Announcement: Xwindows Dock 2.0.0.0

[BOBAH13]

Yeah. I understand exactly what you're saying.

That's why I think those ".lnk" files SHOULD WORK AS shortcuts, they should NOT be just a way to detect the "file's location, parameters, etc..."

What I'm saying is to add ".lnk" file extension to make shortcuts run as they do in RD.

So I mean that it should be better if we can drag shortcuts in XWD, so they're like an "element", not just the original file with "launch" parameters.

I hope you understand what I mean 'cause I don't really know how to explain this.

That's why I said, they should work as they do in RD.

Will see, and now guys I found the bug, and now it also works well in XP

Edit:

Not sure, that I will publish screen shots before release. Now working on Plugin's API.

[Mattey]

Hmmm...

BOBAH13:

Would it be possible if you post some screenshots of XWD?

You said you'd think about a beta release (personally I think it's a bad idea), but some screenshots would make all of us even more eager

[BOBAH13]

Hey all.

We've decided what API the dock would have. Now, all plugins (in future: windows' minizing effect, icons' hover effect and etc.) all docklets are now XWD Plugin. So, when you start create a docklet you go trough the same way if you create plugin. Anyway, I want you to introduce to XWD SDK 1.0.0

/*
	XWD SDK 1.0.0
*/

#ifndef XWDAPI_H
#define XWDAPI_H

#define XWDAPIVERSION 0x00000001 // 0.0.0.1

#define XWDAPICALL __stdcall

#define XWDChar wchar_t
#define XWDStringLength 256
#define XWDUInt8 unsigned char
#define XWDUInt16 unsigned short
#define XWDUInt32 unsigned int
#define XWDSInt8 signed char
#define XWDSInt16 signed short
#define XWDSInt32 signed int
#define XWDNull 0
#define XWDBool XWDUInt8
#define XWDFalse 0
#define XWDTrue 1
#define XWDVoid void

typedef XWDChar XWDString[XWDStringLength];

enum XWDPluginType
{
	XWDPluginDocklet = 1
};
typedef enum XWDPluginType XWDPluginType;

enum XWDFunction
{
	XWDGetDockPath,						// XWDString
};
typedef enum XWDFunction XWDFunction;

XWDBool XWDAPICALL XWDExec(XWDFunction function, ...);

enum XWDError
{
	XWDOk = 0,
	XWDUnsupportedFunction,
	XWDInvalidParamaters,
	XWDUnknown = 0xffffffff
};
typedef enum XWDError XWDError;

XWDError XWDAPICALL XWDGetLastError();

#endif /* XWDAPI_H */

May you will be confused, cause you can find only 2 functions:

1. XWDGetLastError

2. XWDExec

I've decided that it would be easy to use only 2, than 50 or more in future API of the dock. Of course, first you call XWDExec where put minimum 1 argument - it's a function's name, that tells the dock what to do with the following arguments. Then 2th, 3th ... you put using description of the function

XWDGetDockPath,						// XWDString

that means you must call XWDExec so

XWDString buff;
XWDExec(XWDGetDockPath, buff);
// here you have the full path to the dock's directory in buff.

If XWDExec returned XWDFalse, then if you want, you can call XWDGetLastError and check error using XWDError constants.

That's simple and easy to use I hope. Just introducing you, developers, to be ready in future to make super docklets

Thanks. Vlad.

[forumito]

(I admit not having read page 3.)

Vladimir, are you planning to add a lock option (so that icons/stacks cannot "Pooof!" off the dock)?

I hope that rumors of not supporting XP aren't true!

[BOBAH13]

Lock option had been already added long ago, now it supports XP.

[danhoven]

i cant wait for new XWD

[Kittierocker]

OMG! cant wait till its oout u do great work

[reenan]

Lock option had been already added long ago, now it supports XP.

oh yeah. I remembered one more thing:

can you add Aero Support when running Vista/7?

By Aero I mean blurred background on dock... like Nexus dock seems to have.

Hmm.. Its just an idea, since I think this will make the dock slower... or not?

[BOBAH13]

Now I will have not so much free time than before, and that's why development will be slower, now working on dialogs/user's interface - Icon's properties was already done, now the most important is Dock's Preferences. About Blur, will see, I just hadn't deal with it before.

Edit:

forumito: Hi, did you see topic's name ?

[forumito]

Hello Vladimir. Lock option is already in 5.6 version?

[reenan]

Now I will have not so much free time than before, and that's why development will be slower, now working on dialogs/user's interface - Icon's properties was already done, now the most important is Dock's Preferences. About Blur, will see, I just hadn't deal with it before.

