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Glx-Dock / Cairo-Dock List of forums Ideas | Propositions Dock Zoom vs. Icon Zoom
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Ideas | Propositions

Subjects Author Language Messages Last message
[Locked] Dock Zoom vs. Icon Zoom
jesuisbenjamin English 4 jesuisbenjamin [Read]
15 April 2011 à 13:22

jesuisbenjamin, Tuesday 12 April 2011 à 17:55


Subscription date : 28 October 2009
Messages : 415
Hello there,

I just got another idea: to allow the dock to zoom (globally) when hovered. This is different from the already existing icon-zoom.

With the dock-zoom, the dock has two sizes: one at rest, one activated. When at rest the dock has a given size and visibility. When the dock is hovered it increases in size (not only around the mouse-pointer, but globally) and it can overlap existing application windows, until it returns to rest. On top of the dock-zoom there can still be an icon-zoom which basically emphasises the focus of the mouse-pointer.

The idea of a dock-zoom is to allow the dock to be visible in a reserved space and not stand in the way. At rest it can be more like a panel, providing general information on the computer and desktop, while active it is an interface proper.

It's nice to have large icons to work with but you don't want them to stand in your way when you don't need them and yet an empty screen is not pleasant to work with either.

fabounet, Wednesday 13 April 2011 à 16:50


Subscription date : 30 November 2007
Messages : 17118
I'm not really sure to see the difference, because at the moment, the dock at rest is small, and when "active" the icon you want is big.

jesuisbenjamin, Wednesday 13 April 2011 à 17:23


Subscription date : 28 October 2009
Messages : 415
Well i've been trying to experiment and then the behaviour is a bit ineffective.

For instance, use reserved space for the dock, icon size 32x32 and zoom effect x3 with a range of 500 (which is the configuration the closest to what i mentioned above).
You can always see your icons: great
You can see them large when in focus.
But the zoom effect seems to hang-on and even as the mouse pointer goes to the top of the screen, far from the dock, the icons stay zoomed (even now as i type this).

Other configurations are odder: if i want my icons smaller, i need a larger zoom and at some point it becomes very inadequate.

But perhaps another way of proposing my idea is by suggesting another shape for the zoom, right now i believe it is semi circular, could there be a square zoom instead? i.e. all icons zooming up simultaneously at the same size?

fabounet, Friday 15 April 2011 à 13:01


Subscription date : 30 November 2007
Messages : 17118
But the zoom effect seems to hang-on and even as the mouse pointer goes to the top of the screen, far from the dock, the icons stay zoomed (even now as i type this).

hmm, that's strange and it sounds like a bug. is there any link with the zoom value being too big ?

a rectangular shape ? hmm, well that can be tested quite easily, in cairo-dock-dock-facility.c is the zoom computation. currently it's a sinus, maybe you can try to hack it ?

jesuisbenjamin, Friday 15 April 2011 à 13:22


Subscription date : 28 October 2009
Messages : 415
fabounet :


a rectangular shape ? hmm, well that can be tested quite easily, in cairo-dock-dock-facility.c is the zoom computation. currently it's a sinus, maybe you can try to hack it ? :)


Well first i'll finish my FaceBook Applet

Ideas | Propositions

Subjects Author Language Messages Last message
[Locked] Dock Zoom vs. Icon Zoom
jesuisbenjamin English 4 jesuisbenjamin [Read]
15 April 2011 à 13:22


Glx-Dock / Cairo-Dock List of forums Ideas | Propositions Dock Zoom vs. Icon Zoom Top

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