Window Editor

Editing a window definition

As the name implies, the window editor allows you to edit the window definition. This one requires you to at least pay some attention to the manual in order to familiarize yourself with the amount of detail and combinations that are possible from the editor. The editor provides two sets of properties. One set is the criteria used to detect and match windows to their definitions and one set represents the actions to take when a window definition has found a matching window on your desktop.

Note that for a window on your desktop to match with a definition, all enabled properties need to match. If a single property is not a match the entire definition is considered not to have matched the window.

Description

The description is optional but it would be good practice to add one. Especially if you are going to be using the window definition as part of a layout that enables the individual popup selection.

Hotkey Assignment

You can assign a hotkey to a window definition. This can not be a hotkey that is already used by a layout but it can be a hotkey that is already used, or will be used, by other window definitions. Bear in mind that if you get confused about your own hotkeys you can always use the hotkey explorer to examine the keys in detail.

Find

The find button will bring up the window locator. If you do not want to fill in the details for a window definition but would rather grab the details from a window on your desktop you can use the window locator to pick the window from the list and copy over its properties to the window definition. This will automatically fill in details for the window definitions based on the configuration settings of the Windows Layout Manager. Check out the Automatic Capture Excluded Process Names and Automatic Capture Options in the configuration settings.

Match

The match button allows you to test if the definition matches one or more windows. Because a definition could be in error or affect more windows than the one you aimed for it is good to have a function that allows you to perform a match from the definition to the windows available on your desktop. The status bar will inform you whether there were any matches. If one or more matches were made you can click on the status bar (which will have turned green). This will bring up the window locator that will show you which windows matched.

Test

Allows you to test the results of what would happen if the definition is applied.

Basic Window Matching

These properties represent the most essential and basic fields used to detect and recognize a window. Each of the basic matching properties can be enabled and disabled. Disabled properties will retain their contents (in case you wish to make use of it later without having to fill in the details at that time).

Each of these properties also has a Regex checkbox associated with them. The strings used in these properties are either basic wildcards that support the * character or they could be full blown regular expressions. If you are not familiar with regular expressions it is best to avoid it. Or you could chose to learn about regular expressions and feel your brain expand beyond the size of your skull. Be prepared to have sufficient pain medication in easy reach.

Under most circumstances it is recommended to not accept the full title of a window but rather use the * wildcard character (which will match any characters). So if a window title is "MyWebSite - Mozilla Firefox" it is recommended to use a title definition that reads "*Mozilla Firefox*" because this will ensure the window is matched regardless of the website name that is part of the title.

Advanced Matching

If maximized and If minimized

When one of these matching properties is enabled will cause windows to be recognized only if it is either maximized or minimized. If you leave both these properties to their default off state the definition will apply to all windows, whether they are in their normal state, maximized, or minimized.

If invisible

When this property is enabled it will only match window if they are invisible. Very unlikely you will ever need to enable this but there are several very specific scenarios where this might be useful.

If not a main window

When this property is enabled it will only match a window if they are not a main window. You can use the window locator to determine whether a window is a main window or not. There are many applications out there where the window you see on the desktop is not a main window. Often these applications have another window that is a main window which is located beyond the screen or has a size of 0 by 0. If you use the basic matching the wrong (hidden) window will be found. In these cases you can use this property to instruct the definition to only apply to the window if it is also not a main window. An example of a popular application that requires this is Skype.

If on screen

When this property is enabled and set to a screen index it will only match windows if they are on the specified screen. There is a field next to the property that shows you which screen index is considered the primary screen on your system and if you set this index to a value that can't be detected (and you have coloring options turned on in the configuration) it will turn the control red to indicate that you are trying to use a screen index that isn't valid at that particular time.

If within X/Y,W/H (region)

When this property is enabled and set (position + width and height) it will only match windows that are within the region specified. This is a rather advanced feature that has limited usage but can be very powerful. Your mileage may vary.

Window Actions

Restore

When the definition matches a window on your desktop and the window is either minimized or maximized it will cause the window to be restored to its normal position. It is possible that this behavior is applied to all minimized windows if the Always restore minimized windows option is set for the layout.

Minimize / Maximize

When the definition matches a window on your desktop the window will be minimized or maximized.

None of the above

The default option will not minimize, not maximize, and not restore a window on your desktop. It is possible that this behavior is applied to all minimized windows if the Always restore minimized windows option is set for the layout.

Positioning and Sizing Actions

Relocate to screen

Allows you to relocate a window to the screen specified by the index. There is a field next to the property that shows you which screen index is considered the primary screen on your system and if you set this index to a value that can't be detected (and you have coloring options turned on in the configuration) it will turn the control red to indicate that you are trying to use a screen index that isn't valid at that particular time.

Note that if you enable this in combination with the position action, the position coordinates will become relative to the selected screen. If this property is disabled the position coordinates are in absolute desktop coordinates.

Position X/Y

Allows you to move a window to the position specified.

Size Width/Height

Allows you to size a window to the specified width and height.

Note that not all windows allow themselves to be sized. If this is the case, please refrain from trying to size them because it may produce unexpected and unintended results.

Offset X/Y

Allows you to specify an additional offset to the position properties or allows you to offset a window from its current position (if this property is used while the position properties are disabled.

Extra Actions

Always on top

Makes a window be an "always on top" window.

Not on top

Makes a window be not an "always on top" window.

Bring to foreground

Will bring a window to the foreground.

Note that this action will not be undone if you are offered the option to undo or keep the layout that was applied.

Send to background

Will send a window to the background

Note that this action will not be undone if you are offered the option to undo or keep the layout that was applied.