Help with creating DX app

Best way to do this?

from Stardock Forums
I am buyilding a media server at home, and want to create a DX interface for it. If you've seen XP Media Center or Xbox Media Center, you get the idea, but I don't necessarily want this to be a full screen app.

I can create the main interface as a DX desktop and launch stuff from there, but I want to do it a little differently. I want the whole thing to be 1 big DX object(s), rather than an integral part of the DX desktop. THis way I can put any DX Desktop that I want on the PC and just load up this object.

I have some questions about this:

There will be a main page when you load it up with buttons like "My SOngs" "My Videos", etc.

Lets say this app is 800x600. When I click on "My Songs" I want the main interface to essentially go away and be replaced by a different interface of the same size in the same spot. That "My Songs" interface will have a link back to the main interface, and the "My Videos" interface, and it will behave the same way when switching.

So, what is the best way to accomplish this? Create seperate objects for "Main," "My Songs," "My Videos" and mess with Z-Order? I think that that could cause usage problems.

Can I click on a button that makes one Object hide and the other appear in the same spot?

Can I do all of this within one single object where the "Main" etc. buttons sort of act like parent objects & hide or remove the corresponding buttons for control of the other stuff?

If at all possible I'd like to have this as 1 dynamic object.

What is the best way to go about accomplishing this?

Thanks!

Brain21
desktopx
4,678 views 4 replies
Reply #1 from WinCustomize Forums Top
kinda sounds like something like this: Link but with different options popping up.

I can't create one yet, but maybe this one can give you an idea how it's done
Reply #2 from Stardock Forums Top
OK, here's the thing... I have been playing with this and thought that it would be pretty easy. It is pretty easy, but I ran into a slight glitch. I created a test app configured like so:

1 background object
2 toggle objects (A & B)
2 display objects (Y & Z)

All objects are obviously placed on the background object. The display & toggle objects are just a few random icon-sized jpgs that I picked out to put on a 5"x3" plain read background. Since this is a "test" app it doesn't have to be pretty!

Initially, all objects are visible (not exactly sure how to fix that, but it's probably pretty easy - I want only some initially visible).

So, I have it set up so that clicking on "Toggle A" shows "Display Y" & hides "Display Z".

Clicking on "Toggle B" shows "Display Z" & hides "Display Y".

All seems good.

This is being done simply by sending messages to the 2 objects of "show" or "hide". Fairly simple stuff.

Then I group the objects together.

Now when I click on either Toggle A or B, the whole app, background & all, goes away! The only way that I can seem to get it back is to list all of the objects, and dbl-click on the parent object ("bg") to bring up the properties dialog, which then makes the app appear on the desktop).

Not sure why everything is going away, but it is obviously a group thing. the Background is the parent object.

Anywaone know what I need to do in order to avoid this? I want the application to behave in it's "grouped" state just like it does when it's "ungrouped", but I want it to be grouped together so that everything locks together when moved, etc.

Thanks,

Brain21
TouchTasks - Access tasks with ease on Windows touchscreens.
Reply #3 from WinCustomize Forums Top
Check out my Arba theme here: Link

You should be able to get an idea as to how to set things up from that hopefully.
Reply #4 from WinCustomize Forums Top
I want the whole thing to be 1 big DX object(s), rather than an integral part of the DX desktop.

Export your "Media Center" as a widget. Then it will run independently from your DX theme.