Fwd: Re: [PATCH] fade out panel in desktopgrid

[Aaron J. Seigo]

On Monday 09 February 2009, Martin Gräßlin wrote:
> sorry I forgot to cc plasma
>
> ----------  Forwarded Message  ----------
>
> Subject: Re: [PATCH] fade out panel in desktopgrid
> Date: Montag 09 Februar 2009
> From: Martin Gräßlin <ubuntu at martin-graesslin.com>
> To: "Kwin, NET API, kwin styles API, kwin modules API" <kwin at kde.org>
>
> On Monday 09 February 2009 11:43:05 Aaron J. Seigo wrote:
> > given that there is a simple, elegant solution (don't show the panel when
> > showing these multi-desktop overview effects) it certainly is worth the
> > effort.
>
> Plasma's default is to show windows of all desktops in tasks applet, right?
> So for the default settings everything is OK in desktop grid. Only users

correct.

> changing the default are affected by this "bug". So removing the panel at
> all (as the patch does) is IMHO too much,

yet it works with all settings nicely and i don't see the degradation in 
service when the panel is in the default settings and the panel goes away.

to look at it with broader vision, alt-tab effects also hide the pane. cover 
flow, expose ... none keep the panels there.

there is this rather glaring inconsistency of the panel sometimes there, 
sometimes not when it comes to window and desktop management effects. having 
it there doesn't work nicely with some effects and some settings, and adds 
virtually nothing to situations where it doesn't get in the way.

so go for consistency and make a simple rule: "panels are hidden when window 
or desktop management effects are activated, unless that effect allows one to 
activate the panel as well in which case show it as an option along with the 
read of the windows/desktops"

> but personally I don't mind having an opt-in for this "feature".

configuration for features like this is a cop out.

> > > Other effects like the cube would have to be modified too
> >
> > i thought the cube already had an option to keep the panel full size? and
> > honestly, that probably makes more sense anyways since the cube rotates
> > the desktop contents.
>
> Cube only keeps the panel at full size if you use cube for desktop change
> animation. If you just use the cube to manually rotate and play around you
> will have the panel the same way as in desktop grid ;-)

honestly, having the two modes like that is odd. i know it 'makes sense' from 
an implementation POV, but try getting a user to explain to you why it's one 
way in one situation and another way in a different situation.

> > > and having the panel hidden would
> > > look worse than just having it slightly incorrect
> >
> > that's obviously a matter of opinion.
> >
> > > . DesktopGrid is still
> > > only an effect and not the real desktop (e.g. clicking doesn't work
> > > normally either), so we consider to be better this way.
> >
> > effects that are more visually consistent with naive expectations are
> > more satisfying. thinking in terms of "this is fake, this isn't" misses
> > the point of what makes a user happy or not.
>
> Removing the panel does the same. "We are not able to update it, so we just
> remove it".

saying "this doesn't work nicely, so we aren't going to do it that way" is 
nothing like "this doesn't work nicely, but we don't care".

-- 
Aaron J. Seigo
humru othro a kohnu se
GPG Fingerprint: 8B8B 2209 0C6F 7C47 B1EA  EE75 D6B7 2EB1 A7F1 DB43

KDE core developer sponsored by Qt Software

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