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Window swap when I close a separate program.

Moderator: MiRai

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marksam

Posts: 3

Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:30 am

Post Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:51 am

Window swap when I close a separate program.

I have my 1680 x 1050 screen set up so that one instance of EQ2 takes up the left 2/3rds or so of the screen, and the second instance runs in a small window in the upper right. I have them set to swap when I select one of them with the mouse (or a swap hotkey). Apparently Microsoft wants to do my thinking for me, and selects the non-current instance whenever I close or even minimize another program (browser, usually, but even the ISBoxer Toolkit will do it). ISBoxer sees the selection and swaps the windows, and I have to swap them back.

Is there any way to get around this? Its a minor annoyance, but a grating one. I assist others with heroic quests by 2-boxing my healer and monk, and they're usually not too... 'knowledgeable' about the quests they're on (duh, what's eq2i?). Anyway, being the good samaritan, I'm always looking stuff up for my guildies and others, and the swapping thing gets a bit much after a full day of questing.

It doesn't matter which instance is my current 'main' or where I click in the other program, so its not a 'click-thru' issue. There needs to be only one other window open. Multiple open windows (aside from the games) somehow don't do it.. when the last one is closed/minimized, the EQ2 instances stay the same. Even a small window in the blank area under the small side slot (e.g. Ventrilo) will cause the swap - the extraneous windows don't have to overlap any of the game slot areas.

Yet Another Reason to Hate MS Programmers... :roll:
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lax

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Posts: 7301

Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:32 pm

Post Thu Aug 11, 2011 8:32 am

Re: Window swap when I close a separate program.

Well, you can prevent the swapping part by setting the swap drop-down box in your Window Layout to an option that doesn't start with "Always". But then it's also not going to automatically swap when you alt+tab between your game windows, or click on one. Some people prefer this, and also enable the "Focus follows mouse" option (also in your Window Layout) which makes it more seamless to interact with each of the windows.

As far as which window takes focus when you close/minimize some other window, I think Windows is using the Z-order (which window appears over/under another) and probably picking the next window in the chain. If your game windows are set with Always on top being "On, if a game window is foreground" (configured in the Window Layout Regions options, per Region; this setting is on by default for most Window Layouts, because it makes your multiboxing surface awesome) then they must come down when you switch to another application -- moving in the Z-order. You can try setting it to just plain On, or Off, for each Region but if you're using a single monitor both of those options might be more problematic for you than the default.

I can look into updating it so that when they drop their Always on top setting, they'll drop below the (previously) active game window, and that I think that might correct this behavior for you. I won't have time to do it until next week, though
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lax

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Posts: 7301

Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:32 pm

Post Thu Aug 11, 2011 9:45 am

Re: Window swap when I close a separate program.

Okay I managed to get an update for this in today. I'll be short on time if the update doesn't solve the problem for you ;)

1. Make sure to be on Inner Space build 5469 or later. This is available as of a few minutes ago. Just close Inner Space and restart it, and let it patch itself up
2. Get ISBoxer 39.1.811.1 or later. This is available as of a few minutes ago. In ISBoxer go to the Help menu and select About ISBoxer Toolkit. The "Latest version" line will check the latest version, show the version number, and show you an update link if you are not on the latest version.
3. Export to Inner Space again after updating (any time you update ISBoxer)

That's it, you don't need to change anything, it should just have better behavior. Let me know :)
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marksam

Posts: 3

Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:30 am

Post Thu Aug 11, 2011 12:18 pm

Re: Window swap when I close a separate program.

Wow! Thanks for your prompt response! There'll be a little extra in your PayPal account next year.. 8-)
Can't test it at the moment, but I will in an hour or so and get back to you.
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marksam

Posts: 3

Joined: Thu Aug 11, 2011 7:30 am

Post Thu Aug 11, 2011 2:54 pm

Re: Window swap when I close a separate program.

It works! Thanks again for so prompt a response.
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lax

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Posts: 7301

Joined: Tue Nov 17, 2009 9:32 pm

Post Thu Aug 11, 2011 11:19 pm

Re: Window swap when I close a separate program.

Glad to hear it :)

This update will make a bunch of other people very happy as well ;)

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