Avantlaunch - Real launcher for Vista

[pininolopo]

Hi. I'm a designer. I'm looking for a developer to make true Avantlaunch: Real launcher for Vista. Please look at the screenshot.

What I want is something like that:

1) Installable application.

2) When Avantlaunch is running, and, you finish to install another software (let's say Adobe Flash...), then Avantlaunch prompts: "Add Adobe Flash shortcut to Avantlaunch desktop?".

3) Avanlaunch will not be a DOCK. Will not be a MacOsx-like resource. Avantlaunch appears ONLY by pressing MIDDLE MOUSE BUTTON. The appeareance will be a little fading.

4) The default appeareance must be like the screenshot: a Vista style, and showing. All of its components must be customized. Background color, grid size, title, icons, icons size, etc.

5) It's very important to considerate cleartype text, and icon maximun resolution and aliased features.

Avantlaunch must be friendly, comfortable, easy to use.

When you want to drag a shortcut icon, you'll move the Avantlaunch desktop wherever you want... ok?

If you're a developer looking for a good idea, to make a great and free app, please contact me at pininolopo@yahoo.com

Thank you!

SCREENSHOT REMOVED BY THE AUTHOR

[Austin123]

it'd be nice for the possible developers, other designers in the board, and the community as a whole if you made a mockup of the design, afterall it's free right? So why not show us what you got.

[pininolopo]

it'd be nice for the possible developers, other designers in the board, and the community as a whole if you made a mockup of the design, afterall it's free right? So why not show us what you got.

Hi Austin.

Thanks for your reply. I've done a screenshot as a mockup... It's an idea that I have in mind. But, if you can, tell me how to make a mockup. I'm only work in Flash, Photoshop, etc... don't know nothing of Visual Basic... or something like that to make the mockup...

See the screenshot here: SCREENSHOT REMOVED FROM THE AUTHOR

Thanks

[Sranshaft]

Something like this was already stated. The developer released a few betas but has seemed to have abandoned the project. If I have time I'll look into getting some of the groundwork fleshed out. I think the hardest part will be getting number 2 of your list of things you'd like to see done. I'm not sure how one would be able to hook into and detect when new software is installed. Maybe utilizing WMI...who knows. I'll have a look and get back to you. The rest is pretty straightforward and easy.

Edit: Here's that link to fLauncher: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=535351&hl=

[pininolopo]

Something like this was already stated. The developer released a few betas but has seemed to have abandoned the project. If I have time I'll look into getting some of the groundwork fleshed out. I think the hardest part will be getting number 2 of your list of things you'd like to see done. I'm not sure how one would be able to hook into and detect when new software is installed. Maybe utilizing WMI...who knows. I'll have a look and get back to you. The rest is pretty straightforward and easy.

Edit: Here's that link to fLauncher: http://www.neowin.net/forum/index.php?showtopic=535351&hl=

Thanks for your reply Sranshaft. Are you developer?. Just watching the app that you say, and yes, fLauncher is very similar. Don't worry about item 2), we well see in the future. What I want to consider is the posibility of not hiding the taskbar, wich means that the background transparency will have the posiblility of "fits" on diferent taskbar sizes configurations... If it is difficult too... we'll have to do it later...

Avantlauch differs from fLauncher: icons position and names. The icons must fit to a customizable grid (amount of icons and sizes). Oh, another thing is language. The text title of A desktop must be (at least) customizable. I'm from Argentina (spanish language), and I'll put "Programas" instead "Applications"... so, anybody can use it in the word.

Please contact me if you can contribuite with this app!

Thank you.

[Sranshaft]

Not hiding the taskbar is easily done. Do you want for it the launcher to appear above the taskbar, ala Expose' or AveDesk's showcase, or have it appear as if it was a maximized window still showing the taskbar? Either way it equally easy.

fLauncher was to have customizable grid positioning, icon sizing, etc but the developer stopped working on it. Languages shouldn't be a problem either. Like I said, I'll see if I can spare some free time - I've already got several applications in various stages of completion - but it shouldn't be too difficult to slam this out in a night or two.

