'Pologize y'all... I found my problem...
CB
Okay, now:
I've got the "Add Items to the Desktop Context Menu" checked.
I'm using the "ChangeExt" add-on ( justaskcomputer.com:8099/), which allows me to change extensions for files (even if extensions are hidden).
This shows as an add-on in the context menu -- usually.
But it doesn't seem to be showing in DOpus.
What the heck am I missing?
Regards,
Chuck Billow
Don't be shy - what was the problem? The solution might be useful to others.
I had my stinking layout set wrongly... once I unloaded DOpus, restarted, and double-checked all the settings, it seemed to be fine...
I still get "lost" at times amongst all the various options...
My bug-a-boo right now is the difference between saved layouts (listers?) and Styles...
I can't get the difference between my Opening layout (that I thought was 'Explorer') and the style by the same name... they are different, and I'm not at all sure why.
Regards,
Chuck Billow
Layouts save the position of multiple listers (or just one if you only save one, but the point of them is to take a snapshot of one or more windows and allow you to recreate that snapshot later).
Styles change the way an existing lister is displayed.
If you go to Preferences / Layout then there are separate tabs showing your saved Lister Styles and Saved Layouts. The two lists have no interaction with each other so if you have saved a layout called Explorer then that may cause confusion with the Explorer style, but they're both separate beasts.
The basic DOpus application Window is called a Lister. A Lister is highly configurable and could display many optional elements:
[ul]
[li] Folder tree[/li]
[li] Utility Panel[/li]
[li] Viewer Pane[/li]
[li] Windows Messenger Contact list[/li]
[li] Single or Dual Lister Panes[/li]
[li] Which columns are displayed[/li]
[li] Folder Tabs[/li][/ul]A Lister Style contains all the information about which optional DOpus Lister elements will be displayed.
A Layout is a collection of Listers (although you could have a layout with just one Lister). Layouts govern things like the screen position, and window size. You could have a layout that opens three listers, each of a designated Windows sizes, screen positions, and lister styles.
There's a bit more to it, but this should help you see the hierarchy.
So then Layouts are "just" saving how all looks on screen, where listers determine what elements are used to generate that view...
Yes?
But then how do "Styles" (tabs) fit in? /Cause remember, when I open DOpus, I see what I THOUGHT was the Explorer style... but if I click the Explorer tab, it's different .. small ways, but different (icons in the right pane instead of details, etc.).
To set up that opening "view", is tat a lister or a layout? 'Cause if I start changing around to different Styles, the only way I can get back to the beginning (seemingly) is to close up and then start over... and that can't be right... or is it?
Regards,
Chuck
A Layout is a collection of Listers (although you could have a layout with just one Lister). Layouts govern things like the screen position, and window size. You could have a layout that opens three listers, each of a designated Windows sizes, screen positions, and lister styles.
<<
My post above lists all (or nearly all) of the possible elements of a DOpus Lister. You could open a new Lister, add all of those elements that you want, and close that Lister. The next time you open a new Lister, the elements will not be displayed, nor are they saved anywhere unless this option is checked:
Preferences > Layout > Opening Listers > Update defualt lister settings when listers are closed.
(I personally recommend disabling this option.)
A Style is a saved, specific combination of possible Lister elements. You could open a new Lister, add all of those elements that you want, and save it as a new Style and close that Lister. The next time you open a new Lister, the elements will not be displayed by default. However, you will have a Style tab that contains that configuration, which you can quickly apply to the newly opened lister in one mouse click.
There is also a Previous Style which is not really a defined style unto itself, but rather the combination of lister elements that was previously displayed (which may have come from a defined style, manual customization, or a combination of both). Thus the Previous style is always in a state of flux. Thus you can open a Lister change the Style to a defined Style, and the change it back to Previous and the lister would look the same as when it opened. However if you open a lister, change to Style-1, then change to Style-2, then Change to Previous, you will see the collection of Lister elements saved in Style-1.
The out-of-box Explorer Style is configured to closely resemble Windows Explorer. However this may not be what you see when you first open a lister, as you read below you will come to understand why.
