Floating windows

[auwerk]

Hello!
Purchased Metro yesterday, so it's time to continue the discussion I started at KVR and convert it into FR.
Topic title says "Floating windows", because I really want them. I'm on Windows and I have two screens in my setup. My monitors have different vertical resolution, so even if I stretch the main window, it doesn't the trick. So, the most obvious solution in this case is to make some windows floating. I think that plugin windows (their own ones, not "Effects/Instruments" window) are the best candidates. I don't know how windows are implemented on Mac, but as a Windows programmer I see no problem creating plugin window not as an MDI child. This can be an option in "Switches" menu, for example "Float plugin windows". It will be applied to newly created plugin windows if VST implementation doesn't allow to set new window handle for plugin UI. And If it allows, we can have a button in the plugin window title to float/land it to parent. This will not change plugin window behaviour dramatically: you can show/hide it, whatever. This will just give us a possibility to move them outside Metro main window (to the second screen in my case). I'm not sure about F11 thingie (shows all opened children windows) behaviour, but I think it can ignore floating plugin windows just like it ignores Transport window now.
On KVR I asked for floating mixer window, but after 3 days of playing with Metro, I decided that plugin windows are better candidates for floating.

Then Floating windows will be a lot more useful if we can pin them to screen. It can be another little button in window title (pin/unpin). In Windows this can be easily implemented through ex-styles:

Code: Select all

HWND hWindow;

/* This will make it topmost (pinned) */
DWORD dwExStyle = GetWindowLong(hWindow, GWL_EXSTYLE);
dwExStyle |= WS_EX_TOPMOST;
SetWindowLog(hWindow, GWL_EXSTYLE, dwExStyle);

/* And this will make it normal (unpinned) */
dwExStyle = GetWindowLong(hWindow, GWL_EXSTYLE);
dwExStyle &= ~WS_EX_TOPMOST;
SetWindowLog(hWindow, GWL_EXSTYLE, dwExStyle);


There is some trick with SetWindowPos or ShowWindow also... but I can't recall it right now. I believe, this should work.

Thanks in advance!
Alexander

[Jerm]

So, the most obvious solution in this case is to make some windows floating. I think that plugin windows (their own ones, not "Effects/Instruments" window) are the best candidates. I don't know how windows are implemented on Mac, but as a Windows programmer I see no problem creating plugin window not as an MDI child. r

That is kind of funny. I did not read your whole post yet but had to respond as I got this far.

As it turns out you can indeed already float all plug-in windows. All you have to do is this.

Go to the plug-ins window and search for the plug-in you want to float. Once found, right-click on the plug-in and select 'Open edit window in floating window'. The next time you instantiate that plug-in it is in a floating window.

Now I will finish reading...

[auwerk]

I think I should shut up for a week-or-two, go to the underg... Metro with flashlight enabled to search all the things I need.
Really, never got in such situations. Every thing I want to ask is hidden here somewhere

[Jerm]

Thank you for your purchase and your suggestions. If you don't suggest or ask you may never find out!