Hello

I’m an excessive user of the overview effect. With the changes in Plasma 6 the effect changed in such a way that the desktop shrinks “backwards”. On a large screen I find that effect quite dizzying.

The old effect had a QML file (/usr/share/kwin/effects/overview/qml/DesktopBar.qml) to tamper with and set things up to personal preferences if needed. However no such file seems to exist anymore.

Is there some way to disable this shrink into the distance effect and perhaps even set other parameters for the effect?

cu
Roman

2 Likes

Try using ‘present windows’ instead.
For switching windows I use ‘present windows all desktops’. For moving between or arranging desktops I use Desktop Grid.

You can also speed up the animation speed so that it’s more instantaneous and less of a bother.

You’ll find this setting by searching ‘behaviour’ in your menu. Slide it towards ‘instant’ to reduce the animation time until it doesn’t bother you.

For other animations, under ‘effects’ you can sometimes find an individual setting so that you can increase it’s time to compensate.

1 Like

Hi There.

First of all big thanks for all the work You put into making Plasma such an amazing experience.

I am also truly heavy user of both desktop grid and overview. I believe i started with Compiz.

I used it extensively to see, move and overall manage which of virtual desktop hosts which of my windows. Unfortunately it seems impossible since Plasma 6.0 as new Overview combined with Destkop Grid does not give any chance to see virtual desktops big enough to see and allow to drag and rearrange windows between desktop easily. In 5* I could just easily reach directly to any window and grab it and move to any virtual desktop. Now I cannot see them all in the same time and so I cannot also rearrange them easily.

Is there any chance to allow it to show big virtual desktops next to each other again? Please…

Thank You!

1 Like

Haha ‘I believe’ - probably not then, surely anyone who started with Compiz will have indellible and higly vivid memories of wasting time tweaking and rotating the cube and being impressed at the way you could set the windows to float above the desktop, and watch videos through the back of other desktops… and adjust the moving background image… playing with the sphere and cylinder (it did get VERY silly in the end).

But yes, I think the error is that Overview cannot display 2x2 desktops in a single row and just let us decide to have them down the left edge of the screen, or across the top.

I like 'em down the left edge.

Then it should intuitively be possible to drag windows FROM the thumbnails to other thumbnails as you can with Grid… or at least stay in overview and select which desktop is on display without collapsing and reopening the effect.

This is why now I tend to stick with ‘Present Windows all desktops’ for selecting windows and Grid for arranging them.

1 Like

You can stay in Overview and select different desktops without having it collapse if you change it with keyboard shortcuts: I use Meta+Tab to navigate desktops in the Overview. I also can move windows between these desktops with other keyboard shortcuts, while staying in Overview.

But I understand that if your intent is moving windows with the mouse, you’d prefer to do everything with the mouse.

1 Like

When I open a graphical representation of my desktop, I use the mouse to drag windows (this is the same - and the whole point - as the GRID overview of all desktops).

Before Wayland messed things up, I would use a mouse gesture to bring up the grid, then drag windows to where I want them.

I would find this awkward using keyboard shortcuts.

1 Like

Yep it seems it boils down to personal workflow: I rarely use a mouse to manage the desktop environment while you would find this awkward.

I think that the least we can do it propose the OP our solutions to this, as the issue is not clear enough to propose a feature request.
My temporary solution would be sharing how I do everything with keyboard shortcuts.
My long term solution would be an overhaul of the grid which comes with the new Overview; we are discussing it here and I recently posted a mock-up of its possible behaviors: Automatic virtual desktops management

For me this concerns automatic behavior, but we are discussing on how to repurpose the new grid to make it work as the past “Present all windows” effect, and I’d like @ben2talk to give his two cents.

Thank You for Your understanding approach Gentelmen (-:

Yes, the whole point is to be able to see all desktops next to each other big enough to be able to grab any window and drag it to any virtual desktop.

For me it started back then. I cannot put a link here, but if You search on youtube for: “Ubuntu 7.10 w/ Compiz: wall and expo” You will see. User: guss779, 16 years ago.

Or better “beryl Desktop Wall plugin”, user: linnerd40, 14th second and on shows it.

If possible to have such functionality back in Plasma Overview plugin or other, that would be lovely.

Thank You
Greetings!