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

[Lucas Murray]

2009/2/10 Aaron J. Seigo <aseigo at kde.org>:
> 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 no inconsistency here. Cover switch and present windows are
both _window_ selection effects while desktop grid and desktop cube
are _desktop_ selection effects. Hiding the panel changes what the
desktop looks like and can be compared to hiding window decorations in
present windows or something because one window has a slightly
different color as it's the currently active one.

> 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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