General Options
To configure the DeskSpace general options, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray.
Next, navigate to the Configure sub-menu and select the General Options... menu item to display the DeskSpace Options dialog.
The DeskSpace Options dialog contains the following sections:
Desktop Cube Activation
The Desktop Cube Activation tab lets you specify the hot keys that activate DeskSpace (that is, show the Desktop Cube).
Pressing the Activation Hot Key will "activate" DeskSpace, displaying a Desktop Cube that you can use to switch between desktops. DeskSpace will remain active while this hot key is held down. Releasing this hot key will deactivate DeskSpace and switch to the desktop on the current face of the Desktop Cube.
You can choose an activation hot key from a combination of the Shift, Ctrl, Alt, and Win keys. Once DeskSpace has been activated you can switch between desktops using the Left Arrow Key, Right Arrow Key, Up Arrow Key, and Down Arrow Key, zoom out the desktop cube using the Insert Key, and zoom in the desktop cube using the Delete Key.
Please note that using the same hot key combinations as other applications will produce unpredictable results and is not recommended.
To display the Desktop Cube when the Activation Hot Key is pressed and held, check the Show the Desktop Cube when the Activation Hot Key is pressed option.
To automatically center the desktop cube to the nearest desktop face when you release the mouse button, check the Automatically center the Desktop Cube when the Left Mouse Button is released option.
If you would like DeskSpace to display a notification message when an application on another desktop requires attention, check the Show attention messages from applications on other desktops option.
If you would like DeskSpace to automatically switch to the desktop of an application that requires attention, check the Automatically switch desktops when an application requires attention option.
Desktop Cube Zoom
The Desktop Cube Zoom tab determines the distance DeskSpace zooms the Desktop Cube when certain actions occur, and the speed at which the Desktop Cube is zoomed and rotated.
The Desktop Cube zoom when the Activation Hot Key is pressed option specifies the distance the Desktop Cube will zoom out when the Activation Hot Key is pressed.
The Desktop Cube zoom when the Zoom Out Cube Hot Key is pressed option controls the distance the Desktop Cube will zoom out when the Zoom Out Cube Key (the Insert Key) is pressed.
The Desktop Cube zoom when a Switch To Desktop Hot Key is pressed option determines the distance the Desktop Cube will zoom out when a Switch To Desktop Hot Key is pressed.
The Desktop Cube Zoom when dragging a window between desktops option specifies the distance the Desktop Cube will zoom out while dragging windows between desktops.
The Desktop Cube Zoom Speed (seconds) option controls the time it will take to zoom the Desktop Cube in or out, and the Desktop Cube Rotation Speed (seconds) option determines time it will take to rotate the Desktop Cube.
Desktop Cube Display
The Desktop Cube Display tab determines how DeskSpace displays the Desktop Cube.
The Cube Image Format option specifies the format of the images used to display the side of the desktop cube. There are three formats to choose from:
- Compressed - Cube faces are displayed using compressed images. This uses the least amount of memory, but is the slowest and produces the lowest quality images.
- 16-bit - Cube faces are displayed using 16-bit images. This uses less memory and is faster, but produces lower quality images than the 32-bit cube image format.
- 32-bit - Cube faces are displayed using 32-bit images. This uses the most memory and results in lower performance, but produces the highest quality images.
The Cube Transparency option specifies the level of transparency of the desktop cube. Moving the transparency slider to 0% will display a completely transparent (i.e. see through) cube, while moving the slider to 100% will display a completely opaque (i.e. solid) cube.
If you would like DeskSpace to display the reflection of the desktop cube, check the Show reflection option, and if you want to add a "bounce" to the cube rotation and zoom movement then check the Enable bounce animation option.
DeskSpace can display a background behind the desktop cube. There are three background types to choose from:
- None - No background will be displayed behind the desktop cube. Selecting this option will increase performance.
- Static Image - A static background image will be displayed behind the desktop cube.
- Sky Box Image - A 360 degree sky box background image will be displayed behind the desktop cube.
