Window order

[rhfurniture]

After adjusting my display for bigger text I've discovered that the red position window stays always on top obscuring the file picker for the FP command. Is there any way round this, is it a glitch in my software installation, or am I stuck forever with 1024 x 768 96dpi text?

I'm with 3.1.14 on win2k.

Any help grateful etc,

Ralph.

[paco]

RH,

first, I would recommend to upgrade to 3.4.1.

I too had observed this occasionaly... I noticed too that if you use K mode once and end it, SB3 will "lost" this "always on top" behavior...

Was it this way before you made changes?

[srwtlc]

It's been this way from the beginning. If your using a smaller 15" monitor and 1027 x 768 it behaves that way most of the time. I'm constantly dragging that file window out of hiding.

My wish list has always been to have big red and the control console integrated into one application.

[mikejohn]

Scott
You could always get a second driver/monitor and put the red window on that.
Second hand monitors are dirt cheap around here.

......................Mike

[ron brown]

I'll agree with Mike John here. If any of you have not tried and used multiple monitor setups, they are simple to setup in windows and great for CAD/CAM work. Many times I will have Rhino open on one monitor and Vector open in the other. It opens a lot on the CAD program by allowing menues on one screen and the drawing uncluttered.

ShopBot previesw can have the virtual machine on one screen and operations window in the other. Pretty nice, as is surfing with multiple screens.

Ron

[srwtlc]

While that might be nice for some other situations, I really don't want another monitor sittin' in the shop and it's kind of overkill for just a hiding dialog box. Some GUI code tweaking would be more appropriate.

Scott

[Brady Watson]

Yes...It would be nice if there were some display options for the interface besides just hiding the control window. For those of us who use the bot day in and day out, the DRO screen doesn't need to be that large...It also doesn't need to 'dock' to a set pixel coordinate. I would like to be able to move it, while it still remains modal.

-Brady

[dingwall]

I finally got around to replacing my SB computer and upgrading to windows yesterday and am faced with the same problem.

Alternately, I'm considering buying a 15" LCD and mounting that to my keyboard arm on the bot.

[dingwall]

I forgot to ask in the above post, where do you learn about running two monitors?

[ron brown]

Running two monitors with Willie G's systems:

Get either one video card that will allow 2 monitors or two video cards with different drivers. Install software drivers, open up control panel, configure monitors.

Ron

[fleinbach]

Running dual monitors is nearly as simple as running a single monitor.

As Ron said above you can just add a second video card. Windows XP is capable of running up to nine monitors. But there are many video cards made for dual monitors and even some video cards that will run more than two. I have even run three monitors using a Matrox Parhelia video card in the past.

One thing to consider when running multiple monitors is that it is best for both to be the same size though not required. Actually in my triple monitors set up all three are different sizes. This creates little annoyances when dragging a window from one monitor to the next. When the monitors are different sizes dragging the window will put parts of it offscreen and need to be resized. When all the monitors are the same size this won't happen. I have tried more than a dozen multi-monitor cards over the past six years and they all have some problems with some software. Nvidia seems to have the best software, so I've read, and updates their drivers more than anyone else. But I have still experienced problems with their updated drivers. In fact even though they have updated drivers nearly every month, and I keep trying the new ones, I always wind up going back to the Windows certified driver from a year ago.

[fleinbach]

Oops, sorry for the double post. I double clicked instead of single.

[rhfurniture]

Paco thanks, your answer works a treat.
Just go SK and esc at the start of the session and it works as it ought to.

Ralph.

[srwtlc]

With the latest version as of today (3.4.5), the SK trick no longer works.


Disgusted with having to drag windows out from behind the immoveable beast and with it always being on top, I started thinking Linux and virtual desktops. After a quick search and download, problem solved. MSVDM (Microsoft Virtual Desktop Manager), a PowerToy for WinXP. You can have up to four virtual desktops. One for SB3 and one for cad/cam apps and whatever you want for the other two.

Microsoft PowerToys for Windows XP (http://www.microsoft.com/windowsxp/downloads/powertoys/xppowertoys.mspx)

[waynelocke]

Scott,
Virtual Desktop Manager is a great solution. I spent a good deal of time yesterday closing and opening SB while I was tweaking a file. Virtual Desktop Manager would have saved a lot of time and aggravation.
Thanks.
Wayne

[paco]

WOOOHOOO!!!

The Window's control is back with 3.4.7!!!
4170


4171

[Brady Watson]

Can't you just click on the 'Show Desktop' Quick-Launch button to minimize the entire deal and then choose your other program???...I have been doing this all along...

