[Anchors] Enable setting anchors manually

[koppor]

I have dozens of opened windows and need to go back to "OneNote" now and then. Thus, I would like to have an anchor for that tool only. While playing around with WindowTop, it seems that it auto generates and manages the anchors - and does not allow one to "pin" an anchor or even to allow to specify and anchor manually.

When pinning would be enabled, I could set the anchor limit to one an pin the OneNote anchor as soon as it appears.

In general, WindowBar could help me, but that's another story...

[gileli121]

I am guessing that you want button here:

Like "Set Top" but another button that will create anchor for the window that always visible ?

[gileli121]

@koppor In addition, you may want to try the beta version here: https://github.com/BiGilSoft/WindowTop/issues/181

Your main reason why you probably want one anchor is because they take some space. Now this problem solved. There is option to show only the icon in the next version

[gileli121]

In the anchors visibility settings I suggest you to configure it this way:

[koppor]

Your main reason why you probably want one anchor is because they take some space.

Unsure. I have dozens of Firefox Windows opened, but only one OneNote. I used to have WinN configured to focus one note. When using the mouse, I don't want to move my hand off the mouse ^^.

As far as I understood, anchors are put to the last focused windows. However, I don't want to anchors of "important" windows to disappear.

Now this problem solved. There is option to show only the icon in the next version

This is a good step in the direction. I think, this is perfectly OK if there is one window per application. In case there are dozens of instances, this could still be confusing.

[gileli121]

@koppor Did you try to configure an unlimited amount of anchors, enable dynamic opacity, show only icons with "By Size" selected? This way, the anchors of the important window will not disappear because you configured an unlimited amount, and thanks to dynamic opacity and show only icon options - it should not disturb too much and thanks to the "By Size" option, you should easily find the last windows that you used

I have no problem developing the feature you want. But I want to know if you tried it. Maybe you will find out that it serve your needs.

You will need to test it with the version from here: https://github.com/BiGilSoft/WindowTop/issues/181#issuecomment-1006825147

[koppor]

@koppor Did you try to configure an unlimited amount of anchors, enable dynamic opacity, show only icons with "By Size" selected?

I am currently experimenting with it. In my case, I need to emphasize a non-recent anchor. OneNote is my note taking app, which I need now and then - not when I am "in the flow". Just when need to make a note. I am currently also getting distracted by the many icons jumping back and forth on the screen. ^^

Especially, the OneNote icon changes its position. Thus, it is hard for me to quickly find it. Compared to finding it in the task bar or pressing Win+N (enabled by QuickAccessPopup) seem to be faster.

BTW, currently, the OneNote icon is missing completely, but this is another story. Seems that QuickAccessPopup/AutoHotKey and WindowsTop do not play well together...

[gileli121]

@koppor

Thus, it is hard for me to quickly find it

Try to use the "By Size" option. It should be more easy to find your recent windows this way. Don't get me wrong, I am not against implementing this request. Just want to make sure that what I suggested helps

[gileli121]

@koppor

I need to emphasize a non-recent anchor

I see. So you have a valid reason to ask for this feature. If this feature will be implemented, it will be faster than QuickAccessPopup ?

[cpasoft]

I can understand the need for having an "static anchor". You could have a lot of opened windows, but you want to have one window anchored, not matter has been used recently or not...

For example... you are coding, but you need for search some information. The code editor is on background now, and you have an anchor. You open one web browser, then you need to open an explorer window, then you need to open an email client (the code editor is still anchored), but you need to open two or three windows more... then the editor has not longer the anchor, but you want to have it always there...

I think is a good feature...

[gileli121]

I agree. But if you set "Unlimited" anchors and enable dynamic opacity, then you can look for the anchor with the lowest opacity (the most transparent anchor) or the anchor with the highest opacity and size. If you know that you did not use the window too recently, you can feel where to look...

This is according to my own experience. But don't get me wrong, I am fine with developing this feature

[gileli121]

@cpasoft I prefer to work first on https://github.com/BiGilSoft/WindowTop/issues/187 I think that it is more important. Feel free to comment there if you have more suggestions about it. Thanks

[koppor]

I see. So you have a valid reason to ask for this feature. If this feature will be implemented, it will be faster than QuickAccessPopup ?

Yes, because:

• If the hand is on the mouse, moving of the hand from the mouse to the keyboard is avoided
• For multiple different applications, keyboard shortcuts don't need to be learned. (b for browser, g for google chrome, ... see https://github.com/koppor/autohotkey-scripts#keybindings for a full list of keys to be learned)

[koppor]

I agree. But if you set "Unlimited" anchors and enable dynamic opacity, then you can look for the anchor with the lowest opacity (the most transparent anchor) or the anchor with the highest opacity and size. If you know that you did not use the window too recently, you can feel where to look...

For me, it is more easy to search among 3 things than amoung 20.

