Display on Desktop - Printable Version
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+----- Thread: Display on Desktop (/showthread.php?tid=54150)
Display on Desktop by picturethis73 on 12-21-2005 at 09:44 PM
Hi there! I'm enjoying Messenger Plus!, keep up the good work.
I wonder; wouldn't it be nice if the "Display on Desktop" option would get a few extra options?
I would like to display only the people that are online on the desktop. That way I don't get all the Messenger stuff on screen and I get all the online people at once, without having to have the Messenger window open all the time.
At the moment, I can put everyone I like on the desktop; but that's a screen full. I'd like it to automatically display only the people that are online (or busy, or away, etc.).
Anyone have any ideas on this addition to MP! ?
Regards!
PT
RE: Display on Desktop by GiantSpider on 12-21-2005 at 09:52 PM
A nice idea
RE: Display on Desktop by L. Coyote on 12-21-2005 at 11:34 PM
quote:You can already do this.
Originally posted by picturethis73
I'd like it to automatically display only the people that are online (or busy, or away, etc.).
You go MsgPlus! preferences:
1) main MSN Messenger window
2) Plus! menu
3) Preferences...
4) Contact List
5) Desktop Contacts
6) check the box "Hide depending on contact's status:" and make sure it says "Offline"
That will show desktop contacts which are other than offline.
RE: Display on Desktop by Voldemort on 12-22-2005 at 12:20 AM
i thought you wanted to have your display pic on your desktop,
its a very good idea. thats why i dont use them.
RE: Display on Desktop by picturethis73 on 12-22-2005 at 12:31 AM
Thanks Leo!
(how the hxll did I miss that option 
But I would like MP! to build the list of "online" people from the right-bottom from my screen to the right-top (this way, I have the smallest list of online people directly available).
So, if I have 4 people online, they appear in one column below eachother starting at the right bottom (you can see all 4).
Now; with this option, you only get the online people, but they appear where you have last put them on your screen (I think).
I guess, if I put them all in the right-bottom corner, they will be on top of eachother (and you only see one; the last one that comes online) in stead of above eachother in a "list"...
Would like that option......
TIA!
Oh, and of course Damm-O; a display picture would even be better!
(but I think that would mean that you should be able to adjust the vertical size of the desktop-contact as well? which I think would be great as well; completely adjustable desktop-contacts)
Regards!
Sorry for the repost... I will improve my forum-skills
(just forgot about the edit button).Anyway; is there any method of changing the width of the desktop-contacts all at once? I hoped the "Set as default..." option would do that, but it doesn't...
TIA again!
RE: Display on Desktop by Voldemort on 12-22-2005 at 12:41 AM
use the edit button on the lower right of your post, double posts are prohibited, i dont really care, but most mods and users do. read the rules too, http://shoutbox.menthix.net/rules.html
adn yes , display pictures will be really cool
RE: Display on Desktop by CookieRevised on 12-22-2005 at 02:10 AM
quote:suggested long time ago, but in practice not really possible if you want it so everybody can use it in their own way (at least, not without using dodgy and complex coding. Which, in the end, wouldn't be to everybodies satisfaction anyways).
Originally posted by picturethis73
But I would like MP! to build the list of "online" people from the right-bottom from my screen to the right-top (this way, I have the smallest list of online people directly available).
This because of several practical reasons. One would be (though I bit hard to explain fully): how is Plus! going to determine which contact needs to be place where in the list, column or row when your contacts are randomly placed on the desktop (because, afterall, that is how they are placed for Plus!; it is your own order).
For all Plus! knows, the gaps which are created because a contact is offline are simply places where you do not want a contact. Or vice-versa, the available place on the desktop could be a place to put a contact on who suddenly comes online. And what defines which space of that 1024x768 big desktop is Plus! going to use?
