4 ms·

With a good background contrast, it's easier to have windows stand out from each other. The default config with 0 gap and thin borders make it very hard to see

by angio 4y ago

With a good background contrast, it's easier to have windows stand out from each other. The default config with 0 gap and thin borders make it very hard to see which window is focused.

jez 4y ago
What about the gaps makes it more obvious which window is focused? I would have guessed that the gaps are the same for focused and non-focused windows.
- britneybitch 4y ago
  If you're looking along a vertical split and you see: <window> <active-border-color> <window> it's not clear whether the border is "pointing" left or right. However if you see: <window> <active-border-color> <gap> <inactive-border-color> <window> It is clear the active border belongs to the left window.
dfc 4y ago
I use plain i3, with a border color for the focused window and a good contrasting indicator color. I always know what window is focused and where the next window will open. I have always assumed i3-gaps was just an aesthetic thing. How does the gap let you know what window is focused?
- boomskats 4y ago
  Aesthetics matter in all-day ux. Gaps make content more legible and less fatiguing imho. It looks amazing against a #000 background on oled screens, for example. I've spent at least the last 6 years removing i3 and installing i3-gaps on all my new machines (and having to comment out gaps in my dotfiles/i3config while I do it). I didn't think I'd ever see this merge. This is awesome!
- angio 4y ago
  if the colored gap is left/right of the gap i know the window left/right of the gap is the current one. without gap i would need to look for the other borders to understand which one is focused. i'm sure on a small (<20") screen this problem doesn't exist.
mgaunard 4y ago
Make the borders thicker? What's the difference between borders and gaps?
- counttheforks 4y ago
  Aesthetics
  - bxfhjcvu 4y ago
    I call them distractions but this is the beautiful thing about open source. We can have both.
mikelward 4y ago
I use a compositor (compton/picon) to dim all windows except the active one. https://github.com/mikelward/conf/blob/main/config/compton.conf https://github.com/mikelward/conf/blob/main/config/compton.c...
- _V_ 4y ago
  I do too, but I find it distracting when for example something opens a popup menu and the original window dims/fades away. Tried also transparency and it really does not work for me either.

by angio 4y ago

With a good background contrast, it's easier to have windows stand out from each other. The default config with 0 gap and thin borders make it very hard to see which window is focused.

jez 4y ago

What about the gaps makes it more obvious which window is focused? I would have guessed that the gaps are the same for focused and non-focused windows.

britneybitch 4y ago
If you're looking along a vertical split and you see: <window> <active-border-color> <window> it's not clear whether the border is "pointing" left or right. However if you see: <window> <active-border-color> <gap> <inactive-border-color> <window> It is clear the active border belongs to the left window.

dfc 4y ago

I use plain i3, with a border color for the focused window and a good contrasting indicator color. I always know what window is focused and where the next window will open. I have always assumed i3-gaps was just an aesthetic thing. How does the gap let you know what window is focused?

boomskats 4y ago
Aesthetics matter in all-day ux. Gaps make content more legible and less fatiguing imho. It looks amazing against a #000 background on oled screens, for example. I've spent at least the last 6 years removing i3 and installing i3-gaps on all my new machines (and having to comment out gaps in my dotfiles/i3config while I do it). I didn't think I'd ever see this merge. This is awesome!
angio 4y ago
if the colored gap is left/right of the gap i know the window left/right of the gap is the current one. without gap i would need to look for the other borders to understand which one is focused. i'm sure on a small (<20") screen this problem doesn't exist.

mgaunard 4y ago

Make the borders thicker? What's the difference between borders and gaps?

counttheforks 4y ago
Aesthetics
- bxfhjcvu 4y ago
  I call them distractions but this is the beautiful thing about open source. We can have both.

mikelward 4y ago

I use a compositor (compton/picon) to dim all windows except the active one. https://github.com/mikelward/conf/blob/main/config/compton.conf https://github.com/mikelward/conf/blob/main/config/compton.c...

_V_ 4y ago
I do too, but I find it distracting when for example something opens a popup menu and the original window dims/fades away. Tried also transparency and it really does not work for me either.