Edit:

forumito: Hi, did you see topic's name ?

well, this is only a suggestion if you find a way to do this, would be nice to add a option to disable it - I'm sure that not everybody will like (more) blurred things.

talking about progress, whats the % progress of the dock, right now? (an estimate is enough. ^^)

[BOBAH13]

What we have:

1. 2D Dock: Positions: left, top, right, bottom

2. 3D Dock: Positions: bottom

3. Multi-monitor: select found monitors in the dock's preferences

4. Icon's reflection in 3D Dock

5. Indicators of apps

6. Icon's shadow in 3D Dock

7. Lock items

Customize (Skin.ini + Settings.ini):

1. Icons' size

2. Size between icons on the dock

3. 3D Dock: setup icons' position in percent, also it installs dock panel's size, icons' reflection

4. Icons reflection's offset, opacity, and factor (it's a value in percents to scatter (not sure about this word) reflection)

That's all for now. Of course I'm making it easy to use, a lot of Drag&Drop and animations May be, when I complete plugins' API and preferences dialog I will publish a first betta, not sure when, cause now I'm also studying + working

Thanks all for your supporting.

[Smaky]

Way to go Bobah... great to hear developmen did not stopped.

[Stony]

Amazing work Bobah, you are doing really good work with your dock, I'm very proud.

Well, do you think you really could integrade XWD into windows shell, like you said?

[BOBAH13]

Now it's too early to say that I can, but will see may it will be possible.

[reenan]

Amazing work Bobah, you are doing really good work with your dock, I'm very proud.

Well, do you think you really could integrade XWD into windows shell, like you said?

thats a pretty nice idea, but I think it will be pretty hard...

[BOBAH13]

Hey everyone. Here it's a small screenshot, that shows windows' reflection with wallpaper, video, and simple window. It takes 7% for me, but it jump to 10% then to 2% , I do not notice any problems (loading a CPU or something else) during working with my PC. Anyway, this options won't be installed as default (same as icons' shadow) for 3d dock, also you cannot simple install it in the preferences. You will have to find settings.ini and write it by yorself, cause it can take CPU and you will get problems with your Windows or may not, I'm not sure that it will work perfect, that's why I do it so.

[aka120]

Hey everyone. Here it's a small screenshot, that shows windows' reflection with wallpaper, video, and simple window. It takes 7% for me, but it jump to 10% then to 2% , I do not notice any problems (loading a CPU or something else) during working with my PC. Anyway, this options won't be installed as default (same as icons' shadow) for 3d dock, also you cannot simple install it in the preferences. You will have to find settings.ini and write it by yorself, cause it can take CPU and you will get problems with your Windows or may not, I'm not sure that it will work perfect, that's why I do it so.

Oh, you're teasing us with a screenshot now?!?!?

What kind of....

^^Just kidding

Looking really good Bobah! Very nice...Keep up the amazing work, and thank you for all your hard work!!!

Interesting concept, for the reflections, will you possibly provide documentation on how to enable the icon and window reflections? (I dont mean provide documentation now, but when you have released XWD II of course.)

**Unless you will just simply have an enable, disable type of fucntion for the reflection settings in the .ini file.

Edited November 17, 2009 by aka120

[Nikola]

I know you'll make very nice loking dock with reflections and shadows etc but i'll like to see some other stuff like:when windows is minimezed into dock he doen't desapire from taskbar,options to see opened windows in the end of the dock like in OD or to minimize windows into lunch icons and explorer windows into explorer icon something like in snow leopard dock even if you need to make some expose like plug...I like your dock but these are things that will boost productivity with it!

[AndrewYY]

such a dodgy-looking screenshot

[BOBAH13]

I forgot tell you guys, if reflecton of windows is enabled, and you use Aero, there are some problems with reflect border of the window and several other problems, that's why will see if it's possible at all or just as I said before, just give you this option, but not show for everyone, cause it doesn't work on 100% yet.

[AndrewYY]

Bobah, wouldn't it be possible to just take a partial screen-grab for the reflections? Some people would want to have wallpaper reflected in the dock as well, so wouldn't that solve (for some people at least) the problem with window borders?

[BOBAH13]

Bobah, wouldn't it be possible to just take a partial screen-grab for the reflections? Some people would want to have wallpaper reflected in the dock as well, so wouldn't that solve (for some people at least) the problem with window borders?

I thought about it, may add options to reflect only wallpaper without any windows, also you can setup the option, and reflect everything or nothing at all

Edit:

Now, really not sure, that it's possible to make animations (in general - resizing the dock's panel) and make reflection at the same time. Now it flickers and works not so fast. Not sure, that it's really possible to make in the Windows

Edit:

Some questions for everybody:

1. What options would you like to see/use in the dock ? I mean, for example: keep dock on top, hide dock and so on

2. What way do you want to use to popup the dock when you need to run something in it ? For example: on mouse, when mouse is the edge of the screen, or click in dock's icon in tray or something else.

Or something else you really want to see in the dock...

I just want to make main features, and publish it, cause I really won't have time for it, very soon. May if it's possible, somebody can create Skin Maker + Skin Installer. It's a simple software, where you should do only following:

1. Select skin (its name)

2. Send message to the dock (I will provide this API)

and dock installs the new skin.

Will see. Thanks

[AndrewYY]

I'm guessing stacks and the customizable animations won't be ready by the time you're busy again?

Those were awesome

[reenan]

well, I always wished something 'iPhone-ish' (maybe Macish too) - when someone make a plugin that checks something on net (or even on user's PC) it shows a circle with a number of new messages, alerts, whatever... like this:

oh yeah, just after looking this I noticed that its called push notification. maybe you can add this ^^