brianr@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Brian Rhodefer) (06/02/89)
I've noticed that several programs that open custom screens don't provide screen depth rearrangement. An example of this would be the "Shanghai" game. Not only has it no screen depth rearrangement gadget, it traps the right mouse button that could normally be used to slide its screen down. Only the Workbench-to-front and Workbench-to-back keys (Amiga-N/Amiga-M) are effective on the Shanghai screen, and then only as long as there is no other custom screen in existence. Any additional custom screens become unavailable; the only choice is between the WB and the Shanghai screens. To cope with situations like this, I wonder if it would be worthwhile to redefine the Workbench's screen-depth gadget to bring up a "which of these screens would you like brought to the fore?" requester, with the available screens listed by name (if present) or task number in some sort of menu fashion? Or, if the "screen-to-front" gadget is as completely useless as it seems to be, maybe IT could be redefined instead. Just a suggestion, Brian Rhodefer
joe@lakesys.UUCP (Joe Pantuso) (06/02/89)
In article <4273@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> brianr@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Brian Rhodefer) writes: >I've noticed that several programs that open custom screens don't provide >screen depth rearrangement. An example of this would be the "Shanghai" >game. Not only has it no screen depth rearrangement gadget, it traps the >right mouse button that could normally be used to slide its screen down. >Only the Workbench-to-front and Workbench-to-back keys (Amiga-N/Amiga-M) >are effective on the Shanghai screen, and then only as long as there is >no other custom screen in existence. Any additional custom screens become >unavailable; the only choice is between the WB and the Shanghai screens. > >To cope with situations like this, I wonder if it would be worthwhile >to redefine the Workbench's screen-depth gadget to bring up a "which of >these screens would you like brought to the fore?" requester, with the >available screens listed by name (if present) or task number in some sort >of menu fashion? > The obvious solution is making the (Amiga-N/Amiga-M) keys more functional; allowing you to flip through all the screens. I believe that somone has already made a hack to do this, I was on a bbs a few days ago and saw a file described as "Makes the Amiga-M key work for flipping screens". I will D/L it and let you know if this is what we need. Hopefully it is not a messy hack and will be somthing that can be implemented easily into a new dos version or can be used in a simple manner in peoples boot sequences. While we're on the subject of *nice stuff* for 1.4, I would like to see a gadget immeadiately to the left of the "layers" gadgets that when selected would "iconize" the window. I know there is a pd program to do that too but I have not used it, in any case having a single gadget built into the window would be very useful. -- Joe Pantuso joe@lakesys.lakesys.com Home(414)259-1897 Work(414)281-8700 Software ONE
erk@americ.UUCP (Erick Parsons) (06/03/89)
In article <457@antares.uucp> pnelson@antares.UUCP (Phil Nelson) writes: |How about changing the function of the A-N and A-M keys very slightly, so |that A-N would always return you to the workbench screen as before, and |A-M would bring up the custom screen, but A-M again would roll through |the custom screens. It will be important to for the system to remember |which custom screen is on the top, so that toggling between the Worbench |and the custom screen you were using last does not require rolling through |the custom screens each time. <> Dan Howell writes: <>The program QMouse does this. The functionality of Amiga-M under QMouse <>is to bring the current front screen to the back. Amiga-N still brings <>the Workbench, so pressing Amiga-N followed by Amiga-M will return to <>the right custom screen, if you were in a custom screem to begin with. <>QMouse has a lot of other neat features, and is only 4K long. I recommend <>it hightly. <>It should be available from the comp.binaries.amiga archive server. I <>think it's under the intuition directory. See other messages in this <>group about how to access it. I've been using Qmouse for about a month now