You can choose the format of the Static and Sky Box background images. There are three choices:
- Compressed - The background is displayed using a compressed image. This uses the least amount of memory, but is the slowest and produces the lowest quality image.
- 16-bit - The background is displayed using a 16-bit image. This uses less memory and is faster, but produces lower quality image than the 32-bit format.
- 32-bit - The background is displayed using a 32-bit image. This uses the most memory and results in slower performance, but produces the highest quality image.
If you've chosen to display a Static Image in the background, Left-Click the Browse... button to choose the picture you want to display.
If you've chosen to display a Sky Box Image in the background, you can choose a 360 degree sky box image from the Background Sky Box Image drop down.
Hot Keys
The Hot Keys tab lets you specify the hot keys used to switch between desktops.
To change the hot key used to switch to a particular desktop, Left-Click on the edit box to the left of the desktop, then press the key combination you would like to use. If the key combination you want to use includes the Windows key, check the + Windows Key option next to the edit box.
Mouse
The Mouse tab lets you specify how you want to use the mouse to activate and interact with DeskSpace.
You can activate DeskSpace by moving the mouse cursor over a corner of the screen. To choose which screen corners will activate DeskSpace, check the Mouse Hot Spots checkboxes that correspond to the corners you want to use. You can also specify how long you must keep the mouse over a screen corner to activate DeskSpace.
If you would like to be able to activate DeskSpace by clicking the Middle Mouse Button, check the Activate DeskSpace on a Middle Click option. If you check the Only when the mouse is over the taskbar option, DeskSpace will be activated only if the Middle Mouse Button is clicked while over the Windows Taskbar.
While the desktop cube is displayed you can rotate it by Left-Clicking on it and then moving the mouse. You can invert the horizontal and vertical direction the cube moves in by checking the Invert the mouse X axis and Invert the mouse Y axis options respectively.
To switch between desktops using the Mouse Wheel, check the Switch desktops using the Mouse Wheel option. If you want to only switch between desktops using the Mouse Wheel when the Ctrl key is held down, check the Only when the Ctrl Key is pressed option. To only switch between desktops using the Mouse Wheel when the mouse cursor is over the Taskbar, check the Only when the mouse is over the taskbar option.
To rotate the desktop cube using the Mouse Wheel when it's displayed, check the Use the Mouse Wheel to rotate the Desktop Cube when it is displayed option.
To invert the movement between desktops when the Mouse Wheel is used, check the Invert the Mouse Wheel option.
Language
To configure the language DeskSpace will display in dialogs and menus, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, navigate to the Configure sub-menu, and select the Language... menu item. This will display the Configure Language dialog:
To change the language DeskSpace uses, select a language from the drop down and then Left-Click the Save Changes button.
Window Dragging
DeskSpace lets you to move windows to other desktops by dragging them to the edge of the desktop. To configure how window dragging works, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, navigate to the Configure sub-menu, and select the Window Dragging... menu item. This will display the Configure Window Dragging dialog:
To enable the ability to drag windows between desktops, check the Enable dragging windows between desktops option. To trigger window dragging, you need to Left-Click on a windows title bar and then drag the window to one of the edges of the desktop. DeskSpace will then show the Desktop Cube and switch to another desktop.
You can configure how long, in milliseconds (1/1000th of a second) the window must remain at a desktop edge before DeskSpace shows the Desktop Cube. You can also configure whether leaving the window at the edge of the desktop will trigger another desktop switch. To do this, select Continously from the drop down box.
Window Compatibility
DeskSpace automatically recognizes and manages top-level application windows. However, not all software applications have top-level application windows. If DeskSpace does not automatically recognize the windows of an application you're using, you can force DeskSpace to recognize them by setting up a desktop window filter. A desktop window filter allows you to indicate that a window belonging to a certain application, and/or a certain window class, and/or a certain window title should be recognized or ignored by DeskSpace.
