Mark Jerde 2004-07-23 04:20
Sorry if this has been suggested before... ;-)
I use Microsoft's WinXP PowerToy Virtual Desktop Manager on my 4-monitor WinXP computer at work and MultiDesk on my 3-monitor Win2k computer at home. I like features of each, and MS's VDM has fewer problems than MultiDesk, at least on my two systems. Have you considered multiple desktops as a separate product or part of MultiMon? If you're interested I have several specific feature requests. ;-)
-- Mark
|
Christian Studer 2004-07-23 06:56
I've thought about it, mainly in order to add support for using a different UltraMon wallpaper on each desktop.
It would almost certainly be a pretty basic desktop manager though, for example like MSVDM.
Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
|
Tantalus 2004-07-25 11:24
the MSVDM is a very simple product...too simple IMO. you can't have different resolutions for each desktop and you can't have different wallpaper,etc for each. a good virtual desktop manager should also have a master program manager list to show all the open apps (you don't want to shut down the machine if you have other open apps in the virtual desktops).
|
Mark Jerde 2004-07-25 23:53
I agree MSVDM is a simple product -- which is why I think a DM built into UltraMon would be nice. ;-) ... especially mirroring.
One thing I like about MSVDM over MultiDesk is the ease of moving apps between desktops. It's quicker for me to click a button in the Smart Taskbar than to open and navigate a tree-based window. In UltraMon-DM the default would be to have just the apps on that monitor on that particular desktop displayed (like MultiDesk), but you could click on something on the Smart Taskbar to display the apps on (all/selected other) desktops on that display, click on the desired app, and it would move to the current desktop.
-- Mark
|
John 2004-10-28 07:37
Is this going anywhere? At the moment I'm using Multidesk because I need all of the virtual desktops, but your app suits my needs better in all ways but this one.
|
Christian Studer 2004-10-29 02:07
A virtual desktop manager will be considered for UltraMon 3, but I don't know yet if it will be implemented or not.
Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
|
John 2004-11-04 04:23
Even something simple like ImpVWM would do it, which is nothing but a pager. Multiple resolutions on different desktops and all those sort of advanced features would of course be great, but I don't think they're really nexessary, at least for a first release...
|
Paul Wrighton 2005-03-22 18:36
I nearly started a new thread, but thought I would bump this one instead and also recommend anyone else enquiring in this area to Google on "Ultramon forum MSVDM" when they will turn up a few other posts.
I have been through some more recent comments on other threads where it has been stated that virtual desktop support in Ultramon is NOT planned. At the same time there was a batch file posted way back for multiple wallpapers in Ultramon with MSVDM.
I am a trial user of Ultramon right now, but I do like a couple of things enough to want to keep it. I was a user of MSVDM beforte going two heads and want to keept that also - at the moment it seems to me I have to choose. I am working on this, an dit looks to me like Ultramon could maybe be enhanced to let me "have my cake and eat it".
There are two things have not worked for me, the first is multiple wallpapers set with MSVDM active using both monitors. These only "stick" until your switch to another MSVDM screen, thereafter they "double up" with same wallpaper on each monitor again - I intend to see how this batch code works from Christians old post...
f:
cd \program files\ultramon
set UMWPDIR=F:\Documents and Settings\Christian\My Documents\My Wallpapers
start /wait ultramondesktop.exe /load %UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper1.wallpaper
copy /Y "%UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper1.bmp" "%TEMP%\MSVDM-Desktop0.bmp"
start /wait ultramondesktop.exe /load %UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper2.wallpaper
copy /Y "%UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper2.bmp" "%TEMP%\MSVDM-Desktop1.bmp"
start /wait ultramondesktop.exe /load %UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper3.wallpaper
copy /Y "%UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper3.bmp" "%TEMP%\MSVDM-Desktop2.bmp"
start /wait ultramondesktop.exe /load %UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper4.wallpaper
copy /Y "%UMWPDIR%\Wallpaper4.bmp" "%TEMP%\MSVDM-Desktop3.bmp"
The other one appears to be a bug - I made a point of saving my desktop icon positions shortly after sorting them out across my extended display. Then at one point I switched to primary only (have second rig I use secondary monitor to be primary for sometimes) and when I switched back was expecting to be able to restore positions from those saved - this did not work.
