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List:       kde-usability
Subject:    Project looking glass
From:       Paul Pacheco <paul.pacheco () wavecode ! com>
Date:       2004-07-02 15:10:18
Message-ID: 200407021010.18769.paul.pacheco () wavecode ! com
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I just installed and tried project looking glass. 

https://lg3d-core.dev.java.net/

and I have to say the future has been shown to me. It is still not usable 
because it crashes a lot, and has several other problems.

It is very beautifull and very easy to use, the 3d does not get in the way, 
quite the oposite, makes it more intuitive and it seems a clear benefit for 
usability. Here is how it helps usability:

* It is clear when you switch virtual desktops that it is another desktop 
because of the smooth animation.

* You can zoom out (smooth animation here), see all the virtual desktops and 
zoom in in another desktop. What is more intuitive than that?

* It is also clear which window has the focus because you can see some shadow 
around the window (the all famous drop shadow :) And you see the window as 
being closer to you than the other ones.

* When the mouse is out of a window, it becomes semitransparent letting you 
see what is behind it. In real world, you just move your head to the side to 
see behind some object. Since we have a 2d monitor and can't do that, this 
looks like the next best thing.

* It is clear when you bring a window to the foreground because it literally 
moves forward and the current window moves back.

* Moving the windows to the side and letting you see the title on the side of 
the window relates to books on a book shelf. It saves space and it lets you 
see every window that is available.

* The minimized windows have the minimized contents in them, even video. It is 
much easier to figure out what window to maximize, because you see a 
miniature version of what you want.

* Modal dialogs are displayed by fliping the window over and showing it in the 
back of the window. This makes it clear which dialog relates to which window, 
which could be confusing in other window managers.

* Windows relate much better to real world 3d objects. Making them more 
familiar.

If kde had something like this, it would just kick the sh*t out of Mac OS X 
and longhorn.

Is there anyone planning on doing a 3d window manager that would replace kwin?

Of course kwin should still be kept for people that do not have a 3d 
accelerated graphics card, but for those who do have it, It would just wow 
everybody on the store and I can imagine it putting kde in many user's 
desktops.

This would benefit gnome guys as well, so it could be a conjoint effort.

Maybe the approach should be using their work as the window manager. However, 
it has the problem that it is written in java (slow + license issues). 

Maybe something based in metisse?
http://insitu.lri.fr/~chapuis/metisse/index.html

Maybe I am just dreaming. :)
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