Studio Bar Features

Work Time Studio offers a unique solution to the limitation of valuable desktop space in today's Windows environment, the Studio Bar. The Studio Bar is a compact, dockable window interface to Work Time Studio, which is docked to the top or bottom of your monitor. If you have multiple monitors set up for your computer system, the Studio Bar can dock to the top or bottom of any of those monitors. The Studio bar is shown below. The different parts of the Studio Bar are known as segments. For details on the different segments on the Studio Bar, see the Studio Bar screen shots.

Entering Studio Bar Mode

There are multiple ways to enter Studio Bar mode in Work Time Studio. First, you can use the Switch to Studio Bar Mode command from the View Menu. Second, you can use the Switch to Studio Bar Mode button on the Studio Bar Mode Toolbar, in the main window. But probably the easiest way to enter Studio Bar mode is to simply double click on the status bar in Work Time Studio.

The Studio Bar Has a Good Memory

Whenever you enter Studio Bar mode, Work Time Studio will place the Studio Bar in the location where it was last docked in Studio Bar mode. So, once you have placed your Studio Bar in your favorite spot, the Studio Bar will always be returned to that spot when you enter Studio Bar mode. Of course, you can always change the default location of your Studio Bar at any time.

Quick Access to the Current WorkItem's Notes

When in Studio Bar Mode, you will always have very quick access to the current WorkItem's notes. By clicking on the WorkItem Notes Pane icon in the Secondary & Sub Pane Buttons segment, the WorkItem Notes Pane will be displayed and floated on your desktop, ready for you to enter or add notes for the current WorkItem. The notes in the WorkItem Notes Pane will always be associated to the current WorkItem when in Studio Bar Mode, so you're always assured that the notes you enter into the Notes Pane are always for the current WorkItem which is displayed on the Studio Bar.

Auto Hiding the Studio Bar

The Studio Bar allows you to place it in Auto Hide Mode, so that it will retract off of your desktop completely. In this mode, the Studio Bar can be brought back into view on your desktop by moving your mouse to the side of the screen where the Studio Bar is docked. When you do this, the Studio Bar will slide back into view, giving you access to its operations. When your done, just move your mouse away, and the Studio Bar will retract back off the desktop again. The Studio Bar can be toggled in and out of Auto Hide mode with the Auto Hide Button. Putting the Studio Bar in Auto Hide mode is a good way for you to remain productive on your work, yet still have all of Work Time Studio's features available with a click of the mouse.

Studio Bar Mode

Studio Bar mode is a mode of operation when Work Time Studio is diplayed as a Studio Bar, as shown above. When Work Time Studio is in Studio Bar mode, it's interface uses very little desktop space. If you place the Studio Bar into auto hide mode, the Studio Bar will take up no desktop space at all. All of the features that Work Time Studio has to offer are available from the Studio Bar, so you're highly encouraged to keep Work Time Studio in Studio Bar mode as much as possible. This allows you to remain productive while you keep an eye on your progress.

See Your Status and Progress at All Times

With the Studio Bar, you can always see the status of your current WorkItem, as well as your current progress, at all times. The three time segments on the Studio Bar display the current interval time, the total time you have worked on the current WorkItem, and the total collective time you have spent on the current WorkItem. All these times are displayed in real-time. You can also see the progress bar for the current WorkItem, to show you where you stand in your current activity. This is very handy, because it allows you to decide if you need to make an adjustment to your estimated time for the current WorkItem.

Multiple Monitor Support

The first time you enter Studio Bar Mode, the Studio Bar will be docked to the top of your primary monitor. If you'd like, you can move the Studio Bar to the top or bottom of any monitor you have on your system. To move the Studio Bar to a new location, simply drag the Studio Bar, and drop it near the top or bottom of the monitor where you want it to be docked.

Access to All Clocking Operations

The Studio Bar gives you access to all clocking operations. The Clocked State Buttons allow you to start, stop, lock, unlock, pause, and resume the clock on the current WorkItem. Need to start the clock on a different WorkItem than the current WorkItem which is displayed in the current WorkItem segment on the Studio Bar? Just open the Activity Tree or Quick Tree from the Studio Bar, select the desired WorkItem, and start the clock using the Activity Tree or Quick Tree Clocked State Toolbar. The new current WorkItem will be displayed on the Studio Bar. You can then use the Clocked State Buttons on the Studio Bar to perform additial clock operations later on the new current WorkItem without reopening the Activity Tree or Quick Tree.

Leaving Studio Bar Mode

Leaving Studio Bar mode is just as easy as entering Studio Bar mode. Simply double click anywhere on the Studio Bar, and Work Time Studio will return to its standard interface window. If any of Work Time Studio's docking panes were open and floated on the desktop in Studio Bar mode, when leaving Studio Bar mode these docking panes will be returned to the position they were at in the standard interface, just before entering Studio Bar mode.

Quick Access to All Work Time Studio's Features

When in Studio Bar Mode, you will always have quick access to all of Work Time Studio's features. The Primary and Secondary Pane Buttons allow you to open any of Work Time Studio's primary panes or secondary panes instantly. There's really no need to return Work Time Studio to its standard interface mode to perform any operation in Work Time Studio. Just open the docking pane you need with the pane buttons on the right of the Studio Bar. The docking pane will open and will be floated on the desktop for your use. When finished, just close the floated pane. This increases your productivity because you don't have to keep opening and closing Work Time Studio's main interface to use its features.

Docking Panes Remember Their Locations

When opening primary and secondary docking panes from the Studio Bar, the floated docking panes remember where they were last placed when opened from the Studio Bar, and will be placed back at that location. There's no need to reposition a docking pane whenever you open it from the Studio Bar, it remembers where you want it! Even on a multi-monitor system, you can place the floated panes on any of your monitors, with the assurance they will appear in the same location when opened the next time.

Launching and Exiting in Studio Bar Mode

If you would like Work Time Studio to start up in Studio Bar mode, simply exit Work Time Studio while its in Studio Bar mode. Whenever you launch Work Time Studio, it will always appear on your desktop the same place that you exited. This includes exiting in Studio Bar mode. This is very handy, as it allows you to place Work Time Studio in your Startup folder if you'd like, so it will start up when you log into your Windows operating system. Since you usually keep Work Time Studio in Studio Bar mode anyway, it's handy to have Work Time Studio launch and exit in this mode.