To configure the desktop window filters DeskSpace uses, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, navigate to the Configure sub-menu, and select the Windows Compatibility... menu item. This will display the Configure Window Compatibility dialog:
The desktop window filters are displayed in the Desktop Window Filters list on the left hand side of the dialog. You can add a window filter to the list by Left-Clicking the Add a Window Filter button, and remove the currently selected window filter by Left-Clicking the Remove this Window Filter button. To edit a window filter, Left-Click on it in the Desktop Window Filters list.
To set up a window filter, first choose a name for it. Next, select whether the window filter will recognize or ignore windows. Finally, choose which windows the window filter will apply to.
To do this, you can select an application or a window from the list of currently running applications and their windows. If you select an application, the window filter will apply to all windows of that application. If you select a window, the window filter will only apply to that particular window. When you select an application or window, DeskSpace will automatically fill in the application, window class, and window title that the window filter will apply to. If you need more control over the window filter, you can manually enable/disable and edit these fields.
For example, you can set up a window filter to force DeskSpace to recognize all Adobe Photoshop windows as follows:
- Left-Click on the Add a Window Filter button.
- Enter Adobe Photoshop as the name of the window filter.
- Select that all windows that match this filter will be Recognized.
- If Adobe Photoshop is currently running, select PHOTOSHOP.EXE from the list of currently running applications and their windows.
- Otherwise, check the Belong to this application option then type PHOTOSHOP.EXE in the edit box next to the option.
When you're finished setting up your desktop window filters, Left-Click on the Save Changes button to save your changes, or Left-Click the Cancel button to discard any changes you've made.
Advanced Window Options
To configure how DeskSpace works with windows on your computer, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, then navigate to the Configure sub-menu and select the Advanced Window Options... menu item. This will display the DeskSpace Configure Advanced Window Options dialog:
Some windows, such as Command Prompt windows, may not be detected by DeskSpace when they first open. If they are not detected then they will not be handled by DeskSpace when switching between desktops, and will therefore appear on all desktops. To make sure Command Prompt windows are handled by DeskSpace, check the Check for new windows before switching desktops option.
DeskSpace can keep track of the foreground window on each desktop. For example, if Notepad is the foreground window in Desktop 1, and you switch to Desktop 2 and then switch back to Desktop 1, DeskSpace will make sure that Notepad is still the foreground window. To enable this feature, check the "Keep track of the foreground window on each desktop" option.
On-Screen Display
DeskSpace lets you choose the information that's displayed on-screen when the desktop cube is shown. By default, DeskSpace shows the name and picture of the current desktop on the bottom right of the screen.
To configure the DeskSpace on-screen display, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, then navigate to the Configure sub-menu and select the On-Screen Display... menu item. This will display the DeskSpace Configure On-Screen Display dialog:
To show the desktop name and picture on-screen, check the Show the Desktop Name and Picture when the desktop cube is shown option.
The desktop name and picture can be displayed on one or more monitors. There are four choices:
- All monitors - The desktop name and picture will be displayed on all monitors.
- Primary monitor - The desktop name and picture will be displayed on your computers main monitor, and will not appear on secondary monitors.
- The same monitor as the foreground window - The desktop name and picture will be displayed on the same monitor as the currently active window.
- The same monitor as the mouse cursor - The desktop name and picture will be displayed on the same monitor as the mouse cursor.
You can select the position the desktop name and picture will appear on-screen. The following choices are available:
- Top Left - The desktop name and picture will appear on the top left of the screen.
- Top Center - The desktop name and picture will appear on the top center of the screen.
- Top Right - The desktop name and picture will appear on the top right of the screen.
- Middle Left - The desktop name and picture will appear on the middle left of the screen.
- Center - The desktop name and picture will appear in the center of the screen.
- Middle Right - The desktop name and picture will appear on the middle right of the screen.
- Bottom Left - The desktop name and picture will appear on the bottom left of the screen.
- Bottom Center - The desktop name and picture will appear on the bottom center of the screen.
