Merge Desktop Manager and Desktop Preview

[weltensturm]

First of all, I like dexpot. It's the only virtual desktop application on windows that comes close to what I need.

In my current setup, I use the preview vertically, with icon apps and auto-hide enabled on the right side of my screen.

I don't understand why there are two separate 'plugins' for doing the same things, named in the title.
The manager allows me to add a new button and scroll through the desktops with the mouse wheel, and the preview allows application preview and moving applications around. Why not merge them?

I'd really like something like the desktop preview, with support for switching with the mouse wheel, and live preview like sevendex (window sketches doesn't really look good, that's why I use icons).

The cherry on top of the ice would be a vertical scrolling animation (like in gnome 3), I can't reproduce that with the animations plugin because it doesn't have a setting for the layout (I'd like it vertical), and it's also missing an animation that just "slides" to the target desktop.

Now I'd try writing my own plugin for that, but I haven't found any references or even a community made plugin, so I guess plugins are only made by the dexpot developers themselves.

[Patrick]

I don't understand why there are two separate 'plugins' for doing the same things, named in the title.

For historical reasons, mostly.

I'd really like something like the desktop preview, with support for switching with the mouse wheel, and live preview like sevendex (window sketches doesn't really look good, that's why I use icons).

The Dexpot 1.6 Beta supports global mouse wheel switching (MouseEvents plugin). SevenDex doesn't actually have live previews. It shows a screenshot for each desktop. Per-window live previews of other desktops are generally not possible.

The cherry on top of the ice would be a vertical scrolling animation (like in gnome 3), I can't reproduce that with the animations plugin because it doesn't have a setting for the layout (I'd like it vertical), and it's also missing an animation that just "slides" to the target desktop.

The Dexcube plugin does have a simple slide animation: select the "Wall" or "Filmstrip" effect with maximal zoom.

Now I'd try writing my own plugin for that

What is "that" exactly?

but I haven't found any references or even a community made plugin, so I guess plugins are only made by the dexpot developers themselves.

There's the plugin SDK here and some rather incomplete documentation here.

[weltensturm]

The Dexpot 1.6 Beta supports global mouse wheel switching (MouseEvents plugin). SevenDex doesn't actually have live previews. It shows a screenshot for each desktop. Per-window live previews of other desktops are generally not possible.

Will there be a possibility to only switch with the mouse wheel if it's over the desktop preview?
And is it possible to make the desktop preview show screenshots of each desktop, and update them when a window is moved? (if I'd try to make my own plugin for instance)

The Dexcube plugin does have a simple slide animation: select the "Wall" or "Filmstrip" effect with maximal zoom.

Nice. Will there be a possibility to set up a layout for that, so I have only animations as if the desktops were above each other?

What is "that" exactly?

An autohiding panel on the right screen edge showing all desktops vertically, where I can switch with the mouse wheel and have previews like sevendex.
In general, I'd like to mimic the workspace switcher in Gnome 3.

There's the plugin SDK here and some rather incomplete documentation here.

Thank you, I'll look into it.

[Patrick]

Will there be a possibility to only switch with the mouse wheel if it's over the desktop preview?

No. The feature uses modifier keys. You would hold down e.g. the Ctrl and Alt keys and then use the mouse wheel to swicth, no matter which window the cursor is over.

Will there be a possibility to set up a layout for that, so I have only animations as if the desktops were above each other?

http://dexpot.de/bugs/?do=details&id=150

And is it possible to make the desktop preview show screenshots of each desktop, and update them when a window is moved? (if I'd try to make my own plugin for instance)

Dexpot doesn't take screenshots of individual windows, only of the entire desktop. You could try to create and store screenshots for every window yourself, but I don't know how well that would work and what kind of problems you might face.

An autohiding panel on the right screen edge showing all desktops vertically, where I can switch with the mouse wheel and have previews like sevendex.

If you're okay with static screenshots where you can't move windows around, that's quite doable. Otherwise, see above.

[weltensturm]

Dexpot doesn't take screenshots of individual windows, only of the entire desktop. You could try to create and store screenshots for every window yourself, but I don't know how well that would work and what kind of problems you might face.

If you're okay with static screenshots where you can't move windows around, that's quite doable. Otherwise, see above.

I meant more like to update the whole desktop screenshot when a single window is moved.
What I want to do sounds fairly doable, now I just need to figure out the API. Thanks for the information.

[Patrick]

I meant more like to update the whole desktop screenshot when a single window is moved.

No, not without switching desktops.