bb4win mod expands on Blackbox for Windows. Functionality | minimalism balance out for an efficient | compact shell.
First:
Later:
When things are running smoothly:
The Blackbox for Windows shell consists of these GUI elements:
Desktop:
Menus:
Plugins:
| Mouse event | Effect |
|---|---|
| rightClick | show main menu |
| midClick / shiftRightClick | show workspaces menu |
| leftClick | hide menus / bring pinned menus on top |
: These and other desktop mouse-clicks are configurable in extensions.rc.
| Drop Image | Display mode |
|---|---|
| no modifier | stretched |
| with shift held down | centered |
| with control held down | tiled |
| Mouse event | Effect |
|---|---|
| rightClick on desktop background | open main menu |
| leftClick on desktop background | close menus / bring menus on top |
| rightClick on titlebar | close this menu |
| leftClick the titlebar and drag | move / pin menu |
| doubleLeftClick the titlebar | toggle on top property |
| shiftDoubleLeftClick the titlebar | toggle rollup property |
| leftClick on folder | bring back pinned submenu |
| doubleLeftClick on folder | explore folder (*) |
| leftDrag of fileItem | drag item elsewhere |
| rightClick on fileItem | open context menu for file or folder |
| shiftRightClick on folder titlebar | open folder's context menu |
| altDoubleLeftClick on file/folder | show properties |
| mouse wheel / dragScrollButton | scroll long menus |
(*) This command is configurable in extensions.rc for instance:-
blackbox.options.openFolderCommand: explorer.exe /e,"%1"
| Keyboard navigation | Effect |
|---|---|
| up/down/left/right arrows | navigate |
| page-up/down home/end | navigate |
| crtl+up/down | scroll menu |
| alt+up/down/left/right arrows | move menu |
| letters A-Z,0-9,... | shortcut (underscored or first letter) |
| enter, spacebar | activate item |
| alt-enter | show properties (file/folder) |
| app-key | show context menu |
| tab | cycle through pinned menus |
| F5 | update folder |
| ctrl+n,e,t,s | sort folder by name, extension, time, size |
| insert | pin menu / toggle onTop mode |
| del, escape | close menu |
Notes:
| on task entry | |
|---|---|
| leftClick | activate task |
| gesture to the left/right | move window to previous/next workspace |
| shiftLeftClick | zoom task into current workspace |
| rightClick | minimize task / show window system menu (set according to blackbox.rc: session.options.shellContextMenu) |
| shiftRightClick | close task |
| middleClick | move task to next workspace |
| shiftMiddleClick | move task to previous workspace |
| altLeftClick | change task display mode (text, icon, text+icon) |
| altRightClick | toggle 'current only' mode |
| on workspace label | |
|---|---|
| left/rightClick | switch to next/previous workspace |
| leftDoubleClick | open clock properties |
| <other> | take over the configuration for desktop-clicks in extensions.rc. |
| on tray icon | |
|---|---|
| ctrlRightClick | show icons menu |
| altRightClick | toggle all hidden icons |
| shiftRightClick | toggle one icon |
| <other> | <forwarded to the icons's application> |
| on current-only button | |
|---|---|
| leftClick | toggle display tasks for all/current workspace |
| rightClick | toggle display all tray icons |
| on the entire bar | |
|---|---|
| ctrlRightClick | bbLeanBar+ options menu |
| ctrlLeftDrag | move the bar |
| ctrlLeftDoubleClick | reset the bar to its previous location |
| Mouse event | Effect |
|---|---|
| rightClick | show options menu |
| rightClick on label | change to next workspace |
| shiftRightClick on label | change to previous workspace |
| ctrlRightClick on label | show workspaces menu |
| rightClick on clock | show workspaces menu |
| leftDoubleClick on clock | date & time control |
| ctrlLeftDrag | drag toolbar temporarily |
| ctrlLeftDoubleClick | reset position: |
To (usually) see a plugin's SettingsMenu
To edit a plugin's Settings file
To access a plugin's Documentation file
To remove a plugin from your setup completely
To (usually) move a plugin over the screen
To load a plugin into bbSlit, follow the steps here.
| Plugin | Author | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bbAnalog | mortar|grischka | Simple analog clock - loadable many times |
| bbColor 3dc2 | TheDevTeam|grischka | Extend blackbox styling to other window elements |
| bbIconBox+ | grischka|TheDevTeam | Iconised default & custom folders on the desktop |
| bbKeys | TheDevTeamgrischka | HotKeys for heavily used keyboard options |
| bbLeanBar+ | grischka|TheDevTeam | highly configurable toolbar |
| bbLeanSkin+ | grischka|TheDevTeam | enables greater flexibility in window use |
| bbStyle | NC-17|unkamunka | Workspace style changer |
| bbSlit | Tres'ni|grischka | can hold all visible plugins in the same area of the screen |
| bbWorkspaceWheel | grischka | Switch between workspaces using the mouse wheel |
| uberbox (lite) | tzec|Tres'ni | Command line - including Broadcast Messages |
| Plugin | Author | Note |
|---|---|---|
| bbAnalogExMod | ysuke | Analog clock - with alarm etc. |
| bbCalendar | Theo | Calendar that lets you set events on days. |
| bbEdgeFlip | BladeStaylor | Switches workspace when mouse touches screen edge |
| bbFoomp | freeborn | Front-end for foobar2k (must be loaded into slit). |
| bbInterface | psyci|TheDevTeam | Buttons, sliders, icons and more... |
| bbMail | qwilk | Checks your email accounts. |
| bbPager | NC-17|unkamunka | Virtual workspace - display and control |
| bbSky | pitris | A weather monitor. |
| bbSoundFx | qwilk | Sound snippet player for various events. |
| bbSysTraffic | pitris | Monitors performance on your computer. |
| bbTaskSwitch | kana | bb-stylized Alt-Tab Switch Window. |
| bbXEyes | Procic Konstantin | Eyes following your cursor around the screen |
| SystembarEx | BladeStaylor | Very configurable advanced taskbar. |
There are many other plugins available. See -> Links.
Note: If you get an error loading a plugin it might require extra runtime libraries (such as: MSVC7 runtimes, gdiplus.dll, or bbCmd.dll...).
Runtimes can be put into the system32 directory or into the same directory as blackbox.exe.