Rainmeter Skins Across all Desktops Fix - Raindexer Code

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AtlBo
Posts: 6
Joined: 26.07.2012 21:23:13

Rainmeter Skins Across all Desktops Fix - Raindexer Code

Postby AtlBo » 27.07.2012 03:40:43

Raindexer for noobs

Edited on Patrick's consuliatory advice in the post following this one. Thanks to Patrick...

Resolved a problem I had using Rainmeter and Dexpot. Here is the fix if you want your skins only on desktop 1.

First, I will define this problem, then give an explanation of what to do...(this is for Windows XP...it may work for Vista and 7, I'm not sure (some paths may be different))

-The problem is that Rainmeter skins show up across all desktops of Dexpot. The goal is to have them only show up on the first desktop or to have only some of them on other desktops.

-For anyone with this issue here's a step by step:
1. Download and place the Raindexer (see link below to get Raindexer) file (place in C:\Program Files\Dexpot\Plugins...if you don't back up programs, you will need to replace this file later to have Raindexer if you have to replace a hard drive. Might be smart to keep a copy of this file in a Rainmeter folder in D&S or someplace you keep important things along with instructions to replace it (Maybe a Doomsday folder in My Documents))

Get Raindexer here: http://dexpot.de/forum/download/file.php?id=500

2. Open Rainmeter and create a Rainmeter theme of all the skins you want to make sure work on the main desktop only (this will be important later)....include all of them. Save it in Rainmeter (make sure to back up your Documents and Settings, so you can retrieve this theme if necessary and so that you can retrieve a file called VDMConfig (more later) which you will edit using Dexpot, and which is saved in one of Rainmeter's D&S folders, also)
3. Leave Rainmeter open and open Dexpot. Right click on the system tray Dexpot icon and select "Settings". Click on "Plug Ins and Extras". You should see Raindexer listed in the group. Do not check the box yet (if you did, just uncheck it no problem). Instead, click on the word "Raindexer" to highlight it, and then click the newly activated "Configure" button just below. VDMConfigure will now open. This is where you will place your instructions to Dexpot and Rainmeter. The instructions will be in the form of code, but it's easy.
4. Minimize VDMConfigure and everything else so you can see your skins on your desktop. Starting top left of your desktop, right click on the first skin. Select "Manage Skin". The Rainmeter interface will open showing you where to find the .ini of the skin. Next, open "My Computer" and then follow the following path: C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Rainmeter\Skins. Bring to the front Manage Rainmeter interface to see which of the skins folders this first skin is in. Bring back the open Skins folder window, and follow the path you saw in Manage Rainmeter for the .ini until you find the file (notepad with a cog). Minimize all the Windows now.

Here there is a break and some code that you will use. The code points to the skin and the folder. Opening the folder will make it possible for you to copy the part of the file tree you will need to complete the code. With this code, you will be performing two procedures at once basically. You'll be establishing a skin on a desktop and then shutting it off of the others at the same time.

Now for getting the bit text you will need for the code. First, bring up the Rainmeter\Skins folder that you opened that contains your skin's .ini. Click in the navigation pane of the folder window. This will highlight the path. Now click again on the navigation pane and highlight all of the path after C:\Documents and Settings\Administrator\My Documents\Rainmeter\Skins\. Make sure to leave off the "\" after "Skins" in the folder path name. Copy the highlighted text. Now bring to the front VDMConfigure and paste the information into the empty editor. Add a couple of lines at the beginning of the editor before the text you just pasted, so you can paste again on top. Now paste in the following code:

Code: Select all

[VClouds Weather\VClouds Weather - Detailed]
VDesktop=1


This is an example using one of the VClouds Weather skins. You can use this identical code to set your skins on the first desktop. Here's how:
-Bring VDMConfigure to the front again. Copy the partial path from the .ini folder you placed in VDMConfigure earlier.
-Now just remove the text from the area between the brackets in line one of the code above, place the cursor between the brackets, and paste the part of the file tree of the .ini you copied into the area. Get rid of the partial file path text below the code now.

5. You are almost finished. Next repeat the above process with the code for each skin you want to appear only on desktop 1. When you have finished, in the VDMConfigure file just click "File" and save. It saves automatically to the correct Rainmeter folder. Now bring forward the Dexpot "Settings" menu. Place a check in the box for the plug in Raindexer. Now click on "Apply" at the bottom of the menu.

ENJOY...you've earned it...
Last edited by AtlBo on 29.07.2012 18:02:26, edited 3 times in total.

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Patrick
Developer
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Joined: 04.03.2003 14:51:26

Re: Rainmeter Skins Across all Desktops Fix - Raindexer Code

Postby Patrick » 27.07.2012 13:38:49

:dex:

Thanks for taking the time to post a detailed walkthrough of your solution. :ok:

There are however some problems, which make it a lot more complicated than necessary:
  1. There is no "HideMethod=Activate".
  2. You can't have multiple sections with the same name.
This means your code

Code: Select all

[VClouds Weather\VClouds Weather - Detailed]
VDesktop=1
HideMethod=Activate
IniFile=VClouds Weather - Detailed.ini

[VClouds Weather\VClouds Weather - Detailed]
VDesktop=2,3,4,5
HideMethod=Deactivate
IniFile=VClouds Weather - Detailed.ini

does exactly the same as just this:

Code: Select all

[VClouds Weather\VClouds Weather - Detailed]
VDesktop=1

AtlBo
Posts: 6
Joined: 26.07.2012 21:23:13

Re: Rainmeter Skins Across all Desktops Fix - Raindexer Code

Postby AtlBo » 27.07.2012 15:49:07

Smooth Patrick, thanks. I will update the walk through for noobs like myself


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