System - Virtual Desktop Manager

Virtual Desktop Manager

by Damian J. Suess of Xeno Innovations, Inc. [2000-2007]

• Download Sys-VDM - (Binary) v0.9.123.zip - 68.1 KB
• Download Sys-VDM - (Source) v0.9.123.zip - 60.9 KB (Updated 2007-09-21)

Introduction:

A Linux-like multiple desktop engine (virtual desktop manager) for your Microsoft Windows OS that allows the user to take a hold of the desktop environment. Many of the other programmers who made a Virtual Window Manager (VWM) simply moved your windows off screen to create this effect had trouble loosing windows or could not move all windows in a program. Litestep and SharpE fell into this problem but would fix it through extra coding. However the method used here; hiding windows has a greater advantage of freeing up your taskbar items, memory usage as well as not loosing the position of your workspace.

Like any multi-desktop environment there are some programs that do not work well with either being moved to another location far off the screen (usually in a negative (x, y) position) or with being forced to hide (really rare). This is issue is fixed by allowing you to force specified windows to stay "sticky" - a method that allows windows to not hide on switch of desktop workspace.

Features:

- Automatic self-update
- Windows 2000/XP Alpha Transparency
- Changeable VWM refresh rate (VWM - Virtual Window Manager)
- Memorize Start-Up Position
- Startup with Windows OS.
- Lock Toolbar Window
- Gather All Desktops
- VDM Window Z-Order position
+ VDM-Toolbar OnTop
+ VDM-Toolbar Apart of Desktop
+ VDM-Toolbar No Z-Order
- Custom Backgrounds on each desktop.
+ Stretch, Center or Tiled
+ Custom Backgound Color per Desktop
- EZ Sticky Window Editor
Presets:
+ WINAMP
+ Shell_TrayWnd (Windows Taskbar)
+ "Windows Task Manager"

Scripting Behind Sticky Windows & Wallpaper:

The program contains a scripting file (sys-vdm.dat) which may be modified by hand if needed, but not recommended. This file is very self-explanatory..

Under the [sticky]...[/sticky] section the parameter, line delimited. Both parameters may be used together on the same line:

• [cls]...[/cls] - Holds the Class Name of the sticky window
• [txt]...[/txt] - Holds the Window Title of the sticky window

Under Wall Paper, there are 3 parameters per line.

1. Desktop Window Index Number
2. Wallpaper Style
3. Path to Wall Paper

[sticky]
  [cls]Shell_TrayWnd[/cls]
  [cls]Winamp v1.x[/cls]
  [cls]Winamp PE[/cls]
  [cls]Winamp EQ[/cls]
  [cls]Winamp Gen[/cls]
  [txt]Windows Task Manager[/txt]
  [txt]Virtual Desktop Manager - [VDM] Setup[/txt]
[end]

; ndx | style | path
;   xCenter  = 0
;   xTile    = 1
;   xStretch = 2
[wallpaper]
  1|2|G:\prog\sys-vdm\_skin\a gift of moonlight - blue.jpg
  2|2|G:\prog\sys-vdm\_skin\dereliction_1280x1024.jpg
  3|0|G:\prog\sys-vdm\_skin\heacarol7.jpg
  4|1|G:\prog\sys-vdm\_skin\AtlantesPulse.jpg
[end]
 

Dependencies:

These Critical Files are for the Program & Self-Updating system (Not Included).

MSVBM60.DLL
MSWINSCK.OCX (sp6)
MSCOMCTRL.OCX (sp6)

[Download] - VB6 Run-Time Redistro Service Pack 6

History:

0.9.122: [2006-12-26]
Various Upgrades.. (can't remember right now)

0.9.113:

Applied backgound image switch with backgound color change, which is
useful on Windows' systems earlier than 2000/XP.

0.9.100: [2005]

Loosing windows during rapid switching fixed by dissabling sys-vdm
momentairly until switch of desktops is completely finished.

0.9.94: [2005-02-15]

Loosing windows fixed through careless index number.
'Sticky Windows' upgraded.

