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AltDesk 1.8 help |
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Welcome to AltDesk
Thank you for choosing AltDesk, powerful, flexible and easy to use
Virtual Desktop Manager for Windows.
With AltDesk you'll be able to ease your daily work by managing
numerous task more efficiently, than before. Virtual Desktops
technology, implemented in AltDesk allows you to work with with a
single
display nearly as effective as f you used several monitors at once.
Unlike competing products, AltDesk uses icons and thumbnails to
represent tasks, which makes task management more effective as you can
reach any given task in the shortest time. AltDesk doesn't use a lot of
screen space, you can even hide its window and manage Desktops with
hotkeys. You can also change program's appearance by applying skins,
which could be found on our
home page
.
You won't need to
spend your time on configuring AltDesk as it has excellent
predefined settings, designed to fit most users' needs. Even in case
you'll need to tweak something, you could do it through the friendly
configuration menu. The program is friendly for both novices and
experienced users, which could use it even more effectively by
following our hints, described in this help file.
AltDesk's main features:
- Simple yet powerful user interface
- Hints for even more intuitive configuration
- Skins for changing program's appearance and behavior
- Adaptive skins: skins could adopt user references.
- Transparency effects in Windows 2000, XP and above
- Ability to set different wallpapers for each Desktop
- Switching tasks could be done by both Drag and Drop or accessing
window's menu
- Hotkeys for all actions
- "Boss" key for immediate hiding tasks you don't want others to
see.
- Support for multimonitor systems
- Autorun for each Desktop
- Modest resource requirements
- A build-in window manager
- Informative tooltips (with thumbnails snapshots of each window)
for each task
- Recovering lost applications
- Multilingual user interface
FAQ: frequently asked questions
- Q:What
is AltDesk?
A: AltDesk is a Virtual Desktop manager (VDM) for Windows, which helps
people managing large numbers of tasks more efficiently. Linux and BeOS
users can enjoy build-in Virtual Desktop managers, but most Windows
users miss this feature.
- Q:How
is AltDesk different from other Virtual Desktop managers?
A:
There're
numerous changes. For example AltDesk represents each Virtual Desktop
as a set of icons instead of creating Desktop thumbnails or just
clickable buttons. This approach is more effective and time saving than
other solutions. AltDesk allows you to recover "lost" applications,
while other programs don't. AltDesk is easier to use and set up.
Actually we've targeted it on users, that not just need another trinket
on their Desktops, but value their time.
- Q:How
do I apply skins?
A:
From the version 1.6 skins can be distributed as ASZ files. Just double
click the downloaded ASZ file to install it.
For previous versions you need to install skins manually by extracting
skins' archive into "AltDesk/skins" folder. For example, if you have
downloaded a file myskin.zip you should extract it into
"AltDesk/skins/myskin" folder.
- Q:Can
I make AltDesk skins myself?
A:
Sure. That's why we have included a comprehensive skinning tutorial
into this help file.
- Q:
I have lost my serial number,
what shall I do?
A:
Just followthis link:
http://www.astonshell.com/customer/
.
- Q:
I want feature ***. Will you
implement it?
A:
Just post yourideas into our
forum
and this feature might be implemented in the upcoming version
of the program.
Creating skins
From this version AltDesk supports both classic and modern style skins.
These tutorials will explain you the process of creating skins in both
formats.
Classical skin format
Classical AltDesk skins can be thought of as sandwiches, each of which
contains these layers:
- Border:elements,
displayed on the top of the skin. They can be thought of as decorative
gratings, covering the rest of the skin.
- Icons:icons are placed
on the cell background and represent running tasks
- Cell:background layer,
working as a bottom for other layers.
All these elements are combined into a cell. A table combination of
cells creates the cell matrix, consisting of several rows and columns
of cells.
Classical skins usually consist of three files:
- anyname.ini- skin's
configuration file
- main.bmp- cell image
file
- Buttons.bmp- button
images
Note: The files could have different
names, according to skin's preferences.
Let's take a look at the sample skin, Handy-Metallic, created by
Dmitry Prosvirnin from Gladiators Software:
Main.bmp:
Buttons.bmp:
Handy-metallic.ini:
| [AltDesk Skin] |
A required header, describing the main section of AltDesk
skin. |
| NAME=Handy-metallic |
Skin name, which would be displayed in Skin Selector. |
| TransparentColor=255,0,255 |
Transparent color in RGB format. All the areas of the skin,
painted with this color would appear transparent. We highly recommend
you using the common "magic pink" color: 255,0,255.
