Re: Outline of Caliban, a Pane Based Window Manager

On 2004-05-27 23:27:17 +0800 Rogelio M. Serrano Jr. 
<[email protected]> wrote:

> On 2004-05-27 22:34:00 +0800 Thorsten Wilms <[email protected]> wrote:
> 
>> On Thu, May 27, 2004 at 10:32:25PM +1000, Karl O'Keeffe wrote:
>> 
>>> I've updated the wiki with a (very) brief outline of my ideas for a 
>>> Y 
>>> Window Manager.
>>> http://y-win-wiki.jciteassist.org/y-win-wiki/PaneBasedWindowManager
>>> 
>>> The main (and probably most controversial) point is that windows 
>>> are all 
>>> displayed full screen by default, and that there will be no 
>>> minimise/maximise/move/resize commands needed.
>> 
>> Didn't you say it should all work with existing apps?
>> Can't work with spatial Nautilus or the GIMP. And even one of the 
>> few apps 
>> I ever use full screen, OpenOffice, still has palettes (floating 
>> windows).
>> 
>> 
>>> To enable comparisons between documents, a system whereby the 
>>> screen can 
>>> be split into two or four panes is used.
>> 
>> Overlapping windows is not only about comparing docs, but also 
>> drag'n'drop 
>> and fast switching between windows (you know, Fitt's law).
>> 
>> 
>> But you should take a look at Blender (3d app).
>> It has something like it's own windowing system,
>> whereby what is called a Window in Blender is rather like
>> Panes in other environments.
>> You can split windows verticaly and horizontaly and resize every
>> window by dragging the borders. Every window (usualy) has a
>> header (even though these can be at the bottom) wich can hold
>> buttons and menus. But the first control in every header is
>> for selecting the windowtype (3d view, file-browser, schematic
>> view, ...).
>> Setups of these windows can be saved as Screens. Shortcuts
>> allow to switch through Screens, or to maximize the window
>> the mouse is over to full-screen (or minimize afterwards).
>> All this allows to adapt Blender to one's own workflow
>> or current task at hand.
>> 
>> Screenshots:
>> http://wrstud.urz.uni-wuppertal.de/~ka0394/forum/04-04-10_blender_1.png
>> http://wrstud.urz.uni-wuppertal.de/~ka0394/forum/04-04-10_blender_2.png
>> 
>> I think it might be worth trying to combine overplapping/floating 
>> windows, 
>> tiling and tabing on WM level.
>> 
>> 
>> ---
>> Thorsten Wilms
>> 
>> 
> 
> Existing apps use x windows calls right? That will be taken care of 
> by the 
> legacy interface. i think gimp can work with non-overlapping windows.
> 

Its less of a concern for me though. gnustep will have its own set of 
apps anyway.