Multiple Desktops in 10.3
Been discussed to death but I want this so badly. Using BeOS for so long (which has this feature) spoiled me.
But thinking of Keynote I thought of a cool implementation.
What if all your virtual desktops were on a Cube. You could have a small floating cube on your screen. When the mouse went over it the cursor would change to a grab hand. As you pulled on the Cube to rotate it, OpenGL effects would at the same time move the real desktop.
So like that cube OpenGL transition in Keynote would be done on the entire screen in real time. And you could get a glimps of the other desktop(s) by moving the cube inbetween the current screen and the one you want to peak at.
But thinking of Keynote I thought of a cool implementation.
What if all your virtual desktops were on a Cube. You could have a small floating cube on your screen. When the mouse went over it the cursor would change to a grab hand. As you pulled on the Cube to rotate it, OpenGL effects would at the same time move the real desktop.
So like that cube OpenGL transition in Keynote would be done on the entire screen in real time. And you could get a glimps of the other desktop(s) by moving the cube inbetween the current screen and the one you want to peak at.
Comments
I never understood the idea of virtual/multiple/whatever desktops. What does it do? Is it like hiding a desktop in the background, the switching back and forth between the hidden one and your current one? Or is there something i missed here.
so like you can have one set up as an internet screen.... web browser open, iChat, Email Program, etc...
switch to another clean desktop.... make that say a publishing environment, can have photoshop set up with some other apps.... etc.
switch to a new desktop..... put iTunes or something on there... some other little things, etc.
then (usually) with the press of a button you can switch between those environments and everything will be where you left it.
My examples arent that great but it gives you the idea.
But...
The way Quartz Extreme works is to have each window be an OpenGL texture, then blast them all to the 3D pipeline.
Doing what you (we) want would mean that the after that pipeline was built, you'd have a *second* set of textures sent in (the second desktop's windows), composited, then the two desktops would have to be converted to textures to apply to the sides of the cube.
Oy.
While doable, in theory, you wouldn't be able to pre-push the second desktop's textures to the video card (since you wouldn't know ahead of time *which* desktop the user wanted to switch to). This could result in a nice little stutter on switching... just to get a 'smooth' transition.
Of course, I'm always willing to beta test someone's implementation!
In fact, I'd like multiple desktops which revolve like the Cube effect on Keynote transition!
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Something I posted in the 10.3 thread further down the page 'X' topics page about a week ago...
But hey, great minds think alike. Something about that Cube transition seems to have got the Quartz Extreme guys excited. Maybe Apple will implement it sometime for multiple desktops rather any old plain vanilla idea.
Lemon Bon Bon
I'm kinda thinkin' and hopin' Apple does something exciting with Quartz Extreme before M$ catches up. Something fancy... It's about time we had some 3D aspects to the OS. For fun's sake if nothing else. Johnny Mnemonic, here we come...!!!
[ 02-22-2003: Message edited by: Lemon Bon Bon ]</p>
<strong>
Something I posted in the 10.3 thread further down the page 'X' topics page about a week ago...
But hey, great minds think alike. Something about that Cube transition seems to have got the Quartz Extreme guys excited. Maybe Apple will implement it sometime for multiple desktops rather any old plain vanilla idea.
Lemon Bon Bon
I'm kinda thinkin' and hopin' Apple does something exciting with Quartz Extreme before M$ catches up. Something fancy... It's about time we had some 3D aspects to the OS. For fun's sake if nothing else. Johnny Mnemonic, here we come...!!!
[ 02-22-2003: Message edited by: Lemon Bon Bon ]</strong><hr></blockquote>
but i thought of the cube and grab cursor thang
but i thought of the cube and grab cursor thang
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Hey, I'll give you that. In fact...I may give you anything. You are from the Bronx.
I aint messin'...
Lemon Bon Bon
<strong>each desktop/screen/whatever is independant from the others so like you can have one set up as an internet screen.... web browser open, iChat, Email Program, etc... switch to another clean desktop.... make that say a publishing environment, can have photoshop set up with some other apps.... etc. switch to a new desktop..... put iTunes or something on there... some other little things, etc. then (usually) with the press of a button you can switch between those environments and everything will be where you left it. My examples arent that great but it gives you the idea.</strong><hr></blockquote>
And the advantage of that is?
I'm not being difficult, I just don't get the need for Multiple Desktops. I've heard Steve Jobs mention this as well, don't remember where... What am I missing here?
