Description: This is my Idea for a combined Task Switcher and Desktop Switcher (Pager). This is not a completed app. Notice the two alternative approaches and the different ways the gimp is handled on Desktop 2
When you hit Alt-tab you would be presented with something similar to the screenshot above. The largest bar contains the documents associated with the current desktop. Just as normal, hitting Tab will cycle through these documents and releasing Alt will switch to the selected document.
New Features: -Using either the arrow keys or mouse it would be possible to switch to any document on any desktop instead of just the documents on the current desktop. -Dragging and dropping of icons onto different desktops. This would provide a visual way to manage virtual desktops.
I would personally find this very useful, and it seems others would too. It's a useful feature no other desktop environment has.
Things to consider further: -How could multiple instances of the same app be handled to make quick identification easiest. (there is probably a better way than the way I've shown.) -How to treat stickied apps. -Visual style: I've drawn heavily from the Mac Command-Tab aesthetics, but there might be some subtle ways to improve the feel -Using window thumbnails this could be the start of a sort of ZUI. -There are definitely more things to consider...
...please comment.
Thank you,
Adam
Please email me if you are interested in developing this idea.
The design is ok, but there is not the a description in each icon. In the actual format when pressing Alt+Tab there appear the open applications vertically with an icon and description, which is very useful to know each application. In other way, It could be confused. Is not possible a design like the actual (icons vertically with description in all of them) and showing the other desktops in the left and right?
I added another concept picture of how multiple instances of the same program could be managed. As before, feel free to combine this with your more artistic rendition.
http://www.uvm.edu/~bcappell/concept.png
I think it's good
You didn't stole anything, because Apple already took this thing from windows
And about multiple desktop, well, I don't think that a sane user uses more than 4 or 6 desktops, and not all the time, so hiding empty desktops and making a good use of zooming should do the trick :-D
It's a great idea
This is currently the most popular KDE Improvement on this site!
Obviously there's demand for this feature.
But now, who wants the fame and glory for coding it?(I can't)
Any body have a Kute name for this? I was toying with HopsKotch.
I like this idea a lot. I'd thought of something similar and mocked up a few improvements/suggestions. I also addressed the complaints towards this being 'confusing.'
NOTE: i'm no artist, so i did this the simplest way i could think of. please excuse my cheap screenshot and poor gimping skills (er lack thereof).
http://www.uvm.edu/~bcappell/improvedalt_tab.png
feel free to play around with that, or post it as a second screenshot
I really like the idea of moving icons to other desktop with mouse.
I liked Expose idea on MacOSX but with only one desktop it just dont have enough "power" to me.
And i say this idea can be better and not a copy of expose.
I've never really seen the use of Expose or Kompose. Even on a Mac it's just impressive eye-candy. Move it into a multi-desktop environment and it makes even less sense. Who really wants their windows blown around by some imaginery tornado everytime they switch tasks? I think people are just wowed by it.
Personally I see this going in a different direction than Expose.
this is cool.. I'd like to try this on my desktop..
but how do I install it anyway?? I'm hoping for an installation guide for this.
where do I put this svg file in?
Uhm, what is the first word in the title? IDEA! Which means, this is an idea of the author and he wants to see what other people think about it.
So, you can't install this (yet), the svg file is an image (Scalable Vector Graphics).
@atomicsmith: Looks nice, but, as commented above, showing all desktops at once is a bit chaotic, maybe it's possible to present a list of all desktops and when you highlight a desktop, the programs on that desktop are shown
A fix to the clutter generated by many desktops would be to make a sort of rolling cylinder like there used to be on some sony products. It would keep from being able to quickly drag and drop windows between desktops though
There are many elements in KDE that were copied from Windows and Mac OS X.
And this mockup looks exactly like Apple Macs.
OK. Alt+Tab is ugly, but try to find something better/different. If this will become KDE4 I'm going to buy me a Mac...
hi
in my opinion thats a great idea!
the current design of the tab-switcher, to be honest, is very simple and ugly :)
so, i want that for KDE 4 :)
*cheerio* :)
Ratings & Comments
23 Comments
This looks great! Hope you can get it working soon.
The design is ok, but there is not the a description in each icon. In the actual format when pressing Alt+Tab there appear the open applications vertically with an icon and description, which is very useful to know each application. In other way, It could be confused. Is not possible a design like the actual (icons vertically with description in all of them) and showing the other desktops in the left and right?
I added another concept picture of how multiple instances of the same program could be managed. As before, feel free to combine this with your more artistic rendition. http://www.uvm.edu/~bcappell/concept.png
I will hope and wait for the day this is completed.
I'll have a look when I've upgraded KDE to 3.5.
please add some installation instructions
This is a good idea. My known in qt developpement is something like null but this projet can be interessant.
I think it's good You didn't stole anything, because Apple already took this thing from windows And about multiple desktop, well, I don't think that a sane user uses more than 4 or 6 desktops, and not all the time, so hiding empty desktops and making a good use of zooming should do the trick :-D It's a great idea
This is currently the most popular KDE Improvement on this site! Obviously there's demand for this feature. But now, who wants the fame and glory for coding it?(I can't) Any body have a Kute name for this? I was toying with HopsKotch.
I like this idea a lot. I'd thought of something similar and mocked up a few improvements/suggestions. I also addressed the complaints towards this being 'confusing.' NOTE: i'm no artist, so i did this the simplest way i could think of. please excuse my cheap screenshot and poor gimping skills (er lack thereof). http://www.uvm.edu/~bcappell/improvedalt_tab.png feel free to play around with that, or post it as a second screenshot
I really like the idea of moving icons to other desktop with mouse. I liked Expose idea on MacOSX but with only one desktop it just dont have enough "power" to me. And i say this idea can be better and not a copy of expose.
SuperB, keep it comming!!!!
look at komposé ;-)
I've never really seen the use of Expose or Kompose. Even on a Mac it's just impressive eye-candy. Move it into a multi-desktop environment and it makes even less sense. Who really wants their windows blown around by some imaginery tornado everytime they switch tasks? I think people are just wowed by it. Personally I see this going in a different direction than Expose.
this is cool.. I'd like to try this on my desktop.. but how do I install it anyway?? I'm hoping for an installation guide for this. where do I put this svg file in?
Uhm, what is the first word in the title? IDEA! Which means, this is an idea of the author and he wants to see what other people think about it. So, you can't install this (yet), the svg file is an image (Scalable Vector Graphics). @atomicsmith: Looks nice, but, as commented above, showing all desktops at once is a bit chaotic, maybe it's possible to present a list of all desktops and when you highlight a desktop, the programs on that desktop are shown
A fix to the clutter generated by many desktops would be to make a sort of rolling cylinder like there used to be on some sony products. It would keep from being able to quickly drag and drop windows between desktops though
Would you be showing all four desktops at the same time? thats confusing!
yeah, I use 6 desktops, and KDE has support for 20 desktops. That would be quite confusing. nice Idea though
Please do not steal every nice idea from other OS' !!!
Please, what OS exactly ?
There are many elements in KDE that were copied from Windows and Mac OS X. And this mockup looks exactly like Apple Macs. OK. Alt+Tab is ugly, but try to find something better/different. If this will become KDE4 I'm going to buy me a Mac...
hi in my opinion thats a great idea! the current design of the tab-switcher, to be honest, is very simple and ugly :) so, i want that for KDE 4 :) *cheerio* :)