3D-Desktop allows you to get an overview of all your desktops displayed in 3D.
It also has a feature that allows you to go from one desktop to another and view the desktops move like the side of a cube.
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(3ddesk --gotoleft --nozoom ) |
3. Assign some keyboard shortcuts that make make 3D-Desktop switch from one desktop to another.
The standard keyboard shortcuts for this purpose today are:
Tux/Windows-key
+ Left Arrow
and Arrow Right
Ctrl
+Alt
+ Left Arrow
and Arrow Right
(Defaults in KDE 3.1 and Gnome).
3.1. How to use 3D-Desktop with your window manager
usage: 3ddesk [ OPTIONS ]
Activates the 3d Desktop. 3ddeskd daemon must be running.
Where OPTIONS are:
--view=xxx Uses the options from the view in 3ddesktop.conf
--mode=xxx Sets the arrangement mode
(one of carousel, cylinder, linear, viewmaster,
priceisright, flip, or random)
--acquire[=#] Grab images for all the desktops by cycling thru
(sleep for x millisecs at each screen for refresh)
--acquirecurrent Grab image for current desktop
--nozoom Disable the zoom out
--gotoright Goto the desktop to the right
--gotoleft Goto the desktop to the left
--gotoup Goto the desktop to the up
--gotodown Goto the desktop to the down
--goto=# Goto specified column (deprecated)
--gotocolumn=# Goto specified column
--gotorow=# Goto specified row
--dontexit Don't exit after a goto
--stop Stop 3ddesktop (kill 3ddeskd daemon)
--reload Force a reload of 3ddesktop.conf
--noautofun Don't Automatically turn on Fun Mode
--revmousewheel Reverse the mousewheel
--swapmousebuttons Swap the mousebuttons
--altmousebuttons Use alternate mousebuttons scheme
You will want to assign the arrow keys to run 3ddesk --view=goright
and 3ddesk --view=goleft
. It may be preferable to use --nozoom
because the zooming part simply takes to long. Using the window managers own method of switching between desktops will always be much more efficient. 3ddesk will make you less productive, but it will, as said, allow you to impress heavily.
The --mode=
option allows you to impress in different ways: carousel
, cylinder
, linear
, viewmaster
, priceisright
, flip
, or random
.
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3ddesk --mode=viewmaster |
3.2. Using 3D-Desktop with Fluxbox
Fluxbox users can add this to ~.fluxbox/keys
and get the really cool go-<direction> desktop switching using 3D-Desktop. This just scrolls like you are viewing a cube from one desktop to another.
# Use 3ddesk to change desktop
Mod4 KP_6 :ExecCommand 3ddesk --gotoright --nozoom
Mod4 Right :ExecCommand 3ddesk --gotoright --nozoom
Mod4 KP_4 :ExecCommand 3ddesk --gotoleft --nozoom
Mod4 Left :ExecCommand 3ddesk --gotoleft --nozoom
Mod4 Down :ExecCommand 3ddesk --view=carousel
Mod4
is the Tux/Windows
key on the left side of modern keyboards.
Mod4 Left :ExecCommand...
- You can use
Mod1
+Ctrl
(Mod1 is Alt, so Alt
+Ctrl
) instead of Mod4 if you are using a very old keyboard:
Mod1 Ctrl Left :ExecCommand...
This also allows you to get an overview of your desktops with Alt
+ Arrow Down
:
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3ddesk --mode=carousel |
4. Configuration
You can configure the default behavior for 3D-Desktop system-wide in the file /etc/3ddesktop.conf
.
view default ## this is the default if no --view specified
zoom on
show_digit on
digit_size 100
digit_color green
use_breathing false
You can configure how big the numbers showing the desktop should be, and other eye-candy related things.
The most interesting use for this file is to create custom views:
view goright
zoom off
mode cylinder
gotoright on
view goleft
zoom off
mode cylinder
gotoleft on
This will enable you to start 3D-Desktop with --view=goleft
and --view=goright
using those preferences.
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3ddesk --mode=linear |