PE6.1.0.0 Desktop Layout problem (Win. 10).

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,

The PE6 desktop is normally shown with the four "panes" (Workspace Explorer, Code Explorer, Memory and Simulation windows) in the NW, NE , SE and SW corners of the screen, leaving a reasonable space for the main program editing window. However, something has "happened" to my version (on Windows 10) such that the four panes are displayed side-by-side with almost no space remaining for Editing, or viewing a simulation (screenshot below).

I haven't found any way to "stack up" the panes again, is there some magic key sequence? Of course I can (Auto-) Hide the panes, but then can't watch a simulation; I've tried Floating the windows and reducing their size, but they're then not easy to Hide and jump back to full-height when docked to the side again. Left-Clicking on the top bar of any of the four panes pops up some additional "arrow" icons, but I can't see any way to use them: they vanish as soon as the button is released and dragging the mouse just moves the whole window (it's not a touchscreen laptop). There are a lot of permutations of the Shift, Control, Alt., and Windows keys, etc., but I think I've tried most of them. :(

MyPE6Layout.png

I've also used the option to restore the default settings and even repaired/reinstalled the whole program, but still no joy. Has anybody any ideas (or better still a solution), or do I have to go back to PE5?

Cheers, Alan.
 

lbenson

Senior Member
I almost never have Code Explorer or Memory visible, but in just playing around I got Workspace Explorer and Simulation looking like you have them--and then feared I couldn't get them back where I wanted them.

But clicking the little down-pointing triangle and making them "Floating" allowed me to move them to the left and then resize them ("Workspace Explorer" first) so they looked like they had before I started fiddling.
 

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,

Thanks for your reply. Yes, I got as far as re-scaling the Floating windows, but how does one "join them together" again? When Floating, the "Triangle" and "Pin" have vanished, so all I could think of is Right-Clicking (at the top). That brings up the "Dockable" and "Dock to" options, but either seems to spring the pane up to full-height and then the second goes beside it again. Am I overlooking the obvious?

Thanks again, Alan.
 

Eng460

Well-known member
Hi Alan, I am glad that you have opened this discussion. I thought it was only me that had lost the original layout with Memory on the right, Workspace top left and the other one lower left, with the code space nicely filling the gap in between.

I managed to get the three little windows where I wanted them, but the code area stayed full screen behind them. Fortunately, by moving the right side one down a little, I could access the full screen button on the top right of code explorer, reduce it, then resize to fit between the others.

But I have to do this each time, the code window will not remember the last size setting. Fortunately the other three do stay in the last position.

So I am another, trying to work out how to restore the original much more user friendly layout. I can’t even remember anymore what I was trying to do when I accidentally changed the original layout which was previously working with PE6 and Windows 10 without any issues. I should have left well enough alone.

Eng460
 

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,

Hmm, Thanks. I thought I'd found a solution by (also) docking to the Top and Bottom edges, but still couldn't lock the two panes together. I even went though a stage when "Dock to Left" caused the pane to jump to the Right-hand side! There's also the fright when one little window suddenly goes full-screen, with no Triangle, Pin, _ or X. Fortunately a Right-Click seems to recover from most things (so far).

I hadn't even been trying to rearrange the screen, I just have a laptop with a rather "lively" touchpad that does all manner of things that I didn't actually want. So it looks like a warning to other members may be needed, not to "play" with the screen layout, and let's hope that one of the Rev. Ed. guys can offer an explanation.

Cheers, Alan.
 

lbenson

Senior Member
When Floating, the "Triangle" and "Pin" have vanished, so all I could think of is Right-Clicking (at the top).
I grabbed the bottom of the full-height Workspace Explorer pane and dragged it up, then resized the Simulation pane to fit beneath it. I see that I have a small space between the two windows, unlike in a different instance of PE6 which I happened to have open before I got the multiple horizontally spaced windows.

Whether there is a way to restore the original layout automatically, I don't know.
 

