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Topic: Opening songs maximized (Read 7355 times) previous topic - next topic

Opening songs maximized

I noticed a few upgrades ago that, whenever I open a song, it doesn't open maximized - it's only about half as large as it could be (unless another song is open and maximized). In fact, the open dialogue itself opens as small as it can be. It's a simple matter to correct it but it's annoying. Nothing obvious in the registry or an .ini file. Any suggestions?

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #1
Unless anyone else has any suggestions, you might want to take this to the Wish List. NWC does remember various other display characteristics on a per-file basis (e.g., zoom level), so it wouldn't be unreasonable to ask for it to remember window size - or at least maximization state - as well.

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #2
Once you maximize the first song, and leave it open in NWC, any other songs you open will be maximized.

The open dialog, as with most dialogs, is a fixed size. In this case, the dialog is the standard one included in Windows. It does not support resizing it.

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #3
This is also annoying when using NoteWorthy player with a batch file since each successive song opens in a non maximised state.

Whilst I am not doubting the answer you (NoteWorthy) gave, I would like to understand what the difference is between what is opened in a non maximised state with NoteWorthy and what is opened in a maximised state in other programs such as Word, Excel, Agent, Powerpoint, Publisher etc etc. Help - please explain.

Thanks

Rich

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #4
I don't really understand your question Rich. In NWC, the program itself remebers its size and position on your desktop each time you start it. The files that you open do not remember their size and position, and thus open according to the following:

- if nothing is already open, it opens in an unmaximized window
- if another file is open and maximized, the new file opens the same way (maximized)

I do not know exactly how this compares to various MS apps.

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #5
There are two topics being discussed in this thread. I'd like to comment on both:

1: size of the "Open File" dialog: I'm running Win98.2 and Keith's observation matches my experience. NWC's dialog is resizeable (by grabbing the lower right corner with the mouse) whereas, for example, Excel(97)'s and IE(5.00)'s aren't. Maybe this was something new since Win95.

This is nice, but it would be even nicer if NWC let you select multiple files to open per dialog. I've used other apps that allow this.

2: size of file windows in the NWC editor: Rich is correct about Excel files. When you save them they remember not only whether they were maximized or not, but (if not maximized) where they were relative to the main Excel window. I confirmed this by "de-maximizing" a spreadsheet window, moving it and saving it, then shutting down Excel. When I selected the spreadsheet from Start/Documents, it opened in exactly the same location it had when it was saved.

It seems to me that if Excel can do this, NWC should be able to do it too. (This would, IMO, be even better than just remembering whether the file was maximized or not.)

- Grant



Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #8
Grant wrote:
"... I'm running Win98.2 and Keith's observation matches my experience. NWC's dialog is resizeable (by grabbing the lower right corner with the mouse) whereas, for example, Excel(97)'s and IE(5.00)'s aren't. Maybe this was something new since Win95."

I can now verify this. The resizing handle only appears in Win98; no such facility in Win95.

Fred

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #9
Correct. Windows 98 and up, as well as Windows 2000 support resizing Open and Save As boxes. I had never noticed this before...

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #10
Actually, the situation is a little better than you (NoteWorthy) describe. The open dialog in NWC is NOT the Windows standard - it actually IS resizable. There's a handle in the lower-right corner. And it stays the size you make it until you close the program. It just initially opens postage-stamp size - and I'm THAT lazy.

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #11
To Keith -

Huh? What handle? Resize the open dialog? I wonder if we're talking about the same thing -- File -> Open gives a fixed size dialog box in every Windows app I've seen. No handles. Win95 OSR2.5.

To NoteWorthy Support -

My preferred scenario would be to open the first file to the maximum size allowed by the current app window size ("Fit to Window".) So whether or not the app window was restored or maximized, the first (or only -- as in the case of launching by double-clicking the filename in explorer) file would fill the window. With multiple files loaded one can then use Window -> Tile/Cascade as desired to order them.

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #12
>>I don't really understand your question Rich.

>>In NWC, the program itself remebers its size and position on your desktop each time you start it.

No problem here

>>The files that you open do not remember their size and position
This is the problem. In Excel for example, when I save I spreadsheet, it also saves information about the state of the spreadsheet window when saved. So, if when I save, the spreadsheet is maximized within Excel and Excel is maximized within the desktop, when I click on the spreadsheet from My computer or Explorer, it reopens in exactly the same state that it was saved (ie maximized within Excel)

So in Excel the files that you open DO remember their size and position.

If NoteWorthy did this (both composer and player) it would, for example, resolve the problem of each file opening in a non maximized state when using a batch file to play a list of song files. The files would open in the same state that you last saved them. I think the batch file method is great for stringing a sequence of songs together, particularly from one musical, work etc – but if you want to read the lyrics, it is annoying to have to keep going back to maximize the window. (IMHO)

Is this making sense?

Rich

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #13
Sorry I just put this on the wish list before checking the forum. I add my voice to the request.

NWC used to open files at maximum window size and it doesn't any longer. Word does. Excel does. Powerpoint does. IE Explorer does. I don't understand why NWC is costrained by Windows but the MS applications aren't.

At my advanced age (well, I'm 50, ok?) the mouse is more annoying than enjoyable, and making sure the arrow points to that tiny maximize icon is a distraction I don't need. I want to have my files open at a size I can use them, without having to take a couple of extra steps each time. Even a workaround such as a hotkey combination would be better than what it is now.

NWC-Online, I LOVE your program and have been using it heavily for years. I think the problem arose with version 1.70, perhaps 1.5? If can see your way clear to fix it in the next upgrade, I'm sure you will be remembered in the prayers of all registered users!

 

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #14
To Fred -
We are talking about the same thing. File -> Open produces a standard, non-resizable open dialog in every Windows app I can think of - EXCEPT in NWC. File -> Open in NWC produces a much smaller (initially) but resizable open dialog. There's a small handle in the lower-right corner of the dialog for clicking and dragging. I guess it IS possible to defy Windows convention.

To NoteWorthy -
This IS a small gripe - but that's because there's so little to gripe about. NWC is just about perfect. Thanks for a great app.

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #15
Is this whole thing important? Just grab the mouse and bloody click on the button!

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #16
Dear Hannigan -

Some of us, especially those who are fluent on the keyboard, prefer to avoid the mouse whenever we can, especially in an application where it's possible (and faster!) to do just about everything from the keyboard. It is a distraction to have to find the mouse, drag it about until the cursor is in the right place, and then find the right hand position on the keyboard again afterwards.

Presumably the question is of some small degree of importance, or Microsoft wouldn't have expended the effort to have document windows in Excel and other apps remember their state and position.

Anyway, is it so important to you to express your disdain for a topic that some of us thought was worth discussing? Just grab the bloody mouse and click on your browser's "back" button!

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #17
Well said Grant, couldn't have put it better.

Re: Opening songs maximized

Reply #18
I'm not going to be hostile, Mr or Ms Hannigan, but I am at an age where I need bifocals. The mouse cursor is not always easy to line up with various icons, lines and handles, and often a minute tremor in the hand moves you off the spot you need to be in.

Bear with us. Most of the input to NWC is far easier with the keyboard than the mouse. The hands move back and forth between the alpha part of the kb and the numeric keypad. Having to move over and grab the mouse is an annoyance, because then you need to look away from the screen to correctly position your hands for your next keyboard entry. No problem once in a while, but it is an unwelcome distraction, and tedious after a while.

A mouse is a wonderful tool, but isn't the best for everything. And you don't get carpal tunnel syndrome from keyboarding!