| Once you've brought across your DOpus 4 config, or you've simply started up DOpus for
the first time, you'll want to start configuring it, without getting in too deep. This
part of the section will introduce you to the various configuration elements in DOpus and
how to get the most from them. Probably your first action will be to change the
defaults that DOpus comes with. We all have our own way of working, but as a guideline
here are some suggestions for keyboard shortcuts:
- DEL - Why not use this as a shortcut for deleting files?
- x - You could use it with the
 key, but you can also
use it on its own for "cut", or in this case delete.
- c - As before, but this time copy.
- v - as you expected, an obvious shortcut for moving files.
You may also want to change the default colours that DOpus uses. Unlike DOpus 4 where
you only had two lister states, DOpus 5 introduces a third - that of the unused lister
(one that is neither SRCE or DEST), so I guess we ought to go over the environment editor,
since that's where you'll need to make the changes:
Environment editor shortcut: 4
We're not going to give you an in-depth report on every single item in the environment
editor - that's what your manual is for. However, there are things that can be restated
for additional clarity.
- Backgrounds
If you put a wildcard in the
picture parts of this part of the editor, you can get a random selection each time you
boot. If you only want certain pictures to appear as window backdrops (small repeating
tiles perhaps), then you can name them with ".win." in their names and make the
wildcard "#?.win.#?" for windows and requesters. This will mean that you can
have any type of picture as a backdrop. The question mark gadget to the right of the
string allows you to control how the picture is placed and remapped.
- Icon Display
DOpus 5 has the ability
to automatically show NewIcons without the need for the NewIcons patch to be in your
user-startup. If you're not keen on them, but might need them instead of seeing those
horrible little squares, you can always tick the "Discourage NewIcons" box which
will only show a NewIcon if there's no other choice.
- Icon Settings
Loads to wade through
here, some of which duplicates the settings in NewIcons, rendering even the prefs program
for NI obsolete. Most of the descriptions of the flags are self-explanatory.
- Lister Colours
The bit you wanted to
know about. Fairly simple in use, much like the one in DOpus 4 except that it's not as
WYSIWYG. There is an extra gadget here to colour as you like - the Gauge Fill. This gives
you an empty/full gauge on the left-hand border of your lister windows to give you an
at-a-glance view of how full the drive you are using is. The foreground colour is used
until the drive is 90 or more percent full when the background colour gets used for the
gauge.
- Miscellaneous
If you are using
MagicFrames or MCP's FrameIHack option for your Workbench in order to get 1:1 aspect ratio
gadgets, you will be pleased to know that DOpus 5 now has the ability to give you thin
borders on its custom gadgets (which aren't affected by MagicFrames). This part of the
environment editor is also where you can give your DOpus screen the titlebar you want,
much like those provided by MultiCX and MCP.
 |
DOpus has context sensitive online help. If you want to access it, just hit the HELP
key. |
|
User Menus shortcut: 6
While DOpus 4 had user menus, they weren't very standard, and they weren't that easy to
configure. Fortunately the way DOpus 5 works, especially when you are using it in WB
replacement mode, makes it very easy to make a whole load of very useful user menus - and
you can get rid of two more commodities from your WBStartup drawer (ToolsDaemon and
ToolManager).
As an example, why not configure a user menu to give you your prefs programs at the
click of a right mouse button? It's easy to do - follow these steps:
- Open your prefs window in icon or icon action mode. Call up DOpus' User Menu editor.
- Create a new menu in the user menu editor. Call it prefs.
- Drag your prefs programs into the user menu editor. They will appear on it, and you can
reorder them using the sorting buttons at the bottom of each list in the user menu editor.
If you want to get flash, you could make sub-menus for screen-related prefs programs,
port-related prefs, miscellaneous standard prefs and other prefs (for all those other
programs you have that need a prefs editor, like Magic Menu).
Easy huh? (there's one already done for you on the CD and you could use it as a Start
menu instead if you prefer.)
 |
Setting up a set of prefs menus
is easy in DOpus and really useful. |
Pick a chapter:
|
