Single Click to Open Item Time Delay

I have Single click to open an item (point to select) checked.

My question is can the time delay of the mouse hover before an item is selected be changed? I have looked high & low but don't see any delays specific to this feature. Did I simply miss it?

Thanks;
Doc

It's probably the system double-click time, set in the mouse control panel.

Tried it from slowest to fastest... no change.

Do we need a new setting in Preferences?

Doc

You might need to restart Opus after changing the mouse speed (although it doesn't look like you should have to, from a look at the source).

Remember to exit Opus completely, e.g. via File -> Exit Directory Opus. Don't just close the windows as Opus stays running in the background by default.

Still don't see much (if any difference).

The item may load a little earlier but the time before the item becomes highlighted (after the mouse hovers) seems to be the same.

Also, don't really like the idea of having to change my mouse setting to make it work in Opus; rather prefer a time delay option like several others in Opus.

Doc

The hover time defaults to 4/5ths of the system double-click time, but you can override it and define your own with the following registry value:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Mouse (DWORD) MouseHoverTime = <ms>

The time is given in milliseconds. Note this isn't an Opus-defined setting, it's a standard Windows one, although these days there doesn't seem to be anywhere in the UI to configure it (I'm not sure there ever was tbh).

Jon; you're the KING of the day.

It had a default of 400ms; I tried it at 1400ms to make sure it actually worked... IT DID (very Slooowly). I changed it to 100ms and now the mouse-over is simply wonderful. It respond almost instantaneously but not so fast as to be a problem with false selections.

I am slowly getting used to the Single click to open an item (point to select). Having come from the single-click / double-click on everything world for so many years it was at first a pain to use but that is slowly changing as I gain more experience with it.

Changing the hover time to a faster setting helps a lot as it was often almost impossible to select multiple files by holding down the Shift key as the 400ms delay was very irritating. Now, I can actually paint the files and drag the mouse pointer accross the files... SIMPLY WONDERFUL.

This helped so much that I believe it would be best to add it as an option in Opus as not everyone is as comfortable as I am working in the Registry.

I'm documenting this one in my Opus Settings Journal for future reference for when I have to re-install Windows.

Thanks much;
Doc

The single-click option is there for people who have physical difficulty double-clicking the mouse. If that doesn't apply to you and you find it more of a pain than the normal mode then there's no reason to have it turned on.

No physical difficulty; it's part of my new Windows START Menu setup. I like the instant results of single-clicking rather than the clunky, old fashioned double-clicking. True Launch Bar (which I had used for many years) is set up that way & I got to really liking it; the response is MUCH more satisfying as it has a real snappy feeling to it.

Now that we have the mouse hover problem resolved (with a much faster response) pointing & single-clicking on any item is lighting fast and VERY precise... I like that.

Selecting multiple photos is also much faster & smoother now; all I have to do is point, hold the Shift key, paint the selected images & drag them to wherever I want (NO mouse clicks at all)... I also like that (a LOT)

Thanks;
Doc

Well....

Now we have another problem; a real Catch 22 one.

Changing the Mouse Hover Time in Windows Registry did the trick (very nicely indeed) for the mouse single-click;
BUT...
It created a real Jackal & Hyde problem with Info tips. Seems that Info Tips also use the Mouse Hover Time so now they are now popping up all over the place. It got so bad that I had to turn Info Tips off.

We need a way to have separate time delays for Mouse Hover Time and Info Tips. The control should be in Preferences as making Registry changes are not to every ones liking.

Doc

I'm not really sure it makes sense to add lots of options so that you can use an Opus lister as a start menu. :slight_smile:

Have you decided against the idea of using a floating toolbar as a start menu instead? That seemed like a better way to go (and it already has ways to make single-click launching happen without affecting how the main lister windows work).

I'm using a floating (docked) toolbar.

Problem is, Info Tips keep popping up on any of the tiled items so I had to turn them off; not the best solution as I really need my custom Info Tips for my photos.

Doc


That looks like a floating toolbar where the buttons open a lister that is trying to pretend to be a menu.

Why not have the toolbar open a real menu instead, and leave the lister to function normally? :slight_smile: See here.

Thanks, Leo.

I have been thinking along the same lines but am still liking the tiled (looks & acts like a menu) approach. It just looks GREAT!!

I will get around to your suggestion in a while; the code you provided gives me a LOT to think about.

Cheers;
Doc

Hi again, Leo;

Thought I would get back with you on using REAL MENUS instead of Tiles.

I converted all my menus over to the real ones and must say I like them too (although they are not as pretty as the customized tiles). I saved all my tiled menus to an Old icon so I still have access to them in the floating (docked) toolbar.

So now I have TWO ways to have Windows START Menus... what a wonderful program Opus is.

Did run into one little problem that I am hoping you can help me out with.

Some of my menus are rather long (SEE: attached JPEG) and do not wrap when they hit the bottom of the screen.

Also, when I scroll down to the bottom to get to the last few items there seems to be no way tpo scroll back up as the top goes off the screen and is no longer accessible.

Am I missing something?

Thanks again;
Doc


The up/down arrows at the bottom of the menu let you scroll it.

They are so small that I completely missed them.

Is there any way to make the menus wrap around into two columns?

Doc

No, not currently.

BTW, this is getting quite off-topic for the thread. :slight_smile:

Yes, it sort of "slid" to another area. If I have any more questions on the menus I will open another thread.

Cheers;
Doc