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Compiz Fusion
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May. 25th, 2008 @ 01:20 am
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So i come to you this fine (fine-ish) Sunday morning (morning-ish) with a complaint.
(Don't i always?)
You see, i've been getting into Compiz/Xgl/Beryl/Fusion/Emerald/whatever they're calling that stuff this week and... well, i'm of two minds about it. Before i even start, let me note: if you don't know what i'm talking about i will explain it. Never fear.
First off, it really works. On my system, far from making it worse (as i feared it would--as graphical glitter often does) it's actually better. Quite a bit better. I thought, for instance, that making windows fade in and out would be super-annoying, but actually it's an improvement! Normally i think anything more than a properly colorized terminal window is overkill... but i actually like it. Or rather, i would. If it worked properly. Because it doesn't. Part of that might be my fault--using Compiz with Enlightenment (e17), which is not really the natural way of things apparently. I assume it will get better, but for now... not so much. Aside from the shininess, Xgl hardware acceleration is nice.
No wait, let me try that again: Xgl hardware acceleration is NICE. It's the same kind of step as going from totally software to having a graphics card behind X. (For those who don't know what that means: i don't have much help for you here. But everything is smoother and faster and nicer.)
And i could go on, too. I don't like the "cube" (more on that later), but i do rather like the ability to pull back from your desktops and display them all in a row, tabbing through them similarly to how you can alt-tab individual windows. In fact, if i could somehow replicate that exact functionality (bonus points for being able to add and remove desktops approximately as easily and reasonably as i can add and remove windows from a desktop). I like the idea that i could set it up so the focused window is opaque (normal) and all non-focused windows are transparent to some degree--i especially like this because i often spend time working inside a window that is below other windows and i really would like an excuse to avoid bringing that window to the front or otherwise messing up my window stacking. I really like the idea of window previews. I like the idea of having a separate "effects" engine, too. I like a lot of stuff, don't get me wrong. I'm not going to say it's bad--it's good.
But it's not good enough.
Sorry, i know... that's how it usually goes, eh?
Anyway: let's take the Cube. If you haven't seen it yet, here's a demonstration. (Here's a general introduction to Compiz effects) Now this is probably pretty impressive--if you come from a Windows environment or you're easily amused. In the real world, though, i've had this functionality (though not the graphical effects) for years now. Whats more, i don't have to push some cube around like i'm in a cartoon, i just hit alt+f1 and i go to my first screen, alt+f2 takes me to screen two, and so on. Nice and businesslike. Sure, it's no worse than what i'm already doing... but it's not better. Sure, sliding a video right onto the edge of your screen and then watching it all funny is neat to do in a "look at me" video... but in the real world? I like watching my movies without having them wrapped around a box.
(In fairness, as i understand it, the cube was one of the first things they got working.)
In fact, i could go on for many different features and show how they're no better than what i already have, but that's not exactly the point. Even if they aren't really superior they're still something. Here's the problem: what they are doing has enabled a whole realm of new options for graphical user interfaces beyond anything that was previously possible. But they're, right now, not really doing anything unusual. Their WM (Beryl? Emerald? Whatever it's called.) is, as far as i can tell, just kind of a normal WM... but with a super-scifi appearance. What they could be doing--what they probably should be doing--is totally rethinking how things work.
I've brainstormed a couple different things, but in the interest of brevity let me just go over one of them:
One of the problems with the traditional "desktop" model is screen real estate. Windows, in particular, suffers from this problem. I don't want my fancy pictures of Saturn to get covered up with stupid file icons, yet they do. Right now in Windows XP i have something like 200-300 desktop icons. I know that's a lot, but they just kind of pile up! The problem with the icon model is that even if you have a lot of pixels you're going to run out eventually. That approach fundamentally limits the way you can use the system! The task bar is even worse, since there's even less screen real estate. Actually though, the worst thing is Firefox's tabs. Don't get me wrong, tabs are a big step up from the old multi-window browsing model... but actually they kind of suck. You see, right at this moment i have... well... i'm not going to count, but let's just say i'm using over 500 MB of ram and that's with Firefox 3 and the ram reduction. Even though i've got a big monitor there aren't enough pixels to display all that.
So this is part of the reason i use Enlightenment: it solves the icon/desktop problem by not providing any, and i know it sounds counter-intuitive but i think it's actually an improvement. Hierarchical menus are a better solution once you get past a certain number of icons. Of course, it's not a perfect solution: the "task bar" problem is still with us. Multiple (virtual) desktops are a nice solution--stash unused windows off on another desktop and you don't have to waste space. The Xgl cube is an implementation of that solution.