I look forward to hearing - hopefully in time for me to "buy with confidence" because I have heard good things abotu support here.
Regards from an Ultramon user (trial)
|
Paul Wrighton 2005-03-23 02:28
Just as an update that batch file does not work at all for me - in fact created such problems with wallpapers I had to reboot to clear! I can roughly see what it is aiming to do, but it is not working in my case, maybe because I had to copy the Ultramon directory to the data drive with the wallpapers on it.
the other update I wanted to include is that there is a post in the forum which I read as saying this feature will never be coming into Ultramon (unlike here where we are hearing it is under consideration for 3.0) I cannot find that thread now - but I am sure I read one where it was stated there might not be any such thing in UltraMon - I cannot see why it shoul dbe too much trouble, it is a pretty primitive feature - so they say!
I think I like both Ultramon and MSVDM and would ideally not like to have to choose between them - it gets messy if I start using one alongside the other....
Also the desktop icons is another major useage for me - to spread them all over both monitors and save is something I definitely EXPECT from Ultramon - without that I shall probably uninstall.
|
Christian Studer 2005-03-23 07:59
Before running the batch file, make sure you have created 4 UltraMon wallpapers, one for each desktop, and that they are named Wallpaper1 - Wallpaper4.
To customize the batch file for your system:
- set the first line to the drive letter on which you have installed UltraMon, in the sample script this is f
- set the second line to the folder where UltraMon is installed, with a leading backslash. If UltraMon is installed in f:\program files\ultramon, the second line should be cd \program files\ultramon
- set the third line to your wallpaper folder, by default this will be C:\Documents and Settings\<user>\My Documents\My Wallpapers
Regarding the icons: try disabling automatic icon positioning under UltraMon Options > General (uncheck 'preserve position of desktop icons').
With automatic icon positioning enabled, UltraMon saves icon positions during shutdown. For example if you shut down the system with only a single monitor enabled, UltraMon would then have saved the current icon positions (with all icons on the primary monitor).
I haven't made a decision on the virtual desktop manager feature yet.
Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
|
Paul Wrighton 2005-03-24 02:00
Hmmm I had tailored the batch file - though not exactly as you suggested. on retrying it seem to do just the same as if you configure desktop images in MSVDM(!) there was some intermediate step where the images were only painted and then any clicking or moving created background because Ultramin is operating as though there Wallpaper is "none". Anyway, seem to have something going by changing MSVDM Wallpaper application from "stretch" to "tile" with suitably sized images for dual display.
Icons still seem on the move - but trying your suggestion and it is useful info - shall avoid at all cost shutdowns in single monitor mode - not sure I ever switch my two head machine that way though - tend to try to run everything from the left, so to speak, so that I can get at it even if using right hand for "spare" rig. I even drop my smart taskbar to bottom of RH screen to facilitate that - so maybe I am using Ultramon in a way you would not intuitively guess.
I hope I can go beyond trial use - your comments remain useful - I guess integrated MSVDM functionality would be ideal for me though - still looks like there are areas of conflict to workaround and I'd like to lose those.
greetings - Paul
|
Damian Powell 2007-04-03 01:34
UltraMon doesn't play nice with MSVDM.
If a virtual desktop manager isn't likely to be integrated into UltraMon, could it be possible to make UltraMon defer nicely to MSVDM? I use MSVDM with the Shared Desktops option OFF. This means that the taskbar for the current desktop only shows buttons for the applications that are open (or minimized) on that desktop. If I run UltraMon at the same time, then the taskbar(s) show the buttons for *all* the applications that are running on *all* of my desktops regardless of MSVDM's Shared Desktops setting.
|
Christian Studer 2007-04-03 12:18
Which version of UltraMon are you using?
This worked fine for me when I tested some time ago.
Christian Studer - www.realtimesoft.com
|
