Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

Sebastian Mares · 2007-06-08 00:27

Hello!

I was just about to start to code my own shut-down utility in VB .NET or C# before I found your amazing freeware program! Here are some suggestions:

1. Add an "About" dialog or something to find out what version is installed on a PC especially since the EXE doesn't contain version information.
2. Replace "Action" combobox with a checkable list to allow multiple actions such as turning off the monitor and muting the sound at the same time. Maybe this is already on your list since I read that you are planning to redesign the tool.
3. Move "On Action" and "On Action Extra" from the options to the action list, especially the function to close windows.
4. Add the following events "Number of files / directories in ... is greater / lower / equal ..." and - very important for me and the reason why I wanted to code my own shut-down program - "Screen region X1-X2 and Y1-Y2" changed". I would like to be able to shut-down my PC when a certain messagebox pops up or a progress window disappears, both causing a special screen region to change. For the second option, you could write a function that takes a screenshot of a region every x seconds and compare the second screenshot to the first one (or actually the last with the previous).
5. Display a warning or simply deactivate options that require administrative privileges when program is started with user rights only. I was wondering why shutting-down doesn't work on my work-account at home that has only user rights and then I remembered that under NT based systems you have to set administrative privileges first, which a restricted user cannot do. Currently, I start Shutter with runas.

Finally, here are two suggestions for Renamer, which is another exceptional program:

1. Save presets in %APPDATA%\Renamer (C:\Documents and Settings\User\Application Data\Renamer) instead of program directory. In this way, each user on an NT based machine can have his/her own presets. Additionally, this gives users with restricted user rights the possibility to modify presets (at the moment, only administrators can since users cannot write in C:\Program Files\.
2. Add or modify an existing action to allow modifying the case of the extension only. I find it difficult to change only the extension to lowercase (this might be possible by using scripts, but I didn't use that yet).

Have a great day!
Sebastian

Last edited by Sebastian Mares (2007-06-08 00:29)

Sebastian Mares · 2007-07-05 21:55

New idea for Shutter, but it might be hard to implement. Sometimes, I let my PC copy some important files on a DVD-RAM disc with Windows Explorer during the night while I watch TV on my PC. Since I only have 3x media, copying takes a lot of time (about an hour). A great feature would be being able to select that shutter should only turn off the PC after x minutes if the window y is no longer visible. So, if I set the timer to exactly one hour, but the window with the caption "Copying..." is still visible after the time is up, Shutter should wait until the window closes.

Last edited by Sebastian Mares (2007-07-05 21:56)

den4b · 2007-07-06 16:46

Hi Sebastian!

Sorry I haven't replied to your posts. I was on holidays, and wasn't ready to think through all of your suggestions. And now when I came back - a disaster stroke my dev laptop: read the news to find out more. I think that all of your points are worth considering, and some of them are on the roadmap (for Shutter).

By the way, Shutter has that "About" dialog, right-click on its interface or the tray icon to find it. Also, you latest idea is already possible: Shutter has an event called "Window Closes". Just type in the title of the window as a parameter (you can use * and ? wildcards in the title), and it will execute an action when the window is gone.

Sebastian Mares · 2007-07-06 17:24

Hey there!

Thanks for the reply. I feel very sorry for what happened to your drive and know how you must feel. I also managed to lose the source code of a project forgetting to backup the folder where the files were stored. Oh well, I learned something from that event, you probably too.

Anyways, regarding my last suggestion - I know you can choose "Window Closes" as event, but that is not exactly my intention. What I want to do is be able to set both a timer (let's say 60 minutes) and this second event. If the window closes after 30 minutes, the timer should continue to tick until 60 minutes are over and shut down. However, if the timer finishes after 60 minutes and the window is still not closed, Shutter should wait for the window to close and shutdown then. I could imagine having a list of events like this:

Window Closes: "Copying..."
Timer: 60 minutes remaining

Case 1: Window closes after 30 minutes, then the list would contain the following:
Timer: 30 minutes remaining -> timer continues to tick until 0 and then shuts down; the "Window Closes" event is no longer on the list since that event triggered already

Case 2: Window is still open after 60 minutes:
Window Closes: "Copying..." -> timer is no longer on the list because the time is already up and Shutter is now only waiting for the window to close

In the first case, the window closed after 30 minutes already. However, instead of Shutter turning off the PC right away, it waits until the second event (the 60 minutes timer) is triggered. In the second case, the time is up, but since the window is still open, it won't turn off the PC, but wait until the last event is triggered.

I can imagine this to be implemented like this: you place a listbox on the form and let the user add events. In the background, you keep track of the events and once something is triggered (Winamp stops, countdown is over, time is up, etc.) that event is removed from the listbox. Once the listbox is empty (= all events triggered), Shutter does the desired action.

Last edited by Sebastian Mares (2007-07-06 17:26)

den4b · 2007-07-26 10:59

This should be possible with the new design. You will be able to add several events and actions, and should also be able to specify AND/OR logic for the events. Can't say more for now, because I'm still working on it...

LawOfNonContradiction · 2007-08-28 10:06

Sebastian Mares wrote:

Save presets in %APPDATA%\ReNamer

This would be a nice option, but sometimes I like the same presets available to all users (yes, I could do some funky batch file placement but no)

P.S. Its ReNamer and not Renamer

den4b · 2007-08-28 16:44

If I will implement that %APPDATA%\ReNamer feature, than it will defiantly be optional.

P.S. Thanks for defending this great little name!

carvit · 2007-09-24 12:48

Hi Denis.

I have been a happy user of Shutter for almost 2 years. Specially the abillity to go into sleep on low "CPU Usage" have worked great on my HTPC - a thing I couldn't find any shutdown software doing as well

When I read this post I got excited about your plans to implement several events and actions. And combining with and/or logic. I have been looking for that for sooo long...:D

I would fx make it possible to combine "user activity" and "cpu usage", so my desktop (and HTPC) only would go into sleep if there is no user activity and low cpu usage (no media playing) for a while... That would be... fantastic....

Can you say anything about the timeframe for this implementation??

den4b · 2007-09-24 18:23

I am glad you like it!

I have already started working on these new features, but it proves to be more difficult than I initially thought (in terms of amount of work that has to be done). That is why I haven't released any updates for Shutter for a good while. Right now, I have piles of work, and can't get my hands back on Shutter.

Hopefully, it will be ready before the end of this year, but can't promise anything...

den4b · 2007-10-06 11:39

Working on the 3.00 release of Shutter, and it's looking good!

Hopefully, should have the first release candidate by the end of this month...

den4b Forum

#1 2007-06-08 00:27

Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#2 2007-07-05 21:55

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#3 2007-07-06 16:46

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#4 2007-07-06 17:24

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#5 2007-07-26 10:59

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#6 2007-08-28 10:06

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#7 2007-08-28 16:44

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#8 2007-09-24 12:48

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#9 2007-09-24 18:23

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

#10 2007-10-06 11:39

Re: Some suggestions for Shutter & Renamer

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