True Launch Bar - Make your work easy
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System requirement:
True Launch Bar can be installed on Windows™ 9x/Me/2000/NT4/XP/Vista

If you run Windows™ 95/NT4 you must have Internet Explorer 4.0 or newer installed with integrated shell (Active Desktop).
Developed by TORDEX - Software For You

 

Features

We are constantly improving True Launch Bar. All new features are included in the latest beta version. Visit our beta area and find out about the huge number of new features of True Launch Bar.

Compatibility with standard Quick Launch

True Launch Bar is fully compatible with the standard Windows (TM) Quick Launch toolbar. It uses the same folder for shortcuts. If some program installs an icon into Quick Launch, then the program also installs the icon for True Launch Bar as well. True Launch Bar can be docked into the taskbar like just like Quick Launch.

Grouping links into popup menus

The huge advantage of True Launch Bar is popup menus. You can create menus on in the True Launch bar panel and place your shortcuts there. This will save space on your taskbar and give you another dimension in using the taskbar. True Launch Bar is Quick Launch on steroids!!!

Full support of Windows XP Visual Styles

True Launch Bar completely supports Windows XP Visual Styles. You turn on the Flat Menus option and TLB will begin to look like All Programs menu from the Start Button.

On this screen shot you can see the menu when Mac OSX theme is applied for Windows XP.

Windows Vista compatible

Since version 4.2 True Launch Bar is Windows Vista compatible. True Launch Bar supports all Windows Vista features including the Aero interface.

Improved separators

Separators and titles can help you make menus friendlier. Right-click on separator and select Enable Expand/Collapse menu item. You will see the small button with "-" picture at the left of the separator. If you click on this button all buttons below will hide and the button changes to a "+". Click on "+" button to show all buttons again.

Also you can turn on Enable Run All option in separators context menu and run all buttons with one click.

Note all operations on separators performed up to next separator or end of menu from below.

Virtual Folders

You can also create virtual folders on the True Launch Bar. When you create a virtual folder, you select the folder's content you want to see in the toolbar menu. It can be any folder on your disk or on a local network (Favorites, Programs, Recent, etc.); or you can add file system folders such as Printers, Control Panel, My Computer, Dialup Network or other similar folders. If you right-click on an item in the virtual folder, you can see a full context menu like in the Explorer window, and you can perform any action from this menu (Properties, Open, Delete...). In fact you can use True Launch Bar as small file manager. In addition you can add separators with titles into Virtual folders. This can greatly improve the grouping of items inside Virtual Folders.

Drag & Drop

True Launch Bar fully supports Windows Drag&Drop technology. You can simply drag your shortcuts onto the toolbar or menu. You can use the left and right mouse button to drag shortcuts to the True Launch Bar. Using the right button dragging you will see a context menu with common actions.

Hot keys

True Launch Bar supports standard hotkeys for shortcuts. Select "Properties" from your shortcut, setup a hotkey and use it.

Separators

Separators help you to combine your shortcuts into groups inside menus or on the toolbar. This separator is simply a horizontal line. More-over you can add Titles (which is a separator with text). This will help you group and quickly find shortcuts inside menus.

Run your shortcuts without click

Now True Launch Bar offer the "Run on mouse hover" feature. This means that you can run your shortcuts without click the mouse. Just point to your button and wait for some a short time (you can adjust the hover time) Press CTRL key to suspend (while holding) this feature.

Skinable

True Launch Bar is skinable. This means that you can change the appearance of buttons, menu items... Visit our Skins Library to download new skins. If you want to make your own skins please read Skins specification.

Fast toolbar switching

You can define some of shortcuts sets (toolbars) and quickly switch between them using TLB’s context menu. Define one toolbar for working and another for gaming!

Related Links

You can add related links to every button in True Launch Bar. This can help you to associate more useful links (to web sites or files) with the particular application. Create your own links libraries!

Protection

How many times has your child removed your shortcuts from the Launch Bar? Or your users lose some of their buttons? Now you can right-click on any button and select Protect. Select a password and nobody can run, delete or change your button. You can protect the setup with a password too.

