Build the ultimate desktop

Something like the OS/2 WorkArea folder?

I don't feel the need to rejig my whole desktop beyond what OD+ can do, but the above is missed.

I use some widgets and objects, rainy, OD+ and windows taskbar/startmenu. This does pretty much everything I need right now without having to rethink the wheel....

Here's my list from another thread....
I'm going to shoot for the stars, since I don't know a thing about building DX stuff....

Desktop object/widget launchpad that takes up very little real estate and can be toggled between simple and complicated/full mode. The reason I say this is that while I like using objects/widgets that have to access the internet, such as weather, I don't like that they try to do it as soon as I boot up my PC, I'm on dial-up. They continue to do so until I unload DX or connect to the net. Should be away to have a DX theme come up and with the click of a button switch on all your netcentric objects/widgets, or switch off.

Minimal information displayed in the launchpad, but when you click on it a full-blown object/widget pops up on your desktop. So like a calendar object/widget just shows todays date and time and when you hover the mouse pointer over it a tooltip shows your next few scheduled appointments, but when you click on it, a full calendar displays that you can go backward and forward by month and add appointments, etc. like a real calendar.

Stuff like that on the launchpad. Here's another one for example, a hardrive object/widget that just shows its name. Hover over it and get how much space is left. Click on it and get more details, but also useful stuff like being able to run the different MS disk tools (defrag, scandisk) or customizable for someone that uses different disk tools, like Nortons System Utilities.

Skinnable interface, so the interface needs to be simple enough so that there are very few images. Click on a button to bring up a menu wuth a choice of included skins. Click on a button in this menu to bring up a mini basic skin editor, that lets you import graphics and set margins. Also lets you export as an object/widget that you can share with others. All the other person would have to do is click on the skin object/widget to install it while the launchpad was running.

Functions to Include...
No animation or optional.
Lets me choose from available Media Players.
Calendar with appointment book.
Weather.
Drives with system tools.
Whatever else you can think of, but be able to toggle off stuff you don't use.

Does desktopx have a script debugger? I want to create one of those nice desktops too, so I've set out to learn script. I'm not sure what the ultimate desktop would look like, or have. I like the looks of longhorn and tab three. I know it would list everthing the computer is doing. I'm anal about watching that stuff, It would be cool to skin other applications, like system suite etc etc. I'm sure those folks wouldn't like the idea too well but I have purchased that software, it's mine. Shouldn't I be able to skin it? Well, off to work for me. Everyone be safe.

I would love to see some sort of configuration memory built into DX. Right now as it stands, I would love to use more DX themes, but I just can't be bothered to spend an hour or more (and yes, even the 'easy to configure' ones take that long) configuring my shortcuts and the layout, each and everytime I want to try a new theme.

Most DX authors like gef, boxxi and others use some sort of sidebar/tabs which can be configured for the personal shortcuts. This sidebar usually contains more or less the same labelled buttons/objects (e.g. Graphics, Work, System.....). If it would be possible to just import some sort of 'settings library' to that object, which would then automatically add/change all the shortcuts to the container belonging to that short-cut..... that would make life so much easier.

Something that includes a media player that uses all media files on your computer, clocks, email, shortcuts to programs that you can set up, an easy to use color changer, and CPU info. But it needs to let you use your own wallpaper. Basically, like MikeB314's C.M.O.S. but that's solid (automatically scales windows to fit inside it), has a color picker, media, and customizable shortcuts.

Still rampant,
Tycho7

I would like to see more themes that are a good fit for laptop widescreens. Most of the really good themes I see that are widescreen are using a resolution that my laptop can't hit without me replacing my video card or system board (which isn't gonna happen), and it's off to the customizing. So something for the 1280x800 would be really nice.

In Litestep we used a Evars.rc that would auto apply personalized global settings from one theme to the next. It would control such things as shortcuts etc, this way when switching themes the "media player" button not only always knew to start the media player, but which media player to start. and so on. Every theme on loading, read this file and knew exactly which shortcut in the theme was to do what, as specified by the Evar.rc.

This would be handy in DX as you would only need to configure the Evars once then all themes applied would already be "adjusted" to way we want the shortcuts etc.



Example: as a theme loads DX reads the Evars file and sees.

AudioPlayer "C:\Program Files\Winamp\Winamp.exe"

It would then edit the corresponding "AudioPlayer" button shortcut in the theme to match the evars. So when you pressed the audio player button in any theme it always knew what player you wanted as to use.

LS actively read the evars as it ran so any changes made, were implemented instantly. This too could be utilized in DX..

Every theme which is Resolution independent fits almost all resolutions.
However you can adjust desktops to your resolution with a little effort.
Check this nice tutorial by SviZ on wiki.. Theme modification you will certainly get help from it.