Close/open Dock When App Is Run...

well after looking around i found this on wincustomize.. and it works.. no problem yet..

http://www.wincustomize.com/skins.asp?library=29&SkinID=2940

what it does it when you run the short cut it will close the dock and re-open the dock once the app closes.. the english instructions is kinda butchered.. and this works on objectdock, mobydock and y'z dock(i figured id post it here since moby can z-order yet or turn off the mouse activation feature)

but here are some simple instructions

copy the DockTool.exe and DockTool.ini to your dock folder

edit the DockTool.ini so

DockFile = ObjectDock.exe

DockFile = Mobydock.exe

(or to which ever dock your using..)

usually your dock item looks like this

Application-Path: C:\Program Files\Game Folder\Game.exe

Arguments:

just change it to

Application-Path: C:\Program Files\Mobydock DX\DockTool.exe

Arguments: C:\Program Files\Game Folder\Game.exe

and once the game/app is clicked on then the dock will close and the game will start

once the game is closed then the dock will start again..

im not sure how to apply this to a window's shortcut.. if anyone has any info to do any info would be great

there are some other commands that can be used but the translation is still a bit bad.. so its kinda hard to figure out.. if anyone can get it then a translation would be great

#99282

WOW! Sounds great!! I had a few problems before when running my games (I could see my Dock flickering at the bottom somehow).

Has anyone tried this yet? If it works like the descriptions, then "WOW"

Update: I've tried opening Dreamweaver MX and another application. The Dock closed straight away after I click on the shortcut at my Dock.

But when I close the application, the dock won't come up again. Does this thing work only for games/full screen applications?

#99335

is there any way to get this to open close other running processes aswell as the dock?

(getting sick of my homebrew .bat files.....)

#99437

Lyon - well im using stardock at the moment and i tested it and it closes and opens my dock fine.. and i tested it using dreamweaver. ill test it with moby and see if there is anything different..

crabstick - im not sure if it will close other exe's since its set to i think close only one program. the program thats listed in the docktool.ini file.

and as an update to my instructions(i ran into problems on objectdock might happen on others too)

if this doesn't work(getting an error or something when clicked)

Application-Path: C:\Program Files\Mobydock DX\DockTool.exe

Arguments: C:\Program Files\Game Folder\Game.exe

try this

Application-Path: C:\Program Files\Mobydock DX\DockTool.exe

Arguments: "C:\Program Files\Game Folder\Game.exe"

the quotes should make it working..

#100030

well it seems to work fine on mobydock as well.. it closed and open fine..

but if i put the docktool.exe and docktool.ini in a folder within the mobydock folder then it wouldn't open again.. maybe thats what causeing problems on yours..

so if its not already there put the docktool.exe and docktool.ini in to your dock's root folder where your Mobydock.exe is located. hope this fixes the problem..

and on another note

when editing the docktool.ini file.. make use the name in the file and the dock name is the same it is case sensitive

#100035

d-shade: ok cool, thanx

#100169

if you have a app or something that opens another app once it loads or starts..

heres a way to get your dock to close and not come back when the next process starts

in the arguments

/close&run "C:\Program Files\program\program.exe"

instead of the usual

"C:\Program Files\program\program.exe"

the only draw back with this is that your dock will not start back up once the program ends.. so you have to start it up manually..

hope this helps some of you..

#101121

Works great, but can't figure out how to pass arguments.

Something like this:

"C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" /prefetch:1

It just ignores the argument /prefetch:1.

That and it crashs quake3 arena.

The application, C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\quake3.exe, generated an application error The error occurred on 01/19/2004 @ 05:27:10.093 The exception generated was c0000005 at address 00430639 (quake3)

#102106

war59312

try putting the arguments in quotes as well

like this "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" "/prefetch:1"

#102576

I can't seem to get this to work for Y'z Dock 0.8.3. Can someone help me? I currently have docktool.exe as well as docktool.ini placed in my y'z dock folder.

I edited so that it says "Dockfile = YzDock.exe" and then put it on my dock. In the dock I edited to say

Link to: C:\Program Files\yz_dck0083\YzDock.exe

Argument: "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe"

When I open media player however it doesn't close the dock.

#103502

Hmm.. my ObjectDock still does not want to come up once the application ends (I tried playing Prince of Persia).

Tried checking at the Task Manager, and ObjectDock is gone from there.

It's a good tool anyway (too bad does not work on my machine )

#103567

Stanfart

change your shortcut from

Link to: C:\Program Files\yz_dck0083\YzDock.exe

Argument: "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe"

to this

Link to: C:\Program Files\yz_dck0083\DockTool.exe

Argument: "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe"

and make sure your docktool.exe and docktool.ini is in your y'zdock directory

Lyon

hows the shortcut set up to your prince of persia...

once you click on the shortcut docktoll will close the dock..

but docktool will remain open to check if your exe has closed..

once closed docktool will open the dock you have set in the docktool.ini

make sure docktool.exe and docktool.ini is in your main dock directory(the same folder as objectdock.exe) or else docktool wont open your dock again...

