Patcher/codeeditor docking using "windows"+[ARROW] keys

hi devs,

one thing i really enjoy about the windows-gui is the ability to dock windows to the left/right half of the screen by mouse-pulling them over to the screen side. pulling one to the top of the screen maximizes it. this is also nicely possible with patcher oder code-editor windows in vvvv.

as a big fan of keyboard-shortcuts this window-docking feature is also possible using the keys “Windows”+“UP-/DOWN-/LEFT-/RIGHTARROW”. this works for almost any windows software but unfortunatly not for VVVV patch/codeditor windows.

one could argue that this can still be achieved by mouse-pulling patcher windows around to the side of the screen, but there is actually a use case where you have to use the keyboard shortcut because mouse-pulling does not work: when you have a multiscreen setup and want to maximize a window to half the screensize, but this very side of the screen sides with another monitor. not possible using the mouse but possible using shortcuts.

i just wonder if implementing this keyboard shortcut within the VVVV-gui would be possible. i love half-maximizing windows in VVVV, especially when using the code-editor.

i hope all this window/windows/docking/maximizing terminology was explained clearly as these are quite ambiguous.

thanks!

besides, this would help to recover “lost” patch windows and renderers

I have a plugin for this, if i back home i will load it up.

Her is it.
I found:

INSTALL:
copy patchmanager(Folder) to vvvv\packs
open vvvv\root.vp4
place vvvv\packs\patchmanager\root.vp4 there and save

ShortCuts:

WINDOWS:
will move the Window
will expand/shrink the Window

PATCHES:
<"<"> place the selected Nodes in GRID
<“Y”> order output wires (just try)
<“Y”> order input wires (just try)

i think there was more and it was a little bit buggy

it’s an dynamic plug in
so you can see what i make

kopffarben :)

patchmanager.zip (123.6 kB)

hey kopffarben,

thanks for sharing! this plugin is super interesting. even though it is not exactly what i was looking for (windows-style window docking) it is a great resource to learn from. the way it works now (resizing a selected patcher to the size of other windows that are around) could be a good inspiration how quick and intuitive window handling could look like, even though i still have to find a way to effectively use it (i find it hard to control at the moment).

still, i’d argue to use the windows+ARROW shortcut the way it is used in most other windows applications (for the sake of conformity). and it would be great if vvvv had some advanced window handling by default.

see my answer here: https://discourse.vvvv.org/