Frogboy Frogboy

ObjectDock 0.55

ObjectDock 0.55

http://www.objectdock.com
A new version of ObjectDock is available. This is a new build (as of today, as opposed to a buggy version that got leaked over the weekend).

ObjectDock is a task manager / program launcher that does it with style. The new beta has these features:

+ Ability to have really really big magnification (almost 200 pixel sized icons)

+ Ability to move the dock left, right, top or bottom.

+ Skinnable backgrounds (defaults to metallic).

+ More font options

Download at www.objectdock.com

Incidentally, please feel free to post this news on other sites, We're a bit swamped right now and would appreciate spreading the word. Thanks.
31,284 views 69 replies
Reply #51 Top
Kuma san -- on winxp it's C:\Documents and Settings\your username\Application Data\Microsoft\Internet Explorer\Quick Launch\Show Desktop.scf

BoXXi -- Thank you! it's an excellent piece of art
Reply #52 Top
FOR THOSE USING PAINT SHOP PRO.

I'm not going into great detail, but first it must be a layer, make the layer transparent(slider bar on the layer pallet). Save the file as a .png. BUT hit the options button and then the run optimizer button. Goto the transparency tab and click on the aplha channel transparency.

thats it...
Reply #53 Top
oh, and those are really nice icons Master mormegil... I like the toon idea, would relax me when I see them for sure!
Reply #54 Top
FOR PSP USERS

oh, and if you have a background color, then you must use the color menu and set the transparency value color. And you may need to use another setting on the box besides alpha channel, I think they have a color setting... write me if anyone has any other questions.
Reply #55 Top
One slight problem : Clicking a shortcut with an url kills the active IE-window and even active downloads.

Powered by SkinBrowser!
Reply #56 Top
Hey thanks for the 'Desktop' shortcut guys.

I have found another couple of things that can be deemed as slightly annoying:

Whilst working in Flash MX or Dreamweaver MX, if a dialog box opens then a new icon appears on the Dock.

an example: Click the 'Insert a target path' button in the ActionScript panel

Another problem:
If a Quicktime movie is playing and another window/ application goes ontop of it, the Dock starts flickering...it does not seem to be the same with WMP


I also have a question.
Is it possible to completely do away with the Start button/task bar and replace it with something else, I have heard of ObjectBar, but honestly, how good is it?
Does your machine feel slower/equal or faster?

Thanks
Reply #57 Top
I seem to be having a frustrating problem. Maybe someone can help. I like to have all of my windows maximized (Explorer, Internet Explorer, Outlook, etc.) Incidentally, I use DesktopX to limit the size of maximized windows. Whenever I launch a program with ObjectDock, however, the window never fully maximizes, unless I click the maximize button. Then, the next time I launch the same program, again, the window is no longer maximized. Any ideas on how to solve this, or is this a bug in the current version?

Also: I **SECOND** the motion from an earlier poster: I DESPERATELY want the ability to put the Dock ANYWHERE I want on the screen...not just the top, bottom, left or right. Please add a "floating" option so that I can put it, for example, in the middle of the screen, or maybe just 150 pixels up from the very bottom.
Reply #59 Top
Kuma san: check out NextStart or WorkShelf, pretty sweet stuff (Nextstart user myself) fully skinnable, lighning fast and damn good (imo) www.winstep.net
Reply #60 Top
what can I say, I'm deeply impressed and I really enjoy using this stuff, and mostly the guys above me already told what I miss; but there is one thing nobody talked about.
ObjectDock comes with icons taken from the iconpackager theme "Crystal" but the IP theme has a few more icons than those implemented in ObjectDock. I tried to use those icons from IP theme but they don't work with the magnification very well. also I tried a few other IP themes and those didn't work at all. will there be a chance to use icon themes or get more magnifying-ready icons for it in the near future?
Reply #61 Top
neph: All those sweet little DesktopX Zoomers are perfect for ObjectDock (OD). Most, if not all, are just PNG files with nice alpha-transparency. I've downloaded them, loaded them up in PS or PSP, and cropped it down to the biggest image. Save them into your OD folder or a subdirectory. Works GREAT! Remember, OD will use any image, not just icon files.

So pretty much you can take ANY image and make it an OD image.
Reply #62 Top
neph: Windows XP itself limits icon size to 72x72, even though an ICO file is capable of handling higher resolutions (128x128 is perfect for ObjectDock). Most icon authors probably don't bother creating icons larger than 72x72, since the file size increases drastically, and Windows can't use the extra size.

You can always try adding 128x128 versions of the icon by using editing software like Axialis IconWorkshop, but if you have to size an image from 72 to 128, you'll lose a little quality, even though IconWorkshop does a pretty good job of smoothing... plus you probably need permission from the author to make changes to his or her files. But as an alternative to creating PNG files, that's always an option. You can even use MAC icon files which are 128x128, and convert them to XP icons with IconWorkshop as well.
Reply #64 Top
I just read at neowin that the new Icon Workshop update will be capable of batch converting icons to png files. Hooray !

Powered by SkinBrowser!
Reply #65 Top
RE: The missing start menu.

I missed it to, although I was enjoying this little toy immensely - and then I remembered an old keyboard shortcut I learned back when the RSI was so bad that I could hardly use the mouse - {CTRL} + {ESC}. Hit those as you would {ALT} + {TAB}, and the start menu appears.

Please note, I am currently using Windows 2000 and have not ever used Windows XP, nor do I know if the keyboard shortcuts for Windows XP are the same as the ones that I am used to. But, for me, when I hit {CTRL} + {ESC}, the start menu pops up right where it would if I could see it, and I can either mouse over to it and use it that way, or navigate it using the arrow keys, which I am also accustomed to.

Thanks to the creators for a wonderful toy!!
Reply #66 Top
I'm just using it with Litestep, so I don't need the start menu. So far it seems to be a GREAT combination!
Reply #67 Top
Next release, let's be able to undock the dock resize, set it up in multiple rows, float it with an overall transparency value

Course, I am just dreaming...
Reply #68 Top
probably a smart thing for stardock to do would be to create a feedback page for objectdock where we can make specific suggestions, and group them under some standard categories, like "Visual enhancements", "Functional changes", "Compatibility issues", "Configuration options"... stuff like that.

Then we could make our general suggestions, everyone can read them, and then maybe once every week put up a vote page where we can pick our top 5 suggestions... then they just have to pick the overall top 5 or top 10 and consider pursuing them.