Poster: RedMelons Date: 1-Mar-2004 4:02:37

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h, well that's another nice feature of KDE - the 'Klipper'

Or the Gnome Clipboard Manager applet for those of you using the "superior" Gnome desktop

- Paul

Most of that was the usual "one day in the future" blibble.

Workbench does need an overhaul though, but a lot of it is good. It was always uncluttered, and unlike Windows where it is all too easy to get a cluttered desktop because it is merely a directory it was very managable. Application launching was easy - you'd just dump the icon onto the desktop ... however a better launching mechanism is required these days (I used to use an application that added some customisable menus to the Workbench menu for launching applications, that was quick and unobtrusive).

Regarding screens, this has been discussed before. Simply construct each screen as a plane in a 3D scene, with the actual display being a texture map on that polygon and use the 3D hardware to compose the display (with smooth scaling being automatic as well). You can do this with windows and menus as well, and then add nice pretty effects like transparency, drop shadows, glows, etc (OPTIONAL, I just know someone will reply with "I don't like them, because I don't like them the option shouldn't exist) for virtually no effort as well.

Quote:

Ah, well that's another nice feature of KDE - the 'Klipper' clipboard tool which sits at the bottom of the screen and lets you choose from all your clipboard selections in the session.

The Amiga has ClipHistory by Magnus Holmgren (a commodity), does the same thing.

I do agree about Linux copying by just left button dragging and middle mouse button pasting--it's become quite automatic for me.

@alx
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...AFAIK you cannot select a picture and paste it into a supporting application that way,

Yes, you can .

I know of at least four programs that support this: MultiView, PPaint, IconEdit and RawBInfo. I use it a lot when I'm editing icons . The clipboard can actually take any format as long as it's IFF, though most programs only support the four most standard ones: FTXT, ILBM and 8SVX.

IMO the Workbench itself doesn't really need an overhaul (except maybe some way to force copy and move when dragging icons (maybe through a qualifier key?) ). It does all that it's supposed to do (represent the harddrive, CD, floppy etc. filesystems with graphical symbols AKA icons) and it does it well enough IMO. Launch/ dock programs should IMO not be made part of the Workbench but rather be made as separate WBStartup commodities, so that people can choose whether they want them or not as they are in no way essential to the Workbench .

Quote:

Regarding screens, this has been discussed before. Simply construct each screen as a plane in a 3D scene, with the actual display being a texture map on that polygon and use the 3D hardware to compose the display (with smooth scaling being automatic as well).

This would be cool with a VR interface. Just use your VR gloves to reach in and rotate your display polygon to the screen you want. Even more cool, would be to drag icons, windows, etc from one screen to another across the polygon. It would just require a way to pull back from the display to see the polygon, though not neccesarily.

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@pjhutch

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The ability to have shortcuts on the Desktop is missing and to lauch common apps from the menus or orther means is missing . Docks is one way but can use up valuable space.

You can use text style docks, and have the applications listed in a subdock, to mimic the "Start" menu in Windows.

@salass00

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Launch/ dock programs should IMO not be made part of the Workbench but rather be made as separate WBStartup commodities, so that people can choose whether they want them or not as they are in no way essential to the Workbench.

If docks aren't desired, then we are free to disable it. I am a bit on the "sitting on the fence" position regarding whether or not I will use AmiDock. But, it does sound quite flexible, according to the info in pages 14 and 15 from the OS4 Feature Set.

Well you could have an option in amidock that would hide it. And let it work just like the menu bars, so when you held down the right mouse button it would appear, hover over the icon you wanted and release the right mouse button to activate.
This function could even have a show/hide toggleswitch button at the edge of the Amidock.

(I would also want a doubleclick option, because i hate starting every program twice :)

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Ralf.
Amigaone G4 XE / AOs4 beta update4
Post+1

Good q & a

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Quote:

except maybe some way to force copy and move when dragging icons (maybe through a qualifier key?)

IIRC you can do this already since WB 3.5 - hold down the left(?) Amiga key.

Chris

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"Miracles we do at once, the impossible takes a little longer" - AJS on Hyperion
Avatar is Tabitha by Eric W Schwartz

@Amipal

That looks similar to what I was planning for my next project (although I was going to do it with ReAction). I love iTunes, and a similar player for AmigaOS would rock.

Sadly I'm having to give up development for the time being due to a nuked system

I only hope that all these things succeed to become true... and that it isn't too late...

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AmigaOS, the last hope...

I agree. A much prefer a tidy Workbench screen with everything arranged on Tools Demon. I suppose that I'll be using the AmiDock soon. :)

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Sam

@Blaine
Quote:

Quote: Launch/ dock programs should IMO not be made part of the Workbench but rather be made as separate WBStartup commodities, so that people can choose whether they want them or not as they are in no way essential to the Workbench. If docks aren't desired, then we are free to disable it. I am a bit on the "sitting on the fence" position regarding whether or not I will use AmiDock. But, it does sound quite flexible, according to the info in pages 14 and 15 from the OS4 Feature Set.

Well that is how it is now and I can't see why it should be changed. Having these kinds of programs as separate entities is a much nicer solution because it gives the users more choice as in whether they want to use it or not or maybe they want to use another somewhat different (better ?) program of this type instead .

I'm surprised, no question about the recent court outcome?!

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José