Improve default settings

[RYX]

One task should be to improve the default settings. I really miss some things I got used to in beryl. For example using the mousewheel on the left/right screen-edges to change the desktop is a good usability improvement ... and there are certainly other settings worth to be "ported". Also the default cube-rotation looks better in beryl - the slightly too long movement and the rotate-back effect at the end of the rotation are not really perfect.

Maybe we can discuss some more settings here and send a complete list or a patch to the mailing list.

[mikedee]

The mousewheel on screen right and left already works in compiz. To enable it change the rotate_left/right edge to right and left, then change the edgebutton to 4 for left and 5 for right (or whatever your bindings are).

The functionality is actually better because you can use the combination of edge + button for any action and with any button. eg you could set right edge + right button to rotate right if you do not have a wheel.

Personally I like

right/left + wheel = rotate cube
top + wheel = switcher
top right + right button = scale (this is a very natural action)

Let me know if you would like any other combinations to be checked. The functionality is not totally working, but the core changes are done. The next release should include all of this functionality. It is just a question of a little patience ;)

The other problems are just default settings values, I think you would be welcome to submit a patch to change these if there was demand.

Also if you miss any particular features which are in Beryl, please post them here and I will do my best to port them.

[RYX]

First thanks for the quick answer - I don't really understand what you mean by "change the rotate_left/right edge to right and left" .. could you please explain it a little further? I don't know where I should change it, I couldn't find any keys like that in gconf ... (sorry, I got really too used to bsm ...)

:)

[mikedee]

Yeah - sorry it was a bit confusing, I think it was late :)

Change this option to Left and Right

/apps/compiz/plugins/rotate/allscreens/options/rotate_left_edge

Change this option to 4 (it might be different on your computer), 4=mouse wheel up.

/apps/compiz/plugins/rotate/allscreens/options/rotate_left_edgebutton

Then do the same for these 2 options, except change the edgebutton

/apps/compiz/plugins/rotate/allscreens/options/rotate_right_edge
/apps/compiz/plugins/rotate/allscreens/options/rotate_right_edgebutton

I use 5 for the edge button which is wheel down here.

Unfortunatly these options seem to reset on reload which makes it very annoying to use them. David is aware of this and I expect he is working on it (its a problem with the gconf plugin).

I am going to submit a patch which allows you to configure the edge size soon.

[RYX]

Thanks very much again - now I understand
:)

The edge-support is one thing I really would like to add to the scripting-plugin (as something like ScreenEvent.TouchEdge) because it offers interesting possibilites to be able to attach script-functions to the screen-edges ... so great to hear that David is working on it.

[mikedee]

Ill post more on my scripting ideas when I get the time to write them all down together. Your point is valid here so I will explain briefly how that can be acheived very easilly.

There is a system in place where individual plaugins or the core can send out 'compiz events' these events can easilly be forwarded to an external app via dbus. I need to work out which events need signals sending and then I can submit all the patches together. If you have any ideas on this please let me know.