Mouse Gesture Upgrades <-- not your average gesture request

[avi]

I just want to start off by saying that my favorite Linux slogan is "Because we can".

With that said, I would like to thank you guys for the work that you put into Compiz Fusion. It really is one dazzling piece of software. The Mouse Gesture plugin has come a ways from just turning the cube. (Here it comes) BUT... there is still a long way to go.

My first idea is an easy one. As is demonstrated in WayV and Strokeit(on M$), the git mouse gesture plugin could really use an optional visual gesture. Here's the cool part, you would have the option of the Annotate plugin, The Water Effects Plugin, or The Paint Fire Plugin. That would also make those plugins more useful.

My second idea is a major overhaul to the ccsm entry. The configuration is near impossible to figure out without doing research. A more friendly Gui would be really cool. Perhaps some default drop down lists to give you examples or some sort of map with your choice of mouse directions. Some default entries couldn't hurt as well. You could have some default options easily available, like turn cube or unfold. A drop down list with all available actions would be kickass. Also you should definitely be able to issue shell commands.

My third idea is classes. You could make it so that certain mouse gestures could be disabled or only enabled in certain window types. So each Gesture would basically have it's own window type that it would be enabled in. For example, this would allow you to use the gesture left and right commands to move back and forth between webpages in firefox, while the same commands would scroll back and forth between your history in Nautilus.

Finally, I would definitely be your slave if you could add gesture recognition capabilities on par with Strokeit. This is a tough undertaking of to whom I will seriously donate 20 bucks to instantly. However, this could be Compiz Fusion's claim to fame. The best Mouse Gesture software on earth. Please, I miss Strokeit so much.

P.S. The list of all actions thing is something that I would think could be useful across the board in many different future plugins like a sound effects manager...

Thanks for listening to my babbling, feel free to rock out now.

[SmSpillaz]

My first idea is an easy one. As is demonstrated in WayV and Strokeit(on M$), the git mouse gesture plugin could really use an optional visual gesture. Here's the cool part, you would have the option of the Annotate plugin, The Water Effects Plugin, or The Paint Fire Plugin. That would also make those plugins more useful.


That is the point of the mousegestures plugin. Make a gesture and it initiates an action of a plugin. For example, if you wanted water to enable, you would use

plugin name: water
action name: initiate_key

It *should* stay 'on' as long as that gesture had not been made again, otherwise, I don't imagine it would be too hard to implement.



My second idea is a major overhaul to the ccsm entry. The configuration is near impossible to figure out without doing research. A more friendly Gui would be really cool. Perhaps some default drop down lists to give you examples or some sort of map with your choice of mouse directions. Some default entries couldn't hurt as well. You could have some default options easily available, like turn cube or unfold. A drop down list with all available actions would be kickass. Also you should definitely be able to issue shell commands.



CCSM needs some work to make that happen. I wouldn't mind seeing this implemented as other plugins need this support too (mousegestures, vpswitch, wiimote, desktopclick)



My third idea is classes. You could make it so that certain mouse gestures could be disabled or only enabled in certain window types. So each Gesture would basically have it's own window type that it would be enabled in. For example, this would allow you to use the gesture left and right commands to move back and forth between webpages in firefox, while the same commands would scroll back and forth between your history in Nautilus.



I think you're looking for application level gestures there. I can see this would be possible in compiz, but it would be rather messy and you have to initiate the 'run_command' actions, which already gives you a limited number of gestures. Also, you have to use dbus command to send info to those apps to navigate back and forward, assuming that those apps even support having dbus navigation.

.... I believe this has been implemented in firefox already (https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/39)



Finally, I would definitely be your slave if you could add gesture recognition capabilities on par with Strokeit. This is a tough undertaking of to whom I will seriously donate 20 bucks to instantly. However, this could be Compiz Fusion's claim to fame. The best Mouse Gesture software on earth. Please, I miss Strokeit so much.

Thanks for listening to my babbling, feel free to rock out now.

I wouldn't mind 20 bucks :P, but unfortunately the compiz mousegestures plugin is pretty much only going to be limited to gesture recognition within compiz, triggering compiz actions. You'll need a more global gesture recognition program such as Gestikk (http://linux.softpedia.com/get/Desktop-Environment/Tools/Gestikk-Mouse-Gesture-Recognition-31667.shtml) if you want to initiate apps, etc.

[avi]

Thank you very much for your response. I greatly appreciate you taking the time to read and respond.

I didn't think of actually initiating the visual mouse plugins with the actual gesture, but I would assume that that might get annoying adding that to each additional configuration. An option in the ccsm would probably be fairly easy to implement, I assume.

Glad to hear of a possible upgrade to the ccsm.

I am however sad to hear of gesture recognition being limited to Compiz. I'll check out Gestikk. What are the possiblities of combining something like Gestikk with Compiz Fusion? By combining I mean something along the lines of a plugin that would talk to Gestikk.

Thanks again.

[avi]

I just tried Gestikk. It has a lot of potential, but the mouse gesture recognition algorithm as it stands is quite terrible. Even with the highest error tolerance, it takes qutie a lot of tries.

[some-guy]

maybe mouse gestures should be made to use commands

[avi]

maybe mouse gestures should be made to use commands

Yes, I agree :D

[some-guy]

then again, you can set it to
plugin: core
action: run_command#_key
where # is the command number, and a key binding has to be set

[avi]

then again, you can set it to
plugin: core
action: run_command#_key
where # is the command number, and a key binding has to be set

I guess I could live with that for now. However, would it be a difficult task to add the default option to visually draw the mouse gesture with fire paint or annotate or water effect?