Longhorn Systray Clock


Recommended Posts

How about making the calendar look like the one in Longhorn?

Not my biz but hell, why not poke my nose into it :)

All we know today that LH will sport a new desktop service called Sidebar and the clock/calendar combo will be integrated into this as a tile, and when activated, appear on screen as a flyout.

Since the clock/calendar flyout (as the current XP "Date and Time Properties" dialog) is designed to set date and time values, this is a totally different thing.

LClock -afaik - is to be used as a nice replacement of the tray clock, display an own calendar solution and maybe, offer some reminder functions. It has nothing to do with datim value settings.

(wish that LH offered reminders on system level, too)

If you were thinking about the LH clock/calendar combo (see image below),

it looks almost cool (skinned in Slate) but its calendar lacks the advance of LClock's calendar, eg. the months flip buttons are far from each other etc.

LClock Calendar is easy to be configured to a good approach of LH calendar (I mean fonts, colors, layout), but to represent the look and feel of the LH sidebar flyout shown below, the whole widget should be redesigned (different window structure etc.)

Not to mention the ominous round analogue clock which is well-known but I presume it would need some extra work to be put in LClock...

post-34-1091651343.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

On my desktop, I use Erik Arvidsson's DHTML Analog Clock II as an Active Desktop item, enhanced with some modifications and with the LH clock plate. It is in top right screen corner as a round clock with a bgcolor matching my desktop color.

The pointers are drawn by the dhtml code, I just chopped the seconds pointer and recolored them all and of course, I put the emptied LH clockplate behind them :)

But if I would put the DHTML clock in a box and align with LClock Calendar, they would look like this:

post-34-1091654305.jpg

Edited by Stacker
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now let's imagine that LClock would popup a big panel, including a working analogue round LH clock and the LClock Calendar (and maybe the reminder function):

(hehehe, I was lazy to customize LClock Calendar to match the Slate skinned flyout so it looks awful but as layout mockup, it shows how would it look like. Shall LClock turn to this way?)

post-34-1091653189.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another alternative idea for clock integration:

How about displaying a binary clock on the LClock Calendar popup panel?

Binary clock is very geeky :) ,

highly customizable,

easy to read (if u got used to it :) )

and presumably easier to include it inthe code.

It would add a unique touch, a customizable design element to the Calendar panel, and it would actually display time as well :) of course, it is far from LH designs (I doubt Microsoft would tease customers with a binary clock) but let us see a mockup below (the binary clock is displayed in the header, showing 11:32:58).

The leds' width, height, h/v gaps and lit/dark colors could be configured of course :)

post-34-1091657024.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

How about displaying a binary clock on the LClock Calendar popup panel?

Of course, it is kinda joke.

It looks fun but logically there is not too much point to display a binary encoded clock when the LClock in its glory is always visible :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Of course, it is kinda joke.

It looks fun but logically there is not too much point to display a binary encoded clock when the LClock in its glory is always visible :D

Sure.

But if talking about useless development ideas :) why not suggest RCube to put an option for binary clock display in the tray area?

If the user choose binary display, all numbers and am/pm characters would be gone from the tray and the binary leds appear (see picture below)

Same customizations for metrics and colors.

And the Calendar popup would remain intact.

Geeky that is :)

Okay, enuff madness for tonight... :)

post-34-1091658781.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ok people with this problem. I need more info:

- Programs installed on computer that is related to shell(e.g. windowblinds, etc)

- Send me a screenshot of your desktop.

Here's what I have running:

-ObjectDock

-Avedesk

-Rainlender

-VS hack (not WindowBlinds or StyleXP)

-IconPackager

-Ultramon

Other than that, my taskbar has the normal things in it (ie. Netgear WiFi monitor, ATi quick launch...)

Task Bar

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I'm confused, why did you post 6 posts in a row ;)

Because the ideas popped in my mind after each other :)

Do not be confused.

