Visibility - Toolbar Separator

[aurumdigitus]

Due to a highly atypical situation was forced to use portable XY in a a room with very low luminosity beyond my control to modify. Under those circumstances the TB Separator verges on invisibility. Could the Separator be made darker or there be two to choose from - light and dark?

[Stef123]

Shameless hi-jacking of this thread: Could we have an empty spacer icon as well? I now emulate a fake one by pointing a senseless command to a transparent ico - but it would be easier to have this available built-in.

I am a firm believer in white space and generous layout - not for aesthetic reasons (I am a slob in that respect) - but because I know from experience how much faster I find my way around when things have visual gaps between them.

[admin]

Simply make the separator wider (tweak)? (the white space on both sides of the line)

Would serve you both.

[Stef123]

Will not turn down your offer, but run with it, whatever I get.
Although it's not exactly the white space I am after. At the moment I use several fake empty icons next to each other, to imitate a second toolbar. Not able to drag it elsewhere, of course, but it's a start towards spatially seperated task groups.

[aurumdigitus]

Code: Select all

+ Tweak to widen the toolbar separator. It's a factor, valid values
      are from 2 to 10, e.g.:
        ToolbarSepFac=3

As Stef123 mentions, not what was desired but an inovative comprimise.

BTW - Sorry for not starting this thread in Wishes where it should have gone. My bad.

[grindax]

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[admin]

Save INI first.

[grindax]

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[Stef123]

Amazing how a little distance can cover miles of usability.

[aurumdigitus]

After several hours of experimenting with ToolbarSepFac have concluded that 1 is really the optimal acceptable value. Reason is that 2 and beyond start crowding buttons off the TB.

Am grateful this feature has been incorporated. However, still think a strong case can be made for the superiority of a dark line of a single width.

[admin]

After several hours of experimenting with ToolbarSepFac have concluded that 1 is really the optimal acceptable value. Reason is that 2 and beyond start crowding buttons off the TB.

Interesting result. It is a factor, so 1 does not change anything.

[aurumdigitus]

It is a factor, so 1 does not change anything.

Yes, empirical observation demonstrated that. Hence the argument if favor of a sigle line of either light or dark nature at the user's option.

May bump the number to 2 to gain the added white space and live with a lesser number of Buttons. Will have to sleep on it. But at least Stef123 goes home happy.

[Stef123]

But at least Stef123 goes home happy.

Well … actually, I am still using my custom spacer.ico to have more control over individual gaps. Not as good as having several toolbars that can be dragged freely, but good enough on a hi-res monitor, where one line is sufficient.

I am applauding the new seperator because I think it is a step into a good direction - to accommodate visually oriented people, who group commands by sections or screen location and not by Shift Ctrl Alt combinations.

A setting of 3 works fine for me, looks good to seperate commands within a section. But to space out a whole group I rely on my spacer.ico (thanks to a Photoshop plugin I am finally able to get the transparency right in my .png files).

[aurumdigitus]

@Stef123 You have piqued my curiosity. As you have put time in your spacer icon and praise its virtues would you care to share it with us by posting?

[Stef123]

Sure, here you go. Should work with any kind of Windows theme since it's 100% transparent.
Oops, had to zip it up, the extension ico is not allowed.