and nothing could drag me away. Its packed with features such as a sun mouse emulator that activates the window that the mouse pointer is currently in, A mouse pointer blanker that is adjustable as to length of inactivity b4 blanking, keypresses also blank the pointer. What I really like is the Popcli feature that allows you to specify a command to assign the L-A ESC key combo. I use it to pop a shell with a full screen window. Oh did I forget the mouse accel- larator ? The multiple configurable L-A [anykey] hotkeys ? There is a screen blanker, AND a feature that allows you to set the stack size automagically for any spawned CLI's. Every option can be turned off or modified thru command line or script file. Very heavy duty program for it's size. Thanks to all who contributed to the making of this fine prog. -- ------------------ // -----------Cut-Here---------------------------------- Erick Parsons // Words for the wise: *If it works don't fix it.* Sacramento Ca // mail to: ...pacbell!sactoh0!americ!erk ------------- \\// --------------------------------------------------------
pnelson@antares.UUCP (Phil Nelson) (06/04/89)
In article <4273@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> brianr@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Brian Rhodefer) writes: |I've noticed that several programs that open custom screens don't provide |screen depth rearrangement. An example of this would be the "Shanghai" |game. Not only has it no screen depth rearrangement gadget, it traps the |right mouse button that could normally be used to slide its screen down. |Only the Workbench-to-front and Workbench-to-back keys (Amiga-N/Amiga-M) |are effective on the Shanghai screen, and then only as long as there is |no other custom screen in existence. Any additional custom screens become |unavailable; the only choice is between the WB and the Shanghai screens. | |To cope with situations like this, I wonder if it would be worthwhile |to redefine the Workbench's screen-depth gadget to bring up a "which of |these screens would you like brought to the fore?" requester, with the |available screens listed by name (if present) or task number in some sort |of menu fashion? | |Or, if the "screen-to-front" gadget is as completely useless as it seems |to be, maybe IT could be redefined instead. | How about changing the function of the A-N and A-M keys very slightly, so that A-N would always return you to the workbench screen as before, and A-M would bring up the custom screen, but A-M again would roll through the custom screens. It will be important to for the system to remember which custom screen is on the top, so that toggling between the Worbench and the custom screen you were using last does not require rolling through the custom screens each time. > > >Just a suggestion, > >Brian Rhodefer ditto -- Phil Nelson at (but not speaking for) OnTyme:NSC.P/Nelson Tymnet, McDonnell Douglas Network Systems Company Voice:408-922-7508 UUCP:{pyramid|ames}oliveb!tymix!pnelson LRV:Component Station "ding ding..." -Santa Clara County Transit Company trolley car (AKA "LRV")
dan@ivucsb.sba.ca.us (Dan Howell) (06/04/89)
In article <457@antares.uucp> pnelson@antares.UUCP (Phil Nelson) writes: |How about changing the function of the A-N and A-M keys very slightly, so |that A-N would always return you to the workbench screen as before, and |A-M would bring up the custom screen, but A-M again would roll through |the custom screens. It will be important to for the system to remember |which custom screen is on the top, so that toggling between the Worbench |and the custom screen you were using last does not require rolling through |the custom screens each time. The program QMouse does this. The functionality of Amiga-M under QMouse is to bring the current front screen to the back. Amiga-N still brings the Workbench, so pressing Amiga-N followed by Amiga-M will return to the right custom screen, if you were in a custom screem to begin with. QMouse has a lot of other neat features, and is only 4K long. I recommend it hightly. It should be available from the comp.binaries.amiga archive server. I think it's under the intuition directory. See other messages in this group about how to access it. -- -- Dan Howell <dan@ivucsb.sba.ca.us> <ivucsb!dan@anise.acc.com> -- 55 miles per hour: it's not a good idea, it's just the law.
