One of the nice customizations that Dashboards provide is the ability to create shortcuts to commonly used actions in Control. Did you know that you can create a shortcut to any file in Windows and Control will attempt to open it with the default provider.

Control allows you to add a file as a dashboard shortcut. You can add it as a URIURI = Uniform Resource Identifier. See the wikipedia entry on File URI scheme for more information on URIs and URI syntax. , but you can also add it directly as a file.

  1. Open or create a Dashboard. Be sure that the Dashboard is Unlocked.
  2. Add a Shortcut instrument.
    • Click on the Add Instrument button, then choose General and Shortcut.
  3. Move the shortcut instrument to where you would like it.
  4. Click on the edit link at the top right of the dashboard instrument. This will open the instrument editor.
  5. Add a new File shortcut.
    • Click on the Add* button, and choose File**.
    • Click in the “X” at the top right of the box to return to the Dashboard with the added link.
  6. Enter the file path and name of the document.
    • The file type (extension) will be used to determine what action to take when the shortcut is pressed.
    • If you omit the file name, Control will open the folder in Explorer.
    • You can enter a network path as well as a local drive path.
  7. Save the Dashboard to preserve your new link in the next Restart.

Contributor: Team Cyrious

Date: 03/2010

Version: Control 4.0+

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