Note, that
allthe pixels, intended to be transparent
musthave
exactly the samecolor value, as defined by
Transparent Color. |
| Main=main.bmp |
Cell's image file, containing all the images, related to its
display. |
| CellSize=112,28 |
Cell's size in "length,height" format. |
| ClientRect=6,3,99,22 |
Cell's client area: describes the rectangular area of the
Cell, used to display icons. The format is "X1,Y1,X2,Y2"
where X1,Y1 are coordinates of the left-top
corner of the client area rectangle and X2,Y2 are
its right-bottom corner's coordinates. |
| ActiveCell=0,0 |
Active Cell's image coordinates in "X,Y" format, where X and
Y are horizontal and vertical offsets of the active Cell's image
relatively to the whole bitmap.
In our sample skin the active Cell's image is
topmoston the
main.bmp. |
| InactiveCell=0,56 |
Inactive Cell's image coordinates in "X,Y" format, where X
and Y are horizontal and vertical offsets of the inactive Cell's image
relatively to the whole bitmap.
In our sample skin the active Cell's image is the
second from the bottomon the
main.bmp. |
| ActiveBorder=0,28 |
Active border's image coordinates in "X,Y" format, where X
and Y are horizontal and vertical offsets of the active border's image
relatively to the whole bitmap.
In our sample skin the active border's image is the
second from the topon the
main.bmp. |
| InactiveBorder=0,84 |
Inactive border's image coordinates in "X,Y" format, where X
and Y are horizontal and vertical offsets of the inactive border's
image relatively to the whole bitmap.
In our sample skin the inactive border's image is the bottommost on the
main.bmp. |
| CellDistance=0,0 |
Distance between individual Cells in the matrix. Given in
"horizontal distance, vertical distance" format. |
| Buttons=buttons.bmp |
Buttons' image file, containing all the icons, related to
its display. |
| BtnSize=48,14 |
The size of each button in "length, width" format |
| BtnDistance=0 |
Distance between buttons |
| BtnOffset=0,0 |
Buttons' offset in "horizontal offset, vertical offset"
format. The offset is given relatively to the cell |
| Button1Normal=0,0 |
Minimize button at normal state. This value is the position
of the button's left-top corner relatively to the whole bitmap in "X,
Y" format.
In our sample it's the left-top part of the bitmap. |
| Button1Selected=0,28 |
Minimize button's state when mouse pointer is located on the
top of it. This value is the position of the button's left-top corner
relatively to the whole bitmap in "X, Y" format.
In our sample it's the left-middle part of the picture. |
| Button1Pressed=0,56 |
Minimize button's pressed state. This value is the position
of the button's left-top corner relatively to the whole bitmap in "X,
Y" format.
In our sample it's the left-bottom part of the bitmap. |
Button2Normal=0,14
Button2Selected=0,42
Button2Pressed=0,70 |
State values for the Properties button. Position values are
given in the same format as above.
In our sample skin the buttons Properties state buttons are located on
the right side of the bitmap. |
| BtnPos=7 |
Preferred button's position in
AltDesk pointing format
.
For this skin
buttons should be placed on the right. As buttons' height is the same
as cell's height, there's no difference between 7 and 8 here...
Note, that you can select up to 8 preferred positions, separated by
comma. For example, "6,5,8". Make sure, that your skin is displayed
correctly with each buttons' position. |
| [Description] |
Description section. Everything below is the description,
displayed in AltDesk's skin selector. |
Skin "Handy-metallic".
Author: Dmitry Prosvirnin
dp-grafx@astonshell.com |
Description text |
* 1=TopLeft; 2=TopRight;
3=LeftTop; 4=LeftBottom;
5=BottomLeft; 6=BottomRight; 7=RightTop; 8=RightBottom.
Few notes:
- Many elements have active and inactive states. Active states are
displayed when an element is given focus or it's clicked.
- Borders must have transparent areas, otherwise you won't be able
to see icons through them.
- From version 1.6 AltDesk can handle compressed skins in ASZ
format. Just compress your files into a ZIP archive and change
archive's extension to ASZ.
Modern skin format
The idea behind the modern skin format is the same as behind the
classical one. Skins are also treated as multilayer "sandwiches", but
this time there are more layers.
