The problem with Objectdock

from WinCustomize Forums

The text on shortcuts made in ObjectDock rarely displays the full filename/path, and has even MORE limitations than the standard desktop icon view, which normally allows only two lines of text before being cut off, with the line lengths being relatively proportional to the icon size.  This means if you want to decrease the icon size, you will either have to drastically decrease the text size (which under 8 is almost unreadable to me), or deal with very obscure file/path names because it only has enough room to show maybe 6-8 letters at most.  I am talking about, of course, the ability to have names shown under the icons, without having to scroll over them.  This can be a major hinderance for those who primarily want to use folder shortcuts, and constantly remove old ones and add new ones for quick access.  What you can easily end up with is 20 folders that all look the same and their path names a complete mystery unless every single one is memorized or re-identified by cursoring over.

Please tell me if there is some sort of solution to this, because I have not nearly been able to justify my use of this program for practicality.

docks
4,225 views 15 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Can you post a screenshot?

And you *do* know you can customize the icons, right?

Reply #2 from WinCustomize Forums Top

http://img178.imageshack.us/img178/1719/objectdockplusek3.jpg

My docks at the top middle of the picture.  Notice how the full names underneath their icons aren't shown? 

I know the icons themselves can be graphically edited, but some of the shortcuts I need to gain access to would be very difficult to relate to an icon graphic because of how vague they are.  I am not dealing with just basic folder shortcuts, like My Documents, My Computer, My Music, but rather folders that are deep within my system, or recently created folders which I add quite frequently, and lots of.

Sins of a Solar Empire: Rebellion
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Ah.  I see.  I have the text turned off and us the mouse-over text to help identify shortcuts.  And I have some icons that don't represent what they are but are just distinct so that *I* know what they are.

I think that what we have is a good balance of what makes the best of UI choices.

You have described the two "issues"  . . what would be your fix?

Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top

It could be fixed quite a few ways, but that would depend on why the text behaves like that.  Is it being cut off because the icon spacing is defaulted to group close together?  Its obviously set to have a sort of "auto-arrange", and "align to grid" behavior like you can do on the desktop.  If thats the case, then all the program would need to do in order to fix this is add a horizontal and vertical spacing feature between icons, just like Windows can do to its desktop icons by changing (Desktop)Properties/Appearance/Advanced settings.  Or you could add a feature that can stretch the overall viewable area of the text on single or all icons collectively, kind of like you can do in Microsoft Excel by dragging specific rows and columns out to a specific height or length.  It could also be accomplished if it had a way to view the items like a List view or a Tiled view much like the standard explorer can do, because it always allows the full name to be displayed.  I think Tiled view would be better for this program, because it usually shows the default icon size in its full glory (which to many is the appeal of the program) except with the name & information of the path/file on the right.

Reply #5 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I think you have stepped away from the dock concept.  ;)

An option to increase spacing would be ok I guess . . but again . . stepping away from how a dock is expected to work.

Reply #6 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Is there maybe a program you could recommend that is better suited for my needs then?  I do notice that very few people use these docks for frequently accessed folders, and instead use it for frequently used programs, but I do not have a large list of programs to really take full advantage of that.

My only current though is that I start learning how to make my own interface with DesktopX.

Reply #7 from WinCustomize Forums Top

I use them for folders.  For some directories I use the Stack docklet and for others I use fly-outs and for others I use the "show in folder setting.

And yeah . .some of the icons don't match the task described in the directory . .but if I know that whatever icon I assign to my "left-handed smokeshifter" project from https://www.wincustomize.com/skins.aspx?libid=29&cat=Dock%20icons will work just as well as anything else.

I don't know what to tell you beyond that.  It is more intuitive to truncate th text based on Icon rather than expand Icon spacing based on text.  I'm not you'd want the gap needed to display the above mentioned folder.  ;)

Good feedback though.

Reply #9 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Yes, Fences. https://www.stardock.com/coming_soon/?product=Fences
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Suggested and denied.  :( / ;)

Reply #10 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Suggested and denied.
End of quote

 

Might I suggest Microsoft Visual Studio 2008.  Learn it and make your own, market it and make millions. ;P

Reply #11 from WinCustomize Forums Top

This is RightClick......

Keep in mind I could choose any one of the sub-folders as my starting point (top level menu shortcut) AND give it ANY name I want like Folder A, Folder B etc.

Reply #12 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Quoting Lantec, reply 11
This is RightClick......

Keep in mind I could choose any one of the sub-folders as my starting point (top level menu shortcut) AND give it ANY name I want like Folder A, Folder B etc.

Reduced 38%Original 1548 x 1066
End of Lantec's quote


Can't the regular start button do the same sort of thing?  You can set your main directories, like My Computer, My Documents, My Pictures, etc...  to "display as a menu" so that you can nagivate through your folders in the same way you would with explorer.  Except its obviously limited to just those starting points.  I think you also mentioned earlier in another post I made that it could not make the menu's static. 

Man, I feel horrible for not being satisfied with anything so far, but after buying and not being able to use ObjectDock the way I wanted to, I'm trying to look for very specific features in any given program that can do what I am describing as easily as possible.  Still, I am grateful for the help on going through all the possibilities so I at least get closer to knowing what I need.

Reply #13 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Except its obviously limited to just those starting points.
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additionally i's limited to the "name"

with RC you could make the folder C:\Program Files\Microsoft Research\Microsoft WorldWide Telescope\Resources\  show up as Bob or Rumplestiltskin etc. and make it top level AND make it open as either another menu or as an explorer window

Reply #15 from WinCustomize Forums Top

Could you please tell me where can I find out more about the Stack dockletor download it?
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Sure thing,here you go.LINK I used them with Vista until I got OD+,they work great.