Tandy 3200  (250-1633)     Customizing the Desktop     Faxback Doc. # 3200

You can customize desktops or design new ones, and you can add
applications and doors to a desktop.  In addition to changing the look
of a desktop, customizing a desktop can provide faster access to
applications you use most frequently.

Click on the design icon.  From the design screen you can:

  Add illustrations.

  Add text.

  Draw shapes, including lines, ellipses, and rectangles, using tools
  from the menu bar.

For example, you might want to add a pattern or picture as a backdrop for
a desktop, or you might want to change the color of a desktop background.


Installing Additional Programs

You can install additional programs while you are in any of the WinMate
desktops.  After you install a program, you can add the icon for the
program to a desktop so you can access the program from the desktop.

For detailed information about installing programs and adding icons, see
the Install Another Program topic in on-line help.


Getting Help for Desktop

On-Line help contains detailed information about tasks used in working
with the desktop.  Some of the main tasks are covered in these topics:

  Add a Door

  Add an Application to a Desktop

  Add a Backdrop to a Desktop

  Change the Background Color

  Change the Home View

  Create a New Desktop View

  Install Another Program


Desktop Quick Reference

Add a Backdrop to a Desktop

1.  Be sure the design screen is displayed.

    To display the design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
    click on the Design icon.

2.  Click on Backdrop from the Tools menu.

3.  Click on Add.

    A Graphics Manager screen appears.

4.  Select the backdrop you want to add from the list on the left
    side of the screen.

5.  Click on Select from the File menu to return to the design screen.

      Or

      Click on the Select icon to return to the design screen.

Add a Door

Doors are items you can place on the desktop that take you to another
desktop view.  To add a door to a desktop view:

1.  Be sure the design screen is displayed.

    To display the design screen, click on Design from the View menu,
    or click on the Design icon,

2.  Click on Door from the Add menu.

    A Graphics Manager screen appears.

3.  Select the view you want to go to from the list on the left side of
    the screen.

4.  Click on Select from the File menu to return to the design screen.

    Or

    Click on the Select icon.

    You can now move or size the door you have created.  You can add a
    text box below or above the door, and then group it with the door.
    When you double-click on this door from the desktop, the desktop view
    you selected will appear.

Add an Animation Item to a Desktop

1.  Be sure the design screen is displayed.

    To design the design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
    click on the Design icon.

2.  Click on Animation from the Add menu.

3.  At the Animation: prompt, type the name of the animation file you want
    to select.

    To search for a specific path, click on the Animation: field's Browse
    button.  WinMate includes one WinMate includes one sample animation
    file under C:\WINDOWS\SYSTEM\WINSURF1.AVI.  For more information, see
    your Windows documentation.

4.  [Optional] Click on the Preview button to see a preview of the
    animation.

5.  Click on OK.

When you switch to the desktop with the animation item, the animation item
plays.

If an animation box is placed over a program or a door, the program or
door is no longer accessible.  You must place the animation box where it
does not cover other applications.

You can adjust the animation so it skips video frames if the animation is
not keeping up with the sound.  This feature is on when you first use
WinMate.

  On the Inside desktop, select Control Panel.

  In the Control Panel Window, select Drivers.

  In the Drivers box, select [MCI] Microsoft Video for Windows.

  Click on Setup.  The Video Playback Options box appears.

In the video Playback Options box, you can adjust the video mode to
window size or full screen size, and turn the Skip Video Frame option
on or off.

The Skip Video Frames if Behind option causes the animation to advance too
fast if a sound card is not added to the computer system.

Add an Application Icon to a Desktop

  When you add an application to a desktop view, an icon, representing the
  application, appears on the desktop.  Then, when you double-click on
  that icon from the desktop, the associated application is displayed.
  To add an application to a desktop view:

1.  Be sure the design screen is displayed.

    To display the design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
    click on the Design icon.

2.  Click on Program from the Add menu.

    The Edit Program dialog box appears.

3.  At the Command: prompt, type the appropriate path, including the
    execute command, for the application you want to add.

    To search for a specific path, click on the Command Line: field's
    Browse button.  For more information, see your Windows documentation.

4.  At the Working Directory: prompt, type the appropriate directory path
    for the application you want to add.

    To search for a specific path, click on the Working Directory: field's
    Browse button.  For more information, click on Help in the Find
    Directory dialog box.

5.  [Optional] To add a sound, click on Properties from the Edit menu.
    Then click on the Sound button.

    The Sound Manager dialog box appears.  For more information, click on
    Help in the Sound Manager dialog box.

