I started using Qsel a few months ago. Very nice, light program, which has an auto-hide function that you want. It might be a bit difficult to configure at first, but once you figure it out, it's not that bad.

Ty .....

for some reason i'm very picky when it comes to this......

after going over the various possibilities, i still stand with either a taskbar similar to what win 10 provides or just keep the icons arranged as it is now ( see screenshot )

the trashcan is the only agreeable asset in the 2d desktop scenario ;)

So, it comes down, to , i hate you windows for such an oversight.

again, thanks a lot for showing your solution :)

it is much appreciated

grumbling opted for the new taskbar option

edit: toolbar