Creating and applying a layout

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This tutorial assumes there are several windows available on your desktop. If there are none, please ensure that there are some. Several basic suggestions for windows to be on your desktop are, Internet Explorer, Firefox, Outlook, or just some of the basic applications that have windows on your desktop on a daily basis.

It also assumes that you are using the factory default configuration. If you are not sure whether you are using the defaults, use the Options -> Use Defaults menu item from the layout manager.

1. The first steps

•	From the layout manager select Layout -> Add to create and add a new layout.

•	From the layout editor that opens, click the capture button.

At this point you will see the window list being populated by the windows that were found by the automatic capture process. If you had applications such as Outlook, Internet Explorer, Firefox, etc. on your desktop you will see definitions for these windows.

Unfortunately it also includes a definition for the Windows Layout Manager itself (because at the time of capture it was a window on your desktop). This may be undesired because the layout manager window will always be part of a capture process. Let's ensure this doesn't happen again.

2. Fine tuning the capture process

•	Click cancel from the layout editor (the layout will not be created).

•	Select Options -> Configuration from the layout manager.

•	In the Excluded Process Names textbox add a comma to the last entry and add winlayoutmanager.

The contents should read: explorer,rundll32,winlayoutmanager

•	Hit OK on the configuration dialog and select Layout -> Add again from the layout manager.

•	From the layout editor that opens, click the capture button.

Now the list of window definition will no longer include a definition for the Windows Layout Manager itself. Great.

•	Give this layout a name. Doesn't matter what as long as you can remember it.

•	Hit OK on the layout editor to add this layout to the collection.

The layout manager will now show your layout and the number of window definitions it contains.

3. Applying the layout

•	Move some or all of the windows that were captured around on your desktop so they are in different positions and have different sizes from what they were before you performed the capture.

•	Select the layout in the list and select Layout -> Apply from the layout manager's menu.

All the windows from the layout definition will now be positioned and sized according to the information that was set when the capture was performed. Also, you will be offered a dialog that times out after several seconds that allows you to keep the changes or undo them. If you select undo the windows will be put back where they were before applying the layout.