6.  [Optional] If you want to change the graphic representation for the
    application, click on the Browse button in the current Graphic box.

7.  Select the graphic you want to display from the list on the left side
    of the screen.

8.  Click on Select from the File menu.

    Or

    Click on the Select icon:

9.  Click on OK.

You can move the area where the icon will appear and size it to your
preference.


Add an Illustration

1.  Be sure the design or zoom screen is displayed.

    To display the Design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
    click on the Design icon:

    To display the Zoom screen, click on the Zoom icon:

    (You can also select the item you want to zoom in on, choose Group
    from the Edit menu, then choose Zoom from the Group menu.)

2.  Click on Illustration from the Add menu.

    A Graphics Manager screen appears.

3.  Select the illustration you want to add from the list on the left side
    of the screen.

4.  Click on Select from the File menu.

    Or

    Click on the Select icon:


Add Text to a Desktop

  To display the design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
  click on the Design icon.

1.  Be sure the design screen is displayed.

2.  Click on Text from the Tools menu to select it.

3.  Using the mouse cursor, point to the place on the design screen where
    you want to begin typing, and, pressing the left mouse button, drag
    the box to create the size text field you want.

    The Properties dialog box appears.

4.  At the Text: prompt, type the text you want to appear on the desktop.

5.  [Optional] If you want the text to appear on a single line, check the
    Single Line option.

6.  If necessary, at the Vertical Justification box, choose the
    appropriate option.

7.  At the Horizontal Justification box, choose the appropriate option.

8.  [Optional] If you want to change the text font, click on the Fonts
    button.

    The Font dialog box appears.

9.  Click on OK.


Align Items Together

1.  Be sure the design (or Zoom) screen is displayed.

    To display the design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
    click on the Design icon.

2.  Click on Select from the Tools menu.

3.  Select the objects on the desktop that you want to group together.

    To select more than one item, press the mouse button, drag the select
    box around the items you want to select, and then release the mouse
    button.  You can also hold down the <Ctrl> key and click on each item
    individually.

4.  Click on Group from the Edit menu.

5.  Click on Align.

    The Align dialog box appears.

6.  Select the desired alignment.

7.  Click on OK.


Break a Group

1.  Be sure the design (or zoom) screen is displayed.

    To display the design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
    click on the Design icon.

2.  Click on Select from the Tools menu.

3.  Select the group of objects you want to break up.

4.  Click on Group from the Edit menu.

5.  Click on Break group.


Change the Background Color on a Desktop

1.  Be sure the design (or zoom ) screen is displayed.

    To display the design screen, click on Design from the View menu, or
    click on the Design icon.

    Existing desktops have bit mapped backdrops already.  To change the
    background color for an existing desktop you must first use the
    Backdrops Remove option.

2.  Click on Background color from the Tools menu.

    The Color dialog box is displayed.

3.  At the Basic Colors: or Custom Colors: prompt, select the color you
    want to use for the desktop screen color.

    Hue is where the color appears along the color spectrum.  For example,
    purple is between blue and red.

    The saturation (Sat) is the purity of a hue, moving to the pure color
    from gray.

    Luminosity (Lum) determines the brightness of a color on a scale from
    black to white.

4.  [Optional] At the Hue: prompt, highlight the current number, and then
    type the desired setting.

5.  [Optional] At the Sat: prompt, highlight the current number, and then
    type the desired setting.

6.  At the Lum: prompt, highlight the current number, and then type the
    desired setting.

7.  [Optional] At the Red: prompt, highlight the current number, and then
    type the number for the amount of red you want in the color.

    The lower the number, the lower the amount of red that appears in
    the color.

8.  [Optional] At the Green: prompt, highlight the current number, and
    then type the number for the amount of green you want in the color.

    The lower the number, the lower the amount of green that appears in
    the color.

9.  [Optional] At the Blue: prompt, highlight the current number, and
    then type the number for the amount of blue you want in the color.

    The lower the number, the lower the amount of blue that appears in the
    color.

10.  If you want to add the color to your list of custom colors, click on
     the Add to Custom Colors button.

11.  Click on OK.

The color selection box contains two graphic color selections boxes, one
showing the full spectrum and one showing the luminosity (darkness) of the
color.  Each has its own control that lets you select a custom color
graphically.

  To alter the luminosity scale of a color, use the mouse to drag the
  pointer on the far right.

  To alter the hue and saturation of the color, drag the color selection
  cross around the screen to select a color.

The color you select is shown in the Color Solid box below the spectrum
box.  Click on Add to Custom Colors to save a color for future use.

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