HOW TO: Switch desktops in 3D view! Cool!

[anil_robo]

First, make sure you have all the repositories and 3D support enabled!

1. Open a terminal window, type:

sudo apt-get install 3ddesktop

press enter
2. 3ddesktop should be installed.
3. you can type 3ddesk and press enter in terminal to run this. (Use arrow keys to change desktops, enter to select that desktop)

You'll see something like this:



You can switch between desktops by:
1. Using the up and down arrow keys
2. Using the right and left arrow keys
3. Using the mouse scrolling wheel.

How to make a desktop launcher for 3d desktop:

1.Right click on an empty area in the taskbar, and click "add to panel"
2. Double click "custom application launcher"
3. Name: 3D Desktop changer
Comment: My cool 3D Desktop changer (or whatever you like)
Command: 3ddesk
Make sure you have "run in terminal" unchecked.
If you want, you can select an icon by clicking on "no icon" button.
4. CLick OK

To run 3ddesktop switcher, just click on the icon you just made on the panel.

How to assign the windows key to 3ddesktop:

1.

gconf-editor

2. Navigate to apps/metacity/keybinding_commands
3. Choose an empty command (I chose Command_1), double click, set value to 3ddesk
4. Now navigate to apps/metacity/global_keybindings in gconf-editor
5. Find Run_command_1 (or whichever command you chose in step3 above), double click it, set value to Super_L
6. Close gconf-editor
7. Check by pressing your windows key. It should start 3ddesktop.

Tips:
1. If the screens come up grey when you first run it, you probably do not have 3ddesktop daemon (3ddeskd) running. So you have to pass a command from terminal manually:

3ddesk --acquire=100

2. 3ddesktop has many display modes. Try these:

3ddesk --mode=linear --nozoom

3ddesk --view=slide

3ddesk --view=linearzip

Other command-line options are:

--version Display version information
--view=xxx Uses the options from the view in 3ddesktop.conf
--mode=xxx Sets the arrangement mode
(one of carousel, cylinder, linear, viewmaster,
priceisright, flip, or random)
--acquire[=#] Grab images for all the desktops by cycling thru
(sleep for x millisecs at each screen for refresh)
--acquirecurrent Grab image for current desktop
--nozoom Disable the zoom out
--changespeed Set the rotation speed
--zoomspeed Set the zoom speed
--gotoright Goto the desktop to the right
--gotoleft Goto the desktop to the left
--gotoup Goto the desktop to the up
--gotodown Goto the desktop to the down
--goto=# Goto specified column (deprecated)
--gotocolumn=# Goto specified column
--gotorow=# Goto specified row
--dontexit Don't exit after a goto
--stop Stop 3ddesktop (kill 3ddeskd daemon)
--reload Force a reload of 3ddesktop.conf
--noautofun Don't Automatically turn on Fun Mode
--revmousewheel Reverse the mousewheel
--swapmousebuttons Swap the mousebuttons
--altmousebuttons Use alternate mousebuttons scheme
--justswitch Just switch desktops and acquire without graphics


This is great for people who have not got xgl working yet! Enjoy!