This is according to my own experience. But don't get me wrong, I am fine with developing this feature

Good to hear 🎈

[gileli121]

@koppor How many programs you have open? Not talking about windows. One program can have a lot of windows.

I think that the solution to show anchors per programs and not per window will solve your use case, especially because you want to emphasize the OneNote window.

[jakkaas]

I also like this idea. Pining and anchor of an important window and fixed at an important location anywhere on Windows would make our workflow very fluid. I also use OneNote a lot and having it fixed at a location would be super useful, especially if I have set all anchors on right, but I would like to pin OneNote anchor on left for easy access.

Additionally, if I could suggest additional feature than when I click on pinned anchor for eg Pinned OneNote anchor, while OneNote is opened than it could minimize on screen. In this way I can always have access to pinned anchor and depending on my need if the window is onscreen than we can minimize and if the pinned anchored window is behind than we can switch.

This pinning anchor option can be enabled/disable easily while right-clicking on anchor.

[gileli121]

OK, I will implement this feature soon. I will stop working on https://github.com/BiGilSoft/WindowTop/issues/187

@jakkaas

This pinning anchor option can be enabled/disable easily while right-clicking on anchor.

This is one option. Other option is to add button for pinned anchor in the titlebar. I think that adding the button in the titlebar is better

[jakkaas]

I think so both using right click and toolbar would be good. Like many of us would have completly disable toolbar and only use shortcut keys.

[gileli121]

OK, I will work on it after https://github.com/BiGilSoft/WindowTop/issues/190 is tested and finished.

The main difficulty with the toolbar is that it have more 5 themes so need to create this button in 6 themes After that it is more programming challenge.

But I think that this feature is really good one and worth the effort.

About https://github.com/BiGilSoft/WindowTop/issues/187 , you did not commented there. Do you think that #187 is unless improvement?

[koppor]

@koppor How many programs you have open? Not talking about windows. One program can have a lot of windows.

Approx 7.

[gileli121]

Thanks for letting me know.

I am wondering if first develop #133 or this feature. Anyway I will develop it in the future

[koppor]

+1 for #133 - seems to be more awesome 😅

[gileli121]

Since more requests that I get about this, this feature will be implemented first when I will work on v5.13

[sebastienbo]

I am currently also getting distracted by the many icons jumping back and forth on the screen. ^^

Oh yes I do have the same problem of jumping icons, I suppose thats because we enabled "Stay away from text or image" Although this a very cool (and necessary ) feature, it does distract indeed when you scroll through an internet page because the webpage text or images continously make the anchors jump, it is also less distracting if you limit the number of allowed anchors to a smaller quantity.

Posible solution 1: Maybe it would be cool if the jumping can be disabled or enabled for some anchors (disable by default or enable by default) and then override on specific windows.

Second posible solution would be to force the anchors on the outerside of the screens (left/right) and not have a jump behavior there Or a third solution would be to have a Super anchor, which would replace all the seperate anchors by showing one ontop anchor which on "hover over" would display all the anchors ordered by last used

Solution 4: It get's less distracting if you limit your anchors (the cost here, is that you will not see all your open windows anymore)

But we still have solution 0: Disable "Stay away from text or image"

With this new feature (show only icon) , the behavior will probably happen less, since the "icon only" has a smaller footprint then icon+label

Edit: Now I see the "toolbar" solution which looks like my third suggestion

[gileli121]

@sebastienbo @koppor

The problematic issue (that it interferes with concentration) depends on how you use it.

I also faced the same problem when scrolling on a website with a lot of text (not any websites - only when there is some article without any available spaces due to ads on the website or something else)

But you see how helpful it is when I do stuff without scrolling through the article website.

What I did is to configure a hotkey to toggle (enable/disable) the anchors quickly. The hotkey that I picked was: `ALT + `` Now, each time you scroll through some article with a lot of text, you press the hotkey to turn off the anchors. Then, please turn it on when you are done reading by pressing the hotkey again.

Another thing that can help a lot is the mouse shortcut keys to remove the anchors: You can minimize the anchors (that is - minimize the window of it) by mouse right-clicking on the anchor. You can close the window and the anchor (closing the window will delete the anchor) by pressing the middle mouse button (press the middle mouse button when the mouse is above the anchor)

If, from time to time, you use these shortcut methods to minimize/close windows that you don't use often - then this feature will improve productivity significantly (I am saying it based on my experience).

It depends on how you use it. Follow the rules of minimizing/closing unused anchors (see tips above) and turn it on/off via hotkey, or else you will find this feature more disturbing than helpful.

There are also a few more things that you can do to reduce the disturbance, like setting maximum opacity for the anchors. You can configure the anchors to always be with some level of transparency.

You also mentioned that you want to limit the maximum anchors count. It has already been developed, and you can configure it in the anchors settings.

If you have questions about how to do what I said (like configuring hotkey, limiting the anchors, etc.), please let me know so I can add more details.

Should the hotkey ALT + ` should be set by default?