There is simply not a strait forward way to determine which space on the desktop could be used for contacts, let alone that there is a defined way in which order they must appear (one user could want them to apear alphabetically, another want them to appear as they come online, another as how he has set them when he attached them to the desktop, etc etc...), and what "order" of place is used, heck how do you define "order"? Left to right, right to left, bottom to top, diagonal, etc?
All this said, it isn't totally impossible though. But it would require much code for actually not much result. And above all, everybody has his own likings in how they must appear, the order of appeareance, where the contacts could emerge, etc.
If this is put into a Plus! feature, it would be a rather restrictive feature. Maybe usefull for you, but not usefull to many others. Either way, it would require a total rewrite of the code, I imagine.
quote:It does though. But only for new additions to the desktop. That is what "set as default" means; it uses those settings as the default settings for anything you add later on. This followes the (logic) scheme which is used in any program (it doesn't mean "override every setting you have done so far")...
Originally posted by picturethis73
Anyway; is there any method of changing the width of the desktop-contacts all at once? I hoped the "Set as default..." option would do that, but it doesn't...
RE: Display on Desktop by picturethis73 on 12-22-2005 at 11:18 AM
Thanks Cookie for your explanation. Yet, I think it wouldn't be that hard to code, but since I don't know your code, I can't really tell can I...
The way MS! can create the list is easy: just specify the location (specify a corner or specific x/y coordinates), the order (alphabetically is actually the only sensible order; just like how MSN does it) and maybe specify the width and height of a desktop-contact. Voila, a list can be created? Of course this list-creating should not replace the current method (where a user can specify each location manually). It would rather be an extra option.
Although I do agree on the fact that there might be little users who would use this option. Maybe a poll on this might help to get to know the users mindset on this (since there are lots and lots of options that I never use and that I cannot see the use of anyway ?
However, If I change the (e.g.) transparancy of a desktop-contact, and I specify "Set as Default", all other desktop-contacts change immediately (not only on adding a new one).
Changing the width of a contact is not propagated to the other contacts. Not immediately and not when I add them later-on (i.e. remove one desktop-contact, then change the width of another one, then "Set as Default" (from that changed one) and then add the removed desktop-contact again; the width of the newly added desktop-contact is the same as when I removed it, not the new width I just specified)...
Any thoughts are appreciated. Maybe the discussion would be easier through msn? (picturethis73@hotmail.com). But maybe it's just not going to happen and in that case a discussion wouldn't be that useful
Regards!
RE: Display on Desktop by CookieRevised on 12-22-2005 at 12:11 PM
quote:It isn't as easy as that at all. It might seem asy for you because that is how you see it and how you will use it. But who says it must be a list (top/bottom), why not a row? (left/right), or put around your desktop, or ..., or ... What if the space runs out, where to place the next contact in that case?
Originally posted by picturethis73
The way MS! can create the list is easy: just specify the location (specify a corner or specific x/y coordinates), the order (alphabetically is actually the only sensible order; just like how MSN does it) and maybe specify the width and height of a desktop-contact. Voila, a list can be created? Of course this list-creating should not replace the current method (where a user can specify each location manually). It would rather be an extra option.
There is no way how Plus! could "guess" how you want that list to appear, in what shape, etc. It is easy for a human to guess/see where somebody maybe wants contacts to appear, but not for a program.
As said, something could be made, but it will be very restrictive in use and thus only "usefull" for a small amount of people.
quote:You don't remove a contact by removing it
Originally posted by picturethis73
Changing the width of a contact is not propagated to the other contacts. Not immediately and not when I add them later-on (i.e. remove one desktop-contact, then change the width of another one, then "Set as Default" (from that changed one) and then add the removed desktop-contact again; the width of the newly added desktop-contact is the same as when I removed it, not the new width I just specified)...
You hide a contact when you remove it, all the settings stay saved (and thus they still exist).But indeed, you're right, even adding a new contact (which hasn't been on the desktop before and thus doesn't have desktop contact settings) will not result in having the "default" sizes. And setting to default indeed means override all already existing settings.
* CookieRevised things this should be fixed... (but its very minor thingie though)