Let's count them from top to the bottom:
- Foreground:decorative
layer, which only affects a single Cell. In other words, only one
foreground instance per skin matrix is available.
- Flanks:decorative
borders, covering skin matrix
- Glass:it functions the
same way as classical format's border, but could use alpha
transparency.
- Icons
- Cell:Cell's bacground
image, just like in classical format.
- Background:it behaves
the same way as foreground, but located bottommost.
Note, that some layers could be missing. However, we do recommend using
at least these layers: Glass, Cell (icon layer is displayed
automatically above the Cell's background). Decorative layers, like
flanks, foreground and background could be used depending on your taste.
Besides, unlike classical ones, modern skins can have up to three
different states: horizontal, vertical and matrix. These skin types
only differ by their kind of matrix and could generally have different
look.
Let's take a look at the sample skin, Trinity, made by Dmitry
Prosvirnin:
As you can clearly see, Modern skin formats allows one to create skins,
which automatically adapt the matrix type. Now let's try learning some
basics about creating skins in modern format. Unlike classical one it's
flexible enough to let you make both complex and simple skins,
depending on your experience and taste. However, by learning the
format's specification you'll understand, that now you can do much
more.So, before we start, let us remind you some basics:
- Modern format skins are multilayer. Generally there're enough
layers for any practical purpose.
- Many elements have active (focused) and inactive states.
- Unlike in classical format, modern skin format often
implies the usage of a single bitmap per variable. This helps avoiding
offset problems.
- Skins can use 32 bit PNG images with alpha-transparency.
- Each of four Cell sides (top, bottom, left, right) could have one
of these elements: Cell, buttons, flank
- Modern skins could be adaptive: they can change their look,
according to to user's preferences.
- Modern skins can as well be distributed as ASZ files: just ZIP
the skin's folder and change its extension from ZIP to ASZ so they
would be easier to install.
Here's a sample from the Trinity skin. If you have read the previous
tutorial (about classical skins) you'll understand it without troubles.
We have also commented the skin's INI file so you could look into it
for additional comments.
[AltDesk Skin]
NAME=Trinity
ClientRect=10,10,64,64 |
AltDesk skin's main section's start. This section describes
general matrix usage, where skin matrix is ZxY and both are equal or
more, than 2. If no other matrix sections exist, this section's skin
applies to any matrix.
Name and Client rect variables work the same way as in classical
skin's format. Just don't forget, that ClientRect is defined relatively
to the Cell's main image bitmap
|
ActiveBackground=
InActiveBackground= |
Active and inactive states of the decorative background's
layer. Here no decorative background is used. |
BackgroundAlign=0
BackgroundOffset=-50,-50 |
Background's align and offset.
Align is set in the following format: 0=left top,1=right top, 2=left
bottom, 3=right bottom
|
| ActiveCell=MtxCellon1.png |
Active cell's image for the matrix:
 |
| InActiveCell=MtxCelloff1.png |
Same for inactive state:
(in our case the background picture is the same for both states, thus
we could use the same bitmap) |
| CellDistance=-4,-4 |
Horizontal and vertical distance between the cells in the
matrix, just like in classical skins. |
| ActiveGlass= |
Active glass. In our case active cell's icons are not
covered by anything. |
| InActiveGlass=MtxCelloff2+.png |
Inactive glass:
Inactive cells' icons are dimmed by the layer. |
LeftFlank =
LeftFlankOffset = 0,0
RightFlank =
RightFlankOffset = 0,0
TopFlank =
TopFlankOffset = 0,0
BottomFlank =
BottomFlankOffset = 0,0 |
Flanks and their offsets. Our matrix state skin has no
flanks. |
ActiveForeground=
InActiveForeground=
ForegroundAlign=1
ForegroundOffset=0,0
|
Foreground layers and their properties: we used no
foreground decorations for this skin. |
| BtnBacks = BtnBacks.png |
Buttons' backgrounds:
(downsampled to 25% of the original size)
8 button backgrounds for all positions, defined by the skin. If a
certain position does not exist, leave the section void.
Positions are defined in the order of AltDesk
positioning format
from 1 to 8.
If you use all 8 backgrounds it's recommended to place each into a
square and then rotate around the center of the square instead of
setting offsets manually. This way you could avoid positioning problems.
|
| BtnBacksOffset = -21,46 |
Each background's offset relatively to the Cell. |
| OptButton=btn1.png |
Options button:
Normal, mouse | |
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