In the out-of-the-box DOpus configuration, there are three main ways to open a DOpus Lister (there are more way, but we are not discussing them right now): When DOpus first starts up (i.e. first loads into memory), when the user double-clicks on the Taskbar Icon, or the when the user double-clicks on the Desktop. When any of these three methods to open a lister are used, DOpus checks one of these relative preference settings:
[ol][li] Preferences > Startup > Listers Opened Automatically when Directory Opus starts[ul][li] Don't open any Listers[/li]
[li] Open a single lister using settings in the Layout Section[/li]
[li] Open the Listers that were opened when the program last closed[/li]
[li] Open a saved Lister Layout [/li][/ul][/li][li] Preferences > Double-click > Desktop
NOTE: These settings are exactly the same as the ones in the Layout section below, they are listed on two different dialogs but a change in one area will also change the other.[ul][li] Double-click on the Desktop[ul][li] Open a new lister[/li]
[li] Open a saved Lister Layout [/li][/ul][/li][li] Double-click on the Taskbar icon[ul][li] Open a new lister[/li]
[li] Open a saved Lister Layout [/li][/ul][/li][/ul][/li][li] Preferences > Layout > Opening Listers > Listers opened by double-clicking[ul][li] Double-click on the Desktop[ul][li] Open a new lister[/li]
[li] Open a saved Lister Layout [/li][/ul][/li][li] Double-click on the Taskbar icon[ul][li] Open a new lister[/li]
[li] Open a saved Lister Layout[/li][/ul][/li][/ul][/li][/ol]A New Lister is just what is sounds like. When DOpus opens a new lister (as opposed to opening a Layout). The elements used come from these Preference setting:
[ul][li] Preferences > Layout[ul][li] Default Settings[/li]
[li] Default Folders[/li][/ul][/li][/ul]
I believe the out-of-the-box default new lister has the above preferences set to closely resemble Windows Explorer. But this is not a Style, nor is it a Layout. It is just another way to define a collection of Lister elements, though it is more limited than a Style (but it acts very much like a Style).
You can also create a Layout, in which one or multiple Listers are open. You can customize the elements of each Lister in the Layout, either by manually and adding elements individually, or by applying a Lister Style that already contains a mixture of elements. Each Lister in the Layout uses its own Style or collection of manually added Lister elements. When a Layout is saved, the collection of elements that each Lister was using at the time the Layout was saved is stored in the Style named "Previous." When the Layout is re-opened later, this Previous Style (or previously saved collection of Lister Elements) are used.
This is what I do. I find it simple to maintain:[ol][li] Close all Listers[/li]
[li] Open one new Lister[/li]
[li] Add a new Style that you want to see every time you open a new Lister (give it a new unique name)[/li]
[li] Customize this Style to your heart's content and save it.[/li]
[li] Resize and reposition the currently open Lister on the screen where you would want your listers to open[/li]
[li] Open Preferences > Layout > Lister Layouts and click on [Save As][/li]
[li] Name this Layout a new unique name[/li]
[li] Go to Preferences > Layout > Opening Listers > Listers opened by double-clicking[/li]
[li] Change every option you can to Open a saved Lister Layout, and choose your new Layout.[/li]
[li] Go to Preferences > Startup > Listers Opened Automatically when Directory Opus starts[/li]
[li] Choose Open a saved Lister Layout , and choose your new Layout.[/li][/ol]Now each time you open DOpus lister, you will get the saved Layout, which contains one Lister that uses the collection of Lister elements you want. The Style you created (which is a named collection of Lister elements) will appear exactly the same as how this Layout opens. However, the collection of Lister elements contained in the Layout is a snapshot of the collection of Lister elements in the Style. If you ever change the Style's collection of Lister elements, you will need to recreate the Layout to keep them in sync.
I hope this helps.
Kenneth:
This post and the two above are now printed out, laying on my desk for "A Guided Tour".
If I (you all) am/are lucky, I'll come out of this at least a wee bit more able to "Stand on my own."
My impression is that this will guide me to getting DOPus to a state that is more like Explorer / Total Commander on mega vitamins.
I can then start trying, in small steps from a point of (minimal) confidence,
adding some of the power that DOpus has inherently.
Thanks for the assistance. I'm really appreciative of these (in particular) posts, as they will help direct me ( and any other over-anxious not-too-careful newbies ) out there in getting up to speed.
The more that I see of DOpus, the more I like it.
