9.04 - compiz cube

[anewguy]

I've got compiz enabled, have the cube enabled and have 4 desktops defined. When I was running regular ubuntu 8.10 with gnome, I could hold down the scroll button, move the mouse out or back to see the cube, then rotate it, etc.. With kubuntu 9.04 when I do the same thing all I have is a flat single desktop that I can move out and rotate to another single desktop - it's like the cube isn't a cube but a flat plane. I've looked through a bunch of threads in the forums and on the net, but can't find one that mentions this specific problem.

One thing I did notice since I decided to try kubuntu this time is that it has a very Windows-Vista look and feel (I know - GASP!!!). But my point is it may be another alternative to look at when switching someone from Windows to Ubuntu.

Thanks in advance for helping a dumb guy out!

Dave :)

[phantom3113]

I haven't gotten 9.04 yet, but it may be the same between versions. Make sure under general options you have virtual horizontal desktops set to "4". If compiz is different in 9.04 though, I can't help you. I tried my best! :D

[Bakon Jarser]

So you turned on the desktop cube setting but did you also turn on the rotate cube setting?

[Godly]

Yeah, just make sure cube is enabled and rotate cube is enabled. You should be good to go. Let us know so we can further assist.

[anewguy]

I do have 4 desktops defined. I used to be able to scroll between them but had no cube. After researching the forums, I did a compiz --enable (I think that's what it was) in a terminal Window. I then went back into the compiz manager and checked what I thought I wanted (I'm only posting the sections here I thought were relevant - if you want the others let me know):

DESKTOP

show desktop
desktop cube
viewport switcher
rotate cube


EFFECTS

3D windows
cube reflecton and deformation
reflection
wnidow decoration
animations
fading windows
wobbly windows
animations add-on

EXTRAS

Nothing checked

IMAGE LOADING


jpeg
png
svg
text



The following should be noted:

- before I did the compiz --enable, I had a cube, but I couldn't do anything except just scoll side-to-side to the various desktops. I couldn't do the thing where the cube shrinks back so you can rotate it, see the top and bottom, etc.

- after doing the compiz-enable, even with 4 desktops defined, the side-to-side scroll only goes between desktops 1 and 2 - never goes to desktops 3 and 4 (I set these on the bottom task bar - was I maybe supposed to have done this somewhere else?). I can do the thing were the desktop shrinks back, but it only thinks 2 desktops are available, so it is like a flat plane that you can rotate to the back or front of, not a cube.

So, it "kinda" works, just only seeing 2 desktops instead of the 4 I have defined.

Does that help more so anyone to know what the heck I did stupid? If you need more information, just ask and I'll get it for you! I feel pretty stupid right now, as basically I've done the same things I did when I was running regular Ubuntu with gnome - it's just been since the switch to kubuntu, which I am COMPLETELY new to, that I've messed something up.

Thanks again in advance!!

Dave :) (sheepishly as he knows he must have messed something up)

EDIT: I just noticed that it isn't actually showing the virtual desktops changing - if I try to rotate, etc., it does the flip-around thing but it is still in just 1 desktop. I can click each desktop and do the same, but it always remains in the desktop I was on (even though it shows 2 different desktop images - one on the "front" and another on the "back"). Strange?

I have a screen image showing a partial rotation so you can see the single plane, but don't know how to attach it here.

[inobe]

I do have 4 desktops defined

so you went to system settings> desktop> multiple desktops> changed to 4 ?

hmmm

[anewguy]

Okay, guess I couldn't add with an edit, so trying to attach the image here:


Dave

[inobe]

so you went to system settings> desktop> multiple desktops> changed to 4 ?

hmmm

?

[anewguy]

I did it on the bottom task bar - clicked on one of the desktops and changed to 4, but this screen shot verifies it did the same thing.

I'm quite confused :confused:

Thanks for any help - I can't tell you how much it is appreciated!

Dave :)

[inobe]

disable sphere and cylinder if they are enabled than try again, also try logging out and back in to see if it changes.

[anewguy]

Okay, I think I have really screwed up! Couldn't find any mention of the cylinder, yet I saw it last night and tried it but it didn't work either (or maybe holding down the scroll button and moving the mouse in or out isn't correct for compiz kde?). At any rate, I logged off, then on, and now I'm back to 4 desktops I can go to side-to-side, but I can't actually do the cube thing where the desktop shrinks back and you can rotate the cube itself.

Is it possible that when I did the compiz --enable I messed up and should have used something else? Is there a way to revert back (tried kde --enable but that was invalid).

Thanks SO MUCH for helping this stupid old guy!

Dave :)

[inobe]

here's something important, the kde desktop does "not" use compiz, it is actually "kwin" that is already installed by default and you don't need additional additives.

if you installed compiz' this may be the problem.

[JK3mp]

Yeah that would drastically effect it. Also make sure your options are set properly in compiz..if you have two settings that are similiar one will outdue other example: rotate cube and cylinder etc.

[inobe]

you can open konsole and type top then hit enter, tell me if compiz-real is listed, also see if kwin is there too.

