


The colors and horizontal tabs/buttons used in WindowFX look great and are more consistant with other SD apps like DS and WB and the 3D program icon looks more modern as well.

 They make WFX have a much newer look and feel to it than CFX imho. (really...yellow?)

 



I agree!

Neil I would be glad to do a few CFX icons for this to see if you like any!!!



Unfortunately CursorFX is not one of the applications I am involved in.  Of the ObjectDesktop components I work on WindowBlinds, DeskScapes, SkinStudio and WindowFX.

Neil  point me in the right direction I got a few ideas!

+1
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skyzyk
Join Date 09/2008
+45
Reply #18 November 5, 2010 10:49:54 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Thank you very much Neil for the quick update and doing a great job. The beta 2 version is much better. Thank you to all involved.

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Aleatoric
Join Date 01/2002
+25
Reply #19 November 5, 2010 11:03:18 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Great update!

Here's a minor issue I'm seeing on my laptop:

On the little side scroll windows in the animations tab, the item selection is about one animation to the right of where the mouse cursor is (in the image, you can see the mouse cursor, which is where I pressed the selection, and the animation to the right got selected). The display settings on the laptop have the font size set to 125%, which is probably the root of the issue, though I don't see this behavior with the WB or IP side scrolls.

 

WFX Animation Screen

 

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kkunderwood
Join Date 10/2003
+10
Reply #20 November 5, 2010 11:11:51 PM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

The problem is not with closing the laptop lid, but when the computer goes to the Suspend or Hibernate state. The problem seems to be related to how long the laptop has been in one of these two states. The longer the laptop is in the Suspend or Hibernate state when WFX4 is Enabled, the longer it appears to take to recover, but it does seem to recover eventually.

I have some really coarse timing information for recovery from the Suspend state. With WFX4 Disabled and the laptop in the Suspend state for 5 minutes, hitting the Shift key brings up the logon prompt in about 1 second. With WFX4 Enabled and the laptop in the Suspend state for 5 minutes, hitting the Shift key brings up the logon prompt in about 6 seconds. Based upon these admittedly coarse measurements, a laptop that has been in the Suspend state for 8 hours would take about 8 minutes to eventually "catch up". Small wonder that users are power cycling their laptops!

 

WFX4 settings v 4.0 beta 2, DWM enabled:

Home: enable screen edge, add right click, enable momentum

Animations: all custom Expand/Shrink

Management: Enable screen edge, windows minimize

Right Click: NO toggle loss of focus, NO hold shift

Inactive: none

Movement: enable momentum, fade windows

 

Laptop:

Operating System MS Windows 7 Pro 64-bit

Admin (UAC Off)

CPU Intel Core i5  @ 2.27GHz

RAM 4.0GB Dual-Channel DDR3

Motherboard Gateway NV79

Graphics Generic PnP Monitor @ 1600x900 Intel(R) HD Graphics

Hard Drives 488GB Hitachi Hitachi HTS545050B9A300

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Daiwa
Join Date 07/2001
+349
Reply #21 November 6, 2010 1:19:21 AM
from JoeUser ForumsJoeUser Forums

The features in WindowFX 4 have changed from WindowFX 3 but as you are on XP you should be able to continue to use WindowFX 3 together with WindowFX 4 if you wish.

Wish I had known this.  Wouldn't have uninstalled WFX3.  They are fully independent of each other on XP?

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Island Dog
Onklifiziert
Join Date 09/2007
+38
Reply #22 November 6, 2010 9:02:29 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Awesome, great Update  

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Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
+1078 sdemployee
Reply #23 November 6, 2010 9:57:01 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Daiwa,
reply 21

The features in WindowFX 4 have changed from WindowFX 3 but as you are on XP you should be able to continue to use WindowFX 3 together with WindowFX 4 if you wish.


Wish I had known this.  Wouldn't have uninstalled WFX3.  They are fully independent of each other on XP?

In theory yes.  I cannot promise every option will work together but they do not share any registry keys or files.

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Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
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Reply #24 November 6, 2010 10:08:13 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting Aleatoric,
reply 19
Great update!

Here's a minor issue I'm seeing on my laptop:

On the little side scroll windows in the animations tab, the item selection is about one animation to the right of where the mouse cursor is (in the image, you can see the mouse cursor, which is where I pressed the selection, and the animation to the right got selected). The display settings on the laptop have the font size set to 125%, which is probably the root of the issue, though I don't see this behavior with the WB or IP side scrolls.

 



Reduced 50%

Original 1200 x 764

 

The issue with the animation tab and higher dpis should be resolved for the next build.  I think thats the only bit of the UI which didn't handle high dpi correctly.

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Neil Banfield
Join Date 04/2001
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Reply #25 November 6, 2010 10:11:51 AM
from WinCustomize ForumsWinCustomize Forums

Quoting kku,
reply 20
The problem is not with closing the laptop lid, but when the computer goes to the Suspend or Hibernate state. The problem seems to be related to how long the laptop has been in one of these two states. The longer the laptop is in the Suspend or Hibernate state when WFX4 is Enabled, the longer it appears to take to recover, but it does seem to recover eventually.

I have some really coarse timing information for recovery from the Suspend state. With WFX4 Disabled and the laptop in the Suspend state for 5 minutes, hitting the Shift key brings up the logon prompt in about 1 second. With WFX4 Enabled and the laptop in the Suspend state for 5 minutes, hitting the Shift key brings up the logon prompt in about 6 seconds. Based upon these admittedly coarse measurements, a laptop that has been in the Suspend state for 8 hours would take about 8 minutes to eventually "catch up". Small wonder that users are power cycling their laptops!

Thanks for your feedback.  I have a theory on what might be going on.

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