- Bottom Right - The desktop name and picture will appear on the bottom right of the screen.
When you're finished choosing the information that will be displayed on-screen when the desktop cube is shown, Left-Click the Save Changes button to save your changes, or Left-Click the Cancel button to discard any changes you've made.
Advanced Display Options
To configure how DeskSpace displays the Desktop Cube on your computer, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, then navigate to the Configure sub-menu and select the Advanced Display Options... menu item. This will display the DeskSpace Configure Advanced Display Options dialog:
You can change the graphics driver DeskSpace uses to show the Desktop Cube. The default graphics driver is DirectX 8, which means that DeskSpace will show the Desktop Cube using DirectX 8. Choosing None will prevent DeskSpace from showing a Desktop Cube. DeskSpace will still work, and all functionality will still be accessible. Selecting this option will drastically reduce DeskSpace memory usage, and will allow DeskSpace to run on older computers with obsolete video cards.
The depth buffer type determines the distance at which DeskSpace will be able to draw 3D objects. The Lowest Available depth buffer type is suitable for most computers. Changing the depth buffer type will increase the amouse of video card memory DeskSpace uses, but will increase the quality of the 3D objects DeskSpace shows (i.e. the Desktop Cube).
The texture filter type determines how blocky the faces of the Desktop Cube will appear. The following choices are available:
- None - The faces of the Desktop Cube will appear very blocky. However, this is the fastest way to draw the Desktop Cube, so choosing this option will result in the best performance on computers with older video cards.
- Point - The faces of the Desktop Cube will appear slightly blocky. Again, choosing this option will result in the best performance on computers with older video cards.
- Bilinear - The faces of the Desktop Cube will appear smooth. This option requires a medium-to-high-end video card.
- Ansiotropic - The faces of the Desktop Cube will appear very smooth. This option requires a medium-to-high-end video card.
The display anti-aliasing level determines how smooth the edges of the Desktop Cube will appear. Please note all video cards support this option, so if it is not available on your video card then DeskSpace will not use it. Choosing None will result in the best performance. Choosing Very High will result in the best image quality, but can have a dramatic impact on performance.
System Tray Icons
To configure the icons DeskSpace displays in the System Tray, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, then navigate to the Configure sub-menu and select the System Tray Icons... menu item. This will display the DeskSpace Configure System Tray Icons dialog:
To show the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, check the Show the DeskSpace icon in the system tray option.
DeskSpace can also show an icon for either the current desktop or all desktops in the System Tray. To show icons for each desktop in the System Tray, check the Show Desktop icons in the system tray option. If you only want to see the icon of the current desktop in the System Tray, Left-Click the Only show an icon for the current desktop option. If you want DeskSpace to show an icon for every desktop in the System Tray, Left-Click the Show an icon for each desktop option.
System Tray Menu
To configure how the DeskSpace System Tray Menu is shown, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, then navigate to the Configure sub-menu and select the System Tray Menu... menu item. This will display the DeskSpace Configure System Tray Menu dialog:
To show large icons in the DeskSpace System Tray Menu, check the Show large icons in the system tray menu.
DeskSpace can show a list of desktops in the DeskSpace System Tray Menu. To enable this option, check the Show desktops in the system tray menu option. To also show a list of the windows on each desktop, check the Show desktop windows in the system tray menu option.
To change the color of the desktop name text and background shown in the DeskSpace System Tray, click the Choose Color... buttons.
Startup
To configure how DeskSpace starts up on your computer, Right-Click on the DeskSpace icon in the System Tray, then navigate to the Configure sub-menu and select the Startup... menu item. This will display the DeskSpace Configure Startup dialog:
DeskSpace can automatically start when Windows starts. To enable this feature, check the Start DeskSpace when Windows starts option.
If another program that starts when Windows starts is preventing DeskSpace from running, you can tell DeskSpace to wait for a specified period of time before trying to start. You can also configure how many times DeskSpace will try to start before giving up, and the length of time DeskSpace should wait between restart attempts.