[anewguy]

The top showed kwin, but didn't show compiz. However, using synaptic (I installed it since it was what I was used to) I did remember installing a bunch of compiz stuff - core, compiz-kde, and a bunch of others. So, I removed all packages that were associated with compiz. I then logged out and back in. Here are the results:

- I now see where cylinder, etc., are and realize I was using the compiz settings manager, not the window manager or whatever it's called in KDE (like I said, kubuntu is VERY new to me!). So I checked in there and made sure the cylinder stuff was off and that the cube was on. However, I did not see an entry for rotating the cube.

- I still have 4 desktops, but can only scroll left or right to them - don't seem to have the cube, or at least it's not activated by holding down my scroll button on my mouse and moving the mouse in or out.

I probably have this pretty screwed up by now, huh? Would I be better off just to reinstall kunbuntu?

Thanks for all the great help! I'd be completely lost with kubuntu if not for all of you wonderful people!

Dave :)

[inobe]

try ctrl+f11 keys

if you get the cube you can right click to set it back.

[anewguy]

Bingo - ctrl-F11 got me to the cube! Thanks!!!!

Now for an even dumber question - is there someway to set the switch on my mouse scroll button to ctrl-F11 or in some way call up the cube?

Thank you SO much!!


Dave :)

[inobe]

click that little wrench to configure how you want to activate the cube simply by clicking on the ctrl+f11 settings then tick custom....


unfortunately you will need to select a key from your keyboard.

i do not know how to setup a mouse for that.

[anewguy]

Great!! Thank you so much!!!!

Gotta go - getting a bad thunderstorm and I want to shutdown.

Thank you again SO MUCH!!

Dave :)

[inobe]

your welcome :)

[anewguy]

Okay, when I looked on the net, it said the default in compiz (which was what I was using in regular ubuntu) was ctrl+alt+left click to manually do the cube. In kubuntu, I went to the desktop manager, then to the cube and clicked on the wrench. I see where it has ctrl+F11 as the default, so I clicked on custom and tried holding down ctrl+alt (which it showed) but when I did a left click on the mouse, it went back to the beginning of accepting input. Does anyone know of the way I can key in ctl+alt+left click in the input box?

Thanks in advance!

Dave :)

[Elliot44]

In the "desktop section" of compizconfig enable only Desktop Cube, Rotate Cube (zoom about .7) and most importantly enable Viewpoint Switcher. Then when you press your mouse wheel on the desktop to can rotate the cube in all directions. Then add some cool effects in the "Effects" section.

Go slow with Compizconfig - one or two things at a time - so go can go back if (when) you screw it up.

I have limited use of my hands so I use the mouse alot. Does anyone know of a good voice to text program for Ubuntu?

[DACP]

your welcome :)
can you help, tried it and still not keeping a full cube for me

Does anyone have a step by step procedure for the cube? I've been on youtube and this site have the download done and set-up, clicked the right buttons and unclicked the right v=buttons but my cube still does not work. On the bottom right corner I can by holding crtl button and arrow right spin the cube but can not get the cube alone in the middle of my screen? using crtl - alt and arrow up does nothing, been told to use crtl and F11 but it does nothing. What am I doing wrong?

[Kaminofushicho]

If you are using KDE, you should be using Kwin and Plasma by default, not Compiz. They are entirely different compositing-windows managers, with entirely different settings.

There is not an option to configure Kwin's cube to zoom out and spin using the mouse wheel. (You can configure the cube to spin with the mouse wheel, just not zoom out as it does in Compiz.) The mouse wheel is mapped to too many features, such as minimizing windows, scrolling through tabs, and scrolling through desktops. You can probably edit some config files to let you do it, but let's walk before we try parkour.

You can achieve mouse control over zooming out, by configuring the screen edges option. (This is for KDE 4.2 using Kwin.)

Go to system settings, desktop, and choose the screen edges tab. By default, the top left corner is configured to show all open windows on all desktops. The rest are not configured. Click on the top middle square. It will give you a drop down. Choose desktop cube. Click apply in the bottom right of your screen. If you hold the mouse pointer in the top middle of your screen it should zoom out to the cube. Left clicking lets you grab and spin the cube. Right clicking selects a desktop and zooms in.

A lot of this information is available through the help files. The icon is in the bottom left corner of the system settings menu.

[Marrkk]

KDE effects aren't actually Compiz as was (is) AFAIK, so it does work differently.
but u can easily set a screen edge so when u mouse to the (lets say,) corner, the cube appears and reacts as it did in beryl-compiz pretty much.

u can set it to spring back too, or if u have a laptop with a er, Microsoft email hotkey, that can set off the cube too.

the only way i found to 'cube' through desktops, is by mouse wheeling over the pager on the panel.. i set the multiple desktop settings to'use this effect for desktop switching' .. and its close but not exactly the same..
Hope u get it set up how u like it soon..

hth

[rnrover]

disable sphere and cylinder if they are enabled than try again, also try logging out and back in to see if it changes.

In CompizConfig Settings Manager select "General compiz options" then select the tab labeled Desktop Size and slide the Horizontal Virtual Size to 4. Thats all you have to do.