[Ojalord]

I'm no developer, but isn't something like Item 2 built into RkLauncher (it automatically adds new programs onto the dock), so maybe you can see how to implement it from there?

[Sranshaft]

The feature you're referring to checks the running applications against those already added to RkLauncher. What Pininopolo is looking for is for the launcher to detect when an application is installed and automatically add it to the launcher.

[Ojalord]

Ok, thanks for correcting me. I used Rk only for a week or so an year ago, so I wasn't exactly familiar with it's features.

[pininolopo]

Not hiding the taskbar is easily done. Do you want for it the launcher to appear above the taskbar, ala Expose' or AveDesk's showcase, or have it appear as if it was a maximized window still showing the taskbar? Either way it equally easy.

fLauncher was to have customizable grid positioning, icon sizing, etc but the developer stopped working on it. Languages shouldn't be a problem either. Like I said, I'll see if I can spare some free time - I've already got several applications in various stages of completion - but it shouldn't be too difficult to slam this out in a night or two.

Hi Sranshaft!

What I want is to have it appear as if it was a maximized window (still showing the taskbar) So it fits any screen resolution.

Let's try to do that, and then, I will give you some more ideas about the UI. Some simple fx for icons, just for a good appeareance.

Ok, keep in touch!

Thank you.

[matonga]

I think the hardest part will be getting number 2 of your list of things you'd like to see done.

I have a suggestion for number 2:

Normally a program adds shortcuts to the Start Menu (CSIDL_PROGRAMS in SHGetSpecialFolderLocation, should be something similiar in FileSystem or Environment, with .NET) when it installs.

So, a possibility would be to constantly check the Start Menu to see if new items appear.

You can check for changes at startup, and by using File Alteration Monitor while the program is running.

What do you think?

[Sranshaft]

I have a suggestion for number 2:

Normally a program adds shortcuts to the Start Menu (CSIDL_PROGRAMS in SHGetSpecialFolderLocation, should be something similiar in FileSystem or Environment, with .NET) when it installs.

So, a possibility would be to constantly check the Start Menu to see if new items appear.

You can check for changes at startup, and by using File Alteration Monitor while the program is running.

What do you think?

That is definitely a possibility and I probably should have thought of that myself. Leave it to me to over-think a problem and try for the hardest possible way of doing things. Thanks a lot for the suggestion!

[pininolopo]

I have a suggestion for number 2:

Normally a program adds shortcuts to the Start Menu (CSIDL_PROGRAMS in SHGetSpecialFolderLocation, should be something similiar in FileSystem or Environment, with .NET) when it installs.

So, a possibility would be to constantly check the Start Menu to see if new items appear.

You can check for changes at startup, and by using File Alteration Monitor while the program is running.

What do you think?

Gracias Matonga por tu contribucíon!

(Soy argentino, ja!).

Entre todos podremos hacerlo!

Gracias nuevamente.

{{EDIT}}

Hi Sranshaft.

Right! What Matonga is saying help us so much!. So, get hands on this.

I'm designing the UI, it's very interesting. When you have the app to test we can get all work together.

Thanks.

Pinino.

[Sranshaft]

Well, I would need to see the UI before I go about programming the application. I mean, I can code the behind-the-scenes stuff sure, but it'll be pointless and a bit backward to try and fit what I do into a UI.

They way I go about starting a project is I first flesh out the program working on the entire look and then add in the coding to make it work. Let's see what you have so far in terms of the UI design so I at least have a rough idea of what you are looking for.

[matonga]

(...) But, if you can, tell me how to make a mockup. I'm only work in Flash, Photoshop, etc...

Estaba pensando que podrías hacer un "mockup interactivo" en Flash. No sería funcional, obviamente, simplemente sería una animación, pero daría una buena idea de lo que tenés en mente.

Translation: suggestion to do an interactive mockup in Flash.

[pininolopo]

Hi guys!

It's Ok. I can do something in Flash (it's what I've though).

I have yet another screenshot, but if you want, I can do it in flash...

I will put everything (jpg and flash) on a zip and will do an attachment.