#103690

Thanks d-shade. that bit of advice fixed my problem

#104293

Lol d-shade.. Thanks.. didn't really read your instruction properly.

I put my docktool inside a folder called DockTool, where as u said, I should have put the .exe and .ini in the root folder of my Object Dock.

Work like a charmed now and sorry

#106465

:lol: see it was a good that i PMed you hahaha glad it worked out..

on another note i got a hold of the programer and said that they will try and update the docktool... so it wont run into problems with games like tron and gunbound.

like with gunbound clicking on the shortcut will launch a login screen.. once your logged the prgram will close its self and start up another process..

but when docktool see whats happen i thinks you closed the program and starts the dock back up.. while your trying to play..

the only way to avoid this is as mentioned before in the arguments

/close&run "C:\Program Files\program\program.exe"

instead of the usual

"C:\Program Files\program\program.exe"

but doing this you will have to manually start up your dock..

#106469

I found an even better fix for this.

I right click my dock and hit EXIT

works everytime. Flawlessly.

#107585

Originally posted by Duckie@Jan 29 2004, 08:39 PM
I found an even better fix for this.
I right click my dock and hit EXIT
works everytime. Flawlessly.

thats just more to click..

i rather just be able to click the short cut and have it close and open my dock..

#107605

Originally posted by d-shade@Jan 30 2004, 01:25 AM
thats just more to click..
i rather just be able to click the short cut and have it close and open my dock..

well, here's my point...

those 'shortcuts' still keep SOMETHING running in the background and not everyone has alot of memory to spare for games and such.

#107840

those 'shortcuts' still keep SOMETHING running in the background

If done right, such apps wont use any physical RAM, because they should be swapped to the virtual memory and the application won't take any CPU time. But that is only when it is done right.

I found an even better fix for this.

I right click my dock and hit EXIT

works everytime. Flawlessly.

:lol: (Y) :cool:

#107843

Originally posted by Duckie@Jan 30 2004, 10:02 AM
well, here's my point...
those 'shortcuts' still keep SOMETHING running in the background and not everyone has alot of memory to spare for games and such.

well this is more or less for people that started a game and had the dock flickering on the screen or had dock pop out in frount all of a sudden.... i mean you don't have to use it.. its just one solution to a problem with a dock messing with some fullscreen apps...

i mean if your happy with closeing the dock when starting a game then go right ahead no ones stopping you or forcing you to use this..

#107889

I launch my dock from the DOCK MENU on my Object Bar.

what's 2 extra clicks?

My fingers aint broke

but hey, to each their own.

#107898

might be 2 clicks for you.. but not for every one else..

to close my dock.. right click>quit (2 clicks)

to start dock startmenu>all programs>startup

startmenu>all programs>art tools>desktop>docks>y'zdock/objectdock/mobyock

but i like i said before no ones forcing you to use this..

if you prefer clicking the docks opening and closeing then go for it..

only reason why i posted this is so people have another option..

i think most people already know how to close and open their dock when they want to play a game..

#108024

Originally posted by d-shade@Jan 19 2004, 09:01 PM
war59312
try putting the arguments in quotes as well
like this "C:\Program Files\Windows Media Player\wmplayer.exe" "/prefetch:1"

Nope. Damn

Trying this:

"C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\quake3.exe" "+set fs_game q3ut3 +nosplash +set com_hunkmegs 96 +com_zoneMegs 50 +com_soundmegs 12 /prefetch:1"

#108381

wel i got a hold of the developer and told me it was a bug in docktool and will try and fix it when docktool0.04 is out

he said try this as a temp solution

"C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\quake3.exe" "dummy" "+set fs_game q3ut3 +nosplash +set com_hunkmegs 96 +com_zoneMegs 50 +com_soundmegs 12 /prefetch:1"

if still doesn't work then this..

"C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\quake3.exe" "dummy" "+set fs_game q3ut3" "+nosplash" "+set com_hunkmegs 96" "+com_zoneMegs 50" "+com_soundmegs 12" "/prefetch:1"

#108833

Originally posted by d-shade@Feb 1 2004, 04:19 PM
wel i got a hold of the developer and told me it was a bug in docktool and will try and fix it when docktool0.04 is out

he said try this as a temp solution

"C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\quake3.exe" "dummy" "+set fs_game q3ut3 +nosplash +set com_hunkmegs 96 +com_zoneMegs 50 +com_soundmegs 12 /prefetch:1"

if still doesn't work then this..

"C:\Program Files\Quake III Arena\quake3.exe" "dummy" "+set fs_game q3ut3" "+nosplash" "+set com_hunkmegs 96" "+com_zoneMegs 50" "+com_soundmegs 12" "/prefetch:1"

Thanks both work great.

#108898