Announcing: 7stacks - stacks for 7 (freeware)

[Alastria]

great maybe one more thing. Can you allow PNG or JPG images as the Icons like RocketDock and others do?

FInding and making a ICO file are a pain in the ass.

Well, not really. See, RocketDock and ObjectDock allow you to place items in specific slots, and you can then associate PNGs with those slots. Meanwhile, 7stacks is a file browser, and whatever files appear, appear.

So basically, they work opposite to one another. RocketDock starts with icons, and you associate them with files. 7stacks starts with files, and it retrieves their associated ICOs.

One day, I might add the ability to arrange icons. So, instead of pointing to a folder, you'd point to a settings file, which contained the icons and files you want. But that's much more complex, both in programming, and for the end user.

And BTW, if you want an easy to use icon editor, try IcoFX. It lets you just drop-in PNGs (from places like WinCustomize) and save them as ICOs. Takes like 20 secs. I use it all the time.

UPDATE: Uhh, disregard most of this post. See the next one, below.

 

[Alastria]

After thinking about the above post for a few hours, the following occurred to me:

7stacks could maintain a database of PNG icon "overrides", allowing you to say "Replace this file's icon with this PNG". There's no reason you couldn't do this with whole filetypes (like *.doc), also.

We'll have to see. I'll do some experimentation later on and check the feasability of it.

 

[Iknewitwin7]

Very nice app Alastria ... great job

 

[copernicus]

I think he was referring to the shorcut icons, not files being browsed.

 

[Alastria]

Version 1.2 is now available. See the OP for info on what's been updated.

 

[copernicus]

Very nice update.

Couple things:

Stack still shows up where the cursor is, instead of where the stack is.

The options under preferences are under edit as well, seems a little redudant.

Is it possible to add the active state to the taskbar icon?
Awesome stuff man.

 

[Alastria]

Very nice update.

Couple things:

Stack still shows up where the cursor is, instead of where the stack is.

The options under preferences are under edit as well, seems a little redudant.

Is it possible to add the active state to the taskbar icon?
Awesome stuff man.

1) As far as I know, there's no way to determine what are the coordinates of the icon on the taskbar. But, I can infer that if you're clicking on it, it's where your mouse cursor is. So that's why I use the mouse coordinates as the basis of where to display it.

I've heard from some keyboardies who use Win+# to launch their shortcuts, and I respect that and wish I had a better answer. But at present, there's no way around this

2) The preferences button on the Create/Edit Stack window is the same as the jumplist entry. It's just another way to get to the Preferences .. use either one you want. The button has to be on the Create/Edit window, because there's no other way for Vista and XP users to access this (since they have no jumplist).

3) Unfortunately, 7stacks can never use the "running indicator" halo effect that other normal apps use because the thumbnail window previews get in the way of the stack itself. Therefore, I make 7stacks hide itself from the taskbar to prevent this thumbnail from appearing.

 

[y0himba]

How can I restore the default stacks that come with a fresh install of Win7? I removed the stacks and toolbar when I first installed and created a quick launch bar to replace it. I find myself wanting this functionality now...

 

[Vulture]

Hi there!

Ive read the whole thread, really nice app. But im wondering why no one complained about this: speed.
Everytime i click on a stack ill have to wait 1 or 2 seconds until the stack is showing up. That really kills the fun for me. Is there a way to speed it up a bit?

Phil

 

[Alastria]

Hi there!

Ive read the whole thread, really nice app. But im wondering why no one complained about this: speed.
Everytime i click on a stack ill have to wait 1 or 2 seconds until the stack is showing up. That really kills the fun for me. Is there a way to speed it up a bit?

Phil

I hear a lot of complaints about speed, and that's one of the biggest things I'm working on. In addition to v1.5 already displaying items much faster than v1.2, the new version will give you the option of running a tray app which will precache stack contents for faster display (i.e. sacrifice memory for more speed).

V1.5 will be out before the Oct. 22 release of Win 7, and it will also be in public beta sometime before that. Subscribe to my twitter feed for updates.

 

[Vulture]

Hi there!

Ive read the whole thread, really nice app. But im wondering why no one complained about this: speed.
Everytime i click on a stack ill have to wait 1 or 2 seconds until the stack is showing up. That really kills the fun for me. Is there a way to speed it up a bit?

Phil

I hear a lot of complaints about speed, and that's one of the biggest things I'm working on. In addition to v1.5 already displaying items much faster than v1.2, the new version will give you the option of running a tray app which will precache stack contents for faster display (i.e. sacrifice memory for more speed).