Flenser

Senior Member
AlleyCat,

I struck a similar problem with PE 6.1 on Win 7 where i had somehow managed to rearrange the two left-hand panes so that they were side by side and I could not find any way to get them back to the default layout whith one above the other.
I did an uninstall+resintall and that got the panes back to the default layout.
 

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
To dock panels back together you need to grab the blue title bar at the top of the panel you want to move (e.g. simulation) and drag it over the other panel (e.g. workspace explorer). Wait until the grey arrow docking icons appear, and then move simulation panel until the 'bottom' docking arrow is highlighted blue. Release mouse and they will snap back together as with the default layout.

23921
 

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi Technical,

Thanks for your reply. Unfortunately, the issue I have is that when I select (for example) the (top of the) simulation pane, the "docking icons" appear in the MIDDLE of the selected pane. When I move the mouse/cursor, the panel moves, but so do the icons, thus it's not possible to drop it onto any of the icons.

Screenshot attached. "Print Screen" doesn't display the cursor (arrow), but it's (always) within the top/title bar (of the Simulation pane).

UPDATE: Ah, if you "point to" the very bottom of the title bar, then the icons do remain stationary (relative to the screen/desktop). Unfortunately, when I dropped the Simulation pane onto the lower icon, PE6 crashed ! The error report should have been sent to you, but now the Simulation pane has vanished completely (even after restarting PE6). :(

PE6docking.pngPE6-NoSimulationPane.png

Cheers, Alan.
 
Last edited:

Technical

Technical Support
Staff member
Each pane has docking arrows, and can be docked with each other as you please, I think if you have a very small screen layout, as in your screenshots, panels and their arrows may overlap/conflict more than expected - it would probably be easier to use a larger overall window when aligning the panels.

To reset the panels to the default positions simply use the default position button on the simulate ribbon. This should sort out the hidden simulation panel too.

23924
 

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,

Thanks again Technical. Yes, I was using the computer in "Full Screen HD" mode (1920 x 1080) but cropped my screenshots to highlight the detail. However, I do use the Legacy/Toolbars mode because I feel the ribbon style (in most programs) "wastes" too much space at the top of the screen.

So I switched to ribbon style and the button did indeed seem to fix the issue, but when I restarted PE6 in Legacy mode, the problem remained (attached). However, it was late so I decided to sleep on it. And this morning, after a complete reboot of the PC (including various updates), the Simulation panel is indeed restored. :) (y)

StillNoSimPane2.png

As an aside, I've recently installed my version of "PaintShop Pro" (v7) on my new Win 10 computer (which somebody had said wasn't compatible). What a relief to have proper Crop / Scale / Annotate / Layer , etc. functions again, for posting screenshots (and editing PEBBLE images) instead of the appalling (IMHO) MS Paint App. Or is that another App. where I must learn some new "Tips and Tricks" ?

Many Thanks, Alan.
 

lbenson

Senior Member
"PaintShop Pro" (v7)
My version from February, 2001, still going strong and still my favorite, though it lacks some features (although after 19 years (plus prior releases), I still haven't learned everything it can do). (And while another PSP7 user is here, do you know of a way to change the default file type upon save? I suspect I've changed from .psp to .jpg thousands of times.)
 

AllyCat

Senior Member
Hi,
I suspect I've changed from .psp to .jpg thousands of times.)
Yes, the same here (except it's often to .PNG or .GIF for me), so probably it's not configurable. I must admit that my "favourite" was PsP v4.14SE (which actually came free on a "Magazine cover CD") because it starts almost instantly (even on a slow PC) with the most useful defaults already set up (except for that .PSP extension). However, it didn't support .GIF files, so I had to upgrade to v5 to use it for PEBBLE images. ;)

Cheers, Alan.
 

Eng460

Well-known member
Thanks Hippy, following your instructions works now.

I do really like those four corner positions.

Eng460
 
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