plugins/overview: Auto-arrange Desktop Grid View (Wayland)

Blazer Silvingrequested to merge
breakingspell/kwin:overview-grid-autotile into master

X11 branch: kwin-x11!18

Reintroducing a useful feature for the combined Overview + Grid effect: Auto-tiling of the Desktop Grid, apart from the system Virtual Desktop/Pager rows.

Resolves BUG:482418

This MR:

  • Adds QML logic, using a square root of the desktop count to calculate the rows and columns to fill a square grid.

    • This intentionally "unpairs" the Desktop Grid's layout from Plasma Workspace and Pager, as is desirable in many use cases.

  • Adds KCM toggle to switch Desktop Grid effect behavior back to the current global VD row count, with auto-tiling on by default.

    • Adjusts the adjacent KCM entries to match Task Switcher KCM layout

System Settings:

Screenshot_20250701_130059

Optimal layouts (debug desktop labels removed in current MR):

Screenshot_20241219_053650.png Screenshot_20241219_053823 Screenshot_20241219_053835 Screenshot_20241219_053845

Odds and ends:

Screenshot_20241219_054348 Screenshot_20241219_054357 Screenshot_20241219_054410

Background:

  • Plasma 6.x introduced changes to Overview, Desktop Grid, and the handling of Virtual Desktops that rendered much of the old options moot from a code and design standpoint, so this option was left behind. It was also formerly presented as a semi-confusing drop-down, labeled "Pager", and "Custom".

  • With this new design in mind: As far as the Desktop Grid is concerned, we should expect to see a grid, not a list.

Currently, setting up an efficient Grid layout takes several manual steps on the end user's part:

  1. Open Overview or Desktop Grid and add some desktops using onscreen elements or + key. These present as a linear list by default, matching VD settings and pager.
  2. System Settings -> Window Management -> Virtual Desktops -> Rows must be manually set to fit the desired desktop count. This affects all VD spatial presentation outside of the Grid including transitions/animations and hotkeys.

The VD layout should be simple and contextual across the effect:

  • Are you in Overview? Present desktops as a 1x linear row left and right.
  • Are you in Desktop Grid? Present desktops as a Grid to maximize screen space. 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, etc.
  • Do you like the old behavior or specific row control in the Grid? Easy option to toggle back.

Refer to MR discussion for UX/design feedback

Edited by Blazer Silving

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