NeoDesk Trivia -------------- Greetings... I thought I'd put together a little file covering features of NeoDesk which are not readily apparent (or not in the documentation). Feel free to append this file and distribute it as you please. REALIZE that NeoDesk IS the property of Gribnif Software, and that you MAY NOT charge ANY fee of ANY type for this information ! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Nudging NeoDesk Icons one pixel at a time - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Normally, if the icon(s) doesn't land EXACTLY where you want it, you have to move it ----->wayyyyyyy over there, and then move it -------> wayyyyyyyy back. This can be VERY time consuming, so I wrote to Dan Wilga at Gribnif and this is what he suggested... 1). Select the icon(s). 2). Using the keyboard Alt-Insert, grab one of the icons _near_ the edge you are moving _TOWARD_ . ie: To move the icon(s) to the right by one pixel, grab the right edge of the selected icon. 3). Use Shift-Alt-arrow to move in the direction by one pixel. Let go of the keys to drop the icon(s). 4). If the icon(s) have not moved at all, DO NOT move the mouse pointer. Instead, repeat step # 2. Eventually, you will have grabbed the icon from its very edge and it will be moved that one pixel when you drag it. 5). That's it ! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Opening drive windows without drive icons - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - One other problem I encountered was that I simply didn't have enough room in medium resolution to fit all the icons on the NeoDesktop that I wanted. The first solution is, of course, to save multiple desktop setups (for different applications) and load them as needed. For most applications I don't need the drive icons. So what I did was to assign a macro which opened a drive window. 1). Select Begin Macro from the menu. 2). Double-click on a drive icon so that a window opens to that drive. 3). Select End Macro from the menu. 4). Assign a key to the macro (ie: F1=Drive A, F2=Drive B...). 5). Install the Macro and be sure to save a NeoDesk.MAC file. 6). Press the appropriate Macro key to open a window to that drive. Once you're sure you've installed it properly... 7). Select the drive icon and press Control-D (Install Desktop Icon). 8). Remove the icon. 9). Test your Macro again to be certain it works. Then save a NEODESK.INF file (so that the drive icon doesn't reappear). IMPORTANT: Some NeoDesk drive functions REQUIRE the presence of a Drive Icon (ie: Drive A-Show Info). I would therefore recommend that at least one of your alternate desktops contain all of your drive icons. I have a Macro assigned to ALT-n which loads ALL NeoDesk program icons. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Loading/Running a file without opening a window or having an icon on the desktop - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - This MAY be documented somewhere, but I'm not sure. I think I may have read this online at GEnie from Rick Flashman of Gribnif Software. 1). Open a window to the file you wish load and select it. 2). Select Begin Macro. 3). Run/Load the file. 4). Quit the file/program. 5). Select End Macro. 6). Assign a key to this Macro and Install it. 7). Close the window. 8). Press the appropriate Macro key to run/load this file. 9). Save a NeoDesk.MAC file. EXAMPLES: - - - - - To reload NEODESKH.INF I opened a window to the NeoDesk folder and selected NEODESKH.INF. I selected BEGIN MACRO and pressed CONTROL-L (load configuration). After it loaded I selected END MACRO. I assigned ALT-n to the Macro key and INSTALLED the Macro (and saved a MAC file). Now whenever I press ALT-n, NEODESKH.INF loads (without an icon or an open window). To load a program, I opened a window to the program file. I selected BEGIN MACRO and then double-clicked on the program file. After the program loaded I quit it, and returned to NeoDesk. I then selected END MACRO, assigned a Macro key and INSTALLED it. I closed the window and saved a MAC file. Now whenever I press that key the program loads without an icon on the desktop OR an open window . The possibilities are truly endless. All you really need are the icons onto which you drag stuff ! - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Multiple "same" icons on the desktop - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - You CAN have more than one of the same icon on the desktop and have both react the same. I like having 2 normal trashcans on the desktop in case one gets covered by a window. One is in the lower left hand corner of the screen and the other in the lower right. No matter which trash I drag stuff to, it works the same. I asked Dan Wilga at Gribnif and he said that this is perfectly legal, that I can have as many trashcans as I like. BTW: This works for other icons as well, ie: drive icons. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - *INSERT your NeoDesk Trivia here. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - OTHER MACRO KEYS: - - - - - - - - - I thought I'd stick this section here in case you have any ideas for useful Macros. Feel free to add what you like... Delete Key: -----------> Close a NeoDesk window. Undo Key: -----------> Close ALL open windows. Function Key: -----------> Open a drive window. Keypad 1-0: -----------> Drive A-Show Info, Drive B-Show Info... Tab: -----------> Load Icon Editor. Keypad *: -----------> Set Prefs then load Icon Editor (in case the .NIC file exceeds Max Items/Folder). ALT-a: -----------> Format Drive A. CONTROL-ALT-x: -----------> Run a program (x=first letter of program). - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - COPYRIGHT INFORMATION - - - - - - - - - - - NeoDesk,NeoDesk Icons & Macros (C)Gribnif Software.