So that's sort of a general problem solved by the cube, but actually... what if you tried to solve the entire problem? What i mean is this: a "cube" is a poor solution because it has edges, and edges are effectively hard breaks on your screen. But actually, this is all just an artifact of the decision to make "a cube". Why not, instead, make it a circular strip of desktops (or a sphere, if that's your thing) where you can move through it how you like. You could set breaks (effectively partition it into different screens) if you wanted, but they would be soft breaks. You wouldn't have to have them. Furthermore, this "strip" model could grow as needed--either automatically or by request. You don't have to worry about losing windows on one of ten different virtual desktops if you only have, say, ten windows open--just have two or three "desktops" instead. On the other hand, if you ever do open up fifty windows (hey, maybe there's a good reason to do this!) you can without having to go back and re-configure your WM. If you add a way to seek to windows--say you make alt-tab bring you to the window in question--and maybe a few other tricky bits then it's theoretically possible that scenario would be workable, whereas with today's approaches that's just a ridiculous idea.
Don't get me wrong, i'm just saying things here. It's entirely possible that's a stupid idea and i don't know what i'm talking about. But that's the kind of thing that's possible with this technology and what i am certain about is that there's a whole range of new techniques hidden in there that will (one day) make your life much better. Just as an example: with everything being 3d you could, at the touch of a button, "blow apart" a window into its component pieces--title bar, menus, scroll bars, etc--and then add a super-interface around each of those, letting you modify them. Or collect each feature (say, scroll bars) and set preferences for those. Is that useful? Who knows, but it's something we couldn't even do not that long ago!
I'm going to close with something that's truly mind-melting:
Starcraft, with a touch screen
Those of you who have played a lot of Starcraft might laugh at this for how slow and awkward it looks, but be honest: it's still super awesome. I know it's probably not competitive, but that's the kind of thing i want. And furthermore, it's not like that UI was designed for touch screens--i can think of a few improvements to it.
How about that same sort of thing, but with a Cube?
It kind of makes sense in this context, right?
Microsoft, for instance, has even seen this sort of thing coming. (Unusual, but true.) I'm pretty sure they were thinking about this exact sort of thing with their much-mocked Micrsoft Big Ass Table. Only... sort of like Compiz... the Microsoft Surface went a little bit sideways somewhere in development...
Well, some day... right?
(Side note: i'm going to be gone for a couple days. If i don't respond immediately don't feel bad, i'll get through the comments as soon as i notice there are any...)Current Psychosis:  blah |
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What the fuck, take two?
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Oct. 8th, 2007 @ 11:47 pm
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Hi.
I'm not dead still.
Although one of my cooling fans is making a really weird rattling noise that sounds like bad news.
Anyway, question of the day: what should i write about?Current Psychosis:  confused |
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What the fuck?
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Jul. 8th, 2007 @ 10:17 am
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Livejournal? Wha?
This thing is still around?
Hello? Hello? Is anybody out there? Just nod if you can hear me?Current Psychosis:  tired |
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Jun. 17th, 2005 @ 02:57 am
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A new entry, after an extended leave, on my blog: Fear on the Eve of Victory. |
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Jun. 2nd, 2005 @ 02:44 am
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| » Okay, moment's over... |
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From my blog.
Yesterday i held my comments out of respect for the moment. Not today:
US plans to build gas(?) chamber in Camp Delta.
Inevitable parallels to Nazi Germany, as hinted at yesterday, can be drawn here: _______________
May. 6th, 2005 @ 03:59 pm
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| » Yom Hashoah* |
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as per my blog.
Yom Hashoah is the day on which we remember the holocaust.
I will refrain from political commentary, even though i think it is appropriate. Today is not about commentary.
Never Forget
(Be careful with that link, it includes photographs taken of concentration camps.)
(*: Actually that was yesterday, i'm lazy and only getting around to it now. Sorry.)
May. 6th, 2005 @ 01:32 am
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| » Beg-A-Thon: |
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One of the people who has been important in pushing for voting reform needs surgery.
Because of his work in the voting area he currently lacks health insurance and therefore is not able to afford the surgery on his own.
So with that in mind, your donations can help a man who has worked to fix our electoral system get treated for cancer.
May. 1st, 2005 @ 08:33 pm
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| » Words of Wisdom |
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Plagiarize!
Apr. 29th, 2005 @ 02:29 am
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