Just keep reading my posts from the beginning :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LClock is failing to start b/c of trayserver.exe running on my machine (Stardock products installed). When I shut down trayserver.exe, LClock starts. I read in the beginning about code possibly being put in to work around the trayserver issue. If this code was put in, I must have some other problem b/c I am running version 1.41a but the problem still exists. If not, will this issue be addressed in the future? Thanks in advance for any help.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1.42a is out for all you people that gets: "failed to start LClock: 3" or "failed to find default systray Clock". LClock should start now if you have the default taskbar and clock.

Thank esortm for pointing me to the right direction. ;)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1.42a is out for all you people that gets: "failed to start LClock: 3" or "failed to find default systray Clock". LClock should start now if you have the default taskbar and clock.

Thank esortm for pointing me to the right direction. ;)

That's beautiful, it now works! I did overlook the Stardock trayserver, great job esortm.

Also, (and please don't blast me for this, i'm very sleeping and I just got down looking through 30 pages of this post) could people start posting custom calender configs?

Edited by orliville
Link to comment
Share on other sites

WOW!! This program is getting more perfect every release!!

Fully customizable, really nice, complete configuration panel and useful!

Thanks a lot for the good work!! :laugh:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Not my biz but hell, why not poke my nose into it :)

All we know today that LH will sport a new desktop service called Sidebar and the clock/calendar combo will be integrated into this as a tile, and when activated, appear on screen as a flyout.

Since the clock/calendar flyout (as the current XP "Date and Time Properties" dialog) is designed to set date and time values, this is a totally different thing.

LClock -afaik - is to be used as a nice replacement of the tray clock, display an own calendar solution and maybe, offer some reminder functions. It has nothing to do with datim value settings.

(wish that LH offered reminders on system level, too)

If you were thinking about the LH clock/calendar combo (see image below),

it looks almost cool (skinned in Slate) but its calendar lacks the advance of LClock's calendar, eg. the months flip buttons are far from each other etc.

LClock Calendar is easy to be configured to a good approach of LH calendar (I mean fonts, colors, layout), but to represent the look and feel of the LH sidebar flyout shown below, the whole widget should be redesigned (different window structure etc.)

Not to mention the ominous round analogue clock which is well-known but I presume it would need some extra work to be put in LClock...

I like the calendar in this pic. Looks very slick. Maybe do the calendar based on this? Small arrows and such?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

...but its calendar lacks the advance of LClock's calendar, eg. the months flip buttons are far from each other etc.

I absolutely support that design, it is clean like hell and smooth without an end. Not a single bit of fancyness!

Edit > the binary clock is a nice gimmick, but it's not the main target now, I thought we all want a *better* calendar and/or notifications...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I absolutely support that design, it is clean like hell and smooth without an end. Not a single bit of fancyness!

Edit > the binary clock is a nice gimmick, but it's not the main target now, I thought we all want a *better* calendar and/or notifications...

Well well well, I was referring to the GUI control layout approach.

:)

The design is of the official LH flyout, it is slick okay, but when it comes to GUI design 101, it shows its obsolescence. Back in the age of NeXTSTEP it was realized that scrolling GUI controls shall support as less mouse movements required as possible. Thus a design putting back/fwd (or up/dn) buttons on the opposite edges of a header (or scrollbar) is definitely weak at screen ergonomy.

I agree that the binary clock shall not be in focus at all.

I was just playing with ideas :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Also, (and please don't blast me for this, i'm very sleeping and I just got down looking through 30 pages of this post) could people start posting custom calender configs?

Mine is set to fit in with the MS Royale theme. Here's the calendar settings.

Lclock.png

Edit:I just uploaded the file instead. Saves forum space. (Oh, and now there's a pic)

Calendar.ini

Edited by NeoTech
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Here is my minimal-art / oldskool / grey-blue design in the attached .ini file.

Notice: we begin weeks with Monday so thus is the .ini configured.

Fonts not provided :)

Oh, that picture I forgot:

post-34-1091728394.jpg

Link to comment
Share on other sites

This topic is now closed to further replies.
  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.