Please let me do it, it will take a couple of hours...

Hola Matonga. Gracias por la sugerencia.... Lo voy a hacer y cuando lo tenga listo lo subo... me llevará un par de horas...

{{EDIT}}

Hi Sranshaft.

Well. I've done the mockup with Flash 8, and there's a screenshot too, showing the whole view.

You have the attachment below.

If you don't understand something, please just ask me.

Thank you.

IF YOU'RE INTERESTED ON THIS FLASH MOCKUP, PLEASE CONTACT ME HERE. PININOLOPO

[Sranshaft]

Nice flash mockup. I've been working on the underlying code over the night (I'm also using it for separate project of mine to bring the Gnome menu to Windows). This includes the database code, shortcut management and auto-importing of shortcuts.

Reflections will be easy to do, as I'll be doing the icon display with GDI+ and will be manually drawing the icons. I've worked out a preliminary algorithm for icon spacing / placement but it needs some more refining - who said algebra wasn't needed?

More updates to come as things progress.

[pininolopo]

Nice flash mockup. I've been working on the underlying code over the night (I'm also using it for separate project of mine to bring the Gnome menu to Windows). This includes the database code, shortcut management and auto-importing of shortcuts.

Reflections will be easy to do, as I'll be doing the icon display with GDI+ and will be manually drawing the icons. I've worked out a preliminary algorithm for icon spacing / placement but it needs some more refining - who said algebra wasn't needed?

More updates to come as things progress.

Hi... It's Ok. About the grid (sizes and spaces) I have already designed it.

If you need a graphic of the grid, please let me know.

Thanks.

[dreadnaut]

must be hard work to design a grid, indeed.

Doesn't this "idea" remind anyone of Tòdos ?

[Sranshaft]

Oh wow...that brought back memories. I vaguely remember stumbling across that program on my adventure through the Interweb a while back...good find mate! It certainly does remind me of it.

[pininolopo]

Mmmmm Can be similar... but Todos have some "disadvantages".

In first place... is only for Mac... and a Mac have it's own dock. Second, if you watch the UI, it shows too icons! It's good to get your applications "at your firgertips"... but when you try to find something quickly in that screenshoot... I think it's difficult to find it..

What I'm planning, is only for Windows (Vista, in this case), because Windows doesn't have a quickly way to show (lets say) easily 40 applications with it's names above, wich is (from my point of view) something that users can need so bad!

Anyway, yes, Todos its something similar...

Thanks.

[dreadnaut]

Tòdos is for Mac, but "ideas" are usually platform independent ;-) and if you read the description, the screenshot shows all the applications on the computer, but you can easily configure it to show just a few.

On the other end, if you are looking for "inspiration", there's also Overflow, more close to your idea, I think.

Uh, and I hope that if anything comes out of this, it will be for xp as well!

[pininolopo]

Hi Dreadnaut.

I would like Avauntlaunch to run in other windows version too, but, the default "look" (skin, if you want) will fits well in Vista.

I've been testing TODOS, and still have much differences.

1) It's only for Mac, so I canno't run it on Windows.

2) Doesn't cover entire desktop (as Avantlauch should be), it seems like a widget.

3) You canno't set a label for every icon (as Avantlauch should be).

4) You canno't set middle mouse button to show Todos, it requires a keys combination, and Avantlaunch should appears by clicking middle mouse button. On a Mac, this key is usually used to show Exposè.

About Overflow, didn't test it. And, again, it's only for Mac. It's seem again like a widget. And, have applications ordered by type "Games", "Files"... don't want it.

I've seen hundreds of applications like that for PC, with other "forms", but not as I wish. For that reason is my desire to create Avantlauch.

Thanks.

Oh wow...that brought back memories. I vaguely remember stumbling across that program on my adventure through the Interweb a while back...good find mate! It certainly does remind me of it.

Hi Sranshaft!

I just wanna ask you if you have something new about the launcher...

Thanks.

Posts Merged. Please don't bump your own posts.

I'm sure Sranshaft will post something when he's ready. He's really good that way. -SSmiley