Thumbnail icons for your desktop

[MU]

This is a program I started in 2004, I now overworked it.

It still has not all features I want, but already is nice to use.

See this screenshot:



http://noforum.de/pics/Thumbnailsystem.jpg


So you have that blue button on top of your screen.
You can move it with the middle mousebutton to where you like.
If you click on it, your cursor becomes a cross.

Now click on a window, and it will appear as a miniature on the left side of the screen.

So this system can be used as a "visual taskbar".

Works in JWM, Icewm, E17.

With a rightclick you can set some options, e.g. that the icons shall be horizontal, at top or bottom of your screen.

Limitations / things todo:
- Attention in E17: If you click on your desktop by accident, it will hide everything else, so you must kill X with CTRL-ALT-Backspace.
- you cannot "scroll" through the icons.
If there are more than fit on the screen, those are invisible.
- Speed might be increased by compiling Puppybasic with imlib2.
But that would require a general rewrite, though most wxbasic code could be used. Advantage would be to avoid saving the thumbnail to disk, it could be used in memory.
No idea, when I have time for that.


Download: (42 kb)
http://puppyfiles.org/dotpupsde/dotpups ... system.pup

Requires:
http://puppyfiles.org/dotpupsde/dotpups ... getdir.pup (might be already in Puppy)

http://puppyfiles.org/dotpupsde/dotpups ... 2-2.2k.pup

Mark

[orbisvicis]

Nice job!
It works with fluxbox, which is a plus. As you say, it is also rather slow, but...
A recommended feature: when you click the thumbnail, it disappears. Perhaps it is possible to have it permanent
But when you have time ; )

Impressive
orbisvicis

[MU]

to keep the icons, modify:
/usr/local/Thumbnailsystem/resource/main wxb

Lines 374 376 386 390

comment them, from:

Code: Select all

  icon_windows[button_id].destroy()
  iconslist[button_id] = 0
        icon_windows[i].Move( iconsx , iconsy-iconheight)
        icon_windows[i].Move( iconsx , posy)

to:

Code: Select all

//  icon_windows[button_id].destroy()
//  iconslist[button_id] = 0
//        icon_windows[i].Move( iconsx , iconsy-iconheight)
//        icon_windows[i].Move( iconsx , posy)

That seems to do it
Mark

[shrdlu]

MU,

Another masterful piece of work!

I see you are using e17. I wonder why they didn't use the e16 iconbox in e17. You have filled the gap nicely. I really like enlightenment, but it is a little quirky for day-to-day use so I use icewm. If it is possible, is there a way for the thumbnails to be behind open windows?

Another scheme that has "sizzle" but is really sluggish compared to puppy (even with video accelleration) is Mandriva 2007. They have merged Metisse with Gnome. Because of your dotpup, I became aware of Metisse. Really cool. I like the feature of clicking the title bar and having the window become transparent. I wouldn't be surprised if you figured out how to make it work within icewm when you finish the important stuff I know you are working on.

Thanks,

Shrdlu

[MU]

try the options:
# icons always on top (0/1)
0

But there might be redraw-problems.

I had to add "xrefresh" for that maybe.

Mark

[shrdlu]

Worked with no issues. Thanks! I should have clicked to bring up options.