Regards,
Chuck Billow
[quote="kenalcock"]This is what I do. I find it simple to maintain:[ol][li] Close all Listers[/li]
[li] Open one new Lister[/li]
[li] Add a new Style that you want to see every time you open a new Lister (give it a new unique name)[/li]
[li] Customize this Style to your heart's content and save it.[/li]
[li] Resize and reposition the currently open Lister on the screen where you would want your listers to open[/li]
[li] Open Preferences > Layout > Lister Layouts and click on [Save As][/li]
[li] Name this Layout a new unique name[/li]
[li] Go to Preferences > Layout > Opening Listers > Listers opened by double-clicking[/li]
[li] Change every option you can to Open a saved Lister Layout, and choose your new Layout.[/li]
[li] Go to Preferences > Startup > Listers Opened Automatically when Directory Opus starts[/li]
[li] Choose Open a saved Lister Layout , and choose your new Layout.[/li][/ol]Now each time you open DOpus lister, you will get the saved Layout, which contains one Lister that uses the collection of Lister elements you want. The Style you created (which is a named collection of Lister elements) will appear exactly the same as how this Layout opens. However, the collection of Lister elements contained in the Layout is a snapshot of the collection of Lister elements in the Style. If you ever change the Style's collection of Lister elements, you will need to recreate the Layout to keep them in sync.
I hope this helps.[/quote]
Chuck:
My take on layouts vs. styles and other visulaization control mechanisms in Opus is summed at the bottom of this thread:
[url]Preferences]
Earlier in the thread there are also other links to recent topics where some confusing results might be encountered when using one or the other of layouts, styles, and folder format/options were discussed if you don't realize the hierarchy involved as well as what you've set Opus to do when launching a lister ('Lister' is just the name Opus has for the window that pops up when you launch Dopus from a shortcut, tray icon, or dbl-click the desktop).
Steje:
I'm off to the link!
CB
[quote="steje"]Chuck:
My take on layouts vs. styles and other visulaization control mechanisms in Opus is summed at the bottom of this thread:
[url]Preferences]
Earlier in the thread there are also other links to recent topics where some confusing results might be encountered when using one or the other of layouts, styles, and folder format/options were discussed if you don't realize the hierarchy involved as well as what you've set Opus to do when launching a lister ('Lister' is just the name Opus has for the window that pops up when you launch Dopus from a shortcut, tray icon, or dbl-click the desktop).[/quote]
Also... about the seemingly confusing results that can occur when you're not aware of how the layouts, styles, and folder format features intermingle:
[url]Startup folders]
Kenneth: (Questions noted by "**")
I'm starting to feel pretty stupid now....
I printed out all the part of this thread. and, using the instructions got myself ALL screwed up. SO...
I uninstalled (and cleaned registry entries) and re-installed Directory Opus.
Once it is open, it happens to be a view I want to keep. In the "Styles" tab it's only showing as Previous to be the one that I wanted to hold on to as a "model" for my default. If I change to any tab, it's different. I get it back by going back to "Previous".
The only setting I've done anything with so far is in the attached, from Preferences / Startup.
So now I'm going to start AGAIN. Using your instructions (below, am I doing #1 wrong? If I close ALL listers DO closes, doesn't it? -- I DID get further along, but, of course, ran into problems, so, I start from #1.
Regards,
Chuck
[quote="kenalcock"]This is what I do. I find it simple to maintain:[ol][li] Close all Listers[/li]
[li] Open one new Lister[/li]
[li] Add a new Style that you want to see every time you open a new Lister (give it a new unique name)[/li]
[li] Customize this Style to your heart's content and save it.[/li]
[li] Resize and reposition the currently open Lister on the screen where you would want your listers to open[/li]
[li] Open Preferences > Layout > Lister Layouts and click on [Save As][/li]
[li] Name this Layout a new unique name[/li]
[li] Go to Preferences > Layout > Opening Listers > Listers opened by double-clicking[/li]
[li] Change every option you can to Open a saved Lister Layout, and choose your new Layout.[/li]
[li] Go to Preferences > Startup > Listers Opened Automatically when Directory Opus starts[/li]
[li] Choose Open a saved Lister Layout , and choose your new Layout.[/li][/ol]Now each time you open DOpus lister, you will get the saved Layout, which contains one Lister that uses the collection of Lister elements you want. The Style you created (which is a named collection of Lister elements) will appear exactly the same as how this Layout opens. However, the collection of Lister elements contained in the Layout is a snapshot of the collection of Lister elements in the Style. If you ever change the Style's collection of Lister elements, you will need to recreate the Layout to keep them in sync.
