Fences on top of other windows

If you could configure it through adding (creating) an "Enable Fence/s permanently on top of other windows" option in the Configure Fences window during setup or during the work you're doing (minimizing the work window/s for a moment). A check box could also enable a button in the Fence title bar.

Just a thought. The proposed button is an interesting idea.   

As mentioned before, Fences work on desktop level so it can not actually appear on top of the desktop. Hence, from what I notice, when Fences forced to appear on top, whatever you can see under the Fences actually Frozen. You can not work with it until Fences no longer appear on top. Remember, Fences do not work like Docks.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

Hi Basj,

thanks for the reply. When the Fences Bar is behind another window the user could do 2 things, move (or close) the covering window or use the Taskbar Icon - which means that the Taskbar F icon should stay as it is now.

I have the Fences Tabs in the top of my screen, all windows I open are positioned below the Fences Bar.

When I want to start another application I go to the Tab I want to open. But when the content of that Tab is not completely visible, I have to go down to the Taskbar, click the 'F' tab,  go back o the top of my screen and hit the desired Tab.

And no, I don't want to keep the Fences always on top. The functionality how Fences now works is fine. The only thing I would like to see is an easy method to get the 'on top' function activated.

Thanks,

Paul

Thank you for elaborating further. In that case you can use the Fences Peek Hotkeys.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

And that's not want  I want to do. I'm using my mouse, in that case I would have to acces my keyboard, remember the keystrokes I have to use and press them, and return to the mouse.

Too many actions. 

This will not work. Fences will always under an open Windows as mentioned time and time again. Fences will be under a Windows.

Thank you,

Basj,
Stardock Community Assistant

The issue is not whether the tabs are visible 'around' open windows, ie on the same 'screenshot' of desktop real estate.  The issue is about what is called Z-Order.  The OS design of the GUI that has the wallpaper on the lowest level of what is visible, then the Windows Icons [and Fences], then inactive/unfocused windows, then focused active windows - where the mouse is and keyboard input.

The 'Peak' feature of Fences uses a keyboard shortcut to tell the OS to ignore the focused window and show the Level 2 [icons] that would otherwise be obscured by what is on top of them as Microsoft always intended them to stay.

So 'top of screen' does not help the situation.  It is all about what is above all other things...the phrase is 'in front of' and 'behind' as the visible sequence of what can and cannot be shown...;)

Hi Basj  and Jafo,

I think we are mis-communicating.

I mentioned 'IN the top of my screen'. The upper part. Not ON top. I understand the Z-order, no issue with that.
And yes, what you explained: 'The 'Peak' feature of Fences uses a keyboard shortcut to tell the OS to ignore the focused window and show the Level 2 [icons] that would otherwise be obscured by what is on top of them as Microsoft always intended them to stay.' I understand too.

I guess that is the same feature triggered when you click the 'F' icon on the taskbar.
Therefore, that same trigger could be implemented when you add an 'F' button like I showed (copy/paste screenshots and stuck them together).

And in my experimenting, I made a small program / executable, which mimics the keystrokes <CTRL> <SHIFT><SPACE> in a macro, with Perfect Keyboard. And that works, but is rather slow.
Therefore this program has the title 'F'.  See the NEW screenshot, made from the upper part of my display/screen.

Well, curious if I was clear enough, Best regard, have a nice day!

Paul

Hi Paul, I work with the development team.

Sadly, while we're continually trying to think of ways to make this possible, we haven't yet figured out a way to make this possible with the way things work.

"Peek" is a pretty technically-magic piece of functionality to begin with, and to make it work – specifically, to bring the desktop surface above other apps the way it does – the program has to do some very fancy stuff. The desktop can only move as a single surface. Therefore, while the desktop can be brought to the top, in doing so, we have to hide everything that's part of the desktop that we don't want to cover other windows.

It's not possible to have "part" of the desktop on top, and "part" of the desktop still behind other windows. So, unless you only had exactly one Fence and no loose icons on the desktop, the concept of having only one or two Fence groups "on top" isn't something we can do at this time.

We appreciate however the note and the idea, and are always thinking of ways to try to make this kind of thing happen. Thank you!

Hi W

Thanks for your explanation.

But, when you are able to create 'magic' from the Taskbar's icon, you can't convince me to do the same in the Fences displayed on screen. Perhaps in the <right-click> event on a Fence, in the drop down menu?

Come on, this should not be impossible...

For a VERY long time I thought what 'Peek' does would have been impossible....;)

Again big difference between doing the magic Peek functionality and bringing all groups to the top (and hiding loose icons) vs only bringing one to the top! Unfortunately one we were able to make happen and the other, not so much, even with all our tricks 🙃

Well,

this is, I guess, my last reply. Obviously you, developers, staff and  everybody else, make magic happen.

Stardock is to me not just an ordinary name. My Surname is Mijnster.  Dutch.

When you slightly break it down, in English, it would be MyStar. And StarDock makes it a connection.

Stars are unreachable, can only be part of the question to ask.... what's beyond our imagination.

And our imagination reaches further of everything we know and whatever we are told to accept.

AI (AI !) as the foremost example of actual challenge we have to face today. 

So, to all of you at StarDock.

Nothing is for granted and nothing is unsolvable.  With Gods speed we can do everything.

It was just a simple reply.

Looking forward to your upcoming developments!

With love,

Paul

Hi Basj  and Jafo,

Perhaps this video will show you why people are frustrated. What good is peek, if all of program icons are unclickable because they are hid under an open window. I for one (and many others) don't want to hide desktop, or put in a special key sequence, in order to click on a program icon.

When I click open Windows start menu to open an app, the app list does not go below all of the other windows.  

Even start11 start menu opens on top.

If start11 menu can be on top, how can it be so impossible that the peek window cannot be on top?

Kind Regards

Simply because the desktop is made up of layers, and open windows are "above" the layer Fences and peek live on. 

Look at it like a pizza. There's a dough layer, then a tomato sauce layer, then a cheese layer and finally a toppings layer. The desktop is like that. Just not as tasty.

Peek works in a very specific way that "carves out" pieces of the desktop so that it can put only the Fence areas on top while hiding the rest.

Whichever pieces are carved appear on top, and whatever pieces are not part of the carve out that’s on top are hidden by necessity. (As noted desktop is a single layer, cannot be split up.)

We’re always working to think of ways to make things like this possible. What technically could be possible would be to have it so that all your Fence groups are on top, always, no matter what, and all loose desktop icons would be inaccessible. But- this isn’t very practical for obvious reasons so we haven’t worked to make that possible at this time. It’s possible maybe maybe some super specialized mode that imposes these strict limitations, but yes I’d say team still in evaluation mode.

You do know that you can add a Desktop Fence as a Group to the Start11 menu. You can even create Tabs for different Fences in the same Group. Also, the Start11 menu always opens over open windows on the Desktop.