cb29+@andrew.cmu.edu (Chad Kavanaugh Bisk) (06/06/89)
> Excerpts from ext.nn.comp.sys.amiga: 3-Jun-89 Re: Workbench features > Erick Parsons@americ.UUC (2303) > In article <457@antares.uucp> pnelson@antares.UUCP (Phil Nelson) writes: > |How about changing the function of the A-N and A-M keys very slightly, > so > |that A-N would always return you to the workbench screen as before, and > |A-M would bring up the custom screen, but A-M again would roll through > |the custom screens. It will be important to for the system to remember > |which custom screen is on the top, so that toggling between the Worbench > |and the custom screen you were using last does not require rolling > through > |the custom screens each time. > <> Dan Howell writes: > <>The program QMouse does this. The functionality of Amiga-M under > QMouse > <>is to bring the current front screen to the back. Amiga-N still brings > <>the Workbench, so pressing Amiga-N followed by Amiga-M will return to > <>the right custom screen, if you were in a custom screem to begin with. > <>QMouse has a lot of other neat features, and is only 4K long. I > recommend > <>it hightly. > <>It should be available from the comp.binaries.amiga archive server. I > <>think it's under the intuition directory. See other messages in this > <>group about how to access it. > I've been using Qmouse for about a month now and nothing could drag me > away. Its packed with features such as a sun mouse emulator that > activates > the window that the mouse pointer is currently in, A mouse pointer > blanker > that is adjustable as to length of inactivity b4 blanking, keypresses > also blank the pointer. What I really like is the Popcli feature that > allows > you to specify a command to assign the L-A ESC key combo. I use it to > pop a shell with a full screen window. Oh did I forget the mouse accel- > larator ? The multiple configurable L-A [anykey] hotkeys ? There is a > screen blanker, AND a feature that allows you to set the stack size > automagically for any spawned CLI's. Every option can be turned off or > modified thru command line or script file. Very heavy duty program for > it's size. Thanks to all who contributed to the making of this fine prog. > -- > ------------------ // > -----------Cut-Here---------------------------------- > Erick Parsons // Words for the wise: *If it works don't fix > it.* > Sacramento Ca // mail to: ...pacbell!sactoh0!americ!erk > ------------- \\// > -------------------------------------------------------- So how does one get such a god-like program as QMouse? Is it public-domain? Is it in the comp.binaries collection somewhere? Is there an address that you can send to to ask about it? -- Chad Bisk -- cb29@andrew.cmu.edu
rick@agora.UUCP (Rick Lahrson) (06/06/89)
In article <4273@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM> brianr@tekig5.PEN.TEK.COM (Brian Rhodefer) writes: >I've noticed that several programs that open custom screens don't provide >screen depth rearrangement. An example of this would be the "Shanghai" ... >Or, if the "screen-to-front" gadget is as completely useless as it seems >to be, maybe IT could be redefined instead. ... >Brian Rhodefer I'll again offer a suggestion I made regarding this issue years ago: A better use of the two key combinations used for WB-to-front and WB-to-back might be to define one as a toggle for the workbench, and the other as a cycling mechanism (frontmost-screen-to-back). The L-Amiga-N combination (WB-to-front) could be the toggle. If the WB screen were not at the front, it would be brought forward. If already at the front, it would be pushed to the back. The L-Amiga-N combination (WB-to-back) could be the cycler. The new functions would look very similar to the existing functions, except the use of the N and M keys would no longer have the ability to do nothing (as they do now when the workbench screen is already where the keys would put them). The new functions would allow easy access to ANY screen, and would let users toggle between ANY screen and the workbench. Commodore: Will you please consider making this change?
jwl@Feanor.Stanford.EDU (John Lockhart) (06/06/89)
In article <821@ivucsb.sba.ca.us> dan@ivucsb.sba.ca.us (Dan Howell) writes: <In article <457@antares.uucp> pnelson@antares.UUCP (Phil Nelson) writes: <|How about changing the function of the A-N and A-M keys very slightly, so <|that A-N would always return you to the workbench screen as before, and <|A-M would bring up the custom screen, but A-M again would roll through <|the custom screens. On BIX, CBM said that they had already put something like this into 1.4. Good news! I'd die without the ability to cycle custom screens. BTW, MachII also has this feature. Qmouse, too, is nice. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- -- John Lockhart jwl@feanor.stanford.edu BIX: jlockhart