Screen-It

Including "Job Maker"

Copyright © Kevin Solway 2003-2004

Overview

Use this program to simplify your experience of using Windows, by confining groups of running programs to different "screens" (or virtual desktops), and hiding all running applications other than those on the current screen.

As computers become more powerful, it becomes possible to run a great many programs at the same time. This can make the desktop and its task bar crowded and unmanageable.

To combat this overload, Screen-It creates 2 virtual desktops (screen pages) on your single physical one. Only one screen page is visible at a time.

Organize your work by creating multiple workspaces. Run each application, or group of applications on a separate screen. You never need to minimize any of the applications, and what is more, you need never close any of them (if you have enough RAM). When you switch screen pages, all running Windows programs just disappear from the screen and from the taskbar, but they are right there waiting when you switch back.

This program can also launch a number of programs automatically when it starts-up, in a fresh screen or virtual desktop, saving you from having to manually launch a group of programs each time you need to do a certain job.

Screen-It is freeware for commercial and non-commercial use and runs on Windows 95/98/ME/NT/2000/XP.

Installation

Run the setup program. This will automatically create a group on your start menu.

Usage

Run the program

When you run Screen-It for the first time the Screen-It control bar will appear at the bottom right hand side of your screen.

The first button invites you to switch to the other screen. If you are viewing screen #1 (ie, virtual desktop #1), then the button will invite you to switch to screen #2.

Immediately to the right of the first button is the non-button area, which lists the number of the current screen. You can also drag the control bar to another position by clicking and dragging from this area.

The first time you switch to screen #2, it will be empty, and you can add applications to it by running applications in the normal way.

Switching screens

Click the left hand button on the Screen-It control bar to switch between screens (virtual desktops). When you switch to the second screen, all the applications from the first screen will be hidden, but will be visible again when you switch back to the first screen, or quit Screen-it altogether.

To move the Screen-It Control bar:

Move the mouse cursor to the non-button area. Press the left mouse button and, while holding it down, move the mouse. Release the left mouse button to drop Screen-It.

Moving applications between screens:

Right-click on the control bar to bring up the pop-up menu. From here you can move applications between screens/desktops.

Transparency:

To make the control bar even less obtrusive, right-click on the control bar and select "Transparent" to make the control bar transparent.

Automatically launching a number of programs in a new screen or virtual desktop:

This can be set up either manually or automatically using the "Job Maker" tool:

1. Manually: Create a text file containing a list of the programs (with full pathnames) you wish to execute. One program per line.

e.g., "c:/program files/editor/editor.exe" docfile.doc

Then you would run Screen-it with the name of the text file as a command line parameter.

e.g., Screenit proglist.txt

2. Automatically: Use the Job Maker program to create the text file containing the program or file paths, and to also create a shortcut which will make Screen-It run the list of tasks when it starts up, in a new screen.

Job Maker

"Job Maker" is a separate program to help in creating "Job files", which containing a list of files to launch, in a fresh virtual desktop, or second "screen". From this Job Maker program you can also click a button to create a desktop shortcut to the job file, so that simply clicking on the created shortcut will run Screen-It, and cause it to automatically launch all the files listed in the Job file, in a second screen, or fresh virtual desktop.

Quit the program:

When you quit Screen-It, all applications from both screens will become visible.

Notes:

• Screen-It will not hide desktop icons.
• Screen-It will not necessarily behave correctly with all applications.

Known Issues

If there is an ActiveX browser window open in Internet Explorer, some Internet Explorer Windows may disappear.

Contact

Software page: www.theabsolute.net/sware

Email: software@theabsolute.net