Copyright: Copyright © 1999-2002 Gladiators Software


About

AltDesk is a product of Gladiators Software.

Authors (idea, design, programming): Oleg Bulychov, Nick Egorov.

Graphics: Dmitry Prosvirnin.

Additional Support: Pavel Kormishin, Paul Nikonoff.

If you have Internet access be sure to visit Gladiators Software homepage. You can download the latest versions and updates of our programs from the page.

URL: http://www.astonshell.com

E-mail address for information, feedback, suggestions, bug reports, support etc:

mailto:support@astonshell.com


How to create skin?

Believe it or not, it's relatively simple to create your own custom personalities for AltDesk. All you really need is a text editor (even Notepad will do) and a program that can save .BMP files (e.g. MS Paint). However, you can get fancy in the creation of the graphics with almost any program you like. Some people use Adobe Photoshop, other swear by Paint Shop Pro, and some people even go so far as to render all their graphics in higher-end packages.

AltDesk skin consists of two bitmap (*.bmp) file and one initialization (*.ini) file. Ini-file includes all skin's parameters.

Here they are:

[AltDesk Skin]	; begin sections

Name=Skin's name which will appear at "Settings" dialog box.

TransparentColor=255,0,255 	; transparent color allows to create windows with regions

Main=main.bmp	; main bitmap

CellSize=90,54	; width, height for one desktop.

ClientRect=9,5,85,50	; coordinates of icons' area

; element's order (width was set)

ActiveCell=0,0

InactiveCell=0,54

ActiveBorder=0,108

InactiveBorder=0,162

CellDistance=0,0	; distance between cells by X and Y coordinates.

Buttons=buttons.bmp	; buttons bitmap

BtnSize=30,18	; buttons sizes

BtnDistance=10	; distance between buttons

BtnOffset=10,-1	; offset of buttons from edge of window

; coordinates of glyphs

Button1Normal=0,0

Button1Selected=30,0

Button1Pressed=60,0

Button2Normal=0,18

Button2Selected=30,18

Button2Pressed=60,18

BtnPos=7,8	; preferred position of buttons

[Description]	; begin sections of description

Your description!

See howto.gif for more information.


Introduction

AltDesk is a virtual desktops' manager for Windows 9x/NT/Me/2000/XP. AltDesk lets you to add more functionality to your computer's desktop. It can create many virtual desktops which can be placed as you want. It has neat skinnable interface. So you can build your skins.

Features included:

- Autorun for each desktop.

- Program can be easily moved from one desktop to another (by drag'n'drop).

- Fully customizable hotkeys (Win key included).

- "Boss" key.

- All its elements are fully customizable.

- Sticky Windows, i.e. windows that exist on all the desktops.

- Transparency in Win2000/XP.

- Different wallpaper for every desktop.

- Neat skinnable user interface.

- Multiple monitor support.

- Little system requirements.

AltDesk consists of some cells. Mouse left-click uses to switch between them. Mouse right-click on program's icon calls the menu which contains of these items:

- Minimize, Restore, Close this program.

- Switch to some programs in task list.

- Terminate the program in a case it hangs.

- Update icon of any program.

- Hide/show AltDesk.

- Lock cells (unable to move AltDesk).

- Show Preferences dialog.

- Recover the lost application(s).

- Change program language.


Recovering
This feature can be used to check which applications are running now, but can not be accessed, and recover any of them what you need. Application will be recovered on the active desktop.

Easy recovering: press and hold down the "Shift" key, then right-click on Altdesk window or icon.


Registration

The registration fee for AltDesk is USD $15.

Why should I register?

You will	never see the "Nag" screen. get all new releases of AltDesk for free. receive full technical support. receive E-mail notifications about product's news and updates.

And after all:

We did our best to make AltDesk useful for you and have a lot of ideas to be implemented in future versions but we won't be able to realize them without your support...

See http://www.astonshell.com for more information.


Settings

Call settings dialog to change any parameter. Settings dialog can be called by these ways:

- By right click on tray icon and then selected item "Preferences".

- By right click on any cell and then selected item "Preferences".

- By left click on Settings button (if enabled).

Settings

You can enable\disable:

- Automatically start AltDesk when Windows starts.

- Run AltDesk minimized.

- Hotkeys.

- Autorun.

- Confirmation before exit.

- Show name of desktop at switching.

- Internet Explorer 5.x (and higher) compatibility mode.

- Overlap fullscreen applications.

- Minimize on use.

- Automatically make task active.

- Automatically switch to destkop with foreground task.

Interface

This tab is for customization of the parameters below:

- Position of functional buttons or their disabling.

- Virtual desktops' quantity by width.

- Virtual desktops' quantity by height.

- Transparency (Win2000/XP only).

- Snap Altdesk when you move it near screen borders.

- Move the icon of foreground application to the left-top corner of cell.

- Size of icons.

- Minimize and restore AltDesk animation.

- Different wallpaper for every desktop.

Select skins

At this tab you can examine skins list and select skin.

If you want to change the skin do the following:

- Select Properties dialog.

- Click the Skins tab.

- Select the desired skin from the drop-down listbox.

- Click the "OK" button.

Hotkeys

You can easily switch between virtual desktops using the "hotkeys" which provide the easy way to switch directly to each desktop or to previous/next/up/down virtual desktop.

Circular list of desktops allows to switch between desktops using single hotkey.

"Boss" key can be used for fast switching to the first desktop, additionally, AltDesk window and tray icon will be disappear. To restore AltDesk, press "boss" key again.

Desktop's settings

This tab used to assign hotkeys. Also you can name any desktop, so its name will appear for a one second when you switch to another desktop.

Sticky applications

On the "Sticky applications" tab you can assign the list of a programs that will be on all the desktops. Maybe you hear about such a feature as like "Sticky windows".

"Add ..." buttons adds a program to the list, "Remove" - removes program from the list. If you want to exclude a program from the list for a some time then simply uncheck it.

You can use the pattern to specify the window caption, e.g: "Microsoft Spy++*".

In the pattern string:

* 	matches any sequence of characters (zero or more),

? 	matches any character,

\*	match the character "*" exactly,

\?	match the character "?" exactly,

\\	match the character "\" exactly.

The comparison is case sensitive.

Autorun

Autorun allows to start an applications automatically at selected desktop when switching to this desktop. You can create a shortcut to the application in the Startup folder which corresponds to the desktop using Add button. Shortcuts can be moved between folders using the Drag&Drop. Delete button moves highlighted shortcut to the Recycle Bin.