<strong>
And the advantage of that is?
I'm not being difficult, I just don't get the need for Multiple Desktops. I've heard Steve Jobs mention this as well, don't remember where... What am I missing here?</strong><hr></blockquote>
u can switch between these set environments in a split second... never have to set all it up... if you like the layout you have of something...just save it as a workspace... if ur doing something and then need to do something else quickly, just go to a different workspace and leave what you were doing alone to come back to.
<strong>you betsa recognize b4 i bust a cap in ur ass nigga</strong><hr></blockquote>
For a second there I thought TW was back and representing the mean streets of Cleveland, OH. *shudder* Scary place out there...
I actually think this is a wonderful idea. The question is how to employ the interface for grabbing a cube and rotating it. I think i would be happy with having the option of creating 'New Desktop' under the 'File' window in the finder. Then having the desktops show up in the Dock. And if you could drag items out of the dock like you could in that one beta, that would be nice too.
Would the same dock be on every desktop, or would it change?
<strong>
u can switch between these set environments in a split second... never have to set all it up... if you like the layout you have of something...just save it as a workspace... if ur doing something and then need to do something else quickly, just go to a different workspace and leave what you were doing alone to come back to.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I can have as many apps open as I want and switch between each one instantaneously. I'm not debating the usefulness of what you are saying, I just don't see how this is needed function in the OS, a preference maybe, but improvement... Not sure about that. I guess I would have to see this in action to grasp the advantage(s).
[ 02-23-2003: Message edited by: PooPooDoctor ]</p>
Fer instince... I used to (on my HP workstation) have one desktop that was my developer environment for my advisor's project, another that was for my current class project, one that was for email/surfing, and one for random stuff.
The developer tools were used on both project desktops, but the windows were distinct, so on one desktop I'd have a couple of editor windows, a couple of shell windows, and a Netscape window or two, and on the other, the same.
Now if I were switching apps instead, like you suggest (and we do now), I'd get all those windows mixed, so my Netscape windows (dev 1, dev 2, personal) would all be intertwined. Then, all the Terminal windows (dev1, dev2, personal, random) would be intermixed. Not effective.
Instead, it allows you to have groups of *windows* that are based on your current task instead of by app. It's really spiffy.
or is this impossible?
Perhaps it will happen in the future.
It think the best interface would just be a left and right arrow somewhere on the screen that you can click. (of course, you would also want keyboard shortcuts for this.) Also, it should be an option that is off by default because it is likely to confuse some people, but I would definitely use it.
I'd imagine the transition would be different for people without QE.
<strong>This may be totally ridiculous (I'm not technically up on this at all) but can multiple desktops allow you to have different resolutions and colour calibration settings on each desktop? for example, you could be in dreameaver / director etc and switch back and forth between the mac screen your building on and a windows one to check how it would look to windows browsers? Or fcp where you could work but set a different live desktop that was colour corrected for a pal tv for instance?
or is this impossible?</strong><hr></blockquote>
yes, everything is independant... i have workspaces on my BeOS machine with different resolutions and everything else and everything switches when you switch
<strong>It's definitely something you need to see/use to appreciate.
Fer instince...</strong><hr></blockquote>
Haaaaa! I'm beginning to see what you mean. Cool! Me like as well!
[quote]Originally posted by applenut:
<strong>What if all your virtual desktops were on a Cube. You could have a small floating cube on your screen.</strong><hr></blockquote>
I prefer it be in the Dock. Floating windows are annoying, constantly getting in one's way.
I have used it on far less powerful hardware than what is available now, and it has been both efficient, useful and functional. It should be very smooth and slick on systems that make use of Quartz Extreme, particularly the much enhanced versions introduced in the next couple of major updates. Interestingly, some rudimentary function is already to be found in the present Finder: at times, one can make the viewable part of the desktop move to the left by positioning items beyond the far left edge....
Anyone worked with a virtual screen, please share your experiences.
engpjp
Just a word of warning, it doesn't work well with Classic and X11. It deals with Classic stuff on a per-app basis rather than a per-window basis.
<strong>
I prefer it be in the Dock. Floating windows are annoying, constantly getting in one's way.</strong><hr></blockquote>
Dittos...
I like to put things in the top menubar where they are easy to view and access AND out of the way in their own little world. Too bad the dock doesn't behave more like the top menubar...