A new Window Manager

[xakh]

okay, the shelf is cool, REALLY cool, the main questions I have are:
How will a 3D desktop work with this? Could it become something of a "Flower", with the tabletops spreading out?
Will there still be a menu bar at the top or bottom, as well as a little toolbar like on windows/gnome/ everything but Mac's default WM where we can switch between windows? because those would be seriously counter-intuitive.

[aimran]

Spherecat: I suggest you work off backstep as they have already done something similar. Only thing missing is the window preview. That smaller icons in the distance is a bit hard to click on for someone who needs them fast. Just my $0.02

[SphereCat1]

Good morning, everyone! (or it is here anyway...)

Where to start?
Merk: I completely forgot about the taskbar popping up, because on mine at least (I have really old computers, it might just be lack of experience) you have to hit the Windows key, but I think I've been on computers where you just move to the bottom. I think I'll do what I mentioned earlier, just have it zoom out slightly to show a bar.

xakh: The flower is a good idea, I think that would look awesome! I was also thinking of just having the current view sliding off screen, and having the new one slide in from whatever direction. Maybe make it an option?
Also, since the middle of the flower would get progressively larger with more desktops, maybe it could have layers going outward, like (bad simile) an onion? That would mean you have way too many desktops. And we could also put something useful in the middle!

aimran: Thanks for the recommendation, I'll look at backstep. Also, the picture is obviously smaller than a real screen, too, so they won't (hopefully) end up being too small. Plus you can zoom back and forth by moving the mouse to a back arrow at the back of the screen. This may need some work to make it more intuitive.

Thanks for helping, guys!
SphereCat1

EDIT:4 minutes later: I've just looked at backstep, and it combined with Xrender will be nearly perfect. I'll mix the code in with whatever WM we use as a base. We do, however, need a way to draw the previews laying down in perspective. I'm sure there's a way to do that.

[SphereCat1]

Hi again! As of about 5 minutes ago, I've downloaded PYWM and Backstep, in the hopes of combining them. Both projects have been dead quite a while, backstep 0.3 (the latest version) was released in 2005. Hopefully both of these pre-1.0 releases don't have too many bugs, but we'll find out.

I also have to write a Python script to connect the two, which should be interesting, because I'm currently learning Python.

We'll start worrying about making it look like a desk after I get it running.

Thanks for all the help!
SphereCat1

P.S.: We need a name for it.

[aimran]

That's great! I'll leave the naming up to you. Can't wait to beta test this

[xoger]

i like the sound of this and your concept art looked very hopeful. will this combine with the cube effect in any way, i think it would be cool if when you use the cube the table would stick out

[SphereCat1]

That's an interesting idea...

[SphereCat1]

I'm back with an update everyone.
Things are not going well. I don't have an internet connection on my development computer, so I've spent the last three days running back and forth with a CD-Rom full of packages. Right now I'm almost done with installing BackStep, one of the key ingredients, but then I have to install all of the Xlibs libraries by hand to get PYWM working.

On the bright side, I do have a new mockup coming, it includes a couple new features and looks much better than the original. (Which, in my defense, was made in 5 minutes.) I'll probably post it later today.

SphereCat1

[conorsulli]

I have an idea but not like you think, seeing as thier are so many osx docks out there why not make a very eye-candy loving version of gnome panel? with sort of e17 aspects like animated shines, fading and that sort? with a sort of cool start menu like winvis+a? where it would have reflection etc and nice throbbing effects when you hover over icons etc?

*We have so many osx docks clones with endless plugins.
*gnome panel is limited and ugly, no alternatives that have true eyecandy.
*thier is a good source code with e17 (enlightenment) make life easy for you.

It is only a suggestion but a valid one I hope.

[rbolio]

Oh! just cought up with your scheem (or how ever that is spelled XD)

I thought about what "someone"[aka not sure who] said about a button being to far behind not being productive....

so i thought,

"it might be hard, but how about a 3D rotation of the seudo-desk applet or watchamaycallit,"

i thought it would give you some sort of edge over the rest of the zombie projects...

Oh btw...would like to know how this project is working and as someone [another unknown >.<], id be interested in testing this aswell, i mean im not much of a programmer or anything...but heh!