0.5.51: [2004-11-30]

Initial release.

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impressive work Miss_E 4:02 30 Apr '08   I'm very impressed with your work! Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 5.00/5 (1 vote) multiple monitors? Dave Calkins 6:37 8 Feb '08   Nice article! Was looking forward to giving this a try to regain some control over my desktop windows, but it doesn't seem to work well if you have multiple monitors. I have 2 side-by-side monitors. The 4 panes shown don't seem to represent 4 complete desktops with their own trays. Instead the first 2 correspond to the first desktop and left and right monitor. Also, if you open a window, it shows in the currently selected pane. If you click on other panes instead of it hiding and showing the other desktop, it stays and gets added to the other desktop. I'm guessing its just not setup to handle multiple monitors. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: multiple monitors? Damian J. Suess 7:18 8 Feb '08   Unfortunately you're right, at the time when this program was written (2003) it wasn't made for multiple monitors. Thank you for the helpful input, those bug-fixes will go into the next release on here. As well Vista support. -code monkey- Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Very Cool, Thanks Matthew Faithfull 0:36 5 Feb '08   I'll be fascinated to get a look at the source code and see how you did it. Back in the very old days of Win 3.11 I used a Shareware offering called BigDesk originally paired up with BackDesk and later with the superb German Shareware product NewMenusForWindows. This was still the best looking, most productive and highly configurable desktop I've ever had. No Windows version since or any addons that I can find have offered a full 3x3 screen pannable desktop with pinnable editable menus in several styles, built in scripting and a full clickable map of the whole virtual desktop. Let alone the working voice command activation and clap detection I squeezed in from other sources. Anything that takes me back in that direction is a bonus. Nothing is exactly what it seems but everything with seems can be unpicked. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink new functionality stoler 1:04 2 Oct '07   I think that the program should place the higher priority for itself KGS Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: new functionality Damian J. Suess 7:35 28 Jan '08   There are other projects where i have allowed the user to modify the program's process-priority.. However in this project, the key is to have it run on minimal memory usage due to the loops of checking up on each window's size & position. This is a really great suggestion, and may put the feature in a newer release for those of you who wish to do so. -code monkey- Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink developing cd key youba raj 20:08 25 Sep '07   how to develop cd key in vb ? Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 1.00/5 (4 votes) Re: developing cd key Damian J. Suess 22:11 25 Sep '07   Not sure i fully understand your question. Are you asking, how does one create a CD Key for distributing a software package? Or does this pertain to Sys-VDM? Cause if your asking how to create a secure Key Generator, i can surely help you out with that easily. -code monkey- Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Missing module louiecliu 9:22 21 Sep '07   Nice program. But I do have a question: Where can I find fuctWnd_05.bas or user is expected to create private module? Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Missing module Damian J. Suess 14:26 21 Sep '07   sorry about that.. i forgot that was apart of another (general) directory, not in the main one. My mistake -code monkey- Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Multi-desktop APIs David Howe 22:42 16 Sep '07   Didn't you use the windows API: ::CreateDesktop()? Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: Multi-desktop APIs Damian J. Suess 14:58 21 Sep '07   No not at all.. I tried to avoid the usage of the CreateDesktop() API in order to minimize errors of loosing windows and also program compatibility issues. In some SDI (Single Document Interface) programs, you can loose the child windows. CreateDesktop() as far as my own experience when using it in the past was for Custom Shell programs. Sys-VDM is not a replacement for the Windows Explorer Shell. Good question. -code monkey- Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 1.00/5 (1 vote) OCX File Missing Paras Shah 19:45 14 Sep '07   when i run the given exe, it gives some ocx file is missing. Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 1.00/5 (1 vote) Re: OCX File Missing Paras Shah 19:47 14 Sep '07   where can we download these files from? Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink Re: OCX File Missing chehreghany 22:34 15 Sep '07   http://www.ocxdump.com/download-ocx-files_new.php/ocxfiles/M/MSWINSCK.OCX/6.00.81694/download.html Sign In·View Thread·PermaLink 3.50/5 (3 votes)

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