Plugins

The main feature of True Launch Bar is it's active content. Now you can use buttons not only for launching your applications but have button work like small applet. In most cases you will have a button to run your email client (like Outlook Express). If you add Mail Monitor onto the True Launch Bar this button can actually tell you when you have new mail and can run your email client. Visit our Plugins Library to find more plugins such as System Monitor, Winamp Control, Volume Control etc.

Recently accessed button

You can add a special button named Recently accessed. This menu contain all the shortcuts you have run from the True Launch Bar. In the Advanced tab of TLB Settings dialog box you can set the max number of buttons to store and display inside Recently accessed.

Thumbnails View
Thumbnail view is a miniature version of an image that is often used for quick browsing through multiple images. Now True Launch bar supports Thumbnails view. Set this view mode for your My Pictures folder.
Support Windows XP-style icons

Microsoft® Windows® XP introduces a new style in icon design.

The Windows XP icon style is all about fun, color, and energy-and, as there are now 32-bit versions of the icons, smooth edges. Unfortunately XP-style icons can be used only on Windows® XP. However here the good news! - True Launch Bar supports Windows XP-style icons on all Windows platforms including Windows 2000/9x/Me. Use the context menu to change icon for your buttons.

Auto-sensing toolbar

The new unique feature of True Launch Bar is Auto-Sensing toolbar. Now True Launch Bar can change content of toolbar Depending on the application in which you work. To setup auto-sensing open TLB settings dialog box and click on Auto-sensing tab:

Auto-Sensing Tab

First you need to create workspace (press add button on the right of combo box). Then select the folder where shortcuts and workspace data will be stored. Now add the Working programs for workspace. True Launch Bar can change content in two cases: when one of application has active window and when application is running (no matter active or not):

Take attention on Common programs list. Here you can add the application that you plan use in any workspace. If you activate one of that application True Launch Bar does not change toolbar content.

If True Launch Bar does not find any application of one of the workspaces, the content of toolbar will be shown from main toolbar folder.

Why to use auto-sensing

Auto-sensing can considerably improve accessibility of needed shortcuts/documents and save some space on task bar or other toolbars. If you are typing some documents in the MS Word or other text editor, you probably need only some shortcuts/menu on your toolbar. So you can create one workspace for documents editing and place there shortcuts to Word, Excel, Access, organized virtual folder for My (Your) Documents and some other shortcuts for quick access. When you close office application you get access to all range of buttons in main toolbar to begin other work. Also you create workspace for Internet surfing, and if you working in Internet Explorer then toolbar show only your favorites, FTP client, and something other internet-related.

Notes

  • You always can open two toolbars. One toolbar can used for static content, the second toolbar for auto-sensing.
  • Running Windows Explorer does not effect the switching. So you can use this feature to add buttons to workspace toolbar.
  • Set Toolbar's min size option of General tab into maximum possible buttons count. This will allow to auto-fit toolbar to the best size. Even you lock task bar (Windows XP only) auto-fit will work fine.
  • Use main toolbar as Start Here toolbar.

Overlay Images on menu

Overlay Images SampleThis feature allow you to set the images for the menus. Why you need this feature? First this is beautifully. Also this feature allow you quickly find out what menu you open. To set/remove overlay images right-click on menu select Appearance submenu and select Set Overlay Image (Remove Overlay Image).

True Launch Bar support images in PNG, JPEG, GIF and BMP formats. The only recommendation is the image must be a half transparent. We prepare sample images for you.

Download sample overlay images (201K)

Also visit the FOOOD's web site where you find a wide range of images in PNG format.

Multi column layout

Now True Launch Bar supports multi column layout for menus like in Start->Programs menu of Windows. But you can set the maximum number of columns to show. If folder too large you can scroll menu to get access to all files.

Hot keys manager

Hot keys manager

Hot keys Manager is a powerful tool for searching and editing of all hot keys that used in True Launch Bar. Use right-click menu to edit/clear hotkeys.

Backup/Restore toolbar

Though it is possible to backup toolbar by copping toolbar folder now you can easy backup/restore toolbar to/from single file. The "General Options" tab of TLB Settings have two buttons for backup and restore toolbar.

