RYann's dashboard

I read that you have problem to get the background image from Hyperspaces go "under" the menubar like translucency of standard desktop background images in MacOS.

The consequence is indeed that the transparency effect of the menubar let the user see
its "old" background image (from the MacOS preferences) and not Hyperspaces ones.

Another drawback of displaying Hyperspaces background "above" is that some third-party
tools changing the Desktop background become invisible (some of them: Wallsaver displaying the Screensaver as desktop background, or DockArt showing the currently playing iTunes album cover as desktop background).

To avoid this second drawback, Hyperspaces currently proposes a user preference to manually stop drawing its Desktop backgrounds. But it's a pity.

To address both problems (menubar transparency and "real background" invisibility)
I discovered a while ago a very small program, that was a prototype, but seems to give
an answer: SpaceSation v0.3 is likely to change background from space to space by changing the standard desktop background from the preferences. see http://episteme.arstechnica.com/eve/f...

Maybe this would make Hyperspaces nice animation effect impossible, but this would solve
the two other problems?

As a conclusion, and that's my idea (hoping this is reasonable): maybe taking this into account could lead to some solutions?

1- propose a preference switch in Hyperspaces between
"Change standard background / Use superposed background".

2- or even better: merge the two solutions to have all the advantages.
(a) Hyperspaces would change the standard background to solve the transparency effect with the menubar (and would restore the standard background when quitting).
(b) Hyperspaces would (also) draw a superposed window to display the nice transition effect when changing space. (That feature could remain a user switch as currently).
(c) But after the transition effect, Hyperspaces would close its superposed window to let only see the standard background (changed to the same image) and therefore compatible with every other tools transforming the background.

Tricky, but possible?

If Hyperspaces could add usual (and highly customizable, even to simply disable) calls to Growl to notify a space change, this would be a simple but very nice new feature.

With the idea of (optional) Dock icon, another nice behavior would be nice:
clicking on the Dock icon could (as it does for Spaces icon) open the fullscreen view of Spaces (it seems to be a simple launch of Spaces app).

With previous ideas of Dock icon & Numbering,
http://getsatisfaction.com/thecocoabo...
http://getsatisfaction.com/thecocoabo...
this would make it possible to have Hyperspaces app and icons to become a total enhancement (and replacement) of the current Apple Spaces icons I have in the menubar and Dock.

P.S. If this mimic behavior of Spaces dock icon could be the one of Hyperspaces by default.
Hyperspaces could become even more "hyper" by proposing a user preferences:
"Dock menu click opens: Spaces / Switcher".

Like Apple icon of Spaces in the menubar, this would be nice to have an (optional) number indicating the current Space in the icon of Hyperspaces:
this way, one could definitely get rid of Spaces icon in the menubar.
(As soon as the "Spaces preferences..." shortcut is also integrated next to "Preferences..." in Hyperspaces menu).

And, following the idea of optional Dock icon
http://getsatisfaction.com/thecocoabo...
this optional numbering could also be badged in the Dock icon (as Mail.app for new messages, or like very beautiful badge ideas of Mail Badger http://tonyallevato.com/software/mail...).

Wouldn't it be good to have a user preference to choose where to see Hyperspaces icon (and action menu): Menubar / Dock / Both.

For those who prefer access the actions through a right-click on the Dock, it would be nice, and it would allow to save precious space in menubar for items.

Moreover, an extra action could then be added (to the Dock icon only):
drag'n'drop of an image to the Dock icon would directly set this image to the current Space.