V1.5 will be out before the Oct. 22 release of Win 7, and it will also be in public beta sometime before that. Subscribe to my twitter feed for updates.

Sounds really perfect to me. Spending a little bit of my RAM for 7stacks should be possible ...

Thanks and keep up the good work!

 

[johngalt]

TBH, I don't think it spends much of any RAM at all. I am running it now and nothing is showing in Process hacker at all regarding 7Stacks.



The Fix icon and the Thunderbird icon are actually 7stacks.



The Firefox Stack....yes, I am really testing all 5 versions, just not simultaneously.

 

[liquidguru]

Hello all,

I've been trying to get 7Stacks to work. It installs OK, I run it, fill in the info, the program creates the shortcut on my desktop, I can pin it to my taskbar, but when I click on it i get the busy sign on my cursor for a few seconds and that's it...any ideas?

I have Windows 7 Enterpirse 64bit (7600)

Many thanks

 

[Alastria]

If anyone using the RTM (build 7600) is having problems, and is willing to be a guinea pig, please email me via my website's contact form.

 

[sergiogarcia9]

If anyone using the RTM (build 7600) is having problems, and is willing to be a guinea pig, please email me via my website's contact form.

Well i'm not using it on Rtm yet, but in a few minutes i will I would be willing to be your test dummy, if you need one

 

[Antman]

If anyone using the RTM (build 7600) is having problems, and is willing to be a guinea pig, please email me via my website's contact form.

Well i'm not using it on Rtm yet, but in a few minutes i will I would be willing to be your test dummy, if you need one

Alastria, be careful. SergioGarcia9 has been tested for dummyness and he failed.

 

[sergiogarcia9]

If anyone using the RTM (build 7600) is having problems, and is willing to be a guinea pig, please email me via my website's contact form.

Well i'm not using it on Rtm yet, but in a few minutes i will I would be willing to be your test dummy, if you need one

Alastria, be careful. SergioGarcia9 has been tested for dummyness and he failed.

lol

 

[copernicus]

TBH, I don't think it spends much of any RAM at all. I am running it now and nothing is showing in Process hacker at all regarding 7Stacks.

View attachment 27565

The Fix icon and the Thunderbird icon are actually 7stacks.

View attachment 27566

The Firefox Stack....yes, I am really testing all 5 versions, just not simultaneously.

I am intrigued by your corner radius.

I would like to know more.

 

[johngalt]

Hello all,

I've been trying to get 7Stacks to work. It installs OK, I run it, fill in the info, the program creates the shortcut on my desktop, I can pin it to my taskbar, but when I click on it i get the busy sign on my cursor for a few seconds and that's it...any ideas?

I have Windows 7 Enterpirse 64bit (7600)

Many thanks

I am using it on Windows 7 Ultimate RTM 64bit without any problems. hopefully, sometime tomorrow I'll have it working on the laptop (also Ultimate RTM 64bit). It is pretty simple to use - assuming that you have already copied shortcuts into the folder....

If anyone using the RTM (build 7600) is having problems, and is willing to be a guinea pig, please email me via my website's contact form.

I'll test for sure. It's what I do....

If anyone using the RTM (build 7600) is having problems, and is willing to be a guinea pig, please email me via my website's contact form.

Well i'm not using it on Rtm yet, but in a few minutes i will I would be willing to be your test dummy, if you need one

Ditto....

TBH, I don't think it spends much of any RAM at all. I am running it now and nothing is showing in Process hacker at all regarding 7Stacks.

View attachment 27565

The Fix icon and the Thunderbird icon are actually 7stacks.

View attachment 27566

The Firefox Stack....yes, I am really testing all 5 versions, just not simultaneously.

I am intrigued by your corner radius.

I would like to know more.

That corner radius is actually a different visual style - SiCo Big - that I am using AveStyler to load.

the theme / style *I* am using: SiCo for Win7 RC 7100 x86 by ~alkhan on deviantART

And updated version: SiCo for Windows 7 RC by ~alkhan on deviantART

here is a link to all of Alkhan's stuff: alkhan's Gallery

AveStyler: AveStyler

 

[TechN9Ne1730]

Thanks for this app. Havent tried it yet but it looks great. Look forward to new versions!

EDIT 1:Tried it out, I LOVE IT! Very usefull. The only thing it seems to lack in the stacks is the ability to right click. This is very vital to me. Any chance this will be added in future releases?

EDIT: Drag and drop capabilities would be nice, but nothing I care about that much. Just a suggestion others might find useful.