I hope this helps.[/quote]
Chuck - I think you're getting a bit caught up on the terminology. Let's clear the air a bit:
First... Opus runs as a background process (dopus.exe). The options on the Prefs->Startup page you showed a screenshot of control just what happens only when this process is started for the first time after either:
In this respect, Opus is like Explorer, where Explorer is also always 'running' in the background without necessarily having any explorer windows open. Subsequent clicks of an Explorer shortcut opens a new Explorer window, the same with Opus. Likewise, closing a 'lister/window' does not shut down the whole process... just the window. But unlike Explorer, Opus allows you to configure whether or not an opus 'window/lister' is opened when the 'process' starts. Further, opening a window/lister can be based on the various other options on this Prefs page.
Most people I know have Opus set to start automatically when the system starts along with the Don't open any Listers option selected. This way, as soon as Windows starts, no lister is opened but you can still click on either an opus shortcut, double-click the desktop or tray icon, or use a hotkey combo to launch a new lister/window or perform any other hotkey commands. If the Opus process is NOT running in the background, the desktop and hotkey functionality will not work.
I would go this way for NOW, until you get used to the implications of lister layouts, styles, and the other things discussed in this thread. Keep in mind the way a lister looks when you first open one is based in some way on the options on the Prefs->Layout page. The layout settings that are applied are based on either an invisible 'Default Lister' layout, a layout you can manually configure, save and assign a name to, or based on options you set among the various other tabs of the Prefs->Layout page. I think Ken has the right idea in suggesting you use a custom layout... but still leaves some room for confusion depending on HOW you open listers? Do you normally click on an opus shortcut, double-click the desktop, tray icon, or use a hotkey combo?
Let's get your use of Layouts cleared up - and if you have trouble with getting layouts working, reiterate what steps you've followed, what options you've set, what you WANT or expect to happen, and where things go wrong. A few of your posts have not described exactly what has been NOT working the way you'd like so it's tough to offer specific advice other than just babble on with long explanations of how I think stuff works 
.
Steje:
OK, firstly: as of this moment, I'm at the defaults set by install, excepting the Preferences / Startup, where I set Opus to launch at Startup, but not open any listers, as you have suggested.
OK, two things right off: The lister (View? Window?) that opens when I double-click the tray icon is folder tree on the left, and icons on the right. But none of the Style tabs (across the top) can emulate this, excepting "Previous" (?). So what if I wanted this exact view at a later time?
And, along the same line, in the right pane is the desktop. This is set where (quasi-permanently)? 'Cause I just tried now, going to Layout / Default Folders, and changing the right pane to 'C:', but after closing the lister, and then re-opening, it still showed the dDesktop in both right and left windows.
The folder shown can be affected by a few things depending on how you've got your settings configured... On the Preferences->Layout->Default Folders page there is not 'right' or 'left' pane settings... just 'first' and 'second'. Are you using dual-pane or single-pane configuration?
Can you put up a screenshot of your Preferences->Layout->Opening Listers page?
Styles will be NO problem... but let's get your use of layouts straight. Styles should then take no time at all.
Save that setup as a new style and you'll get a new tab for it which lets you go back to it whenever you want.
Make sure everything in the top half of Preferences / Layout / Opening Listers is switched off, else some of the settings on the other pages will be ignored. Those "Inherit from the Default Lister" settings are stored in hidden registry values which override the settings you see on the other pages when stuff that stuff is turned on.
(I wish it updated the other pages instead of using hidden settings as it would be less confusing... But anyway, if you want to use the other pages, just turn all that Inherit... stuff off and ignore it.)
Steje:
Here ya go...
Chuck
[quote="steje"]Can you put up a screenshot of your Preferences->Layout->Opening Listers page?
Styles will be NO problem... but let's get your use of layouts straight. Styles should then take no time at all.[/quote]
BTW, how can I get these graphics more readable? Using png now... I've looked at others, but they seem not too much better...
Chuck
[quote="steje"]Can you put up a screenshot of your Preferences->Layout->Opening Listers page?
[/quote]
I see, I think, the point of this part... should i do this now, or is Steje's plan in conflict?
CB
[quote="nudel"]Make sure everything in the top half of Preferences / Layout / Opening Listers is switched off, else some of the settings on the other pages will be ignored. Those "Inherit from the Default Lister" settings are stored in hidden registry values which override the settings you see on the other pages when stuff that stuff is turned on.
[/quote]