-Brady

[srwtlc]

Brady,

I've tried that with every version and as soon as you click on the other program on the taskbar, "Big Red" jumps back up there. Also, if you're using a older 15" monitor at the tool with 1024 x 768 resolution like me, the "File Open" form has to be dragged out from behind it.

Scott

[dingwall]

I'm using and not enjoying a 15" monitor now too.

What size and resolution have others had success with?

[Brady Watson]

OK...that explains it...I've got a 17" one out there.

-B

[srwtlc]

Poco, I just tried the latest version and it didn't make a difference for me. Are you using a higher resolution than I? Larger monitor? Does it go behind another program (cad/cam)?

Sheldon, I use 1024 x 768 with WinXP (Win98 is a bit different with it's resolution). If your eyes and monitor/video card can handle it, take it up a notch at a time to find what works for you. You may have to use your screen controls on the monitor to stretch the screen to the edges for each res you try (horizontal and vertical size controls). Also, be sure to set the refresh rate to at least 75hz or maybe 85hz so that the screen doesn't flicker on you. This all assumes that you're using a CRT monitor and that it is capable of the settings. I tried it higher and was able to get the dialog boxes out from behind, but that doesn't help with other programs/editors. It was a bit to small for me though so I had to go back to 1024 x 768.

Back to MSVDM (Microsoft Virtual Desktop Manager). It has worked great for me so far!

Scott

[paco]

Hey that's Paco!!!
4172

I just retried now and it worked again... I don't know of any special setting that I use ;else than wishes. I have a 15" monitor.

I wonder if SB team are actually aware of this?... anyway I'm back to happy about it!

...

Hummm... let me try something right now; SM... OH!! Not so happy! It's getting "Always on top" on MOVE mode...
4173

I'll get 'em to know about this... sorry for false hope. Maybe there is a reason for this...?

[bill.young]

Hey Paco,

As far as I know it's always worked like that for safety reasons. In Preview mode you can have Windows on top of the ShopBot software and any of them can have focus but in Move mode the red control pad is always on top.

If the Tool is in Move mode but not actually moving or running a file then you can work in other programs and the mouse and spacebar work normally. If a file is running, though, the ShopBot software confines the mouse cursor to the Stop button and captures any clicks of the spacebar, no matter what other programs are open.

Bill

[srwtlc]

Sorry Paco, I knew that! Sometimes my head gets ahead of my fingers.
4174

Bill,

"If the Tool is in Move mode but not actually moving or running a file then you can work in other programs and the mouse and spacebar work normally." Yes, but it's kind of hard to work around "Big Red" when it stays on top.! Unless you have a large monitor with a high res set.

Scott

[Brady Watson]

Scott,
Why not just toggle it into Preview mode to get around the modal DRO/"BigRed" ???

-Brady

[bill.young]

Scott,

The easiest way to make it stop being "on top" is to click into Preview mode when you need to work in the other program and then click back into Move mode when you're ready to move the tool. It takes a couple of seconds to load the Previewer but it removes the "always on top" from the control pad.

Bill

[srwtlc]

Yeah, I know you can do that too, but just have never gotten into the habit of having to do that everytime to edit a file or change/make a part. Maybe I should get my 1200 x 1600 res laptop out here. SB would fit nicely into one corner of that.

Paco, if it would make you feel better, you can call me Scoot for the day.

[paco]

Hi Bill!

I can confirm that 3.4.1 (and maybe some previous too) were not; read some of the aboves post... Going into K mode than Esc was getting this "Always on top" worked around. Until 3.4.5, I was often going into CAD/CAM or Windows Explorer for files viewing and managment... and I was'nt bothered by the "Big Red" after thoses steps...

Now when running a file, processing mouvments controls and in K mode, I agree that nothing else should capture any other input from the keyboard and that the "Big Red" should/must be on top... but when SB3 is just idling could'nt it be not "Always on top"? Consider this more something that I (maybe others) would add to the wish list... no quite a severe bug to fix.


OK Scoot... I feel a lot better now.
4175
4176

[bill.young]

Hey Paco,

As far as I know there wasn't ever supposed to be a way to get around having the control pad on top when in Move mode... I think your "bug" in the new software is really a fix for the SK workaround!

Bill

[bill.young]

Paco,

You have the right idea though...send an email to support at ShopBot if you have software suggestions/requests. If they're posted here they may or may not get noticed or make it to the right person.

Bill

[paco]

4177


4178

I have'nt been able to duplicate though...

[dingwall]

We just installed a 17" LCD in our controller cabinet. WOW what a difference compared to our previous 14" CRT. Way brighter and easier to read, the size is great and the cabinet runs a LOT cooler.