Easy installing of skins

Since version 2.2.0.11 it is very easy to install skins for True Launch Bar and plugins. The skins tab of TLB Settings dialog have button Install Skins. You need select zip file with set of skins and TLB show the content of this zip file. You need select skins you want to install and TLB write them into proper folders.

Improved tips

   

Now TLB supports improved tips. TLB show icon in tips and supports simple formatting of text. Moreover now you can change description for any button on TLB. To create tips with formatting you must right-click button Select Appearance submenu and click Change Description menu item. Now you can enter text. You can use some of HTML tags to format your text. Here is a list of these tags with short description:

Tags Description
<b>text</b> "text" will be drawn as bold
<i>text</i> "text" will be drawn as italic
<u>text</u> "text" will be drawn as underline
<s>text</s> "text" will be drawn as strikeout
<ct=0000FF> Text's color after this tag will be BLUE. You can change RGB value to set other color
<cb=00FFFF> Background color after this tag will be Cyan. You can change RGB value to set other color
<al> or <al_l> Text will be aligned to the left
<al_c> Text will be centered
<al_r> Text will be aligned to the right
<hr=100%> Draws horizontal line with length of whole text area in the tool tip
<hr=50> Horizontal line with length of 50 point.
<t> tab
<br> new line

Support PNG images as icon

Now True Launch Bar supports icons in PNG format. PNG images can have alpha channel to support transparency. True Launch Bar automatically resize images.

Using 3 state PNG image as button

Now TLB supports 3 state PNG images. So you can create any image for button. This can be logo of you company, your photo or Start button:

PNG image must contain 3 state of button: normal, pressed and highlight.

Redistributing toolbars

Now it is easy to redistribute your toolbars. First TLB can backup toolbar into one file and restore it on other computer. The buttons for backup/restore you'll find on the General Options tab of TLB Settings dialog box. Also now all icons and images can be stored with toolbar. So after restoring toolbar you do not need restore icons separately. And now you can install all skins for plugins and True Launch Bar from Skins tab of TLB Settings dialog box.

Context menu templates

Now you can customize context menu by create your own templates for context menu. Context menus can be different for buttons, virtual folders, plugins and empty space of menus.

Integration with StartKiller

The new version of StartKiller can be configured to disable Start menu and open the first menu on True Launch Bar. So when you press WIN key or CTRL+ESC True Launch Bar will open Start menu replacement on True launch Bar.

Changing default command

You can change the behavior of the button when you click it. By default TLB execute the default command from shell context menu. Now you can overwrite this action and run any command. When this feature can be useful?

  1. If you run some application under different account you should right-click button and select "Run As..." menu item. Now you can set "Run As..." as default command and use it without right-click
  2. For folders with your music you can set the default command into "Play in Winamp" and every time you press shortcut or double click the Virtual Folder all files will be loaded into Winamp
  3. You can run slide show for folder by one click
  4. You can do more...

To change the default command right-click button point Appearance submenu and click Button Properties menu item.

Customizing buttons and menu items

Now you can customize separate toolbar buttons and menu items. Here the list of properties that can be changed:

  • The text label can be bold or/and italic
  • You can change the alignment of the text label for menus
  • Every button and menu item can have own icon size
  • And any button menu item can have own context menu
  • and more other options...

To change the default command right-click button point Appearance submenu and click Button Properties menu item.

Improved Custom Colors

Now you can overwrite any element of skin with your custom colors. In addition we've added the gradients for toolbar background and menu selection color. You can use vertical or/and horizontal gradients. Also you can change the colors of separators, toolbar buttons, text colors etc.

Tear Off Menu

Using this feature you can create menus that never closed. You can place these menus at any position on the desktop, also you can change "Always On Top" attribute for the menu. To tear off the menu right-click opened menu and select "Tear Off Menu" menu item. Now you can move the menu at any position. Note, to move menu you must click and drag the menu caption. To chage the options torn off menu right-click it and select:

  • Tear Off Menu - make the menu as normal
  • Always on Top - make menu on top of all windows or not
  • Close menu - to close menu

Please note when you make the menu torn off then the menu button becomes as normal button and it opens or activate the torn off menu. And as well as for